Border police officer killed: He had been brutally mutilated SHKODËR / The serviceman’s body was found in a forest. Suspicions point to tobacco smugglers SHKODËR - A police noncommissioned officer was found shot dead on Friday evening by some villagers. He had been abandoned in a forest near Velipojë, but it is suspected that he was killed the previous night while he was in a boat on the Adriatic. The investigation into the mysterious death is being conducted with extreme discretion, but confidential sources say that the police officer was killed by tobacco smugglers for reasons related to his duties. He served with the Pulaj border post in Velipojë and had clashed several times with tobacco smugglers. The victim has been identified as 33-year-old Bashkim Musta; his body will undergo an examination to determine the exact cause of death. The police have begun operational activity to identify the killers, who remain unknown so far. The first suspicions are that the policeman was killed in revenge The body was found abandoned in a forest near the border On page 9

“Gazeta Shqiptare” is not going bankrupt—in fact, the opposite... FATOS BAXHAKU News of a possible bankruptcy is always sad. Who knows, perhaps our colleagues at “Koha Jonë” were just as saddened as they wrote, trembling that evening, the article—with black lettering on the Albanian economy page and a large illustration of “Gazeta Shqiptare” in the center—claiming that the fate of “Gazeta Shqiptare” was still uncertain. First of all, to reassure them, but also the thousands of readers who wait every evening to buy our work, we will modestly try to say a few words. We believe we know our situation better than the “KJ” journalists, who mistranslated the news that arrived from Italy. And since this same journalist does not deign to check with us, we will trust all the means at our disposal, while recognizing that the economic situation of “KJ” is in any case far from satisfactory: with the help of a foreign foundation, it received not a small amount in recent months, but around 200 thousand dollars: 1. The news about a possible bankruptcy of “La Gaz-” [continues outside the frame] In its messages about going bankrupt. 2. So that some “economic” journalist may understand a few simple economic matters even better, and using economic terminology, we must repeat that “Gazeta Shqiptare” is owned by “Edisud” and has no connection with the ownership issues that have been developing for a year between “Mezzogiorno” and “Banco di Napoli”. We ourselves have no evident economic problem. Indeed, for your information, our trend is upward, unlike that of some newspaper that still owes money to foreign foundations. 3. As for the early retirement of some journalists and typesetters at “Gazetta del Mezzogiorno”, perhaps this is the only true news in the “KJ” article, but the “economic” journalist has once again failed to understand some equally simple economic matters. All Italian newspapers have recently retired many of their employees. Many people benefited from this measure, which was mandatory—from “Mezzogiorno”, around 25 journalists and more than 70 typesetters—who [continues outside the frame] …according to him, for the covenant with our same purpose, while in the memories of the place, not at all economically satisfactory – KIR, which, aided by a foreign foundation, received not a little claim about a possible bankruptcy of “La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno” does not hold up at all. “Banco di Napoli” owns “La Gazzetta” and “Il Mattino” of Naples. “Mezzogiorno” has been under the management of the company “Edisud” for more than 20 years, in accordance with all the provisions set out in Italian legislation. For a year now, “Banco di Napoli” has decided to sell its ownership of these two newspapers as well. In the case of “La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno,” the matter is that the choice has not yet been made, but in the auction expected to take place shortly, priority belongs to “Edisud” itself, the company that runs “Mezzogiorno” and owns “Gazeten Shqiptare”. Thus “Edisud” has the chance to increase… …above…, that… decisions on sent many of their employees into retirement. Many people benefited from this non-compulsory measure—from “Mezzogiorno,” about 25 journalists and more than 70 typesetters—who now receive a pension as if they had worked five years longer. And this was at their own voluntary request. In fact, early retirement is an option offered by the government to all Italian businesses in order to reduce labor costs. Not bad, is it? These were the points we had to clarify. We would have clarified them just as frankly to our colleague at “K” if he had deigned to ask us about an issue that—at least in this respect—we know much better than he does. By the way, we would also have told him that the name of the man who bought “Il Mattino” is spelled Calagiorone, not Caltagitone. And we would truly have left it at that.

Berat, special forces raid The president of a well-known company in Berat was arrested immediately after returning from Turkey, where his family lives. The police detained him because they found a quantity of drugs and an unlicensed weapon at his residence. On page 9

Lakror: “We respect the Congress decision” Following the request by the International’s vice-president, Zingaretti TIRANË - The Socialists state categorically: “We will not enter Parliament.” The senior leadership of the Socialist Party has once again declared its position on [text continues outside the visible section] YESTERDAY’S MEETING WITH THE STAFF “ZP” request [partially visible]

Berat - The Kanun of the northern highlands is coming south as well. A wedding was called off because the groom, an emigrant from Greece, was unable to arrive on time [text continues outside the visible section]

PS headquarters

Braçe: “What they are asking to do at ZP is like bringing rap music into a mosque, where the monstrous rules of Allah prevail” TIRANA - “Zëri i Popullit” is asking the PS leadership: “Enough with censorship.” This is how the newspaper’s journalists, from the country’s largest newspaper, addressed three members of the PS Presidium—Islami, Bufì and Majko—during a joint meeting they held yesterday morning at 10:00. But the journalists’ request was sharply rejected by senior figures in the PS leadership. “There is no censorship by the Presidium,” the leaders declared. “We are asking for independence,” the journalists say. On page 3

BERAT - The customary law of the northern highlands has reached the south, too. in Greece, could not get to his bride on time, but the unlucky groom entered into another marriage just a day later. The unbelievable story took place in the villages of Berat, and its protagonists are a young man who returned from emigration, his parents and two sets of in-laws. Two years of engagement went to waste after a delay on the groom’s part that may even have been justified. He had promised to come to walk down the aisle last Tuesday, but he had crossed the border only on Saturday evening. Worried by his delay, his father had told the wedding party to stop the wedding, unaware that in doing so he had also broken off their friendship. The guests left the fiancée’s house with their heads bowed, and just then a miracle happened: the groom arrived. But his delay proved fatal; his father-in-law told him he had no daughter to marry off. That is when the young man’s problems began, because his father absolutely refused to have him come home without a bride. So together they went out looking—and even managed to find—another girl who agreed to marry him. The new father-in-law asked them for just a week to prepare the girl, who was married in a great hurry that Sunday, as if in a dream. h. t.

SPECIAL Now the capital’s Gypsies, between wealth and misery. Lamëmurtiçë tents; sedentary life begins. On page 11

DURRËS They tried to assault her: two young men arrested A 22-year-old girl reports it to the police On page 9

KUKËS Hooligans in the classroom: brawl with the teacher Two boys entered the high school to harass the girls On page 9

FROM THE WORLD Elections in Macedonia and Romania today Today Macedonia will vote for local government, while in Romania people will vote for the president. On page 2

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