Every year 4 million cubic metres of soil are washed away ENVIRONMENT / Appeal by specialists. Measures are needed to curb erosion The alarm over the land Erosion is becoming ever more threatening for agricultural land. Its invisible hand is hard to grasp, and every year it sends thousands of tons of soil rich in mineral salts and humus into the sea. And nature needs thousands of years to make up for this damage. The alarm comes from the Institute for Land Studies and is based on the results of scientific research carried out by its specialists in cooperation with specialists from the Institute of Hydrometeorology. This is an activity aimed at bringing this troubling problem of humanity to the forefront and contributing to the identification of real ways and possibilities to minimize this phenomenon. TIRANE — Every year 60 million tons of loose material are lost to the sea, and 20 tons per hectare are consumed by erosion. In addition, about 100,000 tons of nitrate salts, 60,000 tons of phosphates, 16,000 tons of potassium salts and 1 million 200 thousand tons of humus are lost, not including erosion from drainage waters, which amount to half of the above values. These figures — almost unbelievable — speak of massive and often uncontrolled erosion. The terrain conditions that are hard to break and the very capricious climate have their own stimulating effect on the erosive process. This risk appears even greater on steep lands as well as on river and stream erosion and on their banks. The plains have not escaped the erosion of nature either — albeit at slower rates. To fill dry and secondary channels to the desired level, it is necessary to move every year 4 million cubic metres of soil accumulated as a result of erosion of parcels. But how is it possible to prevent and minimize erosion? The first step is linked to experimental, research and expert work. In this framework, a research project is being carried out — by the Institute for Land Studies, the Agricultural University, the Institute of Hydrometeorology, and with financing from the Committee of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture — for the construction of a soil erosion map in Albania. Meanwhile, a better understanding of the erosion network, the loss of nutrients and the other effects on soil pollution require today the adequate support of sciences such as biology, climatology, hydraulics, or shkim or electric energy, are another clear example of this phenomenon. Erosion values reach over 500 tons per square kilometre, while their annual filling reaches 2.8 percent of the volume. Preventing this erosion absolutely requires cooperation between farmers and the state, as well as adaptation in projects and measures in cooperation with donors and foreign organizations. A preventive measure against erosion is the creation of protective and private structures for land preservation. An important step would be the organization of a land protection and preservation police force. Meanwhile, the Institute for Land Studies is asking the state to intervene in the protection of land as a Scientific Service and Land Preservation Centre. Through studies, participation in projects, analyses and soil assessments, it will make possible the prevention of soil pollution, the establishment of protection rules, and training in the interest of farmers through the dissemination of the best techniques for the management, enrichment and rational cultivation of soil with the use of quantities of pollution or chemicals, pesticides and dangerous substances. Vangjo Kovaci

Sport FOOTBALL / The Serie A championship begins The Inter player Bergkamp from the Netherlands in a duel with Torino player Ivano Bonetti The lineups of the Italian teams On page 4 The curiosities of the matches of week 1 On page 5

The municipality sees the possibility TIRANE — It seems that the municipality of the capital has finally found the way to solve another of its problems: bus stops. According to the official news agency, the municipality has entered into contacts with several foreign companies — among them Greek and French ones — which undertake to install such comfortable bus shelters, on one condition only: part of their surfaces must be used for advertising that will be displayed. While the project is still at an early stage, municipality specialists have been very enthusiastic about this new opportunity. This will solve not only a practical need, especially with the approach of the cold season, but their installation will also improve the appearance of the capital.

A prefix is introduced VLORE — Telecommunications are shortening distances in Albania more and more. The telephone system of another city, Vlorë, has now also been equipped with an automatic prefix. And it is the eighth city — after Tirane, Durrës, Shkodër, Kavajë, Gjirokastër, Elbasan and Korçë — whose subscribers can connect without going through the exchange at all. It is enough to dial the prefix and. But in the case of Vlorë the prefix function has not yet been fully put into operation. While the other cities can call Vlorë automatically, and they — for a short time — cannot do the same.

After the violent storm LEZHE — Sunday’s violent storm caused one casualty in Lezhë. He is the electrician Pal Ivanaj, 37, married, father of four children. Ivanaj became the victim of the accident that occurred while he was trying to repair a serious fault caused by the strong wind that night. Ivanaj had set out to reconnect an old, detached wire on the line supplying electricity to one of the neighbourhoods of Lezhë. Although the repair was carried out according to all technical safety rules, at the moment when he was putting the line he had dismantled back on the pole, the wire he was holding fell to the ground without any sign. Specialists from the company explained that in damp weather like Sunday’s, the strong induction that is created can be fatal. Ir. Ra.

Other incidents involving firearms ZAGREB — The incidents are multiplying, increasing even more the fear for the safety of the Pope and of the inhabitants of Sarajevo who will go to welcome him, although the trip to the Bosnian capital remains unchanged, especially after the statements of the apostolic nuncio in Bosnia who spoke on Sunday about difficulties related to this journey of the Holy Father. A group of Danish [??] have been targeted by heavy fire between the Zetra stadium, 200 kilometres from the place where John Paul II will celebrate Mass. This was made known by a UNPROFOR spokesman who specified that the Danes replied to the fire with fire. But UNPROFOR has not been able to explain from which side the shots came. An exchange of artillery fire between Serb-Bosnian and Muslim forces took place last night near the airport, where John Paul II’s plane is due to land. And again in the area around the airport, UN armoured vehicles were hit by small-calibre bullets, coming both from the Serb side and from the Muslim side. Meanwhile, UN planes carrying journalists who were going to Sarajevo for the Pope’s visit tried twice to land, but on both occasions they were forced to return to Ancona.

UN conference in Cairo CAIRO — The draft document prepared by 170 UN member states for the Cairo Conference on Population and Development will undergo some corrections, and the Vatican is trying to intervene forcefully to change part of the document that presents certain problems. This was stated at a press conference by the US Deputy Secretary of State, Timothy Wirth, according to whom only 8 percent of the document still needs to be discussed. According to Wirth, in the preparatory meetings in Cairo, several agreements were reached on abortion and on the problems arising in connection with and the push toward culture, religious belief and the traditions of each country. "The action programme of this Conference will follow much more the democratic policy of the world, developed and on the path of development," he said, specifying that the issue concerns populations and was raised by President Bill Clinton; the United States, he continued, have decided to provide 600 million dollars for a family-planning programme in particular. Wirth once again firmly denied the claim that Washington had supposedly asked to end financial aid to those countries that had not participated in the endorsement of the Conference document, an accusation formulated at a conference by the opposition of several Muslim countries in development. The main objection is that mediation by the USA and the European Union with the Vatican and with Muslim leaders aims not only at building a common language for the documents, but also at considering the problem of abortion no longer as a matter of family planning, but as an issue that belongs to women’s health.

THE NEW HOSPITAL FOR MENTAL PATIENTS IN KRUJE — It will be a new treatment centre for people with mental illness, which is due to start operating at the end of this year in the city of Krujë. The government allocated 30 thousand dollars for the construction of this hospital. But it will not be merely a hospital for treatment; it will also provide rehabilitation. It will include rest and psychotherapy areas, corridors, parks and other facilities through which patients can be treated and live as normally as possible. THE MODERN TELEPHONE EXCHANGE WITH 5 THOUSAND NUMBERS — Albanian Telecom has successfully completed its connection with the city of Shkodër, where a new modern exchange with 5 thousand numbers and an interconnection network from the central exchange to subscribers has been installed. This exchange will begin operating at the end of 1995, when construction of the new building will also be completed. THE MAGAZINE "GJENIKA", A NEW SCIENTIFIC AND ARTISTIC JOURNAL BRINGING SCIENCE AND ART CLOSER — A new scientific and artistic magazine for readers, "Gjenika", the first issue of which has recently come out from the Albanian press. A variety of scientific themes, the latest from art and science, this magazine aims to enrich its readers and bring the values of art and intellectuals closer wherever they are. ALBANIAN CHILDREN FOR HOLIDAY IN ITALY AND SWITZERLAND — There are 10 children from the city of Lezhë, 10 from Kavajë and 10 from Shkodër who, through the mediation of the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have left to spend two weeks on holiday in Bell and Switzerland. Meanwhile, 18 other children from the district of Lushnjë have departed with help from there for a period of 2[?] months holiday in Calabria and Italy.

PORTUGAL: “COMMUNISM IS NOT DEAD,” SAYS CUNHAL — Capitalism is a historically condemned system. This is still, even today, the conviction of Álvaro Cunhal, the veteran Portuguese communist leader, who, yesterday, speaking in Lisbon, said that the teachings of Marx, Engels, Lenin and the irrelevance of their call “Workers of all countries, unite!” are still necessary. “World development cannot but become more and more inevitable,” the Portuguese leader stated at the "Avante" festival, the organ of the Portuguese Communist Party. A CARGO SHIP FROM CYPRUS SANK IN THE ATLANTIC, 24 SEAMEN MISSING — A cargo ship [??] Antonis, flying the flag of Cyprus, has sunk in the Atlantic and its 24 sailors are missing. According to a statement from the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine, the 38,355-ton ship, fully loaded with nitrate, appears to have left Brazil heading for China. The ship had begun to sink 15,000 nautical miles (about 1,300 kilometres) west of the city of Cape Town, South Africa. It had been abandoned after the crew threw the lifeboats into the sea, and the weather was such that nothing could be done to save the ship. A Lebanese vessel is now searching for survivors. GERMANY: ELECTIONS, SCHMIDT ACCUSES KOHL OF MISMANAGING THE COUNTRY — While in a political move aimed at the elections and that today appears with the order, the Christian Democratic Chancellor Helmut Kohl was the subject of criticism from the previous Tuesday's (SPD) Helmut Schmidt. The opposition leader Helmut Kohl called the government, while he today as a “tired morality” and the parties that support it. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel sharply criticized Kohl for the burdening [??] of billions of marks without help in the last 5 years of the state PDS, with the (transigence) of the communist party once in power in the GDR[?].

IN THE INTERIOR Albanian art before a foreign audience An exhibition of 22 artists in Bari ON PAGE 2 Bakalli returns to the Albanian audience After two years away, a new exhibition of his work ON PAGE 2

FAST FERRIES . FAST PASSENGER FERRIES, CARS, TRUCKS FAST FERRIES . FAST FERRIES PASSENGERS, CARS, TRUCKS ALBANIA-ITALY-GREECE ALBANIA-ITALY-GREECE VLORA-OTRANTO +VLORA-GUMENTAS RT. ONLY 3 HOURS TO ITALY IN JUST 3 HOURS EVERY DAY DEPARTURE FROM OTRANTO AT 09.00 EVERY DAY DEPARTURE FROM VLORA AT 18.00 RESERVATIONS, TICKETS: IN ITALY: 0836 801578, 0836 801005 IN ALBANIA: 042 32983, 042 33981