Deluges of rain over Albania

A change in the weather is expected today Gjirokastra “under water” A change in the weather is expected today Deluges of rain over Albania Gjirokastra “under water” On page 7

Couple’s massacre: a new mystery

The crime at the Lake. After his arrest, the perpetrator gives another version Couple’s massacre: a new mystery The killer: “I found the woman dead” “I didn’t kill the woman; I found her dead in the car, so I took revenge by shooting 32-year-old Çiko” TIRANA - The protagonist of the tragedy at the artificial lake in Tirana made a disclosure in court. The judges ruled on the detention measure, but one part of his account has cast the tragic murder in mystery. “I didn’t kill the woman. 32-year-old Çiko killed her, and then I took his automatic rifle and killed him.” This was his statement, which appears not very convincing, not only to the police but also to the judges, who upheld the detention-in-prison measure for 28-year-old Fatmir Masha. Nevertheless, everything about the incident, in which Masha was the sole protagonist and witness, will be clarified definitively by the investigation now being conducted intensively. On page 5

Millionaire winner: nobody knows who he is

Totofutboll VLORË - He has won more than 63 thousand dollars in the lottery, but nobody knows who the lucky millionaire is. He has suffered in hiding and it seems that even his relatives have no idea. From Sunday evening, when the winning ticket number was announced, until today, he has remained an unknown millionaire. By now, the secrecy he has chosen is remarkable. It appears only that the ticket was bought in Vlorë and that the winner really was lucky, since, according to the available information, he did not buy any other lottery tickets. Thus he became a millionaire with only 12 lekë. According to speculation, he may be one of the many manual laborers who go every day to “Omonia” Square in Vlorë to look for work. Only rumors circulate about the unknown millionaire; it seems that he has also decided not to collect the money personally, but to do so through the Bank. This may be the only way to preserve his anonymity and his time. The very large sum won — 6.3 million — is by no means insignificant, and could tempt robbers, especially in a case like this. The good fortune of the man from Vlorë has raised hopes and spurred others on. Many have started buying as many tickets as possible, hoping to have the same luck as their fellow townsman. Stavri Marko

Terror in the village: the gang reappears

MALËSI E MADHE On page 5

London opens an embassy in Tirana

Rifkind: “Greater autonomy for Kosovo” The British Foreign Secretary in Albania yesterday On page 3

Tirana-Athens rapprochement: Greek nationalists against Stefanopulos

Andreas: “There are still problems” TIRANA - “Education for minorities in Albania, and why not the legalization of Albanians who work and live in Greece.” Yesterday, Greek President Kostos Stefanopulos opened a bright glimmer of hope for a large number of people living on both sides of the border. The British Secretary On page 3

Gjiniushi: The Centre Pole is vital for PSD and PAD

The social democrats’ chairman speaks TIRANA - “Loyal to the Albanian Centre-Left and consistent with the political line that places us with the ‘Pole’.” This was the social democrats’ concluding assessment, just one day before their party congress. Yesterday, through their current leader Gjiniushi — who, after the meeting of the National Council, was apparently said to have taken the party’s executive “throne” — PSD showed itself confident of winning a considerable number of votes in the election. On page 3

They don’t repay loans: houses up for auction

BERAT On page 7

Accused of assault: kills himself in his cell

Italy, a tragedy involving an Albanian Hangs himself with a bedsheet in prison. The young man from Durrës had insisted from the outset that he was innocent: “I didn’t kill the facility’s security guard” On page 5 The young man Ibrahimi

Police begin compiling files on convicts

KRUJË On page 5

The child with two fathers

But which one is the real father? The court will decide A rare story about a couple from Tirana

The Red Cross sues the municipality

Disputes over the plot where its headquarters stands TIRANA - The Red Cross is suing the Municipality of Tirana. “The land is ours; the decision of the property restitution commission is unjust.” Property disputes have now affected the humanitarian association’s highest headquarters as well. A total of 16 people claim to be the owners of the 4,000-square-meter plot. On page 5 Tirana Court On page 7

Municipality: Report corrupt officials

LEZHË On page 5

Inter, queen of the Italian market

“Bosman,” sensational negotiations Following yesterday’s ruling concerning the free movement of the biggest players in view of next year’s transfers Girdardelli On page 7

Snow engulfs Europe

From Around the World On page 2

Kukës: garbage is killing livestock

Once again, the problem of “residents” without permits “Urban” animals have eaten waste intended for silage KUKËS - The city’s garbage has killed livestock; the poor animals ate rubbish instead of silage and died. The unusual incident occurred in recent days in the city of Kukës. The incident has again stirred fellow residents in this city, where two major things collide in an urban area: waste and livestock. The increase in consumer goods used by Albanian households, especially those with packaging, together with the lack of a municipal waste-processing service, has led to increased consumption and to alarming accumulations of rubbish in most cities. Kukës is no exception to this transitional phenomenon. But those hit hardest by this phenomenon have not been its real cause, people, but animals. According to specialists from the Kukës municipality, there are now hundreds of livestock animals which, in violation of the law and despite the services of the relevant authorities, have taken up “residence” in the city. But the poor creatures have not “forgotten” that they no longer live in the countryside and have roamed the city’s polluted streets in search of pasture. Instead of green meadows, however, they found piles of rubbish. And they stilled their hunger in garbage containers. For some of them, however, it was their “last supper.”