Four traffickers arrested TIRANA—Pure heroin seized in the capital. Late Thursday evening, after a surprise check of a car, police discovered half a kilogram of heroin. It was packaged in plastic bags [?] and had been hidden in the car seat. Four traffickers have ended up in jail, while the prosecutor’s office has immediately begun investigations to determine the origin and destination of the drugs. On page 5

The Secretary of State reacts sharply to the elections PD responds. Secretary Gjongecaj declares: “The last Parliament is legitimate” TIRANA — The latest position has arrived from the U.S. State Department. “The May elections were not conducted under conditions that we could consider free and fair.” This was the official position of the head of the U.S. State Department, Kristofer. “We have asked Mr. Berisha to review aspects of these elections and ensure their fairness.” The head of American foreign policy has thus taken a position, elevating the official stance of Washington to its strongest level since May 26. The first political response from the PD’s central office arrived last night through the party’s secretary-general, Besnik Gjongecaj. “We are convinced of the legitimacy of our parliament, since other European institutions have also recognized it.” While giving assurances of “Tirana’s official position remaining constant in its relations with the U.S.,” the PD secretary-general also confirmed that their future would continue along the path of “good relations.” It is still too early to say how long such a détente between the two capitals will last. In any case, the latest official American position appears to have stirred the waters between Tirana and Washington. On page 3

Agron Salihu also released from prison On page 5

The leader’s lawyer sets out for Bënçë AFTER THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTION WAS APPROVED TIRANA—Optimism and hope for lawyer Sanxhaku. Just one day after the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was ratified—as the “yes” vote in the Albanian assembly put it—Nano’s lawyer expressed optimism about a gradual but certain resolution of the case he has been defending for three years. “Now we will proceed quickly, step by step,” says the lawyer, according to whom the road to The Hague remains long. “The documents have to be translated into a substantial dossier,” says Sanxhaku, who estimates this will take six months. The second stop will then be The Hague’s legal commission, which selects cases brought from all over the world. Before reaching The Hague, the Nano dossier will have to travel and wait its turn among the cases arriving from across the continent. But the lawyer’s optimism goes further when he says that “if The Hague finds Nano not guilty, then he is entitled to compensation.” “Optimism and hope from the socialist leader’s lawyer: ‘We will follow the path to The Hague. We believe this is right’” Fatos Nano and his lawyer Sanxhaku On page 3

“Optimism and hope from the socialist leader’s lawyer: ‘We will follow the path to The Hague. We believe this is right’” “Ireland will support us” TIRANA — Irish assurances of support for Albania’s association with the EU. They were given yesterday to Albania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tritan Shehu, by his Irish counterpart, Gei Micell. Welcomed yesterday at the office of the Irish chief diplomat, Shehu also heard Ireland’s official position as the country currently presiding over the EU. “We will strongly support you in these structures,” the Irish politician is reported to have said. On page 3

Property dispute: three people injured On page 5

Court seizes three foreign ships On page 5

Police discover new drug plants On page 5

The ninth protest parties’ second meeting TIRANA — The third meeting of the nine opposition parties concluded with a call for dialogue. “We are ready now; we are waiting for the date and venue.” This was the message that emerged from the roundtable, intended to reach the PD and several other Albanian parties. The opposition is making the proposal; various options were discussed for 60 minutes around a table bringing together the leaders of the PSD, PAD, PS, PA, PRD, PP, PUK and PE. The roundtable of the nine opposition parties also appointed a seven-member delegation, which will engage politically with representatives of the PD. It seems that everything is now ready in Çeka and Gjinushi’s camp. They are now awaiting a final response from the PD, which appears to remain with its original position: “No parallel roundtables.” The parties’ meeting yesterday On page 7

London: orphaned embryos destroyed On page 2

Her relatives had burned to death in Athens “The woman in black” finds refuge at the ministry TIRANA—Bitter tears of emigrants and the wounds of citizens at the Ministry of Labour and Social Support. A woman dressed in black appeared in the ministry’s corridors, and her face, as she sought a suitable job and a place to stay, brought tears to everyone’s eyes. She asked for a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Social Support and said: “The woman in black” had left her village. Her children and family had gone abroad to secure a livelihood. And nearby, in Athens, amid the great activity, she had thought she might find a way out of these tragedies. A life torn apart has written [?] carries sorrow [?] and hope for lawyer Sanxhaku. Just one day after the Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was ratified—as the “yes” vote in the Albanian assembly put it—Nano’s lawyer expressed optimism about a gradual but certain resolution of the case he has been defending for three years. [?] Her husband, children and mother were burned to death along with the others in her family. She returned to her homeland carrying the weight of the tragedy. Now entirely alone. Without a family, without even a handful of money. The need to survive brought her to the Ministry of Labour. As documentation—knowing that the office would not admit her without documents—she showed Greek newspapers reporting the family’s catastrophe. There, they offered to register her with the refugee-aid offices and the SOS children’s organization on the outskirts of Tirana. The woman in black will work with orphaned families, also finding the warmth of the family she lost. She will receive and find warmth with [?]

Atlanta ’96 ATLANTA—The African “Lions” defeat the “Lions” of football. A “golden goal” kills off mighty Brazil; Nigeria confirms the true strength of African football. It won 3–0 yesterday in a match in which, as is usually said on such occasions, nothing was lacking. With his two goals, Kanu was named man of the match. The Brazilians opened the scoring. In the second minute, Conceicao turned a free kick from around 25 metres into a goal. The Africans fought back fiercely and equalized through an own goal. After that the game opened up, and both teams unleashed their entire arsenal in a flurry of attacks. The Nigerian players On page 7

The state, taxes and newspapers TIRANA It has been some time now that the country’s leading newspapers have been at the center of a heated, major debate over their financing and the withdrawal of loans to the daily “Koha Jonë” by the “Soros” Foundation. And amid the whirlwind of accusations and counteraccusations—is this financing immoral or not?—the actual context accompanying the newspapers’ “discovery” of one another has been somewhat forgotten: their financial poverty. It is precisely the perspective of empty budgets that is a scourge which has afflicted the press since the outbreak of competition. The way it is funded makes one see the risk of its decline, and of the press itself, now that “it is better to sell.” But now it seems that there is a solution, because this is considered to be for the best. And newspapers are likewise putting a single request to the state: will it ease their tax burden? A free and pluralist press is the first sign of freedom, as the saying goes; let us lower it more quickly. A “boom” of journalists and power is being found. Now, after a decade, the decline of the press and the flourishing of dozens of newspapers could undergo a complete metamorphosis, becoming an affirmation of the crisis that has gripped it. So many newspaper names and titles, but no competition. The game is over. Their life was a kind of “short-lived” existence. They were written specifically to educate. But even those that survived have not been spared and are not having an easy time. The specter of bankruptcy is present in the environment of all of them. For example, they are still operating with reduced staff and equipment. Many newspaper names, but still none with political and formal stature. At a time when the press, especially in a still-poor country like Albania, is not a daily necessity, it cannot be treated properly in such circumstances. According to... [?] Andie [?]

“Live” “HOOK” “The hooke” with a new album On page 4