The capital under siege by blue uniforms. The killer is still being sought Last night, at Kafja e Remës, at around 21:10, Gëzim and Besim Neziri were shot in a burst of automatic gunfire A month ago, Gëzim Neziri had taken part in an operation to apprehend a person responsible for several murders. It is suspected that last night’s crime was committed in revenge TIRANA - Crime strikes again. Brutally. At the people who uphold the law. Two police officers were shot last night on the outskirts of Tirana in several bursts of automatic gunfire. Gëzim Neziri, a criminal-police inspector, and his brother Besim Neziri, also a police officer, lost their lives while on duty at a place known as Kafja e Remës. They were in a car with private plates when they were shot from the darkness. The automatic-rifle bullets hit Gëzim first and wounded his brother. Besim tried to get out of the car, but another burst of automatic gunfire riddled his body, and he died five metres from the car. The capital’s police force has been fully mobilized to apprehend the perpetrators. Initial suspicions are that the crime was committed in retaliation for their official duties. In fact, a senior police officer said yesterday at the likely scene of the unusual crime: N. K., a person wanted for murder, is very likely to have committed last night’s crime. He is believed to have fled rapidly in an unknown direction, while the entire capital has been sealed off in a multiple police cordon to ensure his arrest and that of any possible accomplices. On page 3 Gëzim Neziri

Murra and Asllani also out of prison Yesterday, at the trial hearing TIRANA - The Court of Appeal releases Foto Çami. Yesterday at midday, Foto Çami, former secretary of the Central Committee of the PPSH, said “goodbye” to his handcuffs. The judges sentenced him to five years in prison, suspended, which enabled his relatives to benefit just seconds after the verdict was read. The second-instance court examined the lengthy case involving Foto Çami, Prokop Murra, Muho Asllani, Zeqir Gago, Nelo and Dilaver Bengasi; in the cases of Prokop Murra and Muho Asllani, they had been sentenced to prison by the Tirana Court. But unlike Çami, Murra and Asllani could not get their sentences reduced below 20 and 18 years in prison. The sentences for the other three, meanwhile, were changed altogether. On page 5

SHENGJIN On page 5

DURRËS On page 5

PESHKOPI On page 5

TIRANA On page 5

Inspectors: “It was due to expire within a few hours” People complained: “It gave us stomach aches and frequent diarrhea” KORÇË - A “stop” has been put on the famous Korçë beer. Food inspectors have ordered the production of the dark beer made at the Korçë factory to be halted because it was not being properly refrigerated. Its rapid souring and some effects on consumers’ health have forced the food inspectors to take extreme measures. Production of the famous beer has been halted since last Friday until further notice, and samples are being analyzed to identify the cause of the beer’s premature souring. On page 5 BREWERY

Conference in Durrës TIRANA - The socialists’ conferences in Durrës and Krujë concluded yesterday. Renewal, which ... has no successes in Pëllumbi: “Even the oldest must be rejuvenated.” Projects for the other districts of the country were presented at the conferences, and discussions were held on the upcoming issue debated by the socialists from the districts and the city. The phenomenon of Na ndoheti was left aside, while much was said about the type of socialist renewal. On page 3

Wildlife threatened by unauthorized gunfire FIER - The Fier Hunters’ Association has issued an appeal to protect animals from illegal hunting. On page 5

The great teacher of the Albanian language Eqrem Çabej TIRANA - Today marks 88 years since the birth of our most talented linguist, Professor Eqrem Çabej, who left a deep mark on Albanian linguistics in the fields of the history of the Albanian language, historical grammar, etymology, and the theory of its literary language. On page 7

ENTERTAINMENT The stage was erected opposite the central grandstand by the maintenance team in the days before On page 4

FROM THE WORLD Jelsin assigns the Chairman of the Security Council to resolve the Chechen problem. Lebed On page 2

The custom of firing shots causes tragedy Kavajë: she tried to stop her son, but a bullet fired from the pistol struck her KAVAJË - It began as a wedding but ended as a funeral. A 46-year-old mother was struck by her son’s hand. It was an ordinary wedding, full of music and joy, that turned into an unprecedented tragedy. A fatal accident turned it into a funeral, just moments after the bride had entered the house. The young man G.H. shot his 46-year-old mother, L.H., in the chest. The bloody scene took place when the bride arrived at the house and the whole wedding procession came in from the road. G.H., overcome with wild excitement, took out a pistol and fired it into the air. His mother, L.H., went over to him to put a “stop” to it and tried to take the loaded weapon from his hand. But in the sudden struggle, a bullet came out of the pistol and lodged in the young mother’s chest. That was enough to turn a family’s joy into an absurd funeral. Mourning replaced music and songs, and silence engulfed the whole wedding, which had taken such an unexpected turn. The young man G.H. was detained on the spot by police and taken to the police station shortly afterwards. It has become a significant and absurd ritual for someone to die at the height of a wedding. Dozens of cases recorded during the wedding season have been described as an act of politics aimed at putting an end to it: firing guns at weddings with pistols. Though condemned by an increasingly active campaign, the continuation of this practice, which has caused more harm than anything else, is turning into its opposite: an anti-ritual, or a primitive ritual found in northern Albania.

Sport TIRANA - Dispute between Tirana and Partizani over Çoçlli. The person concerned still does not know whom he belongs to. “I don’t know whom I’ll play for. Let the Federation and the clubs resolve my problem.” - Williams have secured the constructors’ title in Formula 1. Williams won the Budapest race, reducing the points gap with their rival Hill to 17. Dortmund are eliminated from the German Cup. On page 6