The country brought to a standstill by the celebrations At last, the festivities are over. For four days, banks, newspapers and public services shut down. In Tirana alone, 12 babies were born in the first hours of ’95. But there were also three deaths on the roads So 1994 passed, and the first days of 1995 arrived... At last, the festivities are over. For four days, banks, newspapers and public services shut down. In Tirana alone, 12 babies were born in the first hours of ’95. But there were also three deaths on the roads TIRANA — Fireworks and celebrations continued until the early hours of the first morning of 1995. Once again, the joy of welcoming the new year triumphed over the lack of electricity and water and the multitude of other hardships. This time, New Year celebrations lasted longer than before: for three days in a row, most Albanians “abandoned” work—shops, banks and public services closed—as they gave themselves over to the festivities. The night of December 31—and the days that followed—ended amid the noise and colorful lights of fireworks, but also with rapid gunfire, particularly in Tirana and Shkodër. But the first days of the year were not joyful for everyone. In the capital alone, around 100 people ended up in hospitals over the holidays for a variety of reasons, including accidents. The latter were the main cause of misfortune: 18 people were involved in accidents between New Year’s Eve and the first three days of January. For three of them, the outcome was tragic: they lost their lives. The first was a 50-year-old man from Tirana who became a victim on the last day of ’94. Another death was recorded on the 2nd, followed by another after the fatal accident involving a woman—Sh. H., 42—on one of the capital’s main roads. Meanwhile, the cries of newborn babies could also be heard in the maternity wards. In Tirana alone, 12 babies were born in the early hours of January 1. The anxiety over electricity did not go away even on the last day of the year. In large areas of many cities—Tirana, Shkodër, Vlorë and Elbasan—despite KESH’s efforts, it accompanied Albanian families, casting doubt on their preparations for the festivities. Nevertheless, electricity returned at the last moment, making it possible at least for the clinking of glasses at midnight not to take place in the dark. The toast wishing everyone a happy year was perhaps the one made most often throughout the country that night.

The waters batter dozens of homes and grain fields After the drought, now excessive rain ELBASAN — The energy emergency caused by the drought of recent months has turned within a few days into a flood emergency. Several villages in Elbasan were hit in the first days of the year by the waters of the Shkumbin, swollen by heavy rainfall. The ground floors of houses, schools and warehouses, as well as extensive areas of cultivated fields, were engulfed by the force of the river’s flow, which this time encountered no obstacles—dams or embankments—along its course. On Monday morning, the villages along the Shkumbin—Murriqan and Jogodinë in particular—woke up flooded by the river’s current, after it burst its banks following the heavy rain that fell during the night of January 1. Residents found themselves amid a landscape in which water seemed to be the only dominant element. Homes, other buildings and large areas of land had been surrendered to the floodwaters. Until Tuesday, no one could assess the damage caused by the Shkumbin’s flooding. Nor was it known what measures had been taken to deal with the situation and address its causes. The New Year holiday had kept the doors of local offices and institutions closed even the day before yesterday. Nevertheless, an initial estimate put at more than 100 hectares the area planted with wheat that was seriously at risk of failing to yield a crop this year. Other areas in Vidhas and Papër appear to have suffered the same fate. More than 50 hectares of land planted with corn were completely covered by the uncontrolled floodwaters. Monday’s flood was on a very large scale. According to the villagers themselves, an event of this kind had not been seen in these areas for more than five years. However, it seems it was not entirely unexpected. The villages along the Shkumbin had long been under threat from the river’s waters. The absence of a protective dam had left them vulnerable to the whims of nature. Mentor Kikila

Rrëshen, the explosion shakes even the toasts RRESHEN — Fireworks and gunfire were not the only things accompanying this year’s New Year celebrations. In Rrëshen, right on the stroke of midnight, a time bomb sowed panic and destruction. Fortunately, no one was injured in the explosion, which occurred in a venue right in the center of the town; the place was closed at that time of night. The reasons for this attack are not yet known. Perhaps someone wanted to give the owner of the establishment a very special “gift”: revenge through destruction. Privatized three years ago, the establishment—located in a very favorable position, directly opposite the Municipality and only a few dozen meters from the Police Station—was later taken over by a local intellectual who, after completing its renovation, had turned the old building into a restaurant. The costly works had transformed it into a place intended to become one of the most frequented in the small northern town. Now the millions of lekë spent have been reduced to a worthless pile of smoldering rubble. The explosion made a strong impression on the people of Rrëshen. The police arrived at the scene about 45 minutes later. Only the investigation and the initial measures taken by the police will now be able to clarify the reasons for this unusual incident on the eve of the New Year. (o. re)

Durrës, the stew scalds DURRES — A tragic start to the year for a family from Durrës. Its two young children were burned on January 1 by the stew their mother had put on to cook. The wave of hot meat broth that spilled from the pot placed on the stove engulfed the tender bodies of the little ones — they are over 2 years old — causing extremely severe burns. Apparently, curiosity was what prompted the two little ones to go near the pot. A sudden movement caused the hot vessel to fall onto the children, scalding a large part of their bodies. The burns were so extensive that the little ones were immediately taken to the capital’s hospital, where they continued to be treated in intensive care until Tuesday evening. a. m.

Message TIRANE — “The further development and consolidation of democracy, mass privatization, Albania’s integration into Europe, and the defense of the national cause.” In greeting his people on the occasion of the New Year, President Sali Berisha thus also affirmed Albania’s most important objectives for 1995. And tolerance, understanding, and solidarity are what — according to Berisha — will make it possible to achieve these objectives. Wishing his people more joy, faith, courage, health, and prosperity, Berisha recalled that “overall, we have many, many reasons to part with ’94 with a feeling of deep gratitude toward it.” (o.re)

Around 700 across the country TIRANE — Albanian lawyers are to be examined. Starting this month, around 700 legal professionals practicing this profession will be required to undergo testing — under the new law — in order to renew their licenses. They will all have to answer a series of questions prepared by a commission appointed by the Minister of Justice, who also determines the commission’s operating rules, the professional subjects, and the examination procedures. Only those legal professionals exempted from the requirement by order of the minister will not have to take this qualification test. To qualify for this exemption, they must demonstrate integrity at work, professional ability, and a high level of education. Those who fail the exam will be allowed to take it again only after a further six months of internship. a.m.

FIER — Two more prisoners have been added to the tally of deaths at the billiards hall in the village of Ngejan, Fier. — Two more prisoners have been added to the tally of deaths at the billiards hall in the village of Ngejan, Fier. Now the Fier Court, revisiting the tragic incident of August ’94, has found Ilir and Agim Shabani guilty and sentenced them, accusing both of “serious bodily injury resulting in death” as well as “minor bodily injury.” The harsher sentence — eight years — was handed to Ilir Shabani, who had struck Agur Tahiri with a billiard cue at the village billiards hall; Tahiri died of his injuries in hospital just eight days later. (p.re)

TVSH also broadcasts the advisory TIRANE — “Adult” television has also arrived in Albania. Just a few hours into the new year, 1995, Albanian television stations displayed the advisory for the first time: “This film is prohibited for persons under the age of 16.” Thus, Jane Chapman’s successful production, “Piano,” became the first film — shown as part of TVSH’s programming — to be viewed exclusively by adults. From that moment, the English film production — despite itself containing several erotic scenes — marked the birth of a new kind of broadcast for Albanians, who for the first time experienced the screen itself helping them keep their children away from it. (e.l)

YESTERDAY IN ALBANIA Only the meeting with President Berisha, held in the final hours of ’94, made it possible for the strikers to ... [the printed part is unclear]

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The Russian army is ready to destroy Grozny

Berisha:

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