600 kg of drugs seized

A boat that set off from Vlora intercepted off the coast of Puglia on page 10

Opposition welcomes Pickering’s statements

Opposition parties comment on the visit to Tirana by the American Undersecretary of State on page 3

Government in panic over the Bank

Savings Bank, 30 billion less every month. Meta inspects Cani

Nano: We are “condemned” to steal together

By Astrit PATOZI Socialist Party Chairman Fatos Nano called on other party leaders to set aside their internal power struggle in order to preserve the power that is slipping away from them day by day. Taking as his cue the problems created not only for the Meta government but for the entire left-wing coalition by the artists’ strike, Nano urged his Socialist colleagues to put an end to the battle between factions, which has been raging within the Socialist Party for some time. on page 5

The rule of necrophiles

By Ramiz GJINI Poet Mimosa Ahmeti, who has had the opportunity to get to know Culture Minister Edi Rama at close quarters, speaking publicly in “Skënderbej” Square in support of the striking artists, also described some of this man’s distinctive traits—enough to make your blood run cold. “In his personal collection,” she said, “you can find terrible things, such as the heels of Ismail Kadare’s shoes, bones and moustaches, Lilo Labe’s chest, a bathroom urinal, and all sorts of other ‘jewels’.” on page 6

Strikers to be involved in drafting the draft law

Prime Minister fails in the face of the artists’ protests on page 4

Four defectors out of the DP parliamentary group

Genc Pollo, Ylli Vejsiu, Leonard Demi and Ferdinand Xhaferi defied the decision of the National Council on page 5

Strike shuts down Tirana’s food market

Merchants protest against high taxes. Supplies halted across the country on page 8

Persecuted people protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office

On February 5, political persecuted people from all over Albania will gather in Tirana on page 2

Ceka sends Prifti to Nano

PAD leader snubs the meeting called by the PS leader on page 2

Government protects Azem Hajdari’s killers

Today, 504 days since Azem’s murder Every day that passes since the murder of Azem Hajdari, the symbol of democracy and pluralism, provides evidence of the involvement of Fatos Nano’s government and that of his successor in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The governments of the former communists, which leave free and untroubled the criminals who took the December leader’s life, show Albanians that they have been and remain on the side of the murderers, whose names are known but who are untouched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari can in no way tolerate this fact. The government must either capture the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly declare that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari.