AFTER THE CONSTITUTION On page 3

EPIDEMIC BREAKS OUT Alarm for schools, kindergartens, public venues. Risk from contaminated water Jaundice kills 5 children From South to North, 800 sick On page 3

Arian Çani If the contagious disease had suddenly appeared yesterday, it really would be difficult to be surprised by the indifference of the Ministry of Health. But the fact is that for nearly 20 days the likelihood of a possible epidemic has been rising significantly in several areas of the country. And without the slightest sense of responsibility, even yesterday, while five children aged 5 to 7 had already died of jaundice, the Ministry of Health openly stated its official position that this was not an epidemic. Moreover, it has officially kept this information secret. While the number of sick people had reached 800 across the country by yesterday, the chiefs in their warm offices were content to send a few teams to the hardest-hit areas, where the virus known as Hepatitis A had already taken hold. No campaign to prevent this epidemic, no effort to raise awareness through the media, no visible concern at Solis’s Ministry. If the five children who died of jaundice were to come back to life a day later, they would surely be curious to learn how a minister would justify himself after their deaths.

Rare in Albania Quintuplets are born Father: I wanted an abortion Four babies were expected, but five were born. A justifiable error by the ultrasound amazes doctors. For the first time in its history, the building of Maternity Hospital No. 2 in the capital has witnessed an extraordinary event. The newborns (Photo: H. Prishtina) On page 5

One of Tirana’s biggest traders has been taken hostage. Unknown individuals abducted Astrit Gazheli from his car and headed toward the villages along the Tirana-Elbasan road. The operation to free the hostage even mobilized RENEA forces, but everything remained shrouded in mystery until late in the evening. According to the police, the family members denied the possibility that the kidnappers had demanded money. On page 6

TRAVEL At the country’s southeastern edge, the city of Korça lies at the foot of Mount Morava. Anyone who has visited, even just in passing, has wanted to return to enjoy the beauty, culture, and nobility of the residents of this renowned city. On pages 12-13

Dozens of people from Shkodër are changing their surnames by adding Slavic, or even Greek, suffixes. This is the phenomenon observed in the city in recent days, driven by the need to work abroad—and it has also become a subject of dispute for the Shkodër Municipal Council. On page 15