President Berisha promises Clinton in Washington The head of state assures support for reforms in Albania and for the Kosovo issue Berisha speaking to journalists before yesterday’s meeting with Clinton (photo: REUTERS) The President reaffirms Albania’s readiness to make Albanian airports available to NATO structures for operations in the former Yugoslavia The Kosovo issue and the crisis in Bosnia are discussed during a presidential lunch at the White House. Berisha asks for help in solving the problem From Washington, G. Pontecorboli on page 3

Tears in Fier: Veliu, the "Apolonia" footballer, is killed FIER - A great loss for Fier’s "Apolonia". Yesterday afternoon the footballer and Chapo, along with thousands of fans and citizens from Fier, accompanied to their final "resting place" the 25-year-old defender Afrim Veliu. The tragic farewell to Veliu - which shocked his admirers and fellow townspeople - had taken place precisely on Monday evening, when a murderous day struck the young athlete’s body to death. A trivial quarrel in one of Fier’s outlying bars ended in an extremely serious crime. Security forces were immediately organized, and until late last night they stated that the pursuit of the perpetrator of the crime, now identified, was continuing. Other young people were also taken to the Fier Police Commissariat, perhaps because of their presence in the bar where the tragedy occurred. On page 3

Families wait after the tragedy at sea In Brindisi, identification of the bodies continues; a 22-year-old man still has no name VLORA - People waiting with frozen faces, precisely where the news of the tragedy has come from. Until yesterday, no one knew whether among the victims of the tragic incident at sea there were or were not their relatives who had set off days earlier for Italy. There are hundreds of Albanians standing around the port of Vlora. Their eyes are fixed on the sea of mourning. Here the news of the death of a person has arrived, whose family lives near this place. Meanwhile, dozens of skafisti families may have suffered the same fate. It is now known here that all the injured are in hospitals, while the dead are in the Lecce morgue. Yesterday, hundreds of people came down to the port, perhaps waiting for news or for the arrival of the bodies. The complete list with all the names of the accident victims Stavri Marko On page 3 Tragic moments in Brindisi, police carry injured children

Investigations continue into the spectacular escape of two men SHKODER - The two escapees have caused confusion, but also tighter checks and greater vigilance, so that such "flights" no longer happen from prison and police cells. But it was precisely the latest "inventories" that uncovered the "escape arsenal", and not only for the two escapees. These checks are the first ones carried out immediately after the escape, the arrests and that night. But the switching off of the police station lights, which coincided with the moment when the prisoners "broke through the fence", raised suspicions among the investigators. The investigators in the now-open criminal case believe that the networks and threads of this perfect organization must reach much deeper. On page 3

The head of the Cassation Court demands that Gjata be removed from the trial TIRANË - “They have banned my bodyguard.” Yesterday the leader of the Cassation Court confirmed another sensational fact, this time concerning the one who, since June of this year, had been moving around to ensure his safety. According to Brozi, the personal guard, since 6 September ’95, when the former police chief of the incident at the main entrance of the Court of Cassation - was subjected to the military measure of disciplinary detention, was released only yesterday. Also according to Brozi, on Monday the police officers of the Office for the Protection and Security of Objects had been replaced by a service dog and were then released only because they had not checked and stopped Brozi’s vehicle, inside which was also the dismissed employee, Nudo Marku. Meanwhile, yesterday Brozi addressed the Constitutional Court asking for Rustem Gjata to be removed from the Judicial Panel of tomorrow’s case. Zef Brozi On page 5

Tiranë Socialists’ lawsuit: "Prel Martini in court" On page 5 Peshkopi Moroccan man detained: "Illegal at the border" On page 3 Tiranë Tani, three under accusation for the killing of the money changer On page 5

Are you looking for a new restaurant in Tirana, look inside... The sweet sound of water falling softly We create the feeling that you are outdoors and make you forget tiring reality Restaurant - Pizzeria VIVARA Offers you: Special gastronomy, Oriental fresh Italian pasta and a surprise - a fountain If you want to have fun in Tirana, try the pleasures of this restaurant ancient wall paintings and the grains of underwater caves You are always welcome and special Address: Rruga Gin Bue Shqata, near Dinamo stadium