He escapes after being held captive thanks to Demirel’s escort TIRANA - Crime is targeting businesspeople. Two months after the kidnapping of businessman Koço Dado by still-unknown individuals, another businessman fell victim to masked men on Monday morning. Aleksandër Pilo was kidnapped by three people, who kept him locked in a bunker near Kashar and robbed him of an amount of between 3,000 and 15,000 lekë. But while it is still unknown where the first victim is, or even whether he is still alive, A.P. managed to escape. The merchant was fortunate to be “in the right place at the right time.” Tied up with rope and threatened with weapons, he escaped only because of the loud noise made by the police and the 140-person escort of Turkish President Demirel, who had just arrived in Albania. On page 4

Scandal clouds World Cup final A cloud of suspicion hangs over the Brazil-France final. According to a poll conducted in Italy, 52 percent of those interviewed did not believe the result, while 34.6 percent are convinced the match was fair. In this context, 13.3 percent of those interviewed shrugged and were unable to give an answer about the match. The World Cup final is under a cloud of match-fixing allegations. Such a match has not been seen in modern times. The French team completely dominated, making more attacks on the opposing goal than it had in all its previous matches. On page 11

Malaj faces the Socialist Party group. Not one MP speaks against him The barrage of attacks subsides; yesterday they signed a peace agreement AD leader: Now together against corruption Malaj faces the Socialist Party group. Not one MP speaks against him A mysterious pact between Nano and Ceka The barrage of attacks subsides; yesterday they signed a peace agreement AD leader: Now together against corruption TIRANA - Peace returns between Nano and Ceka. On Tuesday, as Ceka said, a meeting took place between the two leading figures of the coalition, during which it seems many of the issues that had so far divided the leader of the PS and the leader of the PAD were cleared up. Yesterday, Ceka appeared very calm and did not hesitate to express his full support for Nano—a 180-degree change in position, given Ceka’s statements made some time ago in the form of threats against Nano and the coalition. A mysterious conversation between the two may have led to a compromise and conclusions that made it possible for the two chairmen, partners in the governing coalition, to draw close again. And so Ceka momentarily forgot all his criticisms of the prime minister, when he Neritan Ceka has made a 180-degree turn in his personal stance and that of the AD toward Prime Minister Nano. Yesterday, the Alliance leader did not hesitate to return to statements from a year ago, once again recalling the honeymoon period of the center-left coalition. Although he had not hesitated to express positions as extreme as threatening to take the AD into opposition, following the disputes with Malaj and Fino and the allegations of smuggling and TNT, Nano does not seem to have been very pleased by the widening debate about smuggling, in which Medajri was recently also targeted by the Finance Minister. And, just as with Nano, it seems that something like this is thought not to have produced a positive feeling in the head of state either. Therefore, from the central institution, perhaps by using Ceka’s two wings, a compromise may also have been reached between him and Nano, although it is not yet known what conditions it may have been based on or what solutions as in the statements, once again recalling the honeymoon months of the centre-left coalition. Although he has not hesitated to express even extreme positions, such as threatening to take AD into opposition, after the disputes with Malaj and Fino, after the accusations of smuggling and responsibility in government, Nano and Çeka shook hands on Tuesday at a mysterious meeting, whose topics and the solutions the two leaders may have reached remain unclear. Yesterday, the liberal-democrat leader, not at all troubled by some statements of the Albanian prime minister that indirectly direct their edge at him, offered a glimpse [?] of his relations with Nano. Indeed, he declared that he had never fallen out with him, even though just a few months earlier they had apparently insisted that he would not wish to remain in a government with the chairman of the PS, in protest against “the intrigues being plotted there.” Various sources, unable to clarify the substance of the conversation between the two, said that the meeting took place at the reception hosted by the Albanian President in honour of the Turkish one, Demirel. And it is possible [?] that there may also have been some “ministerial mediation” in bringing the two closer. But it should not go unmentioned that, within a small circle [?], Gramoz Pashko may have played a role: the newly elected chairman of the AD Assembly, and, as it happens, an adviser to the prime minis- ter, is thought not to have made a positive impression and may have displeased [?] the head of state. Therefore, the central institutions, perhaps using Çeka’s two chiefs, may also have achieved a compromise on what terms it may have been reached or what solutions they may have agreed upon. But one thing is certain in this case. On the day Çeka and Nano signed peace, the socialist MPs halted all debate about smuggling and their attacks on Malaj. The much-discussed meeting, which was expected to cause divisions and lead to motions within the PS, passed in Olympic calm, without insults or quarrels, but with “understanding.” It seems that a meeting of this kind, which has a clear impact on various dimensions of a coalition’s political life, cannot simply be brushed aside as a “friendly greeting,” as Çeka called his handshake with Nano. Perhaps the details of the compromise will be revealed later, but someone must have stepped in to bridge the gulf between the head of the PS and that of the AD. And in Malaj’s absence, the sacrifice may be Ble(ta). This is so even though Çeka called the customs chief under investigation an insignificant person who could not come between him and Nano, despite the well-known opposing positions the two had taken regarding his dismissal over the smuggling affair.

Skifter Neritan Ceka has made a 180-degree turn in his personal stance and that of the AD toward Prime Minister Nano. may have been based on or what solutions

We are interested ... in smuggling BONUS

Caught at midnight Kosovar was hiding in the Prime Minister’s villa Belgrade’s man questioned by SHIK For the second time in a few days, Fatos Nano’s residence has been violated. The presence of the “guests” remains a mystery. On page 3

NATO maneuvers in Albania on August 17 TIRANA — Demirel urges Berisha to return to Parliament. The Turkish President has expressed his regret over the Democratic Party’s recent decision to boycott Parliament. The Turkish President has expressed his regret over the Democratic Party’s recent decision to boycott Parliament. “The opposition should use Parliament to defend democracy and its rights,” the Turkish President told his friend, Sali Berisha, leader of the DP. Meanwhile, the head of the Turkish state concluded his visit to Tirana by presenting a four-point plan to resolve the Kosovo crisis. The Turkish President on Kosovo: “Together with the Albanians, there are 65 million Turks” Demirel and Nano in Tirana

DURRËS — According to information from the Durrës border police, a large number of Albanian refugees who had tried to reach the Italian coast in recent days have been turned back over the past 2–3 days. According to statements by some of those repatriated, more than 15 speedboats and rubber dinghies were intercepted by the Italian border authorities. On page 8

VLORË — The anti-smuggling unit is tightening the noose around traffickers at sea and on land. According to officials of a special group from the Ministry of Finance — it has been carrying out inspections in Vlorë for a week now [?] — it now appears that the traffickers have been cleared out and there are fewer cases of goods seized without customs-clearance documents. On page 7

SHKODËR — The head of the Shkodër Prefecture Police Directorate, Colonel Pjerin Ndreu, analyzes the criminal underworld he has had to confront since February this year. SHKODËR — The head of the Shkodër Prefecture Police Directorate, Colonel Pjerin Ndreu, analyzes the criminal underworld he has had to confront since February this year, revealing a shocking fact: 70 percent of crime perpetrators are aged 14–22. On page 6

Otranto: 20 migrants rescued

Here are the people who will get a telephone After the first 240 names, today the second group of households that are ready for telephone service On page 11

On page 3 Nano