Cikuli: “The spread of the virus is still unclear” An Italian professor in Tirana. Another young patient in intensive care at the Infectious Diseases Hospital TIRANA - Polio has struck mercilessly. In the early hours of yesterday morning, a 21-year-old woman died in the intensive care unit of the capital’s Infectious Diseases Hospital. The young woman, who had come from Dibra, was pregnant and had been in critical condition for a week. A few days earlier, in an effort to ease her condition, specialists, in consultation with surgeons at the University Hospital Center, had decided to perform a procedure to deliver the baby. Just one day later, everything “fell apart” as the young woman’s condition worsened. On the same day she died, another polio patient at the Infectious Diseases Hospital took her place in the intensive care unit. His condition has deteriorated, and he is now under the strict supervision of doctors. Two other seriously ill patients are in the same unit with him. The spread of the virus remains a mystery. “Even the experts at the Superior Institute of Health in Rome, our contact point for the World Health Organization, have not sent us a response,” says Maksim Cikuli, Minister of Health, regarding the frequency of cases. According to scientific literature, the vaccine-derived virus affects one person in a million, whereas the rates in Albania have been much higher. “Around 700,000 vaccines have been administered, and there were many people who had contact [with the virus]; those affected were people with weak immunity,” says Cikuli, who has been described as somewhat overly alarmist about the vaccine, which is a type used in many European countries. On page 5 Gazeta Treg On page 6 TIRANA - One of the men suspected of killing two police-officer brothers in Tirana two weeks ago has turned himself in. On Wednesday evening, at around 10 p.m., A.H.—described by police as highly sought after—came into the custody of the capital’s Police Station No. 1. Following the capture on Wednesday of another suspect, A.D., the two men may now be able to shed light on the attack on the Neziri brothers. The night before A.H. turned himself in, he had managed to escape a police cordon. Around 60 officers from the Krujë Police Station had tracked him down and surrounded the area near Nikël. The other suspect, A.D., had previously been apprehended in the same area. On the national road between Tirana and Krujë, A.H. was stopped by police forces while aboard a car[?]

Dialogue on the local elections Yesterday, after the IRI roundtable concluded TIRANA - The parties and the government said “yes” to the recommendations of the American International Republican Institute, while the spirit of consensus between them suffered a setback over just one issue: the composition of the Electoral Commissions. According to the Conference’s final statement, the IRI recommendations have provided “an important opportunity to reach agreement among the parties on methods for improving the electoral law.” On page 3 Yesterday, after the IRI roundtable concluded (Photo: P.Ilo)

SHKODËR - Second World War bombs are still killing people. This time, the tragic desire to explore war relics cost little Adelina Molla, from Bruç in Dukagjin, her life; four older people were seriously injured by the explosion of a military grenade that had been “sleeping” somewhere in a corner of their house for nearly fifty years. - Second World War bombs are still killing people. This time, the tragic desire to explore war relics cost little Adelina Molla, from Bruç in Dukagjin, her life; four older people were seriously injured by the explosion of a military grenade that had been “sleeping” somewhere in a corner of their house for nearly fifty years. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday morning in the poor village of Dukagjin. Work to reinforce an old wall caused the tragedy. The villagers began working as they had done on other occasions. It was at that moment that the child discovered the deadly object. Curious, like all children, she wanted to find out what was hidden behind the “mystery” of this object, which had suddenly appeared in the yard, but an accidental blow caused what the child could not have known: a powerful explosion. Several other family members or relatives were injured, including a three-year-old child. According to doctors, none of the wounded are in life-threatening condition. The most seriously injured among them remains Leke Ripaj, a 33-year-old man. The grenade’s blast was heard throughout the village, immediately setting off alarm among the villagers. When they approached the house, they saw a scene that left them stunned. They immediately tried to help their wounded fellow villagers, but for little Adelina it was too late: she had died, bringing grief to her family and the other villagers. Similar incidents have also been reported in different parts of the country in recent months. Ermal Milla the Neziri brothers. The night before they surrendered, he had managed to escape a police cordon. There had been nearly 60 blue-uniformed officers from the Krujë Police Station, who had picked up his trail and set up a cordon near Nikël. In the same area, another suspect, A.D., had also been caught on Wednesday. Along the Tiranë–Tufëz Kruja national road, he was stopped by police forces while aboard a car that was speeding and had refused to stop at the checkpoint. After giving chase, the police cars managed to block the vehicle, inside which A.D. was found; he had been wanted. On page 5

Mejdani, Islami, Ruka and Brokaj: Bënça’s candidates Today, the first meeting of the General Steering Committee Meetings between officials and the EC

FROM THE WORLD OSLO - This is perhaps the worst air disaster ever to have occurred in Norwegian skies. It involves a Russian aircraft that was carrying people to the mines on a Norwegian island, partly exploited by Russia, a journey of about 100 minutes. On board the aircraft, besides traders and their family members, including children, there was also a crew of 13; there are 143 victims in all, and hopes that anyone has survived have almost vanished. Recovering the victims’ bodies will also be difficult. Extremely harsh weather conditions, with frost and snow, as well as dense fog, will hamper the searchers to the utmost. Following the crash of this passenger-filled aircraft, the Russian government immediately raised the issue of inspecting domestic airline planes, which have not been inspected since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The other 100 miners, who were waiting on the island for the arrival of the new group so they could return home, are also in a state of shock and chaos. The crashed aircraft

Meetings between officials and the EC TIRANA - Albania’s highest-ranking authorities are “confiding” in the commissioners of the Council of Europe. The head of government, Aleksandër Meksi, and the Speaker of Parliament, Pjetër Arbnori, presented at these meetings an overview of assessments and the Albanian political position on establishing closer relations with the Council of Europe and other international institutions. On page 3 Finsberg of the Council of Europe

Mejdani, Islami, Ruka and Brokaj: Bënça’s candidates TIRANA - Nano has put forward his proposals for the leadership posts in the Socialist Party. In a letter—signed a few days ago at the PS headquarters—the imprisoned leader wrote down the names of Rexhep Mejdani, Kastriot Islami, Ethem Ruka and Sabit Brokaj as some of his preferred candidates to rise to the highest ranks of the Socialist leadership. In response to Nano’s proposals, PS politicians who took a stand against the motion will put forward Ilir Meta as a candidate for the post of Secretary General, while they have not yet chosen names for the other three leadership posts in the Socialist Party. On page 3

Janullatos asks the government for ownership of the churches TIRANA - The perpetrators of the massacre at the Church of St. Michael in Voskopojë, Korçë, have been caught, while in Tirana Janullatos is calling for urgent protection of the property rights of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania over these monuments, “which it has created and faithfully maintained for centuries.” In a press release, the Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania, Anastas-si, declared that the unbelievable destruction of 23 rare frescoes in the historic church of Voskopojë, carried out by students from a religious school, is a warning bell to everyone that religious fanaticism can also emerge dangerously in Albania. “It is tragic that magnificent Christian frescoes, which were respected during the darkest atheist period, are being destroyed in a time of democracy. This ‘murderous undertaking,’ carried out in cold blood, also proves how unprotected the shrines are, in their artistic expression, from hatred and the presence of fanatics, as well as from the indifference or inability of the competent authorities to protect religious treasures,” Archbishop Anastas declares. It was also reported yesterday that three teenagers had been detained by the Korçë police station: Erion Tirana and Dritan Xama, both 16 and residents of Tirana, and Asdit Velia, 18, from Shkodër. They are suspected of committing the barbaric crime that strikes at the nation’s most sensitive point: its historical identity. If things continue this way, it would not be surprising if one day we ask ourselves what these people were doing in our lives.