The Republicans will change their program The League mobilizes after the President’s decree on land purchases and sales TIRANA - The right wing is mobilizing; the Republicans are changing their program. “More conservative than before.” The leaders seem to have decided to rely on other foundations, perhaps finding ones that are more traditional but possibly more right-wing. “We are obliged to adapt to difficult situations,” Neritan Alibali, the PR press spokesperson and one of the leading Republican figures, Sabi Godo, reportedly said. The four parliamentary groups—approval by the Governing Council is expected soon—are now set to revise chapters of the program. Meanwhile, yesterday a lengthy meeting of the Right-Wing League set the date for its next activity in Albania. A. Çani on page 3 PR headquarters

Governing Council meeting yesterday On page 3

Two meters more than the Albanian record GOTHENBURG - Manjani’s breakthrough and Albanian athletics on the world stage in Gothenburg. In the qualifying competition in the javelin throw, the great champion from Durrës, who had won her last competition, set a new personal result at the World Championships. In yesterday’s women’s javelin qualifying event, Manjani finished fourth, also breaking the national record. Thirty-one athletes began competing in this discipline, including Manjani. She was in the second group, which included 16 athletes. A few hours after the first group had finished, the Durrës athlete also took her turn in the competition. Her javelin landed at the 62.40-meter mark, a world-class distance and, at the same time, a new Albanian national record, improving on 60.52 with the new mark of 62.40. She placed second in her group, behind the German Ne-umann, who threw 62.62 meters and ranks third among the 12 finalists. The final takes place today at midday, at 17:35, and will be broadcast live by Italian television channel RAI 3 and Eurosport. Manjani U.Sh.

Football Tirana-Hapoel today On page 5

Athletics World Championships On page 6

Football The latest from the transfer market On page 6

On page 3

Two channels today TIRANA - TVSH 2, but only for a few hours. Once again, it is sport that will make this possible, temporarily giving Albanian television fans the chance to watch two different programs from the same broadcaster on screen today: Albanian Television. The time of today’s football match between “Tirana” and “Hapoel” of Tel Aviv has put the TV scheduling editors in a “difficult position.” The match must be shown, but the satellite program must not be interrupted either. And so the “old” arrangement used during the 1994 World Cup in the USA has come into force again. Football fans will have the privilege of “Channel 1,” which will broadcast terrestrially, while those who do not want sport but have a “dish” can watch TVSH’s regular programs, this time by satellite. This will bring to life what has long been dreamed of and discussed: a second Albanian television channel. Although Albanians’ cultural and intellectual needs have made such a thing essential, limited resources have prevailed over good intentions: TVSH 2? Yes. But only for a few hours. So.Bal.

From Tirana to Durrës by train in 35 minutes On page 3

Pogradec An eight-year-old drowns in the lake waters On page 3

Gjirokastër Fake police officers rob and beat people: arrested On page 3

After the “Buzë Detit ’95” show / Images and curiosities from the summer pageant After the “Buzë Detit ’95” show Vlorë, beauties of the sea on stage and behind the scenes Images and curiosities from the summer pageant VLORË - The beauty contest, and finally the winners. Here are scenes from the “Buzë Detit ’95” show, watched on television by hundreds of thousands of viewers throughout the country. Familiar scenes—the winners’ portraits, the candidates embracing—and less familiar ones—Sido-rela Kola’s makeup, or Gjebrea showing documents to police officers at the entrance to the villa where the show took place—let us relive once again the rare moments the Saturday show gave us, through a photo montage. Photo montage on page 7 The two winners, Amarda Jazo and Genti Veipi (Photo: A. Babani)

Vlorë, the Police Station Chief clarifies... The Chief of the Police Station of the Vlorë District, at a press conference, denied the article published in the Albanian Gazette on August 6, 1995, entitled: “Cannabis takes over a village in Vlorë,” written by journalist Stavri Marko. The Chief of the Police Station of the Vlorë District, at a press conference, denied the article published in the Albanian Gazette on August 6, 1995, entitled “Cannabis takes over a village in Vlorë,” written by journalist Stavri Marko. In his response, the chief says the article gives false figures and facts that were not mentioned at the meeting with journalists on August 5. Regarding the press conference, he states: 1- It says that 90% of the population of Vlorë’s villages is involved in growing cannabis. This figure is not true. 2- It says that 90% of police officers have taken off their uniforms and replaced them with other clothes, something that was not said and is not true. 3- It says that Vlorë is a city of traffickers only, and not of the mafia. In fact, every claim previously written speculatively by the Albanian Gazette about links with the Italian mafia was rejected. It was stated at the meeting that some Vlorë traffickers involved in smuggling clandestine migrants cooperate with Italian traffickers, and that there are no mafia elements in the city of Vlorë. We have complete information that refutes the article published about mafia links between Vlorë and Italy. The Albanian Gazette and journalist Stavri Marko, through their published articles, have distorted reality and prejudged Vlorë as a criminal city, concludes the statement by the Chief of the Vlorë District Police Station.

Hollywood megastar arrives in Albania. He will visit Korçë TIRANA - Hollywood megastar James Belushi, the Albanian-American, has arrived in his ancestral homeland. TIRANA - Hollywood megastar James Belushi, the Albanian-American, has arrived in his ancestral homeland and has been invited to Albania. It was no surprise when James spoke to Tom Floko, who came out to welcome him. “I am Albanian,” he said in a few words of Albanian, making clear that he had not forgotten his origins: the great Belushi has set foot on the land of his ancestors. “I am in the country where my parents were born.” The charismatic man from Korçë, who enjoys an extraordinary reputation in America, is here for his vacation in Albania. He has been near Boston and decided, as a prodigal son, to set foot on his ancestors’ land. Without any fuss, Belushi got off the plane that had brought him here from the USA, apparently after a long journey. After stopping briefly, Belushi seems to have been taken to the “Tirana” Hotel, where he kept his head down the whole time. No noise, no comment. Shut away in his room and tired from the long journey, James could do no more than look through the window at the capital of his homeland. “I want to see Albania” seems not to be Belushi’s only aim. The megastar himself, a star of “Saturday Night Live,” which took over American screens in the 1980s, said: “I will look into the possibilities of making a major film.” Belushi said this very simply before the TV camera, voicing what might be the realization of a dream: shooting a Hollywood film in Albania. And this is no mere fantasy. After Albanians have seen America on their screens, now America will come to Albania. James Belushi guarantees it. So.Bal. Belushi yesterday at Rinas (Photo: B. Sorra)

The Right-Wing League strongly supports approval of the law on the sale and purchase of land. Following Parliament’s approval, President Berisha has signed the decree on the most important land law. The League’s leaders have assessed that a moratorium should be imposed on the law approved by the Assembly. The President’s decree on Sunday came as no surprise. Berisha had openly and formally expressed his position on the sale and purchase of land. At a meeting organized in Tirana with representatives from all the country’s districts, he emphasized its priority and necessity, and that it was an important step toward attracting investment by Albanian and foreign investors.

TIRANA - In Sunday’s issue of our newspaper, among other things, we published the article entitled “Cannabis takes over a village in Vlorë,” which prompted—rightly—a response from the Chief of the Vlorë Police Station, Sokol Mulosmani. We are publishing the full text of Chief Mulosmani’s response and apologize to him and to our readers for the serious inaccuracies concerning the person mentioned above. We clarify that these inaccuracies were caused by an unintentional misinterpretation of information while it was being transmitted by telephone from Vlorë to Tirana. The Editorial Office will take strict measures against the journalists responsible for this error.