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New monument to our division Ten years after the checkpoints opened, allowing people to cross from one ‘side’ of Cyprus to the other, the floodgates now see more of a trickle

By Stefanos Evripidou

C

YPRUS MARKS the tenth anniversary since the opening of the checkpoints on Tuesday, which ended 29 years of physical separation between the two communities, adding another milestone to the long history of continued division on the island.

On April 23, 2003 Turkish Cypriot authorities overcame Turkish military reluctance and opened the sealed gates between the two communities, allowing thousands of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to pass each other in long queues and cross to see the ‘other’ side for the first time in three decades.

Emotional accounts of refugees on both sides returning to their homes and being welcomed by the current inhabitants with open arms and courteous hospitality were beamed and printed by media around the world.

The warnings of the late Rauf Denktash that there would be bloodshed on the streets when Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots mixed again proved entirely groundless.

A few years on, one commentator noted that you could find more trouble at

a Saturday afternoon football match than from the crossings.

Despite the euphoria which followed the surprise opening, a year and a day later, the mood changed significantly with the overwhelming rejection of the Annan plan by the Greek Cypriots and deep sense of disappointment by the Turkish Cypriots.

Now, 3,650 days after the opening, the initial enthusiasm has seemingly dissipated with many going about their business as if the checkpoints were always open and others as if they had never opened at all.

Ambling along Nicosia’s rejuvenated Ledra Street, the Turkish language can be heard in equal measure to Greek, with both fighting for a place among the multitude of other languages spoken among the hordes of ice-cream eaters.

People no longer double take when they see a car displaying the number plates of the ‘other’ side on any road from Ayia Napa to Kyrenia.

Teenagers who do not remember the physical separation of the two communities that so defined the anguish and sorrow of their parents and grandparents for decades, and

Thousands rushed to cross over in the first days and weeks of the opening. Below: refugee Roulla Savvidou returns to her family home in Kythrea who consider the seven crossing points across the Green Line as commonplace as the internet.

However, not everyone in Cyprus has crossed the buffer zone since 2003, nor do many continue to cross regularly.

According to Charis Psaltis, assistant professor of social and developmental psychology at the University of Cyprus, there have been approximately eight million crossings by Greek Cypriots and 14 million by Turkish Cypriots over the

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‘This is not my place anymore’

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Openings and closure

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2 April A Apri Ap pri r l 21, 21, 2013 20 013 3 • SUNDAY MAIL

Home No tour operator has cancelled Cyprus programmes: CTO chief Alecos Orountiotis

Weather

Nicosia

20

Troodos 9

21

Limassol Paphos

Larnaca

21

20

TODAY: A sunny start will give way to thickening cloud which will bring rain later in the day. Temperatures will reach 20C inland and in the west, 21C in the south and east and 9C over higher ground.

OUTLOOK: Remaining unsettled until Tuesday, when a rise in temperatures is expected along with clearer weather.

YESTERDAY

Nicosia Larnaca Limassol Paphos Paralimni Prodromos

max/min temp 20 - 7 20 - 11 20 - 12 20 - 11 22 - 10 9- 2

Humidity 52% 53% 79% 57% 39% 93%

Those in tourism still seeing hope in Russia ‘Unlike the British, Russians are very last minute, they book two weeks before a holiday so it’s not over yet’

By Stefanos Evripidou

SUNRISE: 06.07 am

SUNSET: 19.20 pm

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THE ECONOMIC crisis seen in Cyprus over the last month will most certainly impact upon the eastern promise of a growing Russian tourism market though opinions within the industry appear to differ over the degree.

One tourism operator who did not wish to be named said he was in Russia recently visiting tour operators and was implored by companies there to pass on the message to the Cyprus authorities to counteract the negative marketing enacted against the country.

“Unfortunately, our competitors are capitalising on our situation, saying we have strikes, people are screaming in the streets and there is general upset and insecurity here. Bookings are down and people are scared,” he said.

Russian tour operators have blocked a lot of airline seats and hotel rooms which they will have to sell. “If we don’t do something quick to turn around the negative image, tour operators won’t sell their bookings and will have to reduce their capacity for next year,” he said.

He gave an example of the negative marketing popping up since the Cyprus economic meltdown: an ad board seen during his trip to Russia warning the Russian public, “Be careful, Cyprus is closing down”.

The ad suggested an alternative “island of stability” where Russians could invest their money, Novogorsk in Russia.

Another example, according to the industry insider, is a popular satire on television which ran a sketch where a man wanted to hire the services of a prostitute. When she asked for €2,000, the man got on the phone to a guy called ‘Pambos’ and the conversation which followed went along the lines of ‘Pambos, what do you mean it’s frozen and I can’t withdraw my money from the bank? I need €2,000 now’.

The tourism source asked: “After we destroyed the Russians and deleted their accounts, what did we really do to bring them back? Many are scared. Now Greece is starting to attract more and more Russians. Before they didn’t have many but soon Greece will replace Cyprus as a popular Russian tourist destination.”

However, there is still time to take action and assure Russian tour operators that it’s situation normal in Cyprus, he argued.

“Unlike the Germans and British, Russians are very last minute, they book two weeks before a holiday so it’s not over

yet. The high season is June.”

The general manager of Lordos Beach Hotel in Larnaca had a different view of the impact of the crisis.

“Our experience is a bit different,” said Byron Christodoulides who was in Moscow at a tourism exhibition during that first fateful weekend in March when the Eurogroup announced a haircut on all Cypriot bank deposits.

The flow of bookings subsided a great deal in those first two weeks after March 15, but after hoteliers offered additional discounts for April and May, bookings started returning again, he said.

In terms of Cyprus’ image abroad, the crisis has mainly impacted upon the banking system and those with deposits here not the tourism sector, he said.

He argued that the British market, while still substantial, has been gradually falling, while there is not much hope of seeing another 140,000 German tourists visit the island as they did last year. Russia, on other hand, was the great eastern hope, given the significant increase seen in the last two years.

“Last year we saw a very big increase from the Russian market compared to the year before, and this year, we were expecting a further increase, but it probably won’t happen.”

Christodoulides said it was normal for Cyprus’ competitors in Egypt, Turkey and Greece to make the most out of the situation.

“Obviously, they will try to get people from us, but, in the worst case, if nothing exceptional happens in the meantime, we should have the same numbers as last year,” he said.

The hotel manager said the biggest problem he saw regarding this year’s Russian tourism market was the fact that many tour operators - paying for

Can Russian tourists be lured to our shores this summer?

rooms committed in advance - have had their money frozen or swiped in Cypriot banks.

“Many hotels had sent money, millions of euros, to their accounts in Cyprus a few days before the crisis, which is either frozen or could be lost.”

For those tour operators who managed to transfer the funds to the hotels, this raises a cash flow problem for hotels that are legally obliged to host and feed the incoming tourists without access to their money.

“We’re not sure when the money will be unblocked, so travel agents don’t know what’s going on,” said Christodoulides.

Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) chairman Alecos Oroundiotis rubbished claims that the negative image after the crisis was affecting the Russian market.

“There are 10-12 Russian tour operators bringing people to Cyprus. The programme for 2013 is made in coordination with us and we are working together to increase the inflow. What we can say with certainty is that the programmes are continuing. No tour operator has cancelled bookings for Cyprus.”

Asked whether the crisis would have any impact on the emerging market, Oroundiotis acknowledged there would be some consequences.

Last year, around 450,000 Russians came to Cyprus. This year, the CTO expected to bring 550,000.

“There will still be an increase, but it will be more like 510,000. Is this considered a failure?”

Regarding the issue of frozen Russian tourism funds in Cypriot banks, Oroundiotis was adamant that this was not a problem.

“There was only one organisation that had this problem at the Bank of Cyprus and we made every effort to help them and overcome the problem so they could pay their debts to hotels, airlines etc,” he said.

The CTO chief clarified by help, he did not mean trying to secure an exemption or offer free money, though he would not into further detail.

Oroundiotis said the main aim now was to keep overall tourist arrivals at the same level as last year, at around 2.5 million.

He noted that the British market saw an increase in arrivals in March of 17 per cent.

“Certainly all markets have been affected to one degree or another, but the situation is stabilising. You don’t see riots, or bank queues, or violence. Capital controls are relaxed day by day. I believe we can recover.”

3 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

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Russia ties Cyprus loan terms to release of VTB assets

‘Times are tough for everyone’

RUSSIA wants to play a bigger part in talks over solving Cyprus’ financial problems but will only restructure its loan to the island if its interests here, especially those related to VTB Bank, are protected, Moscow’s finance minister said.

Russian banks and companies have poured money into Cyprus since the 1990s, taking advantage of low taxes and relaxed business regulations.

Many of them were caught unprepared when major account holders were told they would lose a proportion of their deposits over €100,000 under a European Union bailout to save the islandy from bankrutpcy.

“We held general talks about the need to increase the participation of the Russian Federation in negotiations over Cyprus, since we are a creditor,” Anton Siluanov told journalists on the sidelines of the Group of 20 developed and developing nations meeting in Washington.

Siluanov, who met a series of euro zone and International Monetary Fund officials during the session, added he wanted to look at Russia’s role in Cyprus, but in a way that “our interests are taken into account”.

Russia granted Cyprus a five-year €2.5 billion loan in 2011 and has said previously it was ready to restructure the terms by extending the credit and cutting interest to 2.5 per cent from an earlier 4.5 per cent.

“We will deliver our support (restructuring of the loan) taking into account our interests, and our interests are that our subsidiary (the Russian Commercial Bank) should operate in normal conditions,” Siluanov said.

“It does not require any bailout or financial support. Money of our companies has been frozen there.

We would like this money to reach its recipients.”

Government spokesman repeats call for unity after backlash from AKEL over economy measures

By George Psyllides THE government urged parties to join it in working together to get the country out of the economic rut, as a raft of measures announced on Friday received mixed reviews.

“We are seeking creative cooperation and not divisive conflict,” government spokesman Christos Stylianides said. “These difficult times are difficult for everyone.”

Stylianides said the government wished to cooperate with all political parties, though it had the first say as the elected administration.

“It does believe however that there is no other path for the common good. There is a place for everyone to contribute,” the spokesman said.

On Friday, President Nicos Anastasiades announced a raft of measures aimed at jump-starting the island’s economy, crippled from the austerity inflicted by an international financial bailout.

In return for €10 billion in international aid, Cyprus’ banking sector has been left in tatters by a raid on deposits, known as a “bail-in”.

As a result, the banking sector, as a proportion to national output, will shrink to 350 per cent of GDP compared to a previous 550 per cent.

In coming months, the island would turn to energy, but also to investments in tourism through the licensing of casinos, as well as farming, in an attempt to recoup lost ground, Anastasiades said.

Former ruling party AKEL - widely held responsible for the collapse of the economy – said some of the measures

were in the right direction, some were vague, while many were absent.

“Included are measures that move in the right direction, a lot of which are already being implemented or their implementation had started by the previous government,” AKEL spokesman Giorgos Loukaides said.

He said some measures were vague while the party disagreed or had reservations about others.

“At the same time a lot of other essential measures are absent, which AKEL is ready to submit” if the government was prepared to listen to the opposition, he said.

Loukaides censured Anastasiades for not consulting with opposition parties on the raft of measures but he “invited them to attend the communications fiesta set up to announce them as spectators and applauders.”

The government spokesman opted not to respond to AKEL, saying it was not a time to be divided.

“Anyone with proposals is welcome to submit them and the government is prepared to listen to them and even adopt them,” Stylianides said.

“We will not reject anything directed towards restarting the economy.”

The spokesman said Anastasiades will consult with other parties as more measures were in the pipeline.

Government partners DIKO expressed satisfaction with the measures with its leader saying they could be the basis of the action plan that will bring better days.

The measures, Marios Garoyian said, allocate the burdens fairly, safeguard social

Christos Stylianides said it is not time for divisive conflict

cohesion and support vulnerable groups.

Socialists EDEK said the measures were a positive development but they could only be judged when put in practice.

“The most pressing need at the moment is to stabilise the financial system and the real economy to tackle the expected unprecedented recession and unemployment in

the next months,” EDEK MP Nicos Nicolaides said.

Finance Minister Haris Georgiades held a lengthy meeting yesterday with the Central Bank (CBC) governor and the attorney-general.

The object was to progress the resolving of Laiki and restructuring the Bank of Cyprus, which has been without a board of directors for weeks after the CBC appointed an

administrator to oversee the restructuring process.

“We are working to implement this very important target in the next few days,” Geogiades said, adding that it will be a significant step towards normalising the situation.

The minister said he expected an announcement on the interim board early this week.

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4 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

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On April 23 2003 the Ledra Palace checkpoint opened, and for the first time in nearly years on, Stefanos Evripidou and Simon Bahceli look back at those heady first few

Further monument to island’s division continued from front page last ten years.

The initial massive flows of Cypriots from both communities crossing over have gradually decreased and stabilised. To this day, one third of Greek Cypriots have never crossed to the other side.

Around 40 per cent of Turkish Cypriots now regularly visit the Greek Cypriot community, primarily for shopping, notes Psaltis, while Greek Cypriots who make frequent visits north represent between 10 and 15 per cent of their community.

A long-time expert and author of numerous books on Cyprus, James Ker-Lindsay of the London School of Economics, likens the spirit of April 23, 2003 to the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

“That day will go down as one of the most special days in my life. I remember the announcement went out that they’ll open the Green Line, and nobody really knew what it meant.

“We went down to the Ledra Palace crossing, saw my brothers in-law going across and just followed them without even a passport. We just walked through. It was utter chaos, surreal.”

He clearly remembers one Greek Cypriot man, married into a prominent political family, standing on the corner of the Cyta roundabout near the Ledra Palace handing out £10 notes to Turkish Cypriots to go have a cup of coffee.

Another who crossed north came back shocked and pleased though perhaps

not for the most admirable reasons, telling friends he couldn’t believe prostitutes were “a third of the price over there”.

Returning refugees were invited into their homes by the current inhabitants for coffee, who returned personal items that had been saved for decades.

“It was incredible. You don’t often get moments like that.

Whatever Denktash’s reasons, all of Europe welcomed the move and yet the Cypriot government came out with the most churlish remarks, saying he was only doing what should have been done,” said Ker-Lindsay.

The government was not the only one caught unawares and on the wrong side of history. One journalist working for a UK newspaper recounted going to the quaint Greek Cypriot village of Karmi in the north, where many British nationals settled after 1974.

When approached by the journalist, one British woman came out of the house she was occupying and said she had found a Greek Cypriot woman wondering around ‘her’ garden, picking lemons from ‘her’ tree.

“Do these people have no respect for other people’s property?” she asked without a hint of irony.

According to Ker-Lindsay, the Cypriot students he meets in the UK are evenly split between those who crossed and those who didn’t cross.

“There are young students who don’t remember the option didn’t exist before. Some

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Policemen in the north hold back the crowds ahead of the opening of the Ledra Palace checkpoint students look embarrassed when they say they don’t cross, but they are perfectly within their rights. The ability to cross over has become a matter of personal choice.”

Before the openings, he remembers attending a bicommunal darts tournament organised by the UN at the Hilton hotel in the 1990s.

“The Turkish Cypriots threw their first round matches so they could hop into taxis and dart off to Limassol and even Paphos. I took three to Larnaca in my tiny Peugeot,” said Ker-Lindsay.

After spending years immersed in the memory and nostalgia of home, the impact of returning for a temporary visit only was perhaps too much for many Cypriots.

“One has to wonder if the openings gave Greek Cypriots the chance to see what the north is like, and made them think: ‘It’s gone, it’s not really home for us anymore. It’s still our island, but it’s different.’ I think it affected the way they saw reunification,” he said.

One clear message that can be taken from the openings is that economic interaction is key to normalising relations, he argued.

“The best benefit of opening the checkpoints has been economic interaction… It may be minimal but it shows interaction and cordial relations can happen. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots don’t have to be best friends, but there is no reason why they can’t coexist,” he said.

Head of the bicommunal cultural heritage committee Takis Hadjidemetriou is adamant that Cypriots have proven they can live together.

“Of course the situation is much better with the opening of the checkpoints,” he said.

Just last Sunday, 120 Greek Cypriots went to Diorios (a former mixed village in the Kyrenia district, west of Myrtou) and were welcomed by the Turkish Cypriots there.

Together they cleaned up the local church, while the Greek Cypriots held a service without obtaining permits.

“They had a lovely time,” he

Not all visitors were welcome said, adding that many villages have taken advantage of the openings to enhance ties between former and present inhabitants.

“When the checkpoints opened, we could have grabbed the opportunity to solve the Cyprus problem but we didn’t, so people are solving it on an individual basis.

“If the Cyprus problem is solved, there is a good foundation for Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots to work together,” said Hadjidemetriou.

“We have people who are willing to accept certain things, but their leaderships operate with slogans, chauvinism and nationalism.”

Former UN adviser on economic matters Fiona Mullen said the high hopes and exhilaration felt after the checkpoints opened rapidly turned into disappointment by 2004.

Ten years on, she questions whether interaction has increased the level of trust between the two sides, noting that trade along the Green Line has proved frustrating to most, with many reluctant to engage without higher up political approval.

“I think it’s an exaggeration to say people live happily side

by side, more like shop happily side by side. The positive is the expected violence did not happen. Instead, we see a lot of mutual indifference.”

Mullen argued interaction is mainly taking place either between hardcore peaceniks or specific social groups.

“Intercommunal relations are always related to what the big political leaders are doing. If we didn’t have the sudden economic crisis, we might have hoped something would change, but it’s hard to expect that now.”

However, according to Psaltis, the news is not all bad.

According to research on intergroup relations, the more contact that takes place between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, the less prejudice and more trust each side has for the other.

“The models of contact we tested apply to both pro-reconciliation people and nonreconciliation people. Contact reduces prejudice more for reconciliation people but we still find significant and positive effects of contact for non-reconciliation people.

“We find especially high and positive effects of contact for elementary, secondary school

and university students who usually do not have contact,” said Psaltis.

“In our recent study, we found that 35 per cent of Turkish Cypriots have at least one Greek Cypriot friend while the corresponding figure for Greek Cypriots is 15 per cent,” he added.

And in recent years, these figures are on an upward trend, though they rarely get discussed in public. There is much discussion on the group of Greek Cypriots who visit casinos in the north, but these represent a tiny fraction of the community, he added.

“Finally, perhaps the most important finding from a political perspective is that the positive effects of contact increase the desire for coexistence and reunification with the other community and this applies to both communities.

“Therefore, the argument that the checkpoints should be closed because they consolidate the faits accomplis on the ground is completely contrary to the research data not only in Cyprus but also around the world.”

Psaltis called on the political leadership to support and increase the quantity and quality of contact between the two communities.

Asked how the research factors in with the low figures of Greek Cypriots crossing north, he said: “There is no contradiction. The more contact people have the less prejudiced they become but not many Greek Cypriots have contact, this is the problem.”

Regarding a perceived sense of indifference and lack of enthusiasm over intercommunal relations, he agreed a lot of Greek Cypriots crossed in the beginning to see their homes and then stopped because they don’t see the sense in going back to a place they can’t call their own anymore.

“But this concerns crossing to the north. They can still have contact with Turkish Cypriots in the south when the Turkish Cypriots cross to go shopping.”

Openings and closure Page 6

5 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

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30 years Greek Cypriots could go north and Turkish Cypriots could come south. Ten days and at the longer-term impact on relations between the two communities

‘This is not my place any more’ WHEN Roulla Savvidou, 56, from Kythrea visited her childhood home on April 24, 2003, for the first time in 29 years, she could not believe her eyes when she saw the Turkish Cypriot family living there had hardly changed the furniture.

Prior to that, the last time she had been there she was just 17. Her family had packed their bags with only the clothes they could carry and rushed south to escape the advancing Turkish army.

The Turkish Cypriots, who were from Larnaca, moved in three months after the invasion.

“They were friendly. They let us in and gave me photos of my parents, some encyclopaedias, three books of Grivas, my grandmother’s old cups and my sister’s sports trophies,” said Savvidou.

“Afterwards, I went quite frequently initially, and then I started going only once a year when one of the churches in the village celebrated its name day. Now, it’s been three years since I’ve been.”

She took her elderly mother back to the family home at one point but the mother found the occasion too emotional.

Asked why she no longer

Roulla Savvidou visits her family home in Kythrea where much of the old furniture remained (right) crosses north, Savvidou replied that her cousin used to take her but he stopped.

“I won’t risk going alone in my car,” she said.

Would she go back to live?

“Only if Kythrea comes under Greek Cypriot administration after a solution.”

The 56-year-old said it felt like a foreign place to her. All the olive, orange and lemon trees of the village had dried out.

“I still see it as our home, our country, but under occupation. After the checkpoints opened, we thought they would find a solution, all those Turkish soldiers in Kythrea would leave, and we would move back. I feel disappointed now, but who’s to blame? Intransigent Turkey?

Us? Everybody I think.”

Asked how she views Turkish Cypriots ten years after the checkpoints opened,

she said: “I have no feelings about it, they are neither our enemies nor our friends.”

Elias Pantelides, a chartered accountant from Yialousa in the Karpas region remembers having mixed feelings when he returned with his family in 2003.

Despite making his children play a ‘name the occupied villages’ game over lunch to ensure they never forget their heritage and home-

land, when he took them to see the Karpas peninsula, deep down, he felt they had no connection to it.

“It was a bit disappointing in that sense. You go, thinking you’ll meet the people you knew, and at the end of the day, you realise that life has gone, it’s finished.”

He spent his first night in the north post-1974 camping with his daughter by the sea on a plot of land belonging

to his family and currently being used by a man who has known his family since the 1950s.

“Slowly, you start to feel, this is not my place anymore because I do not live there. Around six years ago, I asked a lady in Yialousa where she was from. She replied in Greek that she was from Yialousa. I said, ‘no you’re not’. She said she was born there and raised her two children there.

“It was shocking how time flies. OK, I’ve got legal title to the place, but any way you see it, that lady was born in Yialousa and raised her kids there.”

Pantelides also finds that he returns less and less to the north.

“I’ve been all over the occupied part now, seen the whole lot. It’s now meaningless. I go and feel like I don’t know the place or the people.”

However, closing the checkpoints would be a negative development, he said.

“On a daily basis, it won’t impact on me too much but it would be a stupid, illogical political decision. Without the two communities mixing and exchanging ideas, how could we find a solution?”

We support Bank of Cyprus Cyprus greatly needs a healthy and reliable banking system which will build strong foundations for the development of our economy, therefore we, the customers of the Bank of Cyprus, support the largest bank of our country.

We continue to keep intact all of our banking activities, and bestow upon the Bank of Cyprus the same levels of trust that we have shown throughout all these years of cooperation.

We, the customers of the Bank of Cyprus, believe that together we can make it. We owe it to our country to work together and to collectively support our economy and our society.

6 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

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Old friends Turu Yasharzan (left) and Theodoulos Pavlides (centre) in Kyrenia on April 23 2003

By Simon Bahceli IN THE 1990s I used to stand on top of a Venetian rampart in a rubbish-strewn park at Arabahmet and forlornly watch the seemingly carefree traffic whizzing through Paphos Gate. A voyeur in the true sense of the word, I could watch but in no way interact with the scene, unless of course I wanted to attract the attention of either or both of two armies amassed either side of a cease-fire line in one of the most militarised places in the world.

Then, as now, it made little or no sense to me that the two ethnicities of a beautiful Mediterranean town should be divided in such a brutal and absolute way, and I often wondered what would happen if the earth-filled oil drums and barbed wire separating them were taken away. Would Greek and Turkish Cypriots find themselves inevitably, as if by some force of nature, dragged back into war? Keen to find out, I applied several times to the Turkish Cypriot authorities to be allowed to cross the line, but each time was rejected – by whom I never knew, and for what reason, was never explained.

Having given up applying for permission, I was astonished to hear on the evening of April 22, 2003 that the Turkish Cypriot authorities had passed a motion calling for the crossing point at the UNcontrolled Ledra Palace Hotel to be opened the following morning. Sheer excitement

and the need to celebrate kept me awake much of that night. Everyone around me was equally astounded that what had been kept forcibly hidden from the people for three decades was going to be on show.

I had hoped to be one of the first to cross but by the time I arrived at the Ledra Palace crossing many thousands had already gathered either side of the thin strip of earth policed by nervous-looking bluebereted UN soldiers. Turkish Cypriots were pressing up against the line where we expected our police to check documents and begin letting us through. They too looked nervous, and more worryingly, seemed to be eyeing us like traitors. The impatient crowd began the now-familiar chant of “Kibris’ta baris engelenemez!” Peace cannot be prevented in Cyprus!

Few knew at the time but the Turkish military - and the Turkish Cypriot police who were (and still are) subordinate to army command in Ankara - had refused to comply with the ruling of ‘parliament’ to open the crossing. As we chanted and waited under a hot April sun, a political drama of historical proportions took place as politicians managed to stand down the military.

What caused the sudden shift in Turkish Cypriot politics and the ditching of its almost North Korean passion for isolation remains a subject of debate even today. One man who should know the answer is Kudret

Openings and closure Akay. At the time the crossings opened he was advisor to Serdar Denktash, the then ‘foreign minister’ and son of Rauf Denktash. Akay says that despite his father’s virulent opposition to reunification, the young Denktash was staunchly in favour of opening the crossings, and was probably the most active in making it happen.

“I’ve got to give him the credit for that because he had the courage to take the initiative forward,” Akay said last week. He added however that he still didn’t know whether the original idea of opening came from Ankara or north Nicosia.

What is clear however from Akay’s words is that his and Denktash Junior’s objective was to improve the image of the ‘TRNC’, which Akay says was “on the floor” at the time.

“Simply opening the crossings would benefit the north from every aspect,” Akay asserts, but adds that from Ankara’s point of view the legal benefit of allowing Greek Cypriots physical access to their properties in the north was the main factor. This was also what finally persuaded the legally-minded Denktash Senior to allow the crossings to open, Akay says.

Indeed, many believed the opening of the Ledra Palace crossing was Ankara’s response to a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)

verdict punishing it for its refusal to allow a Greek Cypriot refugee from 1974 named Titiana Loizidou access to her home in Turkish-controlled Kyrenia. With approximately 1,500 similar cases lined up to cause similar damage and expense, Turkey’s newly elected Justice and Development Party (AKP) deduced that by allowing Greek Cypriots physical access to their properties they would reduce the amount the country would eventually have to pay in compensation.

Such things did not concern my group as we headed on foot towards the Paphos Gate

streets, multinational populace and its tidy pavements.

I now found it eerie to think that this urbane and affluent Lefkosia shared the same geographical backdrop as the drab soldier-ridden Lefkosa I had just left behind.

Although I already knew Greek Cypriots from London, this was the first time I found myself in their company in Cyprus. Perhaps more importantly, it was the first time I was in a Cyprus run by Greek Cypriots. I looked back to the Turkish side and wondered whether the Turkish army was concerned for our safety.

Ten years on, it is undeni-

‘They had been yearning for this place for a long time, and the day they saw it, they saw it literally scattered and in pieces.

Many could not even find their homes’ that we’d only seen before from behind barbed wire. On the way we exchanged excited greetings with thousands of Greek Cypriots, many of whom were crammed against a fence holding them back from the north. Behind them a river of cars and pedestrians as far as the eye could see, all eagerly waiting to cross.

After my ten years living in the isolated and relatively impoverished north, I felt revived by the south’s bustling

able that the opening of the crossing achieved some, if not all, the aims Akay spoke of.

Aided by the Greek Cypriot rejection of the Annan plan a year later, the wind certainly blew out of the Turkish Cypriot street protests. The heat was also taken out of Greek Cypriot property claims against Ankara; the ECHR now cooperates with Turkey in its running of a property commission in the north that has effectively deflected 1,500

cases stacked against it in Strasbourg to the glacially slow courts in north Nicosia.

But whatever the political strategies being played out that day, the impact the opening had on the people of Cyprus was unarguably the biggest single event to take place since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

For me, as it was for many in two generations of Turkish Cypriots, the opening was synonymous with the opening up of a place that we had never seen before. The island was suddenly bigger and better with more choice, more people and broader horizons.

Sociologist Rahme Veziroglu says that this is how it was for her.

“It opened a whole new world with new people, new places, new ideas,” she says.

She quickly adds however that for others, particularly refugees with memories of a different life in the south, the opening of the crossing constituted less of an opening, and more of a closure.

“I travelled with a group of Turkish Cypriot refugees living in Famagusta to their hometown of Paphos the day after the crossings opened,” she recalls.

“They had been yearning for this place for a long time, and the day they saw it, they saw it literally scattered and in pieces. Many could not even find their homes”. Their return to Paphos, she said, had ended up being a goodbye visit rather than the joyful reunification they’d clearly been expecting as they sang Turkish and Greek songs in the bus on the way there.

“The bus was silent all the way home,” she says.

Veziroglu’s words remind me of a young Turkish Cypriot man I saw returning from his first trip to the south that beautiful evening of April 23, 2003. Being a staunch supporter of reunification, Tamac was typical of Turkish Cypriot youth in those days. Seeing him without a smile I asked if his day in the south had not been as enjoyable as mine.

He looked at me perplexed and said, “When I woke up this morning I was a Cypriot.

When I go to bed tonight it will be as a Turkish Cypriot”.

7 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

Home

Dream of a safe cat flap went up in smoke with Cyprus’ banks British couple decide to give up coveted patent after bank restrictions scupper business plan

By P Poly Pantelides

Colin featured in a UK pet magazine with his design for a safer cat flap which was patented in the UK in 2004

ON MARCH 16, the day deposi positors woke up in Cyprus to be ttold they could not transfer mon money out of the country, Colin and a Anne Brookfield realised they would have to let go of a ten-year labour of love.

Ba Banks were told to stop elec electronic money transfers to gua guard against capital flight afte after an initial Cyprus bailout dea deal agreed with the eurozon zone’s finance ministers and Cyp Cyprus’ lenders demanding that all bank depositors in Cyprus contribute some of their money. Banks were to remain closed for nearly two weeks.

Colin Brookfield, 81, had spent years developing a safe cat flap, talking to pet owners, designing a prototype, and eventually lodging a patent with the UK government in 2004.

He and his wife Anne, 69, moved to Cyprus in 2007 partly because they thought it would be easier to set up a business in Cyprus, and since moving here had been talking with a Chinese company for years to get the mould design for the cat flap just right.

“We had just actually returned on the very day [March 16] from the UK… to discover we could not pay our dues to our engineers in China,” Colin Brookfield said. “I could see ten years of work suddenly come to an abrupt end.”

Yet back in 2007 the move

Cypriot-based firm takes on Germany over pre-war bonds A CYPRUS-BASED company, Mortimer Offshore Services, is engaged in a lengthy legal battle in the US with over pre-World War II German Gold Bonds the company says are worth around $9 billion.

According to Avraam HadjiGiovannis, a Business Engineer Consultant who is close to the proceedings, the bonds were bought in the open market from American citizens who had been buying the debt for years over the last century.

These particular bonds, issued by Lee Higginson Trust Company, and printed by the American Bank Note Company, were traded on the US stock exchange. Mortimer began buying up the bonds in the nineties but says Germany refuses to allow encashment.

HadjiGiovannis says the bonds purchased by the company have been authenticated by German government experts on historical securities.

The same bonds have been examined and verified by the

German high courts as valid and genuine, he said.

Mortimer filed law suits initially against the German government and then jointly against the major obligor banks.

HadjiGiovannis said the plaintiff seeks a settlement for the outstanding obligations owed for the bonds it possesses. He said the respondents raise defences based on jurisdiction, sovereign immunity, Res Judicata - claim preclusion - and other procedural moves.

“The result is that none of the proceedings to date have looked into the substance of the cases, and the majority of evidence available to the plaintiffs has not been presented to the courts,” said HadjiGiovannis.

“It is the opinion of Mortimer and its legal advisors that the German government has gone to great lengths outside of the public forum to ensure that the US courts are not used as a vehicle to press claims against Germany,” he added.

“Claims for the settlement

of these bonds were focused mainly in the US because this was the country in which these bonds were sold however as these bonds are international contracts experts have advised that they can be pursued in other jurisdictions too.”

HadjiGiovannis said the bonds are financial instruments and should not be confused as political instruments. “That means regular financial rules and norms must be complied with, even with the application of governmental treaties,” he said.

He said these types of bonds and others like them had been the subject of much media attention, research, examination and litigation for almost a century and the question of how to alleviate unsustainable sovereign debt were not new.

“The company has reaffirmed its intent to continue by legal and commercial means its work of over two decades to overcome the reluctance of Germany to honour her obligations.” HadjiGiovannis added.

to Cyprus had seemed such a good idea. That year Colin became connected with a Chinese company based in Changchun via the Euro-China business week organised by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the International Merchandising Centre. This year they were ready to start marketing the product after getting the mould from China. Colin planned to manufacture it in Cyprus and export to the US and northern Europe. And then on March 16, the couple needed to pay the company €15,000. And they couldn’t.

Colin has now gifted the patent to the Chinese company and is planning to give up two other cat-related patents.

“I could see even given time, if things were eased there would still be difficulties setting up a business in this country,” Colin said. And with

that, he let go.

“I would have loved to continue with the whole process but it became at that moment impossible and the future looked too restrictive”.

Not believing authorities’ statements were the complete story and thinking the ramifications from the bailout would be “much more extensive” than originally perceived, Colin said he was fed up and did not want to negotiate with the Chinese - he just let them have the patent and any future profits.

The Brookfields said the main goal was to ensure animals were safe, and there had been too many stories of cats getting trapped in flaps, too many injuries that could be prevented by a safer cat flap.

“They say necessity is the mother of invention and that’s exactly what we did it for,” said Anne.

As it happens, the Brookfields are not short of money and would be happy if they could have only “generated enough to defray costs”.

“I’m 81, I’ve got no fantasies of being a multimillionaire,” Colin said.

But it has been a long journey for them, Colin said. There was displaying the product on BBC’s Animal Rescue, featuring in magazine articles, surveying pet owners on cat injuries, and then deciding to “go alone” with the project after manufacturers in the UK seemed reluctant to back them as, according to Colin, “the safer alternative would put existing manufacturers in a difficult position”.

Colin has every reason to believe the Chinese will get the product to market “but sadly it is another little thing that is a loss to the economy of Cyprus,” he said.

8 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Home

The children loom large in fears for the future

By Alexia Saoulli

“I

DON’T know if we’re getting our pensions next month,” said Koulla Tabidji.

“I only got my widow’s pension this month, not my pension.

Then I had to go back and ask for my pension,” added Chloe Panayi.

“Mine was late too,” said a third lady.

“I think mine was less this time,” shouted out a fourth.

“The Labour Minister said we’re going to get our pensions. But then I heard some reports we are not getting it next month, and then I heard other reporters say we are. I don’t know,” said Eleni Miliou.

“I think they’re going to cut my pension. Well everyone’s pension, not just me. It’s a general phenomenon,” said another lady.

This was just one of the many strands of conversation a group of elderly female pensioners at the Nicosia Municipality Multifunctional Foundation were having on Tuesday morning, when asked how they’d been affected by the bailout. And like everyone else, confusion over how the bailout will affect their financial futures is as rife as the anger and the fear. But there was humour too.

For a start, getting the ladies to concentrate on the issue of the bailout, and how it had affected them, was not easy, particularly when there were more pressing things to discuss: like why knowing their age was so important.

“She’s 85,” mouthed 82-year-old Panayi, about Tabidji, who’d just said she was 82.

“What did she say?” shouted Tabidji.

“Nothing,” soothed Agnes Theochardes, 84. “We know you’re the youngest one here.”

“Hmph. What is she talking for anyway,” said Tabidji, folding her arms crossly. “I’ve said my age.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Panayi answered back, straining over Eleni Miliou, who was busying herself making needlepoint lace for her grandchildren.

But back to the haircut, how had it affected them.

“Haircut? What haircut? I don’t need a haircut,” said a small dark haired lady sitting in the corner, suspiciously.

“No, she means about this crisis,” said Tabidji.

“Oh, well we’ve all been affected,” they said in unison.

It wasn’t so much that they had lost their savings, but that they were upset for their children and grandchildren, they said.

“My son has three children and was laid off last August. He got a job a month ago and then on Friday

The elderly are approaching the bailout crisis with confusion, anger, fear and a fair dose of humour The families of Eleni Miliou (left) and Chloe Panayi have both been affected by the haircut on deposits

Lella Angelidou

Milia Roussou

Koulla Tabidji

when he asked for his wages not only did they not pay him, but they also let him go,” said Milia Roussou, 87.

“He had to come to me for money, so I gave him my savings booklet and he went to the bank and withdrew some cash,” she said. “I’d rather help my son and go hungry myself,” she added, her eyes glistening with tears.

Eighty-four-year-old Miliou said she’d lost weight and started hav-

ing palpitations since the bailout ordeal began. Her weight loss was vigorously confirmed by her group of friends.

“My son has already lost €450 from his monthly salary and he might lose more,” she said.

Another son had removed his savings from Laiki five months ago and had put them in the cooperative bank, she added.

“That was God’s doing,” said Miliou. “They (Laiki) didn’t want to let

him have his money but he got angry and got it out. Looks like it was just in time too.”

Tabidji said her husband, who had a bad heart, had been unwell since news of the haircut was announced.

She also said her children had been affected but that they hadn’t told her how much they’d lost.

“It’s such a shame. All those families in misery,” said Miliou. “Our president said he wouldn’t agree to a haircut and now it’s the destruc-

tion of us.”

Seventy-nine-old Lella Angelidou said she could live on bread and olives if it came down to it.

“I’ll manage. One way or another I’ll get through. It’s my children and grandchildren I’m concerned about. My daughter works in Laiki and she’s up to her eyes in debt. She wanted to pay for her son’s wedding and now she can’t,” she said.

Sighing deeply, the 79-year-old said great misfortune had befallen Cyprus. Then, pointing out a widow quietly making traditional Cypriot lace, she said: “Now she’s lost a lot of money. “ The widow in question, who was in her mid 80s, spoke on condition of anonymity.

“I don’t want people to read it and know...,” she said.

“My daughter lost a lot of money (€100,000) but she has a lawyer on the case,” she said. Apparently, according to her, her daughter had tried to close her Laiki account last summer but the bank had refused to let her take her money out.

“She had one of those accounts with high interest; where you can only touch your money after five or seven years. I don’t know what it’s called. But they haven’t been paying her interest since last year so she wanted to move her money. I don’t know if they can do anything now,” she said. “Do you think they can?”

Despite their confusion and obvious upset when gently pushed to discuss the issue, the majority of pensioners still displayed a sense of humour - especially when their gym teacher came for their weekly exercise regime.

“Don’t worry, the president is going to go to Israel and get us money,” laughed one pensioner, as she stretched her legs holding on to the back of a chair.

“He’s going to come back with bucket loads. It’s going to rain money,” called another from across the room.

“No it’ll be from Russia,” cried someone else.

“I think you mean China.”

The room erupted in peals of laughter and the conversation quickly moved to their aches and pains, which one of them had suffered a fall recently, and their churchgoing habits during Lent.

Others wanted to boast about their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and who was able to stretch their arms the most.

At the end of the day, when all was said and done, life goes on.

As 85-year-old George Kokkinos said: “I’ve lived a long time. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve been through a lot.

I’m happy with my life. I’m happy with my family. And so this too shall pass.”

Funding issue for senior citizens’ precious day care centre PENSIONERS could soon lose access to their precious day care centre at the Nicosia Municipality Multifunctional Foundation if the latter does not receive its funding soon.

The centre, which operates out of the Foundation, Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 2.30pm, relies on state funding, including money from the labour and education ministries, funding from Nicosia municipality, and other EU subsidies.

But the foundation’s principal sponsor is the state and, due to the current financial situation, it, like many other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), is unsure of the future, said foundation head Roulla

Georgopoulou.

“I don’t want to say the centre will close.

But the funding it receives is very important,” stressed Georgopoulou.

In recent years the foundation received its funding for each of the services it offers at the start of the annual year. This year, it hadn’t yet received a penny.

“There hasn’t been a peep about it,” said Georgopoulou.

“We’ve had delays before and once the funding was as late as July, but that was many, many years ago,” she said.

“We have been contacting the respective departments in the ministries responsible for all the services the Foundation offers,

and so far we don’t know if, when and how we will get money.”

As well as the pensioners’ day care centre, the Foundation offers afternoon classes for children and adults, an afternoon child minder service for children aged five to 12, a homecare service for families and/or elderly adults, and social support programmes for immigrants.

Georgopoulou said each of the services had their own separate funding but that the state and municipality each gave the foundation a lump sum, which it then divided among its services.

In the case of the pensioners’ day care service, the state funding amounted to €15,000

to €17,000 per year. This amount covered their food and activities such as music lessons, physiotherapy and physical exercise.

Each pensioner paid €20 annually to attend the day care centre and an additional daily charge of €3 if they wanted to eat breakfast and lunch.

The only silver lining for the foundation was the fact Nicosia municipality, like all municipalities, had been exempted from the haircut.

“The municipality has confirmed we will get the funding it allocates to us, given it hasn’t lost its savings. However, the municipality relies on money from the state. So again, I don’t know what will happen,” she said.

9 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

World

Deadly earthquake hits southern China Over 150 dead, thousands injured in rural area

By Ben Blanchard

A rescuer carries a child to safety following the 6.6 magnitude quake in Sichuan province

A STRONG 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit a remote, mostly rural and mountainous area of southwestern China’s Sichuan province yesterday, killing at least 156 people and injuring about 5,500 close to where a big quake killed almost 70,000 people in 2008.

The earthquake, China’s worst in three years, occurred at 8.02am in Lushan county near Ya’an city and the epicentre had a depth of 12 km, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake was felt by residents in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital of Chengdu, causing many people to rush out of buildings, according to accounts on China’s Twitterlike Sina Weibo microblogging service.

State media said 156 people had been confirmed dead with more than 5,500 injured.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang said all efforts must be put into rescuing victims to limit the death toll.

After arriving at the disaster zone by helicopter, Li directed earthquake relief efforts from a plaza in Longmen township in Lushan, Xinhua said.

Li asked that a road be opened to Baoxing county, one of the most affected by the earthquake, and that rescuers “act quickly” in their efforts, Xinhua quoted Li as saying.

“The current most urgent issue is grasping the first 24 hours since the quake’s occurrence, the golden time for saving lives,” Xinhua news agency quoted Li as saying earlier.

Xinhua said 6,000 troops were heading to the area to help with rescue efforts.

State television CCTV said only emergency vehicles were being allowed into Ya’an, though Chengdu airport had reopened.

Most of the deaths were concentrated in Lushan, where water and electricity were cut off. Pictures on Chinese news sites showed toppled buildings and people in bloodied bandages being treated in tents outside the hospital, which appeared only lightly

damaged.

Rescuers in Lushan had pulled 32 survivors out of rubble, Xinhua said. In villages closest to the epicentre, almost all low rise houses and buildings had collapsed, according to footage broadcast on state television.

“We are very busy right now, there are about eight or nine injured people, the doctors are handling the cases,” said a doctor at a Ya’an hospital who gave her family name as Liu. The hospital was seeing head and leg injuries, she added.

The China Meteorological Association warned of a possibility of landslides occurring in Lushan county on Saturday and Sunday, the agency said in a statement on its website.

A resident in Chengdu, 140 km (85 miles) from Ya’an city, told Xinhua he was on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

Ya’an is a city of 1.5 million people and is considered one

of the birthplaces of Chinese tea culture. It is also the home to one of China’s main centres for protecting the giant panda.

“There are still shakes and tremors and our area is safe.

The pandas are safe,” said a spokesman with Ya’an’s Bifengxia nature park, a tourism park that houses more than 100 pandas.

Shouts and screams were heard in the background while Reuters was on the telephone with the spokesman.

“There was just an aftershock, an aftershock, our office is safe,” he said.

Numerous aftershocks jolted the area, the largest of which was magnitude 5.1.

Sichuan is one of the four major natural-gas-producing provinces in China, and its output accounts for about 14 percent of the nation’s total.

Sinopec Group, Asia’s largest oil refiner, said its huge Puguang gas field was unaffected.

The US Geological Survey initially put the magnitude at 7, but later revised it down.

The devastating May 2008 quake was 7.9 magnitude.

10 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World

Bombing suspect is caught after manhunt Teenager captured after blood spotted on boat

By Stephanie Simon and Aaron Pressman A 19-year-old suspected of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombings with his older brother was captured by police after a daylong manhunt on Friday that closed down the city and turned a working-class suburb into a virtual military zone.

The capture sent waves of relief and jubilation through Boston and the suburb of Watertown, where armoured vehicles roamed the streets and helicopters flew overhead through the day. Residents and police officers cheered and clapped when the suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was taken alive after a gunfight.

Bleeding and in serious condition, he was admitted to a Boston hospital, a Massachusetts State Police spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Kelly Lawman, confirmed yesterday that Tsarnaev was being treated there, but declined comment on his condition.

The FBI would be providing any updates, she said.

It was not yet clear when he would face initial charges.

Tsarnaev had been hiding in the stern of a boat parked in the backyard of a house in Watertown, police said. A resident called police after spotting blood on the boat.

President Barack Obama told reporters at the White House after the suspect’s capture that questions remained from the bombings, including whether the two suspects received any help.

Monday’s bombing, described by Obama as an act of terrorism, was the worst such attack on US soil since September 11, 2001, and rattled nerves across the Unit-

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is in a serious condition in hospital after his arrest by police sent waves of relief through Boston ed States.

The brothers, ethnic Chechens who once lived in Russia, are suspected of setting off bombs made in pressure cookers and packed with ball bearings and nails at the crowded finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 176.

The family of Martin Richard, an 8-year-old boy killed in the blast, welcomed the arrest. “Tonight, our community is once again safe from these two men,” the family said in a statement.

The older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed on Thursday night in a shootout with police less than a mile from where Friday night’s capture took place.

After combing through a

CHEMISTS NICOSIA SUNDAY 21/04/2013 M. Antoniou, 21A Prodromou Ave. Tel: 22664442, 22436752 (H) K. Christodoulou, 25A Kapenisiou St. Tel: 22376960, 22378494 (H) M. Paranis, 28D Lycavitou St, Makedonitissa. Tel: 22355715, 22354282 (H) D. K. Kokkinou, 124 Limassol Ave. Tel: 22422470, 22428499 (H) E. A. Antoniades, corner Athalassa & 2A Hadjijoseph Ave, Acropolis.

Tel: 22314634, 22491526 (H) LIMASSOL P. Orphanides, 14A A. Varnavas St. Tel: 25566115, 25728033 (H) S. Gregoriou 2 Char. Fteroudi Ayios Athanasios Tel: 25725558, 25312319 (H) S. Yiannarou, 91 Ayias Fylaxeos St., Tel: 25388202, 25729948 LARNACA K. Panayiota, 20A L. Machairas St. Tel: 24651205, 24819102, (H) E. Vasiliki, Tel: 20 Stratigou Timayia Ave, Tel: 24660688, 24623060 PAPHOS C. Papadopoullou,83 Ellados Ave. Tel: 26931339, 26653684 (H) PARALIMNI E. Michael, 175 Protara Ave, Tel: 23811031, 23824471

NICOSIA MONDAY 22/04/2013 G. Hadjigregoriou, 27A Omirou Ave. Tel: 22673594, 22510112 (H) A. Ttooulas, 22D Kennedy Ave. Tel: 22763805, 22377349(H) A. Panayi, 15B Androcleous St. Tel: 22763575, 22317370 (H) E. Fesia, 173C Tseriou Ave. Tel: 22321499, 22325995 (H) N. Spanos, 1D Thessaloniki St, Anglanja. Tel: 22337761, 22444437 (H) LIMASSOL M. Giannakas 171 Leontiou A Tel: 25364724, 25357065 (H) E. Charalambous 81 Panagias Evaggelistrias K. Polemithia Tel: 25738560, 25736349 (H) N. Nikolaou, 112 Gladstonos Tel: 25364359, 25323532(H) LARNACA M. Severis, P. Valdaserides St. Tel: 24639410, 24662497 (H) A. Kalaitzi, New Hospital Road. Tel: 24638387, 24639719 (H) PAPHOS P. Savvides, 61 E. Pallikarides St. Tel: 26933568, 26934034 (H) PARALIMNI M. Klepiniotou, 16 Agiou Georgiou, Tel: 23820422, 23822330 (H)

mass of pictures and video from the site in the minutes before the bombing, the FBI had publicised pictures of the two men on Thursday and asked the public for help in identifying them.

Just hours later, events began to unfold fast with the fatal shooting of a police officer on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and finally the Watertown firefight, during which police say the brothers threw bombs at officers. Tamerlan suffered fatal wounds, while Dzhokhar escaped on foot.

The brothers had not been under surveillance as possible militants, US government officials said. But the FBI said in a statement on Friday that in 2011 it in-

DOCTORS ON DUTY NICOSIA Pathologist: Demetris Syrigos, Tel: 99026239, 22270290 Ophthalmologist: Antonis Glikeriou, Tel: 70000171 Gynaecologist: Marios Eleftheriou, Tel: 22469000, 99433384 Paediatric Surgeon: Eliana Eliadou, Tel: 99384324 LIMASSOL Pathologist: Georgios Vasilioui, Tel.: 99649905,25750343, 25317383 Surgeon: Marios Philippou, Tel.: 25382115.

Neuro-Surgeon: Christos Kyriakides, Tel.: 99696706 Paediatric: Eliaktida Clinic, Tel.: 25720200 Paediatric Surgeon: Elka Christofi, Tel.: 25762586, 99306678 Ophthalmologist: Andreas Elia, Tel.: 25725134,25353424, 99675811 Doctor: Maro Hadjikyriacou, Tel.: 25341814, 25342003

terviewed Tamerlan at the request of a foreign government, which it did not identify.

“The request stated that it was based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified underground groups,” the FBI statement said.

The matter was closed because interviews with Tamerlan and family members “did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign”.

The FBI statement was the first evidence that the family had come to security officials’ attention after they emigrated to the United States about a decade ago.

It might raise questions about whether authorities missed potential warning signs.

At the same time that police were pursuing Dzhokhar on Friday night, police in New Bedford, Massachusetts, 60 miles south of Boston said three other people had been taken into custody for questioning about Monday’s bombings. They were later released, police said.

Authorities said the investigation into the bombings was still open.

They were asked at a news conference on Friday night why authorities did not immediately read the suspect a warning usually given by police to criminal suspects in custody before they are interrogated so statements can be admissible in court.

Massachusetts US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said there was “a public safety exception” that was applied to Tsarnaev regarding the warning known as Miranda rights.

Tamerlan (left) and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were framed, says despondent father Anzor

Brothers wanted to fit in, friends say

By Edith Honan and Lisa Schwartz THEY dressed like typical American teenagers, enjoyed playing sports and strived to fit in after arriving in the United States with their family from the southern Russian province of Dagestan a decade ago.

The schoolmates, teachers and neighbours of Dzhokhar, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev said they saw little sign of radicalism - or anything extraordinary - to explain why the ethnic Chechen brothers would allegedly carry out the twin bombings that killed three people and wounded 176 at the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Their uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who lives in Maryland, told reporters he had not spoken with Dzhokhar and Tamerlan since 2009.

“He put a shame on our family, he put a shame on the entire Chechen ethnicity,” Tsarni said of Dzhokhar.

But a man who identified himself as the father of the two brothers said he believed his sons had been framed.

Sitting on an unmade bed in his home in Dagestan’s provincial capital Makhachkala, Anzor Tsarnaev defended the brothers.

“Somebody clearly framed them. I don’t know who exactly framed them, but they did. They framed them. And they were so cowardly that they shot the boy dead,” he told Reuters, clasping his head in despair.

More than anything, Dzhokhar wanted to be popular, according to those who knew him.

“I always sympathised with him because he was, I’d say, a kid that just really wanted to be accepted,” said Taylor Conlin, who played on a lacrosse team with Dzhokhar. “He did it in a very humble way, but he just tried to hang out with the cool kids.”

Ghana seizes ‘faulty condoms’ MORE than 110 million Chinese-made condoms have been seized in Ghana after laboratory tests revealed they were faulty, Ghanaian officials have said.

“There are holes in them and... the condoms burst easily,” a Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) spokesman told the BBC. The condoms were being distributed free as part of an HIV/Aids prevention campaign by the Ghana Health Service.

About 200 million of the faulty condoms are believed to have been imported into the country.

The BBC’s Sammy Darko in the capital, Accra, says the condom packaging is silvery white with a red Aids ribbon incorporated into the design and the words ‘Be Safe’ also in red.

Thomas Amedzro, head of drug enforcement at the FDA, said the condoms had

More than 110 million of the condoms ‘had holes in them’ been imported via Kenya from a Chinese manufacturer.

All imported condoms are supposed to be tested by the FDA before distribution, he said.

“Somehow there was a lapse; the batches of the condoms were not submitted as duly required for the appropriate testing to be conducted,” he said.

Anybody using them could be “exposed to sexually transmitted infections or be

saddled with unwanted pregnancies”, Amedzro said.

“You may not be able to see the holes with your naked eye but when you look at it under the microscope you can see holes,” he said.

They were also not adequately lubricated, the FDA said.

The health service took delivery of the condoms in February, but they arrived in the country in the last quarter of 2012.

“Since the alert went out, a number of individuals and organisations have already reported to us that they have stocks, which we are already retrieving,” Amedzro said.

A publicity campaign was underway to ensure that all the other unsafe condoms were found, he added.

According to UN figures, an estimated 230,000 people in Ghana, which has a population of 25 million, are living with HIV.

11 SUNDAY MAIL •April 21, 2013

World

The king falls from grace in scandal-weary Spain Growing number of Spaniards want king to abdicate

By Elisabeth O’Leary

S

PAIN’S King Juan Carlos stood with a throng of smiling journalists and onlookers, exchanging pleasantries, laughing at jokes and even trying on a pair of sunglasses proffered by a reporter from a comedy show.

That was a typical public appearance back in 1997 when he was one of the world’s most popular monarchs, the media treated him kindly and the idea of abdication would have seemed absurd.

Now almost half of Spaniards think he should step down in favour of his son, Prince Felipe, 45, and over a third, mostly young people, want their country to become a republic.

The 75-year-old king has had a spectacular fall from grace as scandals undermine public approval and his health weakens.

Liked and respected, Juan Carlos even won the admiration of republicans for his role in Spain’s peaceful transition to democracy in the 1970s after four decades of dictatorship, and put paid to a military coup attempt in 1981.

Now, public opinion has been soured by criminal charges against Juan Carlos’ daughter and her husband in an embezzlement case, an unexplained Swiss bank account and a flamboyant lifestyle - including a big-game hunting trip to Africa - that jarred with the economic crisis engulfing the nation.

A line was crossed earlier this year with the publication of media interviews with a businesswoman friend of the king who says she has carried out consultancy work for the government.

Chat shows and social media referred to Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein as the king’s mistress, prompting huge public sympathy for Queen Sofia, married to a man who the queen’s official biographer described as liking all women except the one he chose as a wife.

For its part, the royal household keeps silent in the face of such talk.

But as ordinary Spaniards struggle with debts, unemployment and widespread corruption in politics, the king’s activities now provoke disdain after years of deference.

“Public opinion has nothing to hold on to. People are a little unhinged, overwhelmed by what is happening in Spain,” says Bieito Rubido, editor of monarchist newspaper ABC. Like most royal observers, he does not believe the future of the monarchy is at stake.

But questions about the future of the crown have added to a general loss of faith in public institutions, bogged down with corruption cases after a housing bubble burst five years ago, plunging Spain into crisis.

“People are extremely frustrated

A family in crisis (from left): Prince Felipe, King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, Infanta Cristina and her husband Inaki Urdangarin

Juan Carlos ascending the throne in 1975 while his wife and children look on (left). His controversial big-hunt holiday last year (above) with the economic situation and want someone to blame, so it’s a situation where anything could happen,” said Jonathan Hopkin, a politics expert at the London School of Economics.

Sources familiar with palace thinking say the royal family is concerned about the decline in its popularity and is eager to avoid adding more uncertainty to the climate of crisis for ordinary Spaniards. The palace is monitoring public opinion extremely closely via social media and its own polls.

Abolishing the monarchy altogether is not something the political class is contemplating, and two leftist deputies who have called for the king to retire were immediately slapped down by other lawmakers.

If abdication is being contemplated, no one is admitting it. But the danger is that the longer the issue is left, the more damaged the institution inherited by Prince Felipe. The problem is that Juan Carlos would be leaving in disgrace which he is not likely to do, royal experts believe.

He does have an example, however, elsewhere in Europe. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has announced that she will step down this month at the age of 75 in favour of a 45-yearold son.

Businesswoman Corinna zu SaynWittgenstein is widely believed to be the king’s mistress Prince Felipe is well-liked, polls show, but the monarchy as a whole has suffered.

In a 1997 poll, the monarchy rated 6.67 out of 10, the highest of any institution in Spain. In 2011 that had dropped to 4.97.

Although talk of the king’s poor health after four surgeries in the last year persists, he does not want to hand over.

Prince Felipe is discreet but friendly and well-versed in current affairs.

His wife, commoner Letizia Ortiz, is a former journalist and is also popular.

Felipe is reported to be furious with his father and his brother-inlaw over the embezzlement scandal.

But it seems the king will try to sit out the storm in the hope that it will eventually die down and he can recover some of his popularity.

Days after a magistrate charged Princess Cristina, the palace announced that it would be included in a new transparency law which could potentially shed light on royal finances, including government payments on top of the annual 8 million euros stipend.

But Arsenio Escolar, editor of the mass-circulation newspaper 20 Minutos, says too little is being offered too late.

“Public indignation is growing, people can’t take any more (corruption),” he says. “Protests will return and the street could be full again within a month.”

Despite this, Spaniards over 50 fear that abdication could stir up echoes of the 1936-1939 Civil War. After dictator Francisco Franco died in 1975, Juan Carlos worked to ensure that Spain became a democracy, convincing all sides to bury the hatchet.

Older Spaniards feel immense gratitude to Juan Carlos for stopping the attempted coup of 1981, the fledg-

ling days of the democracy, when a colonel burst into parliament firing a gun in the air and holding deputies hostage overnight.

Juan Carlos, head of the armed forces, made a live televised address in his military uniform, ordering support for the democratically elected government.

The king’s image started to deteriorate with the investigation into his son-in-law’s alleged embezzlement at the head of the not-for-profit Noos Foundation in 2011.

It plummeted in 2012 when it emerged that Juan Carlos had gone on an elephant-hunting trip to Africa just as the full force of Spain’s economic crisis hit home.

With one in four Spaniards living in poverty, the palace was exposed as hopelessly out of touch. The king made an unprecedented apology.

Since then things have worsened, culminating with the charging of Princess Cristina in the Noos case this month.

Spaniards do not expect real justice to be done, as one man drinking coffee in a bar observed.

“There’s more chance that those of us here go to jail (than Princess Cristina) even though we haven’t done anything,” said Javier Martin, 33, who works in marketing.

12 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Opinion

Marking a decade of missed opportunities WITH everyone’s attention focused on the economic crisis it would not be difficult to overlook another important date on the Cyprus calendar for it was a decade ago Tuesday that the first crossing point opened between the two sides at the Ledra Palace Hotel.

It began with a rumour the eve of April 23, 2003 that then Turkish Cypriot leader, the late Rauf Denktash, would open the self-imposed barricade 29 years after it was created.

To everyone’s shock, he did.

People on both sides flocked to the crossing in their thousands and for anyone who remembers, it was a day of excitement, happiness and sadness, and of renewed hope for a Cyprus solution.

For some, those hopes were dashed almost a year to the day later, on April 24, 2004 when the UN solution blueprint, the Annan plan, was rejected by 75 per cent of Greek Cypriots.

Ten years later there is still no

solution though more crossings have opened, but the whole phenomenon has become part of the mundane.

It is estimated that since April 23, 2003, until today, there have been approximately 8 million crossings by Greek Cypriots and 14 million by Turkish Cypriots to and from the seven checkpoints.

It sounds like a lot. However in terms of regular crossings by Greek Cypriots, the number is only around 10-15 per cent of the population. While Turkish Cypriots cross more to work and shop, the only people who go north by all accounts are die-hard peaceniks and gamblers.

Another recent study found that while 35 per cent of Turkish Cypriots have at least one Greek Cypriot friend, the corresponding figure for Greek Cypriots is only 15 per cent.

While the developments over the past ten years have debunked Denktash’s conviction

SundayMail that the two sides could not live together, neither have they proven the contrary. Similarly, although the number of antagonistic incidents have been inconsequential, opening checkpoints has not resulted in the level of trust needed for a Cyprus solution either.

Proof of this is that a whole decade of more negotiations have yielded nada, and the opportunity to build on what the crossings represented has passed everyone by. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots are living, if not separate lives, then parallel lives, or as one observer put it: “in mutual indifference”.

“They are neither our enemies nor our friends,” said another Greek Cypriot interviewed by this newspaper.

Despite the fact that the

crossings have not brought the two sides significantly closer together, there is no doubt that it has proved to be a positive step and there are only a few die-hard nationalist voices on both sides that have occasionally been heard to call for them to be closed.

Even though it was not enough to solve the Cyprus problem, the advantages of having an open line of communication between the two sides are clear.

The crossings have promoted contact, albeit to a limited extent.

They have allowed many Greek Cypriots to at least visit their long-long homes and lands and provided a form of closure for some, even as it opened up old wound for others.

The crossings have also eased the lives of the enclaved, eased tensions for the most part, and boosted the economy to an extent.

Many have benefited from an increase in trust while for many more – especially Turkish Cypriots after the referendum in 2004 – trust has been diminished.

So while not many people will remember this ten-year anniversary, drowning as we are in financial difficulties, it is only a matter of months before attention will have to return to the national issue and a new round of negotiations to reach a settlement.

The crossing points may not feature much in those talks but their existence could be built on further if the leaders on both sides were inclined to encourage rather than discourage people from crossing to the ‘other side’.

This applies to both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaderships equally because ultimately it is not the people of Cyprus who are the problem, it is, and has always been their leaders.

Letters to the Editor

Bristol has its pound, why shouldn’t Cyprus?

I BELIEVE this can help the Cypriot economy: Bristol, a city with 433,000 inhabitants, has issued its own currency: the Bristol pound. This was created to increase commercial activity in Bristol. Stores and businesses give discounts to customers who use Bristol pounds.

Something similar can be created in Cyprus, but not only for an increase in commercial activity. I must say that I do not think that Cyprus should leave the eurozone, but they might force us to do so. By that time the two currencies should exist in parallel, the euro as the official currency, the pound as a private Cypriot initiative. The euro is the official legal tender but the Cyprus pound will be voluntarily accepted. The Cyprus pound should be issued by an institution that should be supported by a wide range of Cypriot society, perhaps the Church, political parties and businessmen. One Cyprus pound would be equal in value to one euro and should be immediately exchangeable

back into euros. The Cyprus pound would be popular not only because some stores and businesses would give discounts but it would also give a sense of independence from the troika. This is not a way to avoid taxes, but maybe it can help avoid a future “haircut.”

Prior to issuing the Cyprus pound as many businesses and shops as possible must agree to accept it. Since the pound can be exchanged immediately into euros this would not be too difficult. A new bank should be created that would focus on Cyprus pounds, where citizens can exchange euros into pounds and vice versa. If, for example, one billion pounds is issued in the market there would be one billion pounds equal in value to euros but there would also be an institution with nearly one billion reserve capital in euros.

Those wishing for more information on the Bristol Pound can visit www.bristolpound.org.

Ronis Varlaam, London

AG should be removed from office OUR VIEW (April 11) about the attorney general makes several valid points. It does however miss the main point which is that this man should be removed from office.

As the attorney general his behaviour in relation to legal matters has to be beyond reproach. He should not, for example be preventing the execution of court orders authorising the confiscation of government property so that those who are owed money by the government can recover it.

I have no doubt there are numerous

other examples but to “write off” the prosecution of his son is a disgraceful act and completely unacceptable. He seeks to justify it by saying that not only has he done it before for other people but that he would do it again. Drunk driving is a very dangerous practice, often with fatal consequences. It is not taken seriously enough in Cyprus as it is, but to regard it as “not really an offence at all” sends out completely the wrong signal to the public and possibly to the police as well who, in recent years, seem to have started to try and do something about the problem.

Steve Horrocks, Paphos

Help us buy local produce EVER SINCE the middle of March we’ve been urging our friends and everyone we know, through texts and emails, to buy local fruit and veg and Cypriot manufactured products in general. The only problem is that it doesn’t always state clearly on a packet (where the information is usually miniscule and needs a magnifying glass to read) whether something has been produced in Cyprus or imported and just packed here. It would help a lot if somebody - the Consumers Association or the Ministry of Agriculture - could provide

a list of products grown/manufactured here.

The farmers also need to bear in mind that customers will be voting with their feet – local items such as ospria, lentils etc sometimes cost three or four times as much as the imported versions and people who are surviving by counting every cent will obviously take the cheaper option.

In a way, we’re in a state of siege and should try to be (as far as possible) self sufficient as a nation. We’ve got so used to being “trendy and European” by buy-

Leaving the euro will be painful but it’s the only way The whole of Cyprus is hurting due to the mess left by the Greek haircut and the previous government.

Surely the sensible thing to do now, would be to abandon the euro, and go back to the Cyprus pound. Yes, it would cause even more pain in many quarters, but it would save the extra pain that will come in a very few years when the euro collapses. It is better to have it all in one dose than have a double dose of hardship.

Economists the world over are now forecasting the demise of the euro, which I have done since its inception. What a crazy scheme, thought

A decent and fair legal system is a prerequisite of a civilised society. Without it the public can have no faith that justice will be done. Cyprus regularly sees too many examples of justice not being done.

The new president has rather a lot on his plate, but he must surely now take action and dismiss Petros Clerides. If he doesn’t, it will seem that he is condoning this nepotism and it will reflect badly on his leadership and his government.

out by ambitious people as a way to get a Federal Europe. Historically the German currency has always outperformed the other currencies in the euro, so to lump them in a one fits all currency seemed bound to fail, and now it is failing.

It would be a really bold move by our Government to do it, but we need to get out of the euro. The EU seems determined to punish Cyprus for allowing itself to get into this mess, which was not helped by our last president insulting all and sundry at the EU. Leaving the euro would mean a 30 to 40 per cent devaluation of the

Cyprus pound, which would hurt, but would give a massive boost to the tourist sector, as holiday prices would plummet making Cyprus the cheapest holiday destination in Europe.

Import prices would rise, but exports would be easier to sell. There are many other implications, but I see it as inevitable anyway. Be bold Mr President, and show the EU that they have pushed us too hard. They will fear Cyprus taking this step, as contagion is almost certain, with Spain and Greece probably following suit.

Tom Lince, Emba

ing imported products such as biscuits, sweets, chocolates and yoghurts (yoghurts for heaven’s sake!) when there are perfectly acceptable local versions available. We should be buying local meat, cheeses, yoghurts etc as well as the delicious local products such as the traditional biscuits, souzouko, dried fruits, paximadia, lounza, olives and nuts - the list is endless. In this way we support the local economy - the farmers and the manufacturers - and the money stays here.

Pat Charalambides, Strovolos

Speed up photovoltaic installations FURTHER to the very interesting and constructive article on photovoltaics (Sunday Mail, April 14), is it worth questioning why applications for photovoltaic (PVs) installations take so long to be processed and approved? I am an electrical engineer and a great supporter of PVs. Cyprus has plenty of hillsides ideally suited for large PV installations, and often not suitable for other uses. And since the cost of producing electricity from PVs can compare favourably with all other means of production, I see no reason why approval should not be pursued with urgency.

D. Pnevmaticos, Tychonas

Phone around to find cheapest doctors Is it right that doctors in private practice have not agreed to reduce their fees? Many are still charging over 100 euro an hour. In my experience it is advisable to phone around to ask the price of a consultation or medical test first.

Some doctors have reduced their prices considerably.

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13 SUNDAY MAIL •April 21, 2013

Opinion

Calling the issues by their real names: ELA is not the problem Comment The Emergency Liquidity Assistance is not the same Yiannis Tirkides

T

HE BLAME game that is going on at the moment is certainly counterproductive.

Our banking system is not functioning properly and we still remain under the threat of default and exit from the eurozone according to a latest report by Moody’s, the ratings agency. But what is prevalent now however, is how to restore normalcy in the banking system as soon as possible. We realise that we cannot achieve this by blaming either the Central Bank of Cyprus nor the European Central Bank for the emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) they had given Laiki Bank when they did.

Lest we forget, this is the same liquidity assistance now sitting on the balance sheet of Bank of Cyprus. And considering that the take-over of Laiki will mean a bigger reduction in deposits than loans for the new Bank of Cyprus, compared with the combined position of the two banks prior to resolution and restructuring, then obviously the need for emergency liquidity assistance will not diminish, it will rather grow. Mario Draghi we note has promised liquidity support, which is a good thing. Is Draghi wrong in his judgement - as we blame him for being wrong in the case of Laiki? I think not. Let’s call the issues by their name: The Emergency Liquidity Assistance, ELA, is not the same as debt and in itself does not constitute a threat to the Bank of Cyprus that inherits it from Laiki along with the corresponding assets. The ELA is available through the Eurosystem and it is considered a crucial mechanism for the stability of the entire banking system in the eurozone. It is thus used widely, on a long term basis also. Liquidity assistance to Greece in January 2013 for example, reached 122 billion euros. That was never a problem.

Generally speaking, the ELA substitutes for deposits at a cheaper rate, and it is totally compatible with the Eurosystem and the vi-

as debt and in itself does not constitute a threat to the Bank of Cyprus that inherits it from Laiki bank

The European Central Bank provided Laiki with more than ¤9 billion in emergency liquidity assistance ability of the banking institutions that constitute it.

The problem of the Cypriot banking system and especially of the two bigger banks was neither an issue of emergency liquidity assistance nor even of deposits. The problem from the very outset was one of bad debts in Greece and bad investments in Greek government bonds. The two biggest banks used their liquidity, which depended to a considerable extent on foreign deposits, to undertake excessive risks in Greece. Let’s not forget, that bank losses from the restructuring of Greek debt, the infamous

PSI - Private Sector Involvement - were more than 4 billion euro or almost 25 per cent of GDP. That Laiki Bank needed to draw on 9.5 billion euros in emergency liquidity assistance was due to a steady outflow of deposits since the summer of 2011, when the government had been priced out of international sovereign markets. The outflow of deposits in turn was the result of the uncertainty that was being created by the unjustifiable delay in the stipulation of a final agreement with the troika.

The loan portfolio of Laiki Bank in Greece might have been more

problematic than otherwise, but the Cyprus operations of the bank were profitable in 2011, turning in a marginal loss in the nine months of 2012 for which financial accounts have been published. The Cyprus operations of Laiki Bank were indeed viable. In essence,the operations of all commercial banks in Cyprus are more or less equally viable or equally unviable for that matter, since they all share the same clients in the same economy. It is indicative, that the nonperforming loans of Cypriot banks as a share of their total loans, as at end September 2012, were not

much different from one another: 15.8 per cent for Bank of Cyprus; 17.2 per cent for Laiki; and 17.5 per cent for Hellenic Bank.

There was no need whatsoever to shut down Laiki Bank and in fact the first rescue plan of the Eurogroup of 16 March did not foresee anything like that. Both Laiki and the Bank of Cyprus were to be recapitalised through a comprehensive tax levy on deposits whilst the Credit Cooperatives and Hellenic Bank would be recapitalised from the 10 billion euro bailout package. Why did we shutdown Laiki and cripple the Bank of Cyprus the way we did?

Parliament rejected the first rescue plan of the Eurogroup and the net result is that the final rescue plan is by far worse in terms of its impact on the banking system and the economy at large. The taxing of the insured deposits which was foreseen in the first plan might have been a wrong initial decision, but we had every chance to amend and correct it. The Eurogroup left to us the distribution of the tax burden between the insured and the uninsured depositors for a required amount of 5.8 billion euros.

We failed to do this for one simple reason, that it had become more important to try and salvage the foreign capital flows, that couldn’t be salvaged anyway. Some were of the impression that we could blackmail the Eurogroup or even that we ourselves could amass the money needed to kick the troika entirely out! It is indeed tragic to think that we ourselves pushed our country into the position it is now.

But what is primary now nonetheless, is to focus on the future, on ways to re-ignite the economy.

This however, cannot be achieved without first restoring the banking system into some sense of normalcy. And normalcy in the banking system cannot be restored without the support and cooperation of the European Central Bank. In this context, the ELA is not the problem; rather, it can be part of the solution if we handle it properly.

Yiannis Tirkides is a Cyprusbased economist

Lily-livered media failed to stand up to bankers Comment Loucas Charalambous AS I’VE previously asserted, this country could have avoided sinking into one disaster after another had we an independent and impartial media and real reporters.

That goes for the economy as well.

No doubt the present bankruptcy could have been averted had we a media and reporters who did their job properly, who were not pawns to the various established interests - politicians, bankers and so on. Television networks, the radio, newspapers, journalists and economists are now railing 24/7 against the “greedy bankers who destroyed us”; yet up until quite recently all these did not dare speak a word against the bankers.

Here is just one example from personal experience. For the last

25 years I’ve been writing in the Cypriot press on a regular basis, contributing to almost all the newspapers. Only once has a newspaper dared to publish a critique I had written of a banker.

That paper was the Sunday Mail.

It was about six years ago, when I was writing about the provocative salary and “bonuses” of Andreas Eliades, then CEO of the Bank of Cyprus.

This came back to me last Tuesday while watching on ‘Sigma’ TV a show featuring former Laiki Bank strongman Andreas Vgenopoulos and five Cypriot journalists, four of whom specialise - supposedly - in economics and finance. At one point Vgenopoulos was asked why HSBC had sold its shares in Laiki and got out.

Vgenopoulos said the key reason was Laiki’s involvement in what is known as the Milosevic scandal.

He added: “Two things brought about the disaster in Cyprus: first, the allegations over money laun-

dering which go back to the Milosevic affair, and, second, the fact that you were bad-mouthing your own banks, making matters worse for them.” Vgenopoulos went on to say that, while at Laiki, he had personally seen accounts used for funnelling Yugoslav money, and he stressed that the committee of inquiry in Cyprus, which is probing the causes that led to the banking crisis, should start there.

His remarks elicited a ‘violent’ reaction from the show host and the four journalists on the panel.

As one, they pounced on Vgenopoulos: “These are very serious claims, which you have made before, but now you have to substantiate them, you cannot speak without evidence, if you have any evidence give it to us and we shall publish them tomorrow even,” they cried out in unison.

Far be it from me to defend Vgenopoulos. As a matter of fact, when the man took charge of Laiki, I had then warned some

friends of mine (bank executives) that “this guy will prove to be the Koskotas of Cyprus.” I was alluding to George Koskotas, a former banker and publisher who spearheaded a financial scandal that brought down the PASOK government in Greece in 1989.

But what I cannot stand is the boundless hypocrisy of journalists pretending that this is the first they are hearing of the Yugoslav money-laundering. And yet today, 12 years on, these same journalists are demanding - supposedly - evidence.

So far four trials have taken place in Cyprus on the Milosevic affair; two of the trials are still ongoing. Both Alithia columnist Alecos Constantinides and I produced at least around 200 articles between 2003 and 2007, providing tons of information on the case.

And yet five of our reporters - and economy reporters no less - feign total ignorance and demand that Vgenopoulos give them evidence

so that they can “publish tomorrow”.

Since Vgenopoulos did not come good, let me make a dare of my own. Vgenopoulos doesn’t have a lot of evidence; what he does have is just information on accounts held by various companies in Laiki. This I have as well. But in addition I possess thousands of documents showing how these companies were set up, who managed them, how the huge amounts of cash came in, in breach of UN Security Council resolutions, who signed off, where the money ended up, and so on.

So if Mr Chrysanthos Tsouroullis and the other reporters dare, let them ask me for the documents. I will be more than happy to oblige, on one condition: I’d like a guarantee, in writing, that they will keep the promise they made on television, that is, to publish the evidence. They are most welcome to my information, if they dare ask for it.

14 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Opinion This is not the time for ‘me’ or personal agendas in politics or anywhere else Comment Alexis Galanos

T

HE CRISIS our country and our people are experiencing is primarily economic, but along with that all the sins of our political system and social structure, which we diligently swept under the carpet for many years, have been brought to the forefront. Weaknesses, obsessions and mentalities that led us to today’s tragic situation have been highlighted.

And what is most worrying and dangerous is that the public cannot see any intention of change and no indication of collective action and unity among the state’s political powers so we can deal with the difficulties.

A dominant element of our political life was, and unfortunately remains, the political party’s best interests, the “me” and not the “we”, the lack of accountability and the rejection of any criticism or differing views.

Here is an example, which I feel is indicative. On August 4, 2012 as part of an anti-occupation demonstration in Famagusta, I said: “Under the burden of the humiliation we are experiencing as a country and as people - as a result of the economic crisis - we see the despair in our fellow countrymen’s eyes. We see suspicion in the eyes of our foreign partners. Along with the economic collapse, there is a feeling of intense disappointment, which did not even exist in 1974; be-

A dominant element of our political life was, and unfortunately remains, the political party’s best interests

Are we at war with our enemies or ourselves? cause the people cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel. They cannot see any intention of self-evaluation and accountability and common action… They can only see exhausting political confrontation and complete impunity.

Our most powerful weapon all these years was the economy. It did not just give us power and credibil-

ity in the international arena. It gave us faith in our powers. It fed our people’s confidence.

That weapon does not exist anymore. What exists is the troika, the memorandums and the support mechanisms; the devastation of our national dignity and pride; the threat of shrinking incomes and pensions, unemployment and

the financial demise of hundreds of small and medium sized enterprises; the fact that we are being viewed as beggars and as the black sheep of the European family.

We only have one weapon left, which we have not used until today: unity. We are just a few months away from the presidential elections. Let us not forget that

we are at war with our enemies, but also ourselves… let us put public interest and the good of the country above all… We want a leadership that will unite the people; that will inspire and activate the strengths of our society.”

Concluding my speech, I posed two core questions: “Can we finally put aside our political and ideological

pursuits, and our personal ambitions? Can we give up our egotism so we can continue to fight?” Instead of a response, I found myself on the receiving end of a brutal attack by the former president, Demetris Christofias, the EDON youth organisation and AKEL organisations.

I am not attempting to be self-righteous. I repeat this is not the time for “me” or personal agendas. Things are definitely much worse today than they were eight months ago; a period in time that not only passed untapped - as we have come to realise in hindsight - but which led to intensified efforts to sweep all our problems under the carpet so as to pass them on to the next leadership and maintain our polling rates.

The question remains: are we in a position to get over ourselves, our suffering and our weaknesses, or will we continue to fight each other, blame each other, justify anything “our people” do, appoint someone so someone else can revoke the appointment? President Central Bank governor conflict, Part B? The coming months will be critical. How things develop will largely depend on the way we all choose to work together to put our house in order; on the way we choose to work, collectively, towards building a new state; on the extent to which we will shrink the partisan and personal “ego” so we can see growth again in Cyprus, which we have so impoverished, belittled and humiliated with our pettiness and selfishness.

Alexis Galanos is the president of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, mayor of Famagusta and former House president

Kasoulides’ Israel visit reconfirmed ties Comment Andrestinos Papadopoulos THE VISIT of Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, George Lakkotripis to Israel was preparatory to President Nicos Anastasiades’ visit scheduled for May 6-7.

It took place, however, within a particular climate, characterised by two important events affecting CyprusIsraeli relations - the attempted rapprochement between Turkey and Israel and Ankara’s threats aimed at hindering the exploitation of the natural gas in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

As a matter of fact, the apology offered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Tayip Erdogan concerning the killing of nine Turkish citizens on the Mavi Marmara, after pressure by President Barack Obama and taking into account possible negative developments in Syria and Iran, created fears that it might adversely influence CyprusIsraeli relations. These fears were

dispelled, at the highest level, during a telephone between Netanyahu and Anastasiades on April 4, at the initiative of the Israeli prime minister.

It was confirmed that Cyprus-Israeli relations will not be affected by this development. The same stand was confirmed to Minister Kasoulides who understood that there was a genuine will on the part of Israel to strengthen relations.

It is of interest, therefore, to see how real the perceptions of a rapprochement between Turkey and Israel are. The question to be answered is whether Turkey will change policy.

At this moment her foreign policy is driving her away from the West and aims at playing a leading role within the Muslim world. In order to achieve this, she should attack Israel.

Already Erdogan has announced that he will visit Gaza to show support for Hamas. One can imagine Israel’s reaction when he arrives in Gaza as a liberator of the Palestinians. An Israeli commentator characterised this decision as a slap in the face for Israel, the USA and Mahmoud Abbas. Many have expressed doubts over the sincerity of Erdogan’s intentions. The Cypriot delegation sensed Israel’s displeasure towards Turkey’s protagonistic role in the Muslim world, a role also sought

by Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

President Anastasiades is to visit Israel at the beginning of May On the question of energy, Turkey is playing tough geopolitical poker as she aims to secure the management of hydrocarbons in the region, through the participation of Turkish Cypriots in the exploitation of the Cypriot EEZ, testing with her threats the reaction of countries and companies. Cyprus and Israel are facing this situation through their cooperation in the field of energy, whose character is not only economic, but mainly strategic. Cooperation is needed to exploit and transport

natural gas to Europe as well as the creation of a terminal in Cyprus. It is only natural for Israel to prefer having a second terminal outside Israel, for obvious reasons, and consider Cyprus and Greece as its natural bridge to Europe for transporting its natural gas.

It would have been naïve to believe that Israel wants to strengthen the role of Turkey when transporting natural gas to Europe through Cyprus and Greece strengthens its own position through its contribution to Europe’s independence from Russia and a future Islamic Turkey. During the discussion of these matters the presence of Minister Kasoulides gave a political dimension to the whole approach.

The cooperation in the field of energy raised also the question of cooperation in other fields as well, such as health, technology, research, agriculture, water development, tourism, and so forth. On all these issues, there was a genuine will for cooperation on a permanent basis with the possibility of including Greece as well.

The question of cooperation between Cyprus and Israel enjoys widespread acceptance and the following simple fact testifies to its importance. Due to the presence in Israel of the American Secretary of

State, John Kerry all the meetings of Premier Netanyahu were cancelled.

However, as soon as he was free he accepted the Cypriot delegation immediately. The one who rendered properly the deeper meaning of the special relationship between Cyprus and Israel is the wise and seasoned president of Israel, Shimon Peres, who projected the common fate of the two countries by saying that if Cyprus is geographically an island, then Israel is politically an island.

The visit of Minister Kasoulides not only prepared the ground of the forthcoming visit of President Anastasiades to Israel, but also reconfirmed the commitment of the two new governments to strengthen their cooperation.

If in January 2012 Nicos Anastasiades, when as DISY leader he visited Israel, was received as ambassador of closer cooperation between Cyprus and Israel and a staunch supporter of a consistent and trustworthy proIsraeli policy, now, his visit to Israel in May as president of the Republic will usher in a new era of a deeper geopolitical cooperation between the two countries with a view to promoting peace and stability in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Dr Andrestinos Papadopoulos is a former ambassador of Cyprus

15 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

Opinion uotes of the week

President Anastasiades attempting to woo Russian businessmen to stay in Cyprus last Sunday

“It is curious that a formal black overcoat, dark navy suit, white shirt and dark navy tie can be seen by some people as somehow showing a lack of respect”.

TV newsreader Huw Edwards who was criticised for not wearing a black tie when announcing Lady Thatcher’s death

Money has no smell, no taste, no patrida Talking about leaving the euro is not an option, it’s a diversion

“I

WAS never ruined but twice - once when I lost a lawsuit, once when I won one,” said Voltaire, 1694-1778 (philosopher and writer of Age of Enlightenment).

A strange local phenomenon is that (at least until a few years ago) every lawyer who owned a pair of shoes was paid a retainer by their local banks. The reason, or in any case the result, was that they would not take cases of litigation against the banks.

Until recently, it was the same against doctors here.

But tarts and drug dealers pay the police. Banks pay politicians. Bribery is an accepted cost of business everywhere, so I don’t see how lawsuits brought against the Central Bank, and now ‘bald’ Laiki and BoC, will do other than fuel St Andros Kyprianou’s need for the martyrdom of DISY/DIKO before the arrival of troika money.

Bankers, lawyers and property developers combined bankrupted the economy. But we are not alone; the same happened in Ireland, Greece, Spain, and now Holland (at last, a country on the continent of northern Europe) which is next on the list requiring a bailout. See: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/economic-crisis-hits-the-netherlands-a-891919.html We are being sold an economic upturn by this government combined with leaching taxation, causing many to contemplate emigration as false promises persist and nobody prints the truth. There is no such thing as anaptixi without free movement of capital – our banks must first remove all restrictions!

We will not leave the euro but will copy Greece’s austerity measures and high unemployment. Just agreed was a further 15,000 Greek civil serpent job losses between now and the end of 2014. Austerity will take us back to pre1980, when our hotels and construction industries employed Cypriots only, imports were highly taxed and low wages maintained mediocre living standards for our then energetic and inventive labour force.

Talking about leaving the euro is not an option, it’s a diversion. This sort of talk ran the gauntlet in Greece two years ago. The reality is that both Greece and

Comment Hermes Solomon Cyprus have lost their sovereignty.

Brussels is already a dictatorship run by unelected EU administrators - the ‘Death Star’ of Democracy, which has complete and well concealed control of all citizens. This has not happened by accident. It has been a conscious and well planned gradual usurpation of power carried out so masterfully that nobody complains. Any future financial/political decisions will come from there...that is, until and if, the eurozone disintegrates. Thereafter, it is only a matter of time before the ‘Empire’ strikes back!

It is well understood that big corporations control the ‘Death Star’. The term ‘citizen’ will eventually be substituted by ‘consumer’. National cultures, traditions and identities will disappear.

PAINFUL Our loss of sovereignty will be painful.

Let’s hope we can take the medicine, which will either cure or kill the patient, sovereignty having done much more harm to the Republic since 2004 than good.

The recent mass exodus of funds will be followed by a mass exodus of well qualified unemployed Cypriots to be replaced by any ‘foreigner’ rich enough to pay for citizenship - what utter corruption of human rights are these - unopposed by Brussels.

And it seems that Cyprus’ last presidential election was financed by interests that brought to power a ‘get yer money out quick’ president who, last Sunday, solicited those same Russian and other foreign investors to return with their millions. If he’d tried that ploy ‘on the street’ instead of at a conference hall dinner party in Limassol, he’d be accused of the immoral act of importuning.

So now it remains to be seen whether

Cyprus, having bent thus far to keep the euro, will accept a conclusion to the Cyprob, it having lived beyond everyone’s patience. If not, I fear the ECB and surely the IMF will beat us harder.

Then, having nearly lost our oil/gas, currency and security, we will probably lose our beaches/tourism due to pollution caused by foreign energy exploitation washing ashore.

No money, no honey! Our gas will stay in the ground unless we listen to Daniel Cohn-Bendit (born in France, to German-Jewish parents who had fled Nazism in 1933) and now a German Green Party lawmaker, who said at the EU Parliament this past mid-week that a sustainable economic recovery for Cyprus could only be achieved through closer ties with the region’s biggest and most dynamic economy, Turkey.

In response, DISY’s, EU MP, Antigone Theocharos, our very own Chewbacca (Han Solo’s Wookiee copilot in the Star Wars movies) cross fired hoarsely, “You cannot trust Turkey!!”

But Cyprus is as close to Turkey as the UK is to their tax haven Channel Islands; opportunistic news for our sanitised financial sector, future casinos and worn out hotels, which could, given a facelift, and an acceptable to both sides Cyprob settlement, become packed with nearby Anatolian and Israeli weekenders served by a 70 per cent Cypriot labour force - a return to profit and mediocre living standards redolent of the good old days - mash’allah!

Keep your friends close, and your ‘presumed’ enemies, even closer. Any ‘banker’ will tell you that money has no smell, taste or patrida! This is the age of enlightenment, marking a rejection of traditional, social, religious and political ideas with emphasis on rationalism.

In preparation for the forthcoming dinner party/meeting with Mr Eroglu, I wonder if our president has adapted his mind-set, discontinued adopting or accepting prior behaviours, choices or tools.

Perhaps he cannot trust Turkey, but to his bitter sweet regret, he can no longer trust, or expect, those unelected EU administrators to uphold EU laws.

Democracy or hypocrisy, which? It’s a question of who he distrusts more, Turkey or those inhabiting and directing the ‘Death Star’!

“She stopped the mines, she stopped the shipyards, she stopped the steelworks and now she has stopped Big Ben. You would think she was the Queen”.

Labour MP Ronnie Campbell condemns the decision to silence Big Ben as a tribute to Baroness Thatcher on the day of her funeral “But I tell you what, my little left-wing friends, and all you who think it amusing to break out the champagne at the death of an 87-year-old woman: There is one thing that is alive and well - and that is Thatcherism”.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London “I can have confrontation with a bloke but never with a woman. I just have to run away from it”.

Pop singer Rod Stewart

“All those self-satisfied horticultural Hyacinth

Bouquets, with their show-offy questions and polite in-jokes, I hope they all get rampant knotweed”.

Sarah Vine, wife of Education Secretary, Michael Gove, is no fan of the BBC programme Gardeners’ Question Time “Sometimes my fake eyelashes would roll up on to the beach. And that is all that would be left of me. But I was determined to be glamorous. Oh, I loved it, I loved it”.

Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson “I would sit in the ladies’ loo at the Oscars and listen to women talking about the men”.

Homeland star David Harewood, when asked what he would do if he were invisible for a day

“Why should anyone want their children to be the brightest? Academia is a lonely world”.

Actress Helen McCrory “The mental stress, I think, would be pretty difficult for a lady to deal with in a practical fashion. I just don’t think they have the aptitude to win a Formula One race”.

Veteran racing driver Sir Stirling Moss angered women with his thought “I think I could probably forgive Madeleine’s abductor whatever the circumstances. I don’t know whether it’s simply because I’m stronger or because there’s no benefit in not forgiving someone”.

Kate McCann, mother of missing Madeline McCann, speaks to the Daily Telegraph

16 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World in pictures

The Bearer Party made up of personnel from the three branches of the military carry the coffin of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher during her ceremonial funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral in central London (AFP)

An effigy of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher is placed in a ‘coffin’ as people gather to celebrate the death of Margaret Thatcher in Goldthorpe, northern England, on the day of her funeral in London (AFP)

Motorists driving with their lights during a heavy sandstorm in Yecheng county, northwest China (AFP)

SWAT team members go door-to-door searching for 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar A Tsarnaev (AFP) An Indian Sikh devotee takes a holy dip in the sarover (water tank) at the Golden Temple in Amritsar (AFP)

A woman works on masks representing Pope Francis in a factory in Niteroi, 20km from Rio de Janeiro, ahead of his upcoming visit (AFP)

A woman feeds a pig in her yard during spring floods in the Belarus village of Snyadin (AFP)

Boston SWAT team members smile after the capture of the second of two suspects wanted in the Boston Marathon bombings (AFP)

Journalist take cover during the manhunt for the second suspect of the Boston Marathon bombing in Watertown (AFP)

17 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

News Review Busy buses THE CRISIS has proved lucrative for public transport both in Limassol and Nicosia, the cities’ respective bus companies EMEL and OSEL said on Monday, although in general it would be better if people used the buses out of preference rather than necessity, they said.

EMEL reported a 25 per cent hike in users in March and OSEL, 11 per cent since the beginning of the year. People are looking for ways to save money and are now being forced to look at how much they spend on buying, maintaining and running cars, Giorgos Kyriakou, EMEL director said.

The European Parliament debated Cyprus’ bailout this week with some MEPs criticising the Eurogroup and the troika for their ‘colonial’ attitude to addressing the troubles of the eurozone

Lights out THE ELECTRICITY Authority of Cyprus (EAC) said on Monday it planned to resume supply cuts to customers with outstanding payments because the authority was facing severe liquidity problems. “In cases of non-payment of bills, the EAC will have no choice but to shortly re-start cutting off electricity supply,” it said in a statement. It said it was facing liquidity problems because of a series of price cuts to customers and a reduction in its overdraft limits.

Spare us SEMI-GOVERNMENT organisations (SGOs) offered on Monday to come up with the money demanded by the troika in exchange for sparing them from privatisation.

The Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) and Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA) yesterday criticised the troika’s demands to come up with €1.4 billion through privatisations of SGOs, saying they believed they could use their own resources to cover the amount demanded by the troika as part of Cyprus’ bailout agreement.

¤8 billion lost LARGE depositors who kept their money in the two biggest Cypriot banks stand to lose up to €8.3 billion through the restructuring of the two institutions, a European Commission document showed this week. It is part of an estimated total €10.6 billion contribution from investors for restructuring the Cypriot banking sector, which also includes wiping out shareholders and bondholders in Laiki, or Popular, Bank as well as imposing losses on junior bondholders in the Bank of Cyprus and a deposit-for-equity swap.

Losses hit home EAC announced this week they had restarted implementing supply cuts on those who have not paid their bills

‘Special offers’ THE CONSUMERS’ Association warned people on Tuesday to be wary of special deals at supermarkets and grocers, as there are many instances when the packaging might be damaged or the expiry date too close. “From our experience we know that during times of economic hardship, companies tend to release plenty of special offers to try and get rid of products that are either damaged or are due to expire,” coordinator for the Consumers’ Association, Giorgos Stylianou said.

EU funds THE GOVERNMENT welcomed on Tuesday the European Commission’s

QUOTES OF THE WEEK “What saddens me deeply and I refrain from using the word angers - is that since the Eurogroup agreement was reached, some EU partners’ businesses and companies involved in the financial services industry have been preying upon our financial services sector, in order to encourage a re-allocation of funds into their economies.

Ironically, their governments claim that these funds were deposited depos ed

and invested in Cyprus through money-laundering activities.

This is obviously an absurd paradox” President Nicos Anastasiades “The Commission needs to help the people of Cyprus not dominate them. There has been a lack of transparency in the Commission’s actions” Head of the Socialists and Democrats group, Austrian MEP Hannes Hanne Swoboda “Before they would send them to a univers university abroad without going over the budget in detail but now this will all change.

Many stude students will prefer to stay in Cyprus because the Cyp overall expenses are cheaper” expe Managing director of the d European U University Cyprus, Christoforos Christoforo Hadjikyriacou.

“What seems seem to have led the unfortunate refugee to suicide hea was the heartlessness to which auth Cypriot authorities responded to his despe desperate call for help, but also his intense worry for his life and his family’s fate” su Migrant support group KISA

“When we think about these kinds of programmes (barter) we can’t help but remember the past when everyone lent a helping hand when someone was building a house in a village.

These kinds of values, this kind of solidarity is what we are trying to bring back to our society” Latsia mayor Panayiotis Kyprianou “Doctors do not have the luxury of fighting in front of patients. They should instead work together to overcome the difficult times ahead of us” Limassol hospital director Chrysostomos Andronikou “Not even I could conceive the extent of entanglements, and tolerance that was shown” Auditor-general Chrystalla Georghadji (left) on the mistakes and omissions made in the past on the economy “Those who want to get rid of the troika should tell us how we can come up with €30bn; if they do that, we will be the first to kick the troika out” DISY leader Averof Neophytou

expression of solidarity with Cyprus and willingness to bring forward payments to Cyprus from the 2014-2020 EU budget to help it access muchneeded funds in the immediate future. In response to a letter sent by President Nicos Anastasiades on April 9 requesting help to overcome the current crisis, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso proposed “frontloading” payments to Cyprus from the EU budget so that allocations for the next seven years are paid early to give the battered economy a boost.

debate in the European Parliament (EP) on the Cyprus bailout, MEPs accused the Commission and its troika partners, the IMF and European Central Bank (ECB), of creating a “fiasco” and “disaster”, with much wider implications than Cyprus. One went as far as to call for the disbanding of the troika.

Question mark

THE GOVERNMENT conceded on Tuesday it was not on the same page with the Central Bank Governor, confirming the growing rift between the two sides. “There is indeed a serious matter at hand...and it needs to be resolved,” Finance Minister Harris Georgiades told newsmen. But, he hastened to add, the two sides were “obliged to come to an understanding.”

ALTHOUGH the House on Thursday passed more tax bills deemed key for Cyprus to qualify for a foreign aid package, a question mark still hung over whether a fractious parliament would sanction the actual loan agreement to be concluded soon between the government and international lenders. A revised tax on immovable property – aiming to ensure additional revenues from property taxation of at least €70m by updating 1980 prices through application of the CPI index for the period 1980 to 2012 – was not brought to the plenum but is expected next week.

‘Told you so’

Airport charges

AUDITOR-GENERAL Chrystalla Georghadji slammed on Tuesday the years of complacency in Cyprus which have led to millions slipping through the fingers of the state, much of which is now unrecoverable. During a briefing at the House Watchdog Committee, Georghadji said the state is owed €1.6 billion in tax and other revenues, which had gone uncollected despite repeated warnings from her office over the years on the amount of money wasted across the wider public service. While unpaid taxes now stood at €1 billion, she said, around €380 million owed to the state would now be written off in bad debts.

INCENTIVES and liberalisation of flights could increase the tourist flow to Cyprus by 400,000 people per year, the House Commerce Committee heard on Thursday. Lawmakers and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) asked for a reduction in airport fees in a bid to attract more airlines to Cyprus but airports operator Hermes said a general cut would be difficult and ineffectual.

CBC rift

Rehn’s roasting ANGRY European lawmakers roundly condemned the handling of the Cyprus bailout programme on Wednesday, blaming the Eurogroup for its appalling communications, the Commission for not defending insured depositors, and some member states for their “colonial” approach to addressing eurozone troubles. During a

No-show CITING what appeared to be a technicality, former Laiki strongman Andreas Vgenopoulos failed to show up in a Paphos court on Thursday to answer charges that he had misled investors into buying high-risk securities.

Vgenopoulos and former Laiki CEO Efthimios Bouloutas, both Greek nationals, argued through their lawyers that the charge sheet had not been delivered to them in the correct manner.

Their lawyers raised a pre trial objection suggesting that the papers had been delivered under the provisions of the Schengen Agreement, which Cyprus had not ratified.

18 SUNDAY MAI

Reportage

MIDDLE EA Qatar interests include Beckham’s club Paris Saint Germain, Al Jazeera TV (below) and Anya Hindmarch bags (bottom)

The emir of Qatar with David Cameron outside No 10

What do you do if you’re the leader of a tiny country with deep pockets bent on becoming a global player?

Embark on a £10 billion shopping spree in London, snapping up banks, buildings and historic brands. JOHN ARLIDGE on the Qataris’ capital takeover OD is an Englishman,” declares Irvine Sellar, as he strides on to the newly opened 69th-floor observation deck of the Shard, the skyscraper he developed.

Looking out of the vast floor-to-ceiling windows, it is tempting to agree. There’s the Shard itself; the jagged steel and glass tip of the £1.5 billion, 1,016ft tower seems to pierce the sky. To the

“G

east, the Olympic Stadium rises like a giant crown. To the north lies Camden Lock, where teenage tourists and ageing punks shop, and just across the Thames there’s a bigger market, for everyone except teenagers and punks: the London Stock Exchange.

Squint through the telescope and you can make out the eagle that flies above the US Embassy on Grosvenor Square. A mile to the west, the lights of Harrods are re-

flected in the bulletproof g glass of the £1 billion One Hyde Park, the most expensive apartment building in the world. In the d distance, you can make o out the glow of Heathro row’s new Terminal 2.

B But while God might have p o provided the inspiration for the new glittering monuments to London’s prosperity, he didn’t pay the bill. A single investor has stumped up for almost all of it. This man has bought up the Shard, part of the Olympics site and Canary Wharf, a chunk of Camden Lock, One Hyde Park (in conjunction with his cousin), Harrods and ten per cent of Heathrow. He also owns Chelsea Barracks, the W Hotel in Leicester Square, and has big stakes in companies whose names are emblazoned across Britain’s capital: Barclays Bank, the London Stock Exchange, Sainsbury’s, Santander bank, even luxury handbag brand Anya Hindmarch.

The new landlord of London is the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who rules a scalding, pancake-flat Arabian peninsula the size of Yorkshire, with a native population smaller than Bradford. Londoners are used to oil and gas-rich gazillionaires and their wives flocking to London to party and to buy things in Harrods but not the entire store. Why is the emir playing real-life Monopoly?

The answer is, in part, because he can. He rules the richest country on the planet: Qatar has the world’s third-largest natural gas re-

serves and supplies around half of the natural gas Britain uses. Thanks to these pennies from heaven, Al Thani and his family are worth tens of billions of pounds and his country’s sovereign wealth fund exceeds £60 billion. If the emir or his wife, Sheikha Mozah, want something, they buy it. As the emir boasted to the FT: “Your Harrods. We took it!”

The bill for the emir’s London investments nudges £10 billion. This is such an epic, some say profane, amount of money that it would be tempting to cast him as the latest in a long line of petrodollar plutocrats squandering their carbon dividend on baubles and bling. But he has different designs.

First, he wants to diversify his country’s economy. More than half of Qatar’s GDP, and 70 per cent of government revenue, comes from gas exports. These should last a long time but there are risks.

Even before the gas runs out, the US shale gas revolution and Australia’s growing gas exports could bring down the price. Qatar has learned from the experience of other Gulf states, which have seen growth slump - and dissent rise - when oil prices have fallen.

Buying up assets in established Western markets, such as London, will generate long-term revenue from the non-oil sector. Elsewhere, the emir’s interests include David Beckham’s new team Paris Saint-Germain and the 2022 World Cup. He also bankrolls the news channel Al Jazeera.

“We’re investing on behalf of

future generations,” says Ahmad Al-Sayed, CEO of Qatar Holding, Qatar Inc’s investment arm. Investments abroad will also help to attract talented people to develop Qatar’s economy and train its nationals. The Qatar Foundation, an educational trust run by Sheikha Mozah, has lured top UK universities, such as University College London, to establish local campuses in Doha.

Second, the emir wants to present himself and Qatar as the modern face of an open, cultured Arabia. Al Thani, 61, and his wife, 53, are among the most pro-Western of Arab leaders. The emir was educated at Sandhurst and enjoys close relations with the British Royal Family.

Sheikha Mozah is a role model for modern Arab women.

Not only does she - unusually for a female member of a Middle Eastern royal family - have a public role in running the Qatar Foundation, she pushes the boundaries of how Muslim women should dress, usually only covering up with a headscarf. The couple’s daughter, Sheikha Mayassa, is following in her footsteps. She studied in the US and worked with Robert De Niro at his New York-based Tribeca Film Company, and now runs Qatar’s burgeoning museums and art galleries, including Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art. Sheikha Mayassa acknowledges that, thanks to recent history, some see Muslims as violent people. By investing abroad and at home Qatar wants “to showcase that Islam is a peaceful religion at

the heart of the most intellectually and culturally sophisticated societies throughout history. That’s our message.”

But Qatar also has another, bigger aim. It may have all

Buying up asset Western markets, will generate longthe non-o the money in the world but it is a tiny speck of a nation in the roughest neighbourhood on Earth, sandwiched between two giant regional super-powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Qataris don’t have

19

L • April 21, 2013

The emir’s son Sheikh Mohammed with Paris Hilton in 2011

ASTENDERS The emir of Qatar meets Barack Obama

Chocolate pralines at Belgian chocolate maker Neuhaus

to look far or have very long memories to worry about what can happen to small states in unstable regions. It is a little over 20 years since the Iraqi dictator Saddam

ts in established such as London, -term revenue from oil sector Hussein invaded Kuwait, prompting the first Gulf War. Following a $100m donation to the US in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister, told a US of-

ficial: “We may have our own Katrina one day.” He meant another Gulf War, or a US or Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear installations, which could shut the Strait of Hormuz and stop Qatar’s vital gas exports.

Qatar needs friends. By investing in Britain, the Qataris are buying influence. The deal is simple. Qatar provides much-needed investment at a time of low-to-no growth and, in return, Britain comes to regard Qatar as important for its own economic future.

It’s working. When the emir goes to town he visits Downing Street as well as Buckingham Palace.

Qatar is frank about its ‘cash for clout’ foreign investment policy. Looking out of the 14th-floor windows of the Shard, over the House of Commons, the governor

of the Qatar Central Bank and chairman of the Shard, Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani, brushes aside suggestions that the skyscraper is an architectural triumph but a commercial flop. Only a handful of tenants have rented space. “What’s special about this building is not so much its design or its height but the solid relationship between Qatar and Britain,” he says. “Recouping our initial investment is a minor thing for us at this moment.”

That’s a luxury you have when you have money to burn. But why is the emir only going for trophy assets?

Trophy assets are expensive.

The Qataris have been accused of vastly overpaying in London. The Shard cost £1.5 billion and the emir paid £1 billion for Chelsea Barracks, twice what many analysts

say it was worth. Trophy assets also attract unwelcome attention. Vanity Fair magazine has pointed out that One Hyde Park has become a refuge for oligarchs who want a safe place to park their cash, little or no tax paid and no questions asked. Chelsea Barracks is still a wasteland, six years after the emir bought it.

Qatar scrapped the original redevelopment scheme for the site, designed by Richard Rogers, after Prince Charles objected to its modern design. “It made my heart sink,” he wrote in a letter to Hamad bin Jassim. Further embarrassment followed when the developers, Nick and Christian Candy, sued Qatar for breach of contract over the decision to scrap Rogers’ scheme and won a partial victory and a multimillionpound payout. The £3 billion redevelopment has now been put on hold amid fears that it is no longer viable in the deteriorating economic climate.

Observers say the emir and those who run his country’s investment funds are drawn to high-profile developments and brands because it bolsters their image as the world’s new financial power brokers - as well as men of taste. But critics say they can get carried away. “Qatar has no brakes,” says a former British diplomat in the Middle East. “Its leaders are very intelligent and probably wellintentioned but they suffer from the dual handicap of being inconceivably rich and largely unaccountable. They don’t seem to know when to stop.”

Rita Clifton, branding expert and chairman of the market research firm Populus, says it is understandable that Qatar is making big investments in big names. “If you are a country that few have heard of and even fewer can find on the map and you want to make yourself into a global brand, you have to be bold.

Getting involved with skyscrapers, luxury brands, the world’s most famous sportsmen and sports teams, the World Cup, and the biggest names in the City and on the high street gets you noticed.

You’re judged by the company you keep - and, of course, the companies you buy.”

Qatar heroes: the emir of Qatar with his wife Sheikha Mozah at Windsor Castle last year

20 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Lifestyle

Tracey Cox at home in Notting Hill

I

T would be hard to mistake Tracey Cox’s interests from a tour of her apartment in London’s Notting Hill. The artwork ranges from a bust of a man in sexual ecstasy to a nude foursome in the bathroom, apparently sleeping off an orgy. There is a vagina shaped chair in the hallway.

Then there is the library, containing every sex book imaginable, from the Penis Atlas and Passionate Marriage to Sextrology: The Astrology of the Sexes (which, to be fair, every household should own).

“Oh, and do go and take a look at my products,” Tracey Cox calls from the kitchen, where she is making coffee. Here, I find copies of Cox’s own sex manuals translated into most human languages, as well as various items from her range of Lovehoney vibrators, lubricants and pleasure beads.

“Remember when sex toys were all designed by men!

It’s so much more enlightened now,” she tells me.

Cox, 51, has managed to turn a psychology degree, a spell editing the Australian version of Cosmopolitan magazine and a fortuitous name into a career as Britain’s most celebrated “sexpert”. Her debut book, Hot Sex, came out shortly after her first marriage ended 20 years ago, and she has since issued sisterly advice in the form of columns (from Just Seventeen to Mail Online), various Channel 4 formats and 14 further books.

Her latest work, Dare: What Happens When Fantasies Come True, is a departure from her usual tongues-on advice. It contains the anonymous accounts of various women who have enacted their sexual fantasies in real life.

First we read the fantasy in all its glossy eroticism (“His body is extraordinary and he knows it”, etc). Then we hear about the fantasist’s actual life. Finally we hear what happens when they try the fantasy out.

Usually, it’s rubbish. The chapters include “I performed live for a webcam”; “My husband wanted to watch me have sex with

What happens when fantasy meets reality It’s all gone a bit Fifty Shades: Tracey Cox’s latest book follows women acting out their desires with disastrous effects. Richard Godwin encounters her another man”; “I tried to save our marriage with anal play”; and “I let my rich lover control me sexually”, very Fifty Shades of Grey-esque.

“That’s where it all came from,” Cox admits, speaking in her slight Australian accent when we settle on her sofa. While she seems more than aware of the novel’s flaws, she does credit it with reviving interest in her chosen subject. “And it blew apart this ridiculous myth that women are these romantic creatures who don’t like doing naughty things.”

Certainly, Cox approves of that - though she will not quite admit which of the two stories in Dare actually happened to her. Otherwise, she is hard to embarrass, though seems to welcome the attempt to do so.

Dare is timely, in the sense that acting our fantasies is far easier than it ever used to be. As Cox says, for her parents’ generation, it was hard even to find someone to have an affair with; now tracking down a willing stranger to spit on you and call you daddy - or whatever - is just a matter of knowing the right websites.

Does she think society has become more permissive - or just more hedonistic?

The latter, it seems. “We are sexualising everything - but not in the right way. There’s tons of erotic imagery, but there’s not much by way of actual, realistic advice. People have this idea in their heads that everyone else is having this amazing sex life -

and books like Fifty Shades of Grey don’t help.”

It’s tempting to suggest that many sexperts don’t help either. Take this recent gem from Cosmopolitan’s Ultimate Sex Guide: “Get fruity! A smashed banana or peaches inserted into your vagina is a delightful invitation for him to whoosh his penis around in it!” She rolls her eyes. “Please don’t tell me my advice is bad!” At which point I have to cough and cite two recent columns with diametrically opposing headlines. One says: “He can’t tell if you’re faking it AFTER ALL”. The other: “How he can tell if you’re faking it!”

“I don’t write the headlines...” she protests. She studies the two pieces and produces a reasonably convincing explanation. “Yes, if you look, one is more focused on the emotional side of it, one is focused on the physiognomy. Anyway, a lot of the research does contradict itself over time.”

Surely the problem is that

a lot of sex advice is written by people who aren’t really qualified? Cox has been criticised by qualified professionals in the past though she points out that she has never claimed to be a sex therapist, she gets labelled as one so often, she’s given up making an issue about it.

“What I am is a journalist who has chosen sex as their topic. My degree was in psychology, and within that, I specialised in sex. My sister worked in a sex clinic, and I had always been fascinated by it. And when I came to write my first book, all that was out there was either very white-coated medical advice, or very sleazy books - and nothing in between.

So I decided to write a book about all the things that people asked me about. And the next minute, I’m being called a ‘sexpert’. The fact is, by now, I’ve been reading and writing about it for over 20 years - I probably know more about it than my sex therapist friends, who deal

Dare is more cautionary than it sounds. Acting out your fantasies is generally a bad idea, she stresses - especially if you are involving a third party in a relationship

with the same sort of problems over and over.”

Still, given the irrationalities and the insecurities that surround the subject, there is certainly a place for Cox’s brand of worldly advice. Moreover, Dare is more cautionary than it sounds.

Acting out your fantasies is generally a bad idea, she stresses - especially if you are involving a third party in a relationship.

“If you look at my books, I’m always telling people to manage their expectations.

Out of every 10 sex sessions as a couple there will be four or five that are a bit whatever, there will be two that are disastrous if you try new things, and there might be two that are fabulous. No one can have great sex all the time.”

I’m a tad more troubled by her explanation as to why the Fifty Shades scenario handsome billionaire makes a willing slave of wideeyed heroine - struck such a chord. “Men these days have been so indoctrinated into thinking they must be kind and gentle in bed,” she contends. “They’re too scared to do the old chuck ’em round the bedroom thing. And I think women miss that. There’s also the permission thing. If you are overpowered by somebody, then you have to surrender, don’t you?”

I raise an eyebrow and she backtracks a little. “There is one bit in the book where he practically beats her up – and you do get people who

think that this would prove that women secretly want to be raped.” True. And to look at some of the conventions of modern pornography, you’d be hard pushed to conclude that men suffer from a surfeit of sensitivity, surely? She seems surprised when I say a lot of pornography is degrading - “not the sort I watch” - but does admit she is worried about teenagers taking their sexual education from it. “My only hope is that people are intelligent enough to realise that what they are watching is a made-up scenario - but perhaps that’s me being naive and hopeful.”

I would have thought that if anyone should not be naive about these things, it is a sexpert - though at this stage in her life, Cox appears fairly at peace with the world. She is currently going out with a hairdresser called Miles - “probably the nicest relationship I’ve ever been in”. Previously, she had dated a lot of younger men, whereas Miles is around her age. “I am ready to settle down now. I’m in a different frame of mind. It’s a nice time.”

What’s more he has an 11year-old daughter, whom she loves spending time with. “This is the first true relationship I’ve had with someone who has a kid.”

There is a particular pleasure in that, since Cox is unable to have children herself, after contracting cervical cancer at 30. She says she was so focused on her career at the time, it wasn’t as devastating as others often assume. “I couldn’t have done what I’ve done with children - no way. I never assumed that I would get married and have children. It wasn’t part of what I thought about.”

To her great surprise, she did become pregnant at 42 but miscarried, leaving her with mixed feelings. “After that, I thought, maybe I should have one on my own? But really, I don’t feel I’ve missed out. People who have children and then seem surprised - what did they expect? At the moment, I feel I’ve got the best of all worlds.”

21 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

Business & Jobs

Increased exchange of tax details on the way Country after country is easing up on bank secrecy JERSEY and Guernsey have joined the Isle of Man in agreeing to automatically disclose tax information with the UK. Luxembourg has suggested it will consider easing its banking secrecy rules. From next year the US will start to receive information on all its citizens’ overseas bank accounts.

Automatic exchange of information is becoming the global standard, and we can expect more jurisdictions to sign up over the coming years.

The Isle of Man initialled its agreement with the UK in mid-February. This was followed a few weeks later

by Guernsey, the Cayman Islands and Jersey. These offshore centres have agreed to automatically report bank account information to the UK tax authorities.

When the agreements come into effect, ďŹ nancial institutions will start to provide a broad range of information on bank accounts and other ďŹ nancial assets held by own UK taxpayers. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will receive more information on these funds than it currently

Investment Bill Blevins Bill Blevins is ďŹ nancial correspondent for Blevins Franks International. does, and can then compare the data with that provided by the taxpayer on their past tax returns.

The agreements provide for a “disclosure facility�, a type of tax amnesty to allow investors regularise their past tax affairs before information starts being exchanged on their accounts and higher penalties are imposed.

These agreements with the UK are based on the ones being signed with the US as part of its Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). It will oblige foreign ďŹ nancial institutions to provide information on US citizens to the US tax authority, or suffer ďŹ nancial sanctions in the US.

FATCA is likely to be increasingly used as a template for other automatic exchange of information agreements. As more countries sign them, other ďŹ nancial centres will come under increased pressure to follow suit.

Information is automatically exchanged within the EU as part of its savings tax directive, but Luxembourg and Austria impose a withholding tax instead.

Luxembourg’s Finance Minister, Luc Frieden, has now indicated that Luxembourg is prepared to consider easing its banking secrecy rules. He told the newspaper Frankfurter AllgemeineSonntagszeitung: “The international trend is going toward an automatic exchange of bank deposit information.

We no longer strictly oppose that.�

Luxembourg and Austria have so far insisted on maintaining banking secrecy in order to keep themselves on equal footing with Switzerland. Although Switzerland does apply the savings tax directive, it only deducts the withholding tax and

does not disclose personal information. It also applies the transparency standards laid out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), but this only provides for exchange of information on request.

Luxembourg and Austria also exchange information on request, but automatic exchange makes it much easier for tax authorities to spot tax evasion and illegal movement of capital.

Luxembourg’s recent comments imply quite a signiďŹ cant change in its stance.

It may believe Switzerland too may have to revise its banking secrecy laws before too long. When Luxembourg starts automatic exchange of information, the EU will be able to put more pressure on Switzerland to do the same.

There was a mixed response from Austria. Finance Minister Maria Fekter said she would “fight like a lion� to protect bank account holders’ identities, but Chancellor Werner Faymann said he was ready for negotiations on a more intensive exchange of data.

Faymann also said that Germany should push the UK on the role of Channel Islands. Now that the Isle of Man and Channel Islands have agreed to automatically disclose information to

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ner now, rather than wait until it is suddenly too late.

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the UK, other EU countries may feel justiďŹ ed in expecting the same treatment.

I expect that automatic exchange of information will increase over the coming years. Anyone who believes that banking secrecy will be around for ever could be in for a shock. The consequences could be very costly. It is much better to voluntarily revise your ďŹ nances in a legitimate man-

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22 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Business & Jobs

The need for a Plan B A return to the good old Cyprus pound is worthy of careful study Comment Costas Apostolides YPRUS has found itself in the extremely difficult position it is in because both the present and previous governments went into bailout negotiations at all levels unprepared and without identifying and examining their options.

Furthermore they went into discussions believing that their “friends in Europe” would offer them reasonable terms, and they failed to make realistic assessments and study the alternatives.

One of these alternatives is a return to the good old Cyprus pound, with its history of strength and resilience in adversity and well managed by the Republic of Cyprus. One should, however, bear in mind that those characteristics were those of the old Cyprus pound. It would take a lot of hard work to ensure any return to the Cyprus pound achieves the same results under present conditions. For the strength of the Cyprus pound was always based on good policies, sensible management and good planning, plus the achievement of consistent high growth rates with relatively stable inflation.

The study of a possible return to the Cyprus pound should have been undertaken prior to negotiations given that Cyprus would be forced to accept the Eurogroup memorandum for resolving the island’s banking and public finance problems.

As a result of the memorandum no one really knows what will happen to Cyprus’ economy over the next couple of years. Olli Rhen, the European Commissioner on Economics and Monetary Affairs, anticipates that Cyprus national income will fall 10 to 15 per cent in two years, while several other overseas estimates put the losses in production and income at over 20 per cent.

The Eurogroup decisions were based on book keeping and simplistic arithmetic, while the economy, and especially the banking and financial sectors, function on the basis of psychology. The one thing you must not do in banking is undermine confidence in the system because no one can prevent total collapse of the financial system if there is a massive bank run by depositors. Yet the Eurogroup has totally undermined such confidence, and ignored the most basic of all banking rules. The miracle is that the people of Cyprus are showing amazing confidence in the system and are going about their daily business in a sensible and practical way, and that gives hope that yet again the island will pull through yet another test of the island’s resilience.

The new government has stated clearly

C

that there is no Plan “B” and that it is determined to fully implement the Memorandum of Understanding, yet a plan B could be the orderly return to the Cyprus pound.

Such a move requires good preparation and careful planning, and there remain a great many legal and other uncertainties.

Here it is assumed that it is possible to leave the eurozone and stay in the European Union and join the European Monetary System (EMS) with UK, Sweden and Denmark among others The first step would be to round up support for a euro exit procedure for any member which wants to leave the club. This would enable an orderly exit under a predefined procedure rather than an exit based on the “rule of necessity” with litigation and confusion all-round.

Marketing Cyprus as a place ‘where a pound is a pound’ would be a great slogan with instant results

DEPOSITS IN EUROS The safest way to leave the euro would be to issue pounds for all new payments but keep deposits in euros, in which case Cyprus would have massive foreign exchange reserves. Failing that, Cyprus could request its foreign currency reserves back from the European Central Bank (ECB). It appears that in 2008 Cyprus gave the ECB about €3.7 billion and its reserves fell from €4.453 billion in 2007 to €721 million (mainly gold) in 2008, consequently we should get back at least about €4.423 billion, possibly more if we added foreign exchange to the ECB between 2008 and 2012. With foreign exchange at €904 million in 2012 that would give something around €4.6 billion in reserves available. A worst case scenario would be foreign exchange reserves of around €2.5 billion consisting of gold, foreign currency and euro coins and notes in circulation.

In 2012 the current account deficit of Cyprus was just over €2 billion which would give us one year’s imports worth of reserves under the worst case, and two years if we get our reserves back. That is more than the level in 1974 when we only had one year’s reserves and achieved the economic miracle with full GDP recovery in four years, without burning up our reserves. In actual fact a devaluation of the Cyprus pound would reduce imports and increase exports and thereby probably reduce the current account deficit.

This brings us to the issue of whether to devalue the Cyprus pound. Whatever we decide to do the markets are likely to devalue a Cyprus pound and trying to sustain it at the 2008 level of €1.71 euros to the pound would be difficult to sustain and wasteful on resources. The best solution would be to devalue to par with the pound sterling, since the British market is still our major tourist market, and tourism is very responsive to price changes. Marketing Cyprus as “Where a pound is a pound” would be a great slogan with instant results.

But the surprise is that since Cyprus entered the EU in 2004 the British pound has depreciated from €1.50 to €1.17 this month,

but has been steadier since we joined the eurozone in 2008 at between €1.10 to €1.25. A Cyprus pound devaluating to €1.16 would be a massive devaluation of 32 per cent which would be too excessive a shock and does not relate to the effective exchange rate of Cyprus. A devaluation of about half - around 15 per cent - should be studied as a possible level, assuming that the assumptions above on the exchange reserves are valid. A devaluation of that level and a peg on sterling of around five per cent variation could be a viable solution. Such devaluation would spur growth and could get us out of the present problems, but we have to look at the price elasticities of tourism and imports.

WITHDRAWAL OF COMPANIES I do not believe that international business services are elastic to price, but more based on efficiency and tax avoidance. Furthermore it is not clear that the banking “decapitation” euphemistically called a haircut will affect international business by very much.

If growth and prospects are re-established and the natural gas comes on stream on time it should be possible to avoid a mass withdrawal of foreign companies.

The key to a successful return to the Cyprus pound in addition to the exchange reserves is the issue of inflation, and more specifically domestically created inflation.

If the Cyprus banks are supported with Cyprus pounds we do not need loans from anyone. However, printing money is inflationary if the money enters the system. In the case

of the pound it should be used as building up reserves for the banks to meet their requirements, but not entering the economy through loans. That way the inflationary effect would be contained.

The crucial factors, however, would be to demonstrate seriousness by not over printing money, achieving a reduction in the current account imbalance (presumably by the initial devaluation), maintaining balances on both current and capital account, and most importantly controlling inflation by balancing public sector revenues and expenditure.

Contrary to what AKEL believes, under a Cyprus pound state budget controls have to be stricter, because the Cyprus pound would have to inspire confidence immediately on its introduction. There is potential for a further reduction in the budget deficit with Maastricht criteria by targeted reductions (i.e. elimination of student allowances for students receiving scholarships (i.e. all students studying at university level in the state sector).

If the return of the pound could stimulate growth, as one could reasonably assume under conditions of minimal inflation, then Cyprus would be better off under the pound than under the troika. But this is just a first approach to the issue on principles. A proper full scale study involving economists that are both in favour of the euro and those considering a return of the pound is necessary.

Costas Apostolides is chairman of EMS Economic Management Ltd Costas.a@highwaycommunications.com

UK legislators hope Carney will change Bank of England culture FUTURE Bank of England governor Mark Carney must not lose sight of the need to revamp the central bank’s “hierarchical” culture when he takes over on July 1, British lawmakers said on Friday.

Members of the British parliament committee that scrutinises the BoE have had a spiky relationship with the current governor, Mervyn King, who they accuse of a high-handed approach.

But when Carney appeared before the lawmakers in February, he said he would seek consensus - something which the committee welcomed in a formal report on Carney’s appointment.

“If these commitments result in meaningful change to the current hierarchical decision-making processes and culture of the Bank, this will be a highly significant development,” the committee said on Friday.

However Carney will have his work cut out to avoid a clash with other policymakers when he arrives at the bank. Under a new remit from finance minister George Osborne, the bank must decide by early August whether it plans to use so-called “intermediate targets” to provide long-range policy guidance.

In his current role as head of Canada’s central bank, Carney has championed committing to keep interest rates low

until a certain intermediate target, such as a level of unemployment, is reached. But some BoE officials have deep reservations about whether this would work in Britain.

At a Reuters event on Thursday, Carney again praised this approach, which is also taken by the US Federal Reserve.

“It helps market participants understand not exactly the timing of adjustment of interest rates but the minimum conditions before the Fed even thinks about adjustment of interest rates,” he said.

Carney will be taking over the bank at a time when there is major uncertainty about the best course for monetary

policy at a time of economic stagnation and above-target inflation, and when the bank has also just assumed major new regulatory powers.

Legislators said they were worried that the arm of the BoE responsible for supervising banks, the Prudential Regulation Authority, would hurt competition in Britain’s already concentrated banking market through over-regulation.

“The risk will remain high that ... it may merely pay lip service to competition considerations. This would be of great concern, given the potential for prudential requirements to act as a barrier to entry and to distort competition,” they said

BoE chief: Mark Carney

23 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY NDAY MAIL L

Property Barbara Chandlerr returns from the Italian style ith capital with est the hottest ideas for me your home

Marvellous Milan

A

T MILAN Design esign Week a little woodfed en cabin roofed with trailing plants landed amidst the 15th century arched porticoes of the city’s university. Inside, in sync with pounding music, its walls pulsated with compelling imagery from around the world, each picture mirrored by a new reflective material used to cover the floors and ceiling.

Called the House of the Senses, this was one of the week’s fringe events. Its French designer, Christophe Pillet, is from a new network on the web - beopenfuture.com - that igners brings together designers ply and artists. His simply constructed chalet showed how beauty can vabe enabled by innovad tion, technology, and creative collaboration on the internet (with a little help from nature and from craft) - key trends at many of the 300 design events across the city. These ranged gfrom the world’s larghe est furniture fair – the nale Salaone Internazionale arate del Mobile in 14 separate ts of halls on the outskirts rson the city - to one-person shows. At the same time, kshops there were live workshops amics, for wood, metal, ceramics, glass and leather fighting made. for all things handmade.

reinvented.

COLOUR The happy chaise is here again with strong colour everywhere at Milan. Blue and reds were favourites and one chair looked dipdyed. Sofas mixed blocks of colour for a patchwork effect. Alongside the furniture fair was Euroluce, a bi-annual lighting exhibition. After the demise of the tungsten bulb, lighting virtuosos are exploiting CFLs and LEDs with startling effects.

MATERIALS The T Th e House of o Senses combined music, imagery and new materials C room, Cassina future future-guessed h an ilil with lum minated luminated so ofa fabric sofa controlcontrold by an led iPho one. But iPhone. n now even robotts are robots workin ng wood, working co ompuand computer-con ntrolter-controlled lasers las sers p can zip throug gh through

metal with ferocious accuracy. Daringly complex super moulds shape superbreeds of plastic and push plywood curves to their limits,

SHAPES A glass-topped dining ng table - called Vault, by London’s Bloomlab al- had a bulbous corales like base with cavities od. hollowed out of wood. oomAlongside was the roomsized machine that made it in Italy. Such are the new technologies that fuel innovation. In its Milan show-

Hanging on every note: the Song coat rack

by Arper

Sofa surfing: London-based Brodie Neill and his Cowrie rocker

Often it was simply the materials that worked their magic. Sheets of golden copper and brass clad Londoner Tom Dixon’s totem-like storage towers and trestle tables. Surprisingly, marble, granite and even cork had been used for pendant lights. Concrete was elegantly fashioned into slim-line tables.

“But wood will never go out of fashion,” says British designer Simon Pengelly, whose startling new Norse chair for Modus is simply beautiful.

Dutch Moooi printed mad mazes on to armchairs. A new British technology can change wall/floor colours with infinite gradations. Liquid between glass sheets is activated by a small electrical current - log on to foreverchangingcolour.com for a demo.

INTERNATIONAL Indeed, design around Milan was truly international with lights in china clay from New Zealand, exquisite indigo shaded leather from Japan, and carbon fibre lighting from Slovenia.

Polish design was innovative and assured. Milan’s vast department store La Rinascente celebrated an “Afrofuture”. Here windows and workshops (and even the escalators) reverberated with new art, technology and craft from a continent no longer dark.

while glues can stick together the thinnest sheets of glass. There are evermore durable lacquers, paints and powdered metals, too.

Angles and facets make for furniture geometry, FUN, FUN , FUN with sharp bends and For a more light-hearted twists of steel, perforated moment, how about an sheets of metal, and/or Andy Warhol Brillo-design wiregrids and tubes. This is foam seating cube? Or a harsh sculptural look for a little lamp made from perhaps a statement chair scrubbing brushes, a - but a rug could soften the PATTERN graffitied clock, or a giant effect.

Milan rather turned its clothes peg bench? ComIn Milan, London’s artier back on pattern, though ing from Milan, Aram rugmakers Deidre Dyson, UK’s Ercol showed with Designs in Covent Garden Christopher Farr and Top aplomb how it’s done, will soon have a coat rack Drawer starred in a stunsplashing a stunning shaped like musical notes, ning show called Rug Revdigital print across a sofa. and wooden birds, fasholution. Luckily for como have new f ioned from fort, we also emory offcu offcuts, will resilient memory ted flock to Libfoams, quilted nd erty. Design padding, and is not as cocooning s serious chairs. as you Some think. shapes refuse to die - wing chairs and Windsor s stick-backs Ercol sofa with seat and back cushions digitally ntly are constantly

printed with a design by Timorous Beasties

Eliminating rising damp once and for all

Installation is as simple as hanging a picture

THE Ombrelllo Wall Dry System by Homedry is one sure way of doing away with rising wall and floor damp for good.

It’s well known that most properties in Cyprus are built without a DPC (damp proof course). In this day and age that’s a recipe for disaster, not only for the stability and structure of your home, but it also has adverse affects on your health. All that damp in your walls and floor create mould and mildew, which contributes to asthma and other breathing and lung illnesses.

So how does the machine help? The

Ombrello works by sending out electromagnetic waves/pulses that block the capillary action in the concrete, stopping the damp rising and then beginning to suppress it, sending it back down in to the earth below, from where it came to begin with.

It’s easy to install, in fact it is as easy as hanging a picture, you then plug it into the mains, and it starts work immediately. It uses a minimum amount of electricity with very low running costs. No construction work, and has guaranteed life time results, and comes with a no quibble guarantee.

So if you have serious damp problems, and you’re fed up of painting every year to cover the mess the damp is making or maybe you want to sell up and move but are worried the state of your property may hinder a sale, then call Home Dry now for a free health check on your home.

With the latest electronic technology to test your walls, the company can analyse the extent of the problem and give you a free survey. Call now on 26 273717 or 99 854375 or visit www.home-dry.com

24 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

Property LEGAL ISSUES WITH GEORGE COUCOUNIS

Annulment of a town planning decision

What do the next few years hold for the real estate sector?

A study for scholars?

Is it time to start learning from our past mistakes?

By Antonis Loizou FRICS WE THINK that it is time to start studying the Cyprus economic circle, from boom to bust. This study could be undertaken by a local university in collaboration with a European one, providing a historic analysis of the Cyprus economy and how sheer stupidity on our part (Cypriots) led us to this state of affairs.

The situation is not over by any means.

So far we have had Pimco’s report, that of Alvarez & Marsal is half finished and the committee of investigation is expected in three months.

During the years of 1998-2002 we had the stock exchange boom with many young people following financial studies and broking. When this sector went bust, the real estate boom followed, with a similar number of young people studying real estate. Then that sector also started to go under during the end of the year 2008/2009. Following that and in parallel, the offshore sector boomed, it outgrew itself with numerous young people studying accounting and finance, only now their future looks bleak.

We overgrew our size to the extent that we are almost financially dead. Stupidity and incompetence on our part we say.

The banks were in trouble so what did we do? Changed the managers and the bank boards with others locally drawn with past experience on such matters but they were Cypriots and were appointed at the time by the communist party. Even now Laiki and Bank of Cyprus are with no board, the latter has just an administrator to run the main surviving bank.

We had the previous Central Bank Gov-

ernor not speaking to the then president and a new one who admitted in a TV interview that he sustained an increased cost for Laiki from €1.8b to €9b debt due to the pending elections!

Of course the main mistake was in believing that a self confessed communist president could run a capitalist country.

Now we know that he could not do it, instead leading the country under. We also have MPs who raised their “brave No” to the Troika which suggested a six to nine per cent cut on deposits. But then after this NO we ended up with a 40 to 100 per cent cut. These same MPs still parade in the media blaming everybody else other than themselves. We believed (and still do) that the present president is the best man available yet after 30 days we noted he is giving in to the strong unions and organised groups with little regard to the private/weak business and employees.

We cannot say that we Cypriots are 100 per cent to blame, a percentage of the blame has been caused by our EU partners. Their goal was not to save the Cyprus economy to but look after their own interests, the aim was to partly punish the Russians through their deposits here.

We ended up with a memorandum which to a large extent cannot possibly be implemented. Turning to real estate, it refers to the issue of outstanding title deeds to be completed within one to two years, forced sale procedures within 18 months, restructuring of the education system (which it does need), the health system (which it does need) but within such tight time frame that those who live here know from now that it cannot be done. We are kidding ourselves and of course the Troika, who will be watching us, will not let us off the hook. The

WHAT YOU GET FOR

Troika will come back to us with more measures with unknown consequences.

So what do we expect regarding real estate? Much of this will depend on the departure, both physically and financially, of the offshore business. But assuming that this sector will not be 100 per cent demolished we estimate that: During the year 2013 we might experience a reduction of around 20 per cent and for the year 2014 a further reduction of five to seven per cent hoping that by that time the dust will have settled and the gas find will be nearer.

Forced sale procedures will not happen within the next two years at least especially those referring to houses. The introduction of the “loan arbitrator” is a positive move regarding the rescheduling of loans and interest charges. If indeed forced sale procedures go on as reported in the memorandum, this will be catastrophic for all including the financiers.

The downward trend of prices and the increase in numbers of titles (a great progress over the last 12 months) will make real estate more attractive, as opposed to one keeping his money in the local or even foreign banks (the example of Cyprus’ haircut on deposits will not restrict itself to Cyprus we are afraid).

After 2014 towards 2015, one could normally expect an improvement in confidence to the economy and the cooling down of our so far big and hot heads which will make us behave better (hopefully).

Antonis Loizou & Associates Ltd – Property Valuers & Property Consultants

THE competent authority responsible for planning and building in Cyprus is mainly the Town Planning & Housing Department except in the case of those municipalities which have their own Town Planning Authority. The Town Planning Authorities take into consideration the provisions of the applicable plan regarding development in a particular area as well as any other material factor.

The term “material factor” is not defined in the law and is meant to include any factor which may affect the issue of a planning decision. The criterion is objective and the Town Planning Authorities are expected to respect the property rights of the citizens affected by their decisions. In practice however, this is not always the case and there are numerous examples whereby the Town Planning Authorities disregard the aforesaid principle and act detrimentally to the rights of the citizens, by imposing restrictions which are contrary to the law and the Constitution to benefit the local authorities or the Republic. In doing so, they justify their decision based on the generality of the term “material factor” claiming that their decision took into consideration every material factor.

The aforementioned decision is not final and where the lawful interests of a citizen are affected he may either file an appeal to the Council of Ministers through the Minister of Interior within 30 days from the day the decision is communicated to him, or he may file a recourse before the Supreme Court seeking the annulment of the decision. In the latter case, the applicant has a time limit of 75 days from the communication of the decision to him. Very often, citizens use the right of appeal to annul a decision which imposes onerous restrictions on them, such as the granting of a part of their land for future widening or road construction. Moreover, they may find their property secured for the construction therein of a public school or

some other governmental buildings, without a compulsory acquisition to have taken place. Having not appealed against the plan when it was published or within the time limit, the only remedy they have is to submit an application accompanied by plans for the development of the affected land, in order to impose pressure upon the planning authority to reject their application. Their right of appeal or recourse arises thereby, so they can exercise it against the decision rejecting their application.

The Supreme Court in such cases has the right to review the decisions of the Town Planning Authorities and order their annulment. In order to deprive someone of his property or part of it, a compulsory acquisition is required and just and equitable compensation must be paid in cash and in advance.

In case of disagreement the compensation will be determined by a civil court.

Moreover, any immovable property or any right or interest on any such property compulsorily acquired shall only be used for the purpose for which it has been acquired.

A town planning decision imposing a term granting any part of the land to be developed for the purpose of the road network is not permitted unless the street plan has already been published and it clearly states the extent to which the land is affected. Moreover, if no such street plan is published and the owner affected was not notified so that to exercise his right to object, the Town Planning Authority has no right to invoke the street plan to impose such a term or limitation. Any such decision is unlawfully taken, it is contrary to the law and the Constitution and it can be annulled by the Supreme Court.

George Coucounis is a lawyer specialising in the Immovable Property Law, based in Larnaca, Tel: 24 818288, coucounis.law@cytanet.com. cy, www.coucounislaw.com

€99,000 compiled by Peter Stevenson

How much: €99,000 What you get: This four-bedroom bungalow in a quiet residential area in the outskirts of Liopetri. The property has shutters throughout, a covered garage and a storage room.

From: www.buysellcyprus.com Tel: 80000222

How much: €99,000 What you get: This two-bedroom apartment has a fitted kitchen, built in wardrobes and air conditioning units. It is located in a quiet residential area of Paralimni close to all amenities.

From: www.propertyincyprus.com Tel: 70003211

How much: €99,000 What you get: This old two-bedroom apartment is situated in Acropolis in Nicosia, is not furnished and has air conditioning.

From: www.foxrealty.com.cy Tel: 80080082

25 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

ADVERTISER helps you find what you’re looking for

Advertiser Only

€14 (plus VAT)

a week for classifieds (up to 40 words)

Send your classified by fax or email and pay by credit card, cheque or cash. It couldn’t be simpler!

Nicosia - email: classified@cyprus-mail.com Limassol - email: limassol@cyprus-mail.com Paphos - email: paphos@cyprus-mail.com

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ***************************** BEAUTY THERAPIST wanted for employment in an established beauty salon in central Nicosia. Call 99721038. ***************************** CARER WITH SUITABLE release papers required for night shift looking after elderly, fragile lady in Limassol. Must speak very good English and have nursing/caring qualifications. This is a permanent livein position for the right person on a monthly basis with own room and other carer available during the day. Good home environment provided.Please call personally 99 443545 after 11 am or tel 99 487603 ONLY IF YOU SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH *****************************

MISCELLANEOUS ***************************** HELP WANTED and commission paid for advice regarding purchase of surplus Russian military items from Cypriot military. Please reply your details to info@rme-ltd.eu ***************************** WANTED: COUPLES OF EU CITIZENS LIVING IN CYPRUS We are currently conducting research as regards European families living in Cyprus. If both you and your spouse come from the same or a different country of the EU (except Cyprus and Greece, e.g. both from Germany, or Germany and France), if you have children over 6, and if you are interested in taking part in some research financed by the University of Cyprus please contact us 96530033. Participants will complete a questionnaire and participate in a faceto-face interview. They will also receive a symbolic amount of money. ***************************** ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS CYPRUS

Is drink costing you more than just money? AA could be the answer.

Meeting at the following locations/days. Call to speak to an AA member.

Ayia Napa Monday 97798043 Larnaca Tuesday (Polish spk) 96616589 Thursday 24645523 / 99259264 Limassol Tuesday / Wednesday / Friday / Saturday 25368265 / 99559322

Nicosia Sunday 99013596 Paphos Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday 99916331 / 99399240 Details of meetings are available on www.aa-europe.net

****************************

PERSONAL ***************************** GERMAN MAN, 50 years, searching a nice women.

Mobil:00491736590562 *****************************

LESSON

Nicosia - tel: 22 818583 fax: 22 676385 SWIFT SERVICE AND REPAIRS air-cons, commercial and domestic fridges and freezers, ice machines, cool rooms, supply and fit air-cons VRV S. Call Nik on 99579602 Limassol ***************************** DO YOU WANT A SHINY LOOKING FLOOR? Full repair & restoration of chipped, scratched, dull and stained, Marble, Terrazzo, Stone & Ceramic tiled floors and surfaces. Professional cleaning, repair & sealing of internal/ external ceramic tiles & grout lines. For a free professional consultation & demonstration contact Mark at Premier on 70006766 All areas *****************************

PETS ***************************** PRIVATE TUITION Experienced, UK-qualified teacher offers full/ part-time private home tuition in Maths, English, Science, I.C.T.,Geography, History, Business Studies and Economics, from KS2 to iGCSE, AS and A2 levels. 9 years experience in Cyprus; references available. Telephone 99318796 *****************************

HEALTH & FITNESS ***************************** FOR PRETTY WOMAN: anticellulite treatment, reflexology, aromatherapy massage against stress, back pains, headache. Also spa for nails.

Tel: 99986991 Nicosia area near Hilton *****************************

SERVICES ***************************** PROFESSIONAL UPHOLSTERY CLEANING, also carpets, rugs and mattresses.

Special offers now available.

FREE STAIN GUARD FOR LIMITED TIME For a quote call Rickys Cleaning Services on 99131044 (all areas) info@ rcs-cyprus.net / www.rcs-cyprus.net ***************************** K.D.FLYSCREENS LTD. We manufacture top quality sliding screens, opening doors and roller systems.

We also do repairs. For a FREE QUOTE please contact Phone: 99119582 Website: www.kdflyscreens.com *****************************

***************************** LOST GINGER AND WHITE CAT – name tag says Clio.

Found on Plataion Street in Strovolos, Nicosia. Call 99 435385 ***************************** RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK Quality pedigree puppies for sale, Kennels club registered.

An excellent hunter, a good family dog, as well as a good guard dog. Lovely to have around, both parents can be seen. Price €500 for more info pls call 99046966 ***************************** HONEY is a 3 month old pincher/ terrier mix. She is very small sized and very sweet and playful. Honey is looking for a loving family to be hers forever!

She will remain small sized so she is ideal for a family with an apartment! For adoptions call 99 520 511 Monday-Friday between hours 10-2 or email ndsadoptions@gmail.com *****************************

FOR SALE MISCELLANEOUS ***************************** FOR SALE:

Electric Cooker, Bosch 4 ceramic hotplates and oven, used 1 1/2 year, €300 For further information contact phone 99757511 ***************************** FOR SALE – PAPHOS CATERING EQUIPMENT 1. Industrial freezer – CORECO Height 200cm, width 68cm, depth 58cm 2. Electrolux Freezer, model EUC3109X, width-595mm, height-1800mm, depth-

Limassol - tel: 25 761117 fax: 25 761141

623mm, freezing capacity-24kg/24hours, energy class A 3.

CONVOTHERM OVEN model-OBG 6.10Combi OvenSteamer with Gas Steam Generator Extra: Stand with stainless steel shelving, extractor fan, water supply system and gas installation connections, PLUS CHAFING TRAYS & THERMO BOXES, ALL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AT REDUCED PRICES. PLEASE CALL: 99622678 *****************************

FOR SALE BUSINESS/ PROPERTY/LAND ***************************** FOR SALE plot of land with sea view. In Chlorakas area. Very quiet and private location. Title deed. Tel. 99519370. ***************************** PLOT FOR SALE IN KATO PLATRES in a pine tree area. It comes with title deeds, 1095 square feet. Tel. 99881051. ***************************** FOR SALE LAND in Anthoupoli (half plot) 288 sq.metres. for information 99621554. *****************************

PROPERTY TO LET NICOSIA LUXURY APARTMENT in Arsinoe Court 4-6 Acropolis. Consists 3 bedrooms with bathroom in main bedroom, big sitting room, central heating & a/c in sitting room & main bedroom. Kitchen with electrical appliances, covered parking, partly furnished. For more information call Mrs Constantinou on 22775629 or 97665995 must speak Greek. ***************************** TO LET Villa Dasoupolis with pool mature garden €5000 Ayioi Omoloyitae 3 level house c/h a/c €3000 Mak/ssa f/f house 4 bedr., €1500 Strovolos f/f house 4 bedr., €1200 3 bedr., flat center f/f €1000 2 bedr., Acropolis/ Ma/ssa f/f €600 center 1 bedr.,f/f €550 Photos www.markidesestates. com Markides 22- 378898 / 99464764 Reg.No. 487 E 16 ***************************** FOR RENT: 2 bed-room flat in Nikis Avn in Nicosia. Completely renovated, with electric supplies. Excellent for office or flat. With furniture or not. 3 bed-room flat in Nicosia near Central Bank, 140 m. Completely renovated like new.

Mob : 99 460 860

Paphos - tel: 26 911383 fax: 26221049

***************************** FLATS/HOUSES FOR RENT studio Makarios Av. €300, Kennedy furnished €300, 1 bdrm Str/los €400, Hilton €400, 2 bdrm Lycavitos €480 fully equipped, Ag. Dometios ground floor + garden €450, Ag. Paylos rear house newly built €390, Acropolis furnished €450, 3 bdrm Ag. Omologites garden €700, Nikis Av. Furnished €500, Archangelos detached with pool €1,200, Acropolis independent ideal for office/residence €750, 4 bdrm Kwsta Theodorou new house €1,100, Mosfiloti unique villa with pool/landscaping €2,500.

99474839, 99646822. 21 PROPERTY FINDER LTD. Licenced & Registered Estate Agents A.M.627 A.A.108/E ***************************** FOR RENT a spacious two bedroom apartment, near Hilton and Central Bank. Living/dining room, sitting room, large veranda, kitchen, c/h, s/h, covered parking. Title deeds. Tel. 99519370. ***************************** TO LET 1 bedroom upper floor house, large veranda near restaurant Periyiali in Acropolis 5 Aeantos Street €300 call 99680208 ***************************** LUXURY HOUSES:

1. 4 bedr luxury detached house built in 3/4 of a plot, office space, central heating, full a/c, big sitting and dining area, separate big kitchen with family room and all the electrical appliances, blinds and curtains on all windows, aluminium shutters, big garden with grass, 3 wc, covered parking, in a quiet area – Strovolos €1000 (H4ST10051-R), (photos in the website) 2. 3 bedr luxury terraced house, 210sq.m,central heating, full a/c, marble floor in the sitting areas and solid parquet floor on stairs and bedrooms, 4 wc,3 bathrooms, 2 en suite, big verandas, electrical appliances in the kitchen, 3 covered parking spaces, roof garden access, in a quiet neighbourhood on Mon Parnas hill – Engomi €850 (photos in the website).

3. 3 bedr luxury semi detached house, a/ c for hot and cold in all the rooms, blinds, electrical appliances in the kitchen,2wc, big patio with tiles, in a quiet area in a dead end – Strovolos €550 (H3ST10002-R) (photos in the website) 4. 4 bedrs new luxury detached house,230sq.m,big sitting and dining area with solid parquet floor, big kitchen with cooker and oven,3wc,2 bathrooms, curtains on all windows, small garden, patio, central heating, full A/C, covered parking in a

Larnaca - tel: 99 634725

classified contents Employment Opportunities pg 25 Employment Miscellaneous 25 Pets 25 Lessons 25 Health & Fitness 25 Personal 25 Services 25 For Sale Miscellaneous 25 For Sale Land/ Property Business 25 For Sale Motor vehicles -Properties Wanted -To Let Nicosia 25 To Let Limassol 28 To Let Larnaca 28 To Let Paphos 28 To Let Protaras, Ayia Napa, Paralimni -For Sale Nicosia 30 For Sale Limassol -For Sale Larnaca -For Sale Paphos 30 For Sale Ayia Napa -For Sale Famagusta Protaras 30 For Sale Athens -Property& Home Services display ads -Churches 29

abbreviations bdrm c/h a/c s/pool f/f apt pm pw sw nw st rd p/s c/l swb r/cass e/w

bedroom central heating air conditioning swimming pool fully furnished apartment per month per week south west north west street road power steering central locking short wheel base radio cassette electric windows

Please note tel nos. that begin with: 22 = Nicosia 23 = Paralimni/Protaras 24 = Larnaca 25 = Limassol 26 = Paphos

26 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA dead and near French Ambassador house- Strovolos €950 (H4ST10012-R) (photos in the website) 5. 4 bedr+ very big attic room separated in 2 rooms +separate room for the maid in the basement luxury fully renovated detached house with big sitting and dining room with fire place, big kitchen with electrical appliances sitting room and breakfast area, 3 bathrooms, floor heating independent with grass, a/c units, garden with grass and covered patio, in a quiet area near the International fair in the central part of Makedonitissa - €1500 AVAILABLE END OF MAY –(H4MAK0018-R) (photos in the website) 6. 3 bedr + attic room with shower and wc luxury detached house with central heating, a/c, fireplace, modern kitchen open plan with expensive electrical appliances, blinds, garden with grass, over flow swimming pool, covered parking in a quiet area. – Makedo-

FOR RENT 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment in Larnaca near new hospital. €400 per month including service charge and refuse collection Call 99358916

TO LET NICOSIA nitissa €1500 (H4MAK0023-R), (photos on the website).

7. 4 bedr luxury detached house with 2 big extra rooms on the attic with shower and wc, central heating, air condition units, 360sq.m, solid parquet floor all the house except the kitchen, big sitting and dining areas with fire place, big separate kitchen with family room and breakfast area, big mature garden with grass and swimming pool, covered parking, in a quiet neighborhood close to Alfa Mega supermarket – Dasoupoli €2000 - Available middle of June (H4DAS0001-R) (photos in the website) 8. 3 bedr +office space luxury detached house with storage heaters, full a/c, 3 wc, 260 m², big kitchen with big family room opening to a big garden with grass, electrical appliances, covered parking, in a very quiet neighborhood in a dead end - Makedonitissa €2000 (H4MAK0034-R) (photos in the website)

English-Painter & Decorator Fully Qualified 30 years’ Experience SUMMER OFFER 30% OFF ALL AREAS • External & Internal painting • Damp Damage Repairs • Spritez Repairs • Free Estimates + very clean work • All areas. All types of woodwork stained and preserved • All work guaranteed

Tel. Tony on 99176557

TO LET NICOSIA 9. New modern luxury very good quality finished semi detached house built in 3 levels. Upstairs 1st level 3 bedrs all en suite+ laundry room, 2nd level big attic room which can be used for office space or bedroom.

Ground floor with 2 sitting areas ,dining area and breakfast area, kitchen with all the electrical appliances, central heating, full a/c units. Basement with kitchen with cooker and oven, dishwasher, microwave and 2 refrigerators, sitting room with fireplace, and 2 bedrooms with one bathroom.

Outside private fenced garden with artificial grass, bbq area and covered veranda. The house has blinds and shutters on all windows, false ceiling with spot lights throughout house, pressure system, covered parking, satellite dish, central music and network system, storage room, very good double glazed windows.

Behind General flooring in the centre of Makedonitissa €2000 (H4MAK0001-R), (pho-

TO LET NICOSIA tos on the website).

10. ********* 4 bedrs new luxury detached house, 450sq.m, central heating, full a/c, office space, separate maid’s room, big kitchen with sitting room and fire place and all the electrical appliances, all the sitting areas viewing the garden with grass, blinds on all windows downstairs, very big bedrooms with parquet floor, main bedroom with jacuzzi,2 covered parking’s near Alpha Mega supermarket and English School. AVAILABLE END OF MAY 2013 – Strovolos €2200 (H4ST10001-R) (photos in the website)11. 4 bedr new luxury finished detached house with central heating independent, full a/c, 3wc, 2 bathrooms, big kitchen with cooker oven, dishwasher and big family room, aluminium shutters in all the house, separate big sitting and dining room with parquet floor, 2 covered parking, alarm system, big covered patio, SWIMMING POOL, in a newly

SELECT Fencing & Decking Specialist For all your Garden and Security Fencing ♦ Quality approved workmanship ♦ 15 years experience + guaranteed work ♦ English workers ♦ also garden gates ♦ sheds ♦ chain link fencing ♦ free estimates ♦ all types of fencing & decking

Roofing flat & tired roofing repairs and construction Tel. SELECT fencing 99176557

TO LET NICOSIA built area near Falcon school – Strovolos €2000 (photos in the website).

12. 3 bedrs luxury 2 storey, FULLY RENOVATED LISTED HOUSE with high ceilings in the centre of Nicosia, 260sq.m, 2 small attic rooms, big sitting room upstairs, big sitting room and dining area downstairs, wooden floor, kitchen with all the electrical appliances, 2 bathrooms (one en suite),3wc,CH independent, A/C, big garden – Nicosia Centre €1400 (H4NIC0002-R), (photos in the website).

13. 4 bedrs luxury renovated detached house built in 3 plots of land,550sq.m aprox, central heating, full a/c, all the bedrooms with en suite shower/ bathroom, extra room upstairs

TO LET NICOSIA for sitting room/office space/ bedroom, solid parquet floor in bedrooms, big kitchen with granite and all the electrical appliances, maid’s room, big sitting areas with fire place and internal yard, big swimming pool 6 x 12,big mature garden with grass and big trees surrounding the house giving privacy, in a very quiet neighborhood near Acropolis park.

Available in August €5500 – (H4DAS0006-R) (photos in the website) 14. 4 bedr very big luxury semi detached house 350sq.m, with big separate basement 80sq.m with 2 rooms, sitting room, kitchen and bathroom.

Consists of big sitting and dining areas upstairs, big kitchen with big family room and

27 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

TO LET NICOSIA breakfast area, big bedrooms, 3 showers, 1 bathroom, central heating, full a/c, black out blinds on all windows, cooker and oven in the kitchen, covered parking and patio with bbq in a very quiet neighbourhood close to Makarios football stadium. CAN BE RENTED FURNISHED, PARTIALLY FURNISHED OR UNFURNISHED - Makedonitissa €1500 (H4MAK0032-R), (photos in the website) 15. 4 bedrs new luxury detached house, all the bedrooms very big and all with big bathroom/ shower, sitting room upstairs, attic room with shower and wc, office space/maid’s room with shower and wc, central heating, full AC,450sq.m, big sitting and dining areas, big

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA kitchen with sitting area and fitted cooker and oven, 6wc, 2 covered parking, yard with tiles and SWIMMING POOL, bbq area in a very quiet neighbourhood near CYBC (RIK) station and near a neighbourhood park – Platy Aglantzias €2500 (H4AGZ0005-R), (photos in the website)

For many more properties with photos visit our website at www.landtouristestates.com which is updated daily. LANDTOURIST ESTATES LTD 22-422225/96422225/96422226, www.landtouristestates.com ***************************** LUXURY FLATS:

1. 3 bedr luxury finished spacious floor apartment with very big sitting and dining areas

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TO LET NICOSIA with family room with fire place, solid parquet floor all through, central heating independent, full a/c, all the bedrooms with en suite shower/bathroom, 4wc, big kitchen with all the electrical appliances, blinds on all windows, big covered veranda, covered parking, big storage room, on a small 3 storey building in a quiet neighbourhood – Agios Andreas- €1100 – A3AAD0005-R (photos on website).

2. 1 bedr spacious fully luxury renovated apartment,60sq.m, big sitting and dining room, big bedroom, fully newly modern furnished with LCD TV 32’, covered veranda, covered parking, storage heaters, full a/c, near Cyta, Laiki and Hellenic Bank headquarters – Dasoupolis €500 (photos in the website).

3. 1 bedr luxury GROUND FLOOR apartment with very big verandas and garden,2 a/c for hot and cold, cooker, oven, washing machine, fridge in the kitchen, big bedroom, covered parking, storage room, off Kallipoleos street in a quiet area – Lykavitos €360(A1LYK0021-R), (photos in the website).

4. 2 bedr FULLY RENOVATED spacious apartment with laminate parquet floor, a/c for hot and cold in all the rooms, big sitting and dining room, separate kitchen, big bedrooms, FULLY NICELY FURNISHED, covered veranda with nice view, near the American Embassy - €450 (A2ENG0018-R) 5. 4 bedr new spacious luxury

TO LET NICOSIA finished floor apartment with floor heating independent, full a/c, 3wc, electrical appliances in the kitchen, blinds on all windows, very big 50sq.m covered veranda, fireplace, covered parking and big over floor heated covered swimming pool on the ground floor, on a small 3 storey building in a quiet neighbourhood near a playground and near Ippokration private hospital – Engomi €1500 (A4ENG0003-R) (photos in the website) 6. 1 bedr new luxury finished apartment with parquet floor, a/c for hot and cold, big bathroom, covered veranda, NEWLY MODERN FURNISHED, parking, off Kennedy Avenue near the centre – Nicosia Centre €450 (A1NIC0021-R), (photos in the website).

7. 2 bedr new luxury apartment with central heating independent, full a/c, 2wc, big sitting and dining room, separate kitchen with cooker and oven, blinds on all windows, covered veranda, solar heater, pressure system, covered parking, storage room, on a small building in a quiet neighborhood next to a playground, near Central offices of Cyta and Laiki Head quarters – Dasoupoli €500 (A2DAS0018-R), (photos in the website).

8. 2 bedr new modern luxury apartment with separate central heating, full a/c, 2bathrooms(one en suite), blinds on all windows, electrical appliances in the kitchen, big sitting & dining room, big covered veranda, covered

TO LET NICOSIA parking near Alpha Mega – Engomi €500. AVAILABLE END OF APRIL (A2ENG0014-R), (photos in the website).

9. New top quality 2 bedr apartment, 93sq.m+20sq.m veranda, on a small modern building with 6 flats only.

Central heating independent, full a/c, 2 bathrooms, 2wc, fully fitted kitchen with all the electrical appliances, water pressure system roller blinds and shutters on windows, big sitting and dining room, big bedrooms, covered parking and storage room, in a quiet neighbourhood near Akropolis park. – Acropolis €700 A2ACS0002-R (photos in the website) .

10. New luxury finished 1 bedr penthouse apartment with big verandah with nice view, in a small modern building,55sq.m,storage heaters,2 a/c, blinds on the windows, expensive electrical appliances (cooker, oven, extractor, refrigerator, washing machine, dryer), covered parking and storage room, off Kalippoleos street opposite Dessange Day Spa near the University – Lykavitos €420

TO LET NICOSIA (A1LYK0002-R), (photos in the website).

11. 2 bedr luxury apartment with a/c for hot and cold, separate kitchen, big covered veranda, FULLY NICELY FURNISHED, covered parking, near the Ministry of Education – Acropolis €550 (A2ACS0036-R), (photos in the website) 12. 2 bedr new modern luxury apartment with floor heating, full a/c, big sitting and dining room, big covered veranda 30sq.m, fully fitted kitchen with expensive electrical appliances, blinds, covered parking, on the 6th floor with plenty of view and nice breeze, in the centre off Kennedy avenue – Nicosia Centre €700 (A2NIC0031-R), (photos in the website).

13. New luxury finished 3 bedr penthouse (floor apartment) on the 5th floor,165sq.m+ big verandas(one bigger with bbq), solid parquet floor all the flat,3wc,2 bathrooms, central heating ind, full a/c, big separate Italian kitchen with electrical appliances and dining area, big sitting room, covered parking and storage room off Makarios Avenue walking

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28 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA

TO LET LIMASSOL

TO LET LARNACA

distance to the centre €850 (A3NIC0030-R), (photos in the website).

ABLE END OF MARCH –Engomi €1900 (A4ENG0005-R) (photos in the website)

with electrical appliances, fireplace. Toilet/shower. €550pm negotiable. Tel 96891800.

14. 3 bedr spacious luxury finished apartment 150sq. m+30sq.m covered veranda, central heating independent with petrol, full wall a/c units, solid parquet floor, expensive electrical appliances in the kitchen, 3wc, curtains and blinds on windows, 3 COVERED PARKING, storage room, near Pizza Hut in Strovolos €1100 (photos in the website).

For many more properties with photos visit our website at www.landtouristestates. com which is updated daily. LANDTOURIST ESTATES LTD 22-422225 / 96-422225 / 96422226 www.landtouristestates.com

GROUND FLOOR HOUSE, furnished renovated this year.

Laminated parke floor, and big wardrobes in the 3 bedrooms.

Rent €590.00 Tel 99497576 99886775 *****************************

15.

3 bedrs luxury penthouse,165sq.m+80sq.m verandah with bbq, central heating ind, full AC, 3 wc, 2 bathrooms, solid parquet floor all the flat, big kitchen with dining area, fully MODERN FURNISHED, covered parking off Athalassa Avenue near Stephanis Electronics and English school – Strovolos €800 (A3ST10013-R) (photos in the website) 16. New luxury finished 4 bed PENTHOUSE apartment in a small modern building, 186sq. m+90sq.m big veranda with nice view, separate floor heating, fully air conditioned, 4wc, 2 en suite bedrooms with shower,1 bathroom, solid parquet floor all through, big sitting and dining areas with electric modern shutters opening to the veranda, fully equipped kitchen with expensive electrical appliances, 2 parking places (1 covered), in a very quiet neighbourhood ,near the Russian Embassy. AVAIL-

***************************** 2 BDRM flat in the centre of Nicosia. Rent €450. For information call 99453663, 99663927. *****************************

LIMASSOL ***************************** TO LET Large 4 bedroom unfurnished house in the village of Asomatos nr Akrotiri Limassol.

Fully A/C & Heating (storage heaters). 5 wc’s, large kitchen/ diner, lounge and sitting room.

Large loft with own shower/wc (suitable for office/playroom/ gym). Carport - prominent position in cul-de-sac - lots of parking. €850 pcm (negotiable). Available from April 2013.

Tel. 99831431

TRADITIONAL VILLAGE STONE HOUSE IN APESHIA. Very quiet village, 20mins from Limassol. Road to heritage school/Troodos. 2 bedrooms, office available top floor with veranda great view of mountains. Small courtyard with trees. Electric solar water. A/Ctoilet in main bedroom. Semi/ full furnished. Fitted kitchen

LARNACA ***************************** TO LET 3 bedroom house, 100m from beach, Dekelia road Oroklini area. 1 bed flat Makenzie near sea and Petros supermarket. tel: 96693375 ***************************** FOR RENT fully furnished 1 bedroom flat near Larco hotel Larnaca. Price €370. Tel 99202543

1 BEDROOM flat in Ermou Square area Larnaca - 2 bedroom flat in Phaneromenis area Larnaca. Call 96693375 ***************************** 1. Superior Real Estate Larnaca. 3 bedroom detached unfurnished property set on a fantastic development in the village of Tersefanou. Available for immediate occupation.

Ref. TLL973. Tel 24815926 2. Superior Real Estate Larnaca. 2 bedroom fully furnished apartment, nr the Metro/American Academy Larnaca. Ref. TLL1654 Please call to arrange a viewing Tel. 24815926

TO LET PAPHOS 3. www.superiorrealestatelarnaca.com – LARGE RANGE OF RENTAL PROPERTIES. From studio apartments to 5 bedroom villa’s for rent, all properties have detailed descriptions, professional photographs. Interactive Virtual/ Video Tours. Please visit our website. www.superiorrealestatelarnaca.com 4. www.superiorrealestatelarnaca.com - License No. 419. LANDLORDS AVERTISE YOUR PROPERTY WITH US FOR FREE. Tel. 24815926 Email. info@superiorrealestatelarnaca.com *****************************

PAPHOS ***************************** TREMITHOUSA- Modern 2 Double Bedroom Townhouse with Stunning Sea views, Large Secluded Terrace with Open Views, Roof Garden, Fitted Kitchen, A/C, U/F 350 Euros or F/F 400 Euros

TREMITHOUSA- Superb Detached 3 Bedroom Villa with Large Pool, F/F to a very High Standard, Mater En-Suite, Family Bathroom with Jacuzzi, Beautifully Fitted Kitchen, Utility, Separate Shower room, Spectacular Mountain and Sea views, Quite Cul-De-Sac location 700 Euros KISSONERGA- Beautiful Detached U/F 3 Bedroomed Villa, Large Pool,2 Bedrooms Upstairs Master En-suite, Fam-

TO LET PAPHOS ily Bathroom, modern Fitted Kitchen, Downstairs Bedroom with En-suite Shower room, Low maintenance Garden, Large Terraces and Separate Storage Room 600 Euros TREMITHOUSA- Purpose Built Ground and First Floor 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments U/F and F/F, A/C, Parking From Only 150 Euros URGENTLY WANTED – 3 Bedroom U/F Detached Villas 600/700 MORE PROPERTIES AVAILABLE FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 99862922 ***************************** ST GEORGE, beautiful 4 bedroom villa with stunning sea views, located in quiet cul-desac. good quality furniture, central heating, jacuzzi bath, stunning home with large garden, pool with roman steps, walking distance to tlc. €1200 per month negotiable. Tel: 96241965 ***************************** 1. Sea Caves Paphos, luxury 3 bed unfurnished villa with private pool on a big plot. One bed downstairs, kitchen white goods include dish washer.

Spacious bedrooms, dressing room, balconies, separate outdoor storeroom, enclosed garden. €1000 2. Secret Valley, 3 bed un/furnished villa with private pool on a big plot. Spacious living space, good sized bedrooms.

Pool and garden maintenance included in rent. Lovely sea and country side views. €700

TO LET PAPHOS 3. Peyia, Beautiful 3 bed un/furnished villa with amazing sea views. Private pool, lovely garden, double bedrooms, master en suite. €500 4. Koili, brand new 4 bed unfurnished villa. Finished to a very high quality in a very quiet location. Italian kitchen, fire place, under floor heating, shutters, fly screens, pool, one bed downstairs. €850 PAPHOS TO RENT Tel: 99389198.

For listings and many other properties please visit our web www. paphotorent.com and give us a call. ***************************** PEYIA, luxury villa, 3 double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fully or part furnished, private pool, quiet location, paved garden area, sea and mountain views.

Sky satellite, €550 ono, please call: 99771532 – no agents FOR RENT a selection of 1 to 5 bedroom houses & apartments F/F & U/F Universal, Peyia, Tomb of the Kings, Tsada, Timi, Kato Paphos & Kissonerga Landlord & Owners please call 99329357 Or please view at our website www.cyprussands.com Fully Registered Company in Cyprus CHLORAKAS: 3 Bedroom unfurnished villa private swimming pool, utility room, walking wardrobes, en suite shower 180 m2 covered area fenced garden fully a/c, € 575 p/m For more information’s phone 99400697

29 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

TO LET PAPHOS ***************************** MR RENT PAPHOS, THE LEADING PROPERTY RENTAL AGENCY IN PAPHOS OFFICE: 26271858 (00357) IF YOU HAVE A PROPERTY TO RENT WE ARE THE RENTAL AGENCY TO CONTACT OFFERING FULL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & RENT COLLECTION SERVICE

1. CHLORAKA €600 a unique opportunity to rent a traditional stone village house in the village of Chloraka. This beautiful property has been lovingly restored and offers a spacious 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom homes with plenty of character. A rustic hideaway offering large pretty courtyard with fruit trees. Off street parking.

Stunning real fire in living area & log burner in kitchen. Available furnished with solar panels, pressurised water system & storage space. Viewings highly recommended. website reference number: RTL_679 2. SECRET VALLEY €750 spacious modern detached 3 bedroom villa situated on a corner plot in a peaceful residential area. Offering large private pool with a low maintained enclosed garden with sea views.

Off street parking. Fully furnished with modern furniture and includes gas central heating throughout. Modern fitted kitchen with granite worktops.

One bedroom on ground floor with bathroom. Pets allowed at owners discretion. Viewings highly recommended. website reference number: RTL_561 3. KAMARES TALA €850 a stun-

Advertiser TO LET PAPHOS ning detached villa offering 4 bedrooms plus office in a quiet & private residential area with large parking bay for numerous cars and covered off street parking. Offering spacious living accommodation and breathtaking views of the sea. This property includes a lift to all 4 floors. Luxury modern fitted kitchen with appliances. Lovely garden with spacious veranda & private pool. Available unfurnished. website reference number: RTL_669

4. SEA CAVES €850 price includes pool cleaning & gardening. Luxury modern detached 3 bedroom villas in a peaceful & private location.

Fully furnished with good quality modern furniture including a log burner for those winter months. Modern fitted kitchen with top brand appliances.

Two bedrooms on ground floor with family bathroom & master bedroom & ensuite on upper level. Good sized low maintenance garden with private pool offering privacy & sea views. Shaded bbq area.

Off street parking with shaded car port. website reference number: RTL_625 5. KAMARES TALA €900 a unique property combining modern and traditional. Situated in the sought after area of Kamares on a large plot with mature gardens & stunning private pool, offering total privacy and breathtaking sea views.

Separate annex with modern shower room & separate kitchen. Guest room offering

TO LET PAPHOS bedroom & shower room at pool level. Large modern office. Main house offering 2 further bedrooms plus a number of sitting rooms. Perfect for those who require something completely different from the norm. Available furnished or part furnished. website reference number: RTL_673 6. PEYIA €950 we are delighted to offer this ultra modern 4 bedroom villa with luxury furnishings & fittings. Offering spacious accommodation with breathtaking sea views.

Furnishings & fittings are of a very high quality. Spacious living area with modern fitted kitchen & utility area. One bedroom on ground floor with ensuite & kitchenette. Guest wc. Private infinity pool & enclosed low maintenance garden. A must to see! website reference number: RTL_670 7. ST.GEORGE €1,100 a brand new stunning detached 3 bedroom villa with modern fitted kitchen & bathrooms. Beautifully finished with detail mosaic flooring. One bedroom on ground floor with bathroom.

Enclosed landscaped garden with kidney shaped private pool. Situated in a quiet residential area. Available unfurnished though includes top brand kitchen appliances & blackout blinds. website reference number: RTL_678 8. CHLORAKA €1,800 substantial luxury 4 bedroom villa, spacious (350 sq meters), beautifully designed with unique detail. Conservatory with views of landscaped

TO LET PAPHOS gardens. Large modern fitted kitchen, living room with working fireplace. Circular dining room with vaulted dome ceiling. Stunning private pool area. Available unfurnished. website reference number: RTL_579 Tel: 97790883 Tel: 99133422 office: 26271858 visit our website for many more properties www.mrrent-paphos. net email: info@mrrent-paphos.net **************************** FLOWRON PROPERTY RENTALS : Offering a full range of property services, the company you can TRUST.

KONIA 4 bedroom villa in Konia on 3 floors. Four spacious bedrooms with nice veranda views of mountains. Middle floor has sitting/dining area all with classic furniture and fireplace and lovely big kitchen. Downstairs is a self-contained annex with bedroom and kitchen area/bathroom wc. Private pool BBQ area and outside sink. REF 1232 €1300 AYIA MARINOUDA 2 bedroom furnished bungalow in lovely quiet complex with communal pool. Property has fireplace, off street parking, nice stone features, character property.

REF 1224 €500 KOLETRIA 4 bedroom house with 3 bathrooms offered unfurnished, central heating and flyscreens throughout 3 bedrooms upstairs, master bedroom has ensuite. Large shower room. Fourth bed-

TO LET PAPHOS room downstairs TIMI with shower room. Lovely large kitchen and sitting room. Covered area for car and back garden REF 1234 €500

TO LET PAPHOS ily bathroom. Downstairs it has a sitting/dining area and guest cloakroom.

Kitchen is nice with all whitegoods.

Satellite TV, fans, flyscreens all included.

Garage and shaded offstreet parking with private pool and amazing sea and mountain views. REF 1214 €550

A LARGE HOUSE in its own private grounds surrounded by orange groves in Timi. This property has been built to a very nice standard and offers lots of living space. Large quality kitchen, sitting room and dining room. 3 large bedrooms. The master bedroom has ensuite and there is an additional room used as office, upstairs loft room. REF 1049 €650

GEROSKIPOU 2 bedroom apartments, fitted wardrobes, in nice area of Geroskipou.

Furnished, all white goods included, fitted kitchen and fully airconditioned with seaviews. Walking distance from shops. REF 1235 and 1236 €300-350

PANO PAFOS Large 3 bedroom house on ground floor on large plot with lovely garden and private pool with BBQ area with outside utility room and shower in a residential area that is within walking distance to shops government offices, school, pharmacy and near to bus stop. REF 1231 €700

ANARITA 3 bedroom villa in Anarita in a nice quiet location with outside fenced area with gates, private pool, great seaviews. Unfurnished, airconditioning, fireplace in living room. Modern kitchen with granite worktops, guest WC. Nice garden and offstreet parking. REF 1229 €700

A LOVELY 3 bed villa in Peyia, unfurnished, with a fam-

Please call for a viewing on Office line 26600450 or Mobile: 97614070. Many more

SPECIAL OFFER In Kokkinotrimithia, 15km from Nicosia in a good area, (in the centre, opposite Maragos bakery, 41/2 acres or 7 plot with 90% building factor.

For more information please call 99673286, 99918830.

CHURCHES GRACE CHURCH, LARNACA 8 Ayiou Neofytou St Sundays 10 a.m.

Also Midweek Meetings Details: Colin 24530700 HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH, PAPHOS GATE, NICOSIA Sunday Masses: Saturdays 6.30 pm, Sundays 8.00am, 9.30am & 6.30pm Weekday Masses: 6.30 pm Monday to Friday Tel: 22662132 Email: holcross@logos.cy.net

LARNAKA COMMUNITY CHURCH APHRODITE STREET, LARNAKA 10.00 AM MORNING SERVICE and SUNDAY SCHOOL For more details ring Fred 24365152

International EVANGELICAL CHURCH (Reformed) Limassol 352 St. Andrew’s Street (1½ blocks from Starbucks/Fat Boy) Sunday worship 10:30am Wednesday Bible Discussion 7pm For info: 99384742 ALL ARE WELCOME

St Helena’s Anglican Church, Larnaca St Helena’s Court, Grigoris Afx Sunday Service: Holy Communion 9.30 am

NICOSIA CHRISTIAN CENTRE 10 PINDOU STR, ENGOMI, NICOSIA, TEL. 22464375 SERVICES: SUNDAY 10AM, WEDNESDAY 8PM

Family oriented evangelical church Contemporary Christian Worship Sunday 10am (Holy Communion - 1st Sunday of the month) Sunday School (Juniors and Teens) Outreach and Evangelism Bible Studies

Tel. 99 293489, 99 279960 Email: immanuel.church.nicosia@gmail.com Website: www.immanuelchurchnicosia.org

ALL WELCOME Tel:24651327 office@sainthelenas.com

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST ANDREW AND ST JOHN THE BAPTIST MESA GEITONIA, LIMASSOL The Orthodox Liturgy in English served fortnightly on Saturdays at 9.00 am. We also hold a Discussion Group every Thursday evening at 7.30 pm For information please call Fr. Christopher Klitou Mobile: 99957144 Fax: 25710318 You can email us at: klitoux@logos.cy.net or visit our website: www.christopherklitou.com

THE REFORMED CHURCH OF LIMASSOL Clear exposition of the Bible in the presence of God, and relevant to our lives.

Our Sunday services start at 10:30 am sharp, and the Wednesday Bible discussion at 7 pm.

International Evangelical Church (Reformed) is located at 352 St. Andrew’s Street. 1½ blocks from Starbucks / Fat Boy, and 1 block from the Municipal Gardens, Zoo. For further information call Steve at 99384742, or email: iee.limassol@gmail.com All are welcome!

PROPHETIC CALL-OUT Grieved by preachers living in sin ? Pastors collaborating with idolaters?

Bored with just being a spectator?

In Prophecy there is no ‘us and them: Everyone contributes (1 Cor 14:26) 10am start 9/2/2013 God willing, Meet: Entrance Palaiopafos, Kouklia Instruments/shofars welcome

Open Door Baptist Church

St Barnabas’ Anglican Church 153 Leontiou A Street Limassol www.stbarnabas-cyprus.com Telephone: 25362713 - All welcome ALL SAINTS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH (ENGLISH) Sunday Divine Liturgy 8-10am. Followed by Fellowship hour (coffee) Services are now being held at the underground Chapel of All Saints of Cyprus at St. Panteleimonos Church Makedonitissa Archangelos (Engomi) For more info please contact Fr. Joseph Coleman Tel. 99938924

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF AGIOS ARSENIOS, LIMASSOL (near Tsirion Stadium) The Orthodox Liturgy in English Saturday, 4 February at 8:30 am For information please contact: Father M. Spanou at 99 – 401365 (msspanou@googlemail.com)

9 Larnakos Street Katholiki Area Limassol Sundays: 9:45, 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM Wednesdays: 7:30 PM 25 751193 or 99 758729 www.cbm-odbc.org

GRACE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH Invites you to COME AND EXPERIEBNCE THE LOVE OF GOD WITH US Int. Christian Business Fellowship Meeting Centre Sundays: 10.00am Sunday School 11.00 am Main Service (Dine with us centre services) Wednesdays: Prayer meeting 6pm Address: To Arsinois Str., 1010 Nicosia (Next to Western Union Office to KISA) Contact: 99988900 or 97667932. \VISITORS ESPECIALLY WELCOME!!!

The Anglican Church of Paphos Ayia Kyriaki (St. Paul by the Pillar) Sunday 8.15am Holy Eucharist 6.00pm Sung Eucharist th 4 Sunday 6.00pm Choral Evensong Wednesday 9.00am Holy Eucharist 3rd Wednesday (BCP) St. Stephen’s, Tala st rd 1 & 3 Sunday 11.00 am Holy Eucharist 2nd & 4th Sunday 11.00am Morning Worship St. Luke’s, Prodromi 1st & 5th Sunday 9.30am Morning Worship 2nd , 3rd & 4th Sunday 9.30am Holy Eucharist 1st & 3rd Wednesday 9.30am Holy Eucharist 1st Sunday 6.00 p.m. Peace & Wholeness with Holy Eucharist 4th Sunday every quarter 9.30 am Holy Eucharist from BPC Church Office: 26-953044 Fax: 26-952486 Email: anglicancofp@cytanet.com.cy for directions to each church

DEUTSCHE GOTTESDIENSTE IN ZYPERN Nikosia: Am 1. und 3. Samstag im Monat in der St. Paul’s Cathedral um 18 Uhr Limassol: Am 2. Sonntag im Monat im Gemeindehaus in Germasogeia um 11 Uhr Am 4. Sonntag im Monat in der St. Barnabaskirche um 18 Uhr Paphos: Am 2. Samstag in der Kirche an der Paulussaeule um 16 Uhr Agia Napa: Am 4. Sonntag im Monat im Hof des Klosters um 9.30 Uhr Näheres Informationen durch Pfarrer Dr. Herold, Tel 25-317092 oder im Internet www.ev-kirche-zypern.de

St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral Byron Avenue, Nicosia, 22 445221/22 677897 www.st-pauls-nicosia.com

Sunday 0930 : Holy Communion Sunday School in the hall 1800 : Evening Prayer Monday/Tuesday/Thursday 0830: Morning Prayer Wednesday 1030 : Holy Communion First Monday of each month 1930 : Guild of St Raphael Parish Office : Mon-Fri : 0900 – 1100 Saturday 1000-1200

Bookshop and Thrift Shop

30 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET PAPHOS properties on our website at www.flowron.com - Your Vision is our Mission LANDLORDS IF YOU HAVE A PROPERTY FOR RENT, PLEASE CALL US!!!!!! **************************** PEYIA – 3 bedroom villa with modern quality furniture and finishes. Central heating, sky, alarm, infinity pool and

TO LET PAPHOS stunning sea and mountain views €700 per month, call: 99389426 BRAND NEW APT, opposite Poseidonio Gym, near Carrefour, F/F, a/c, great quality, 1 bdrm, from €340 p.m. Tel 99403261 *****************************

UK House Offered in Exchange for Apartment or House in Cyprus A 100 sq. m. four bedroom Semi Detached house in the East Midlands, with a market value of £120,000, is offered in exchange for a 2 bedroom (minimum) apartment or house anywhere in Cyprus.

My house has been recently renovated at a cost of over £25,000 and is situated within less than three miles from Clumber Park.

If interested, please email Natalia at nzah50@hotmail.com for a detailed description of my property and please include the internal size in square metres and photos of what you are offering in exchange.

TO LET PROTARAS PROTARAS ***************************** NEED A REST? Luxury flats to be let, at Protaras, just by the sea. Reasonable prices. Tel 447794 or 99628758 *****************************

PROPERTY FOR SALE NICOSIA ***************************** FOR SALE BEAUTIFUL VILLA, Nicosia, Strovolos 550sqm build in two lots 1250sqm. 6 bds, 6 bath, under floor heating, A/C, basement, two car garage, beautiful landscape, well, pool, quiet area, great for families. Motivated seller.

Price reduced 1.500000.

Call 99432074 mpapadmd@ gmail.com **************************** FOR SALE a very nice, large, two bedroom apartment near Hilton and Central Bank. Living, dining room, sitting room, large veranda. Spacious kitchen, c/h, s/h, covered parking.

Title deed. Tel. 99519370. ***************************** FOR SALE OFFICES, ground floor space, suitable for offices or any other business.

FOR SALE NICOSIA Centrally located, off Arch.

Makarios Avenue, in the Commercial Centre of Nicosia, near Hilton. Also mezzanine, basement, small kitchen, a/c, parking. Title deeds.

Tel. 99519370. ***************************** FOR SALE upper floor house 210 sq.m built on 301 sq. m land, Lapatsa area, Pereous 1a. 4 bedrooms with attic room (not finished), c/h ,4 a/c, aluminium doors& window, covered parking and storage room. Price €310.000 pm call 22431095 99330632.

FOR SALE PAPHOS PAPHOS FOR SALE large, beautiful, nice designed, sea view house. In Chlorakas area, very quiet and private location. 4 en-suite bedrooms. Spacious living - dining room, sitting room, kitchen with all electrical appliances, breakfast room, two fireplaces, built-in bookcases, electrical shutters, a/c, swimming pool, garden, patio, garage, store room. Option for

FOR SALE PAPHOS second floor. Title deed. Adjacent to above. Sold separately plot of land, with sea view. Title deed. Tel. 99519370.

PROTARAS FOR SALE special offer, €79, 000 first floor apartment in Protaras, fully furnished with 2 bedrooms and a swimming pool. Walking distance to the beach of Ayia Triada and all amenities. Tel: 97 608941.

3nt Easter Breaks in Cyprus!

All Inclusive Protaras 4* hotel ONLY ¤365 PER COUPLE PER STAY! UPGRADE TO SEA VIEW FOR ONLY ¤30 EXTRA!! www.centurycyprus.com

info@centurycyprus.com

EMBA

Tel: 70 000 970

INDOOR MARKET & CAR BOOT SALE FRIDAY – SATURDAY – SUNDAY FRI 8:00AM – 2:00PM

FRESH VILLAGE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES WATCH REPAIRS & JEWELLERY POTTED FLOWERS NEW & USED HANDBAGS & CLOTHES SECOND HAND BOOKS COMPUTERS & TELEPHONE ACCESSORIES SECOND HAND FURNITURE & ANTIQUES INDIAN TAKE AWAY HOME MADE FRESH CAKES & PIES

STALLHOLDERS & CAR-BOOTERS WELCOME ALL ENQUIRIES CALL: 96533839/99771532

31 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Compiled by Rosie Ogden

Motoring

MG to unveil urban SUV concept in Shanghai MG have unveiled their urban SUV concept car on Press Day at the Shanghai Motor Show (April 21 – 29).

It was the world premiere of the MG CS concept (right), which is designed to slot into the compact SUV sector one of the fastest growing areas of the global automotive market.

The CS concept is the result of a massive investment in the brand by MG’s owner, the giant SAIC Motor group, and previews MG’s first production urban SUV. It has been penned by a team led by MG’s Global Design Director, Antho-

ny Williams-Kenny. “The MG CS oozes British design flair while embracing the sporting DNA of MG, an iconic brand” says the company.

UNIQUE FEATURES Unique features include headlights which have a multi-faceted ‘shard’ structure which refract light in different colours and shapes from the side, but coalesce to form MG’s trademark octagon from the front.

A strong horizontal emphasis gives the side profile of the CS a ‘distinc-

tive, sporty style and youthful appearance’.

MG, of course, has a rich history of daring designs and the new owners say “sophisticated UK design has carried through to the family of new generation MGs”.

These include the MG6 production car and the MG ZERO concept car, which pointed the way to the MG3 production model.

There has been much speculation about an MG SUV and this model is expected to expand the global reach of the brand.

New process cuts competition car development costs by 50% Focuses engineering resources ‘to maximise the benefits of every euro spent’ THERE’S good news this week for motor sport aficionados who have yearned to race but found the costs prohibitive: a new approach to the design of competition cars can apparently slash the cost of developing a competitive vehicle by up to 50%.

Developed by Prodrive, a company which is wellknown to Cypriot rally fans and one of the most experienced and successful motorsport constructors, the approach focuses engineering resources “to maximise the benefits of every euro spent”.

Prodrive says the technique can be applied across any formula and will ‘almost guarantee’ a competitive vehicle.

“We believe we have created a significant asset,” says Prodrive’s motorsport technical director, David Lapworth. “Whether our client wants to win straight out of the box or challenge the established brands with a headline-grabbing performance, we can now provide a high-confidence solution for a fraction of the costs required for a traditional approach to race or rally car development.”

Prodrive’s process combines its substantial motorsport engineering expertise with value analysis expertise from the company’s road-car engineering consultancy.

“Automotive engineers have impressive systems to help them meet tough performance and quality targets within specific budgets,” says Lapworth. “Working with colleagues from our Automotive Technology division helped us understand how to translate their value analysis techniques into a rigorous process that supports design decisions, correlating engineering investment with performance value far more precisely than previously.”

The heart of the process is a rigorous definition of the sensitivity of the vehicle’s performance to incremental changes in the characteristics of each significant component. “Much of the investment has been focused on quantifying parameters through which the perform-

The MINI World Rally Car was delivered very quickly, with far less testing than any previous programme, yet the car achieved three podiums in its first seven outings and very nearly won on its third event ance of systems can be defined and then developing models that link changes in those parameters to the degree of change in overall vehicle performance,” explains Lapworth.

The first step in the process is to create a generic model of an ideal vehicle for the formula. Specific targets are then set for key performance factors such as weight, weight distribution, centre of gravity, aerodynamic forces, engine power, etc. The next stage of analysis is to define the degree of contribution of each component to each of these performance factors, allowing a rigorous definition of the improvement to whole-vehicle performance

that will be generated by incremental improvement in each component.

“At this stage, we have a very precise understanding of the cost of making the car competitive and of each additional step in performance improvement. It’s essentially a Euro per second/kilometre in the case of rallying or second per lap in racing,” says Lapworth.

“The power of the approach is that this allows us to make decisions very quickly and very accurately, ensuring that time and money are only invested where they will deliver most value.

Everyone in the design team understands these parameters and therefore does not

waste time over-engineering a component, seeking costly incremental improvement in component performance that contributes very little to overall vehicle performance.”

Much of the cost reduction comes from the time saved

by Prodrive’s engineers, but a significant contribution is also derived from what Lapworth calls ‘value balancing’. “Most constructors are under such time pressures that they base decisions on a combination of experience and what they are good at,” he explains. “That can mean, for example, a highly accomplished chassis that you can’t fully exploit because of an average power unit.

Our approach ensures that resources are focused only on the areas that deliver the biggest gain, so the relative performance of every system is balanced across the vehicle.”

The foundations of the process were developed in 2009 as Prodrive prepared a generic rally car for new World Rally Championship regulations in 2011. “At that stage, we didn’t know which car we were going to put the design into, so we spent time ensuring we had a rigorous understanding of every characteristic that affects vehicle performance, then building that knowledge into a model-based process,” says Lapworth.

“We ended up in talks with three vehicle manufacturers and chose to work with MINI. The result was that the MINI World Rally Car was delivered very quickly, with far less testing than any previous programme, yet the car achieved three podiums in its first seven outings and very nearly won on its third event. The design and development budget for that programme was a fraction of the norm, indeed less than 50% of what we had previously spent on developing the Subaru Impreza WRC.” The process was then applied by Prodrive to the design of Aston Martin Racing’s GTE entry for Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship, helping the constructor to deliver improved performance alongside improved value compared with previous generation cars. With each new project following the same approach, the process has been refined meaning that Prodrive is now confident it can guarantee the delivery of competitive cars at a fraction of the cost of traditional programme.

Prodrive is currently using the new process to develop generic cars for Global RallyX and Dakar, according to Prodrive’s motorsport business development director, Richard Taylor, who led the company’s multiple world championship-winning Subaru World Rally Championship team. “We see RallyX as an increasingly important formula that is catching the attention of manufacturers and major global brands looking to use sport as a marketing platform,” he says.

“It’s exciting to compete in, great to watch and costs are reasonable.”

Taylor says that Prodrive has already started to analyse the regulations for RallyX and for Dakar very carefully, looking for the subtle nuances that open opportunities for competitive advantage. “Over the coming months, we are developing theoretically-optimised models for both, which will allow us to develop a competitive car very quickly,” he concludes.

32 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport Marathon champion Kipsang plots London win for Kenya Kenya have won all but one of the last nine men’s races

By Sarah Young

By Alison Wildey

IN BRIEF

LONDON Marathon men’s champion Wilson Kipsang plans to work with his Kenyan colleagues today in a bid to keep the title in the east African country.

Kenya have won all but one of the last nine men’s London marathons, with 2010 being the odd year out when Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede beat Emmanuel Mutai by four seconds.

But after sweeping the 2011 race and taking the top two places last year, Kenya’s marathon dominance in the city was broken on the biggest stage - the London Olympics.

Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich pulled off a shock win at the Games after accelerating away from Kipsang and Kenya’s twice world champion Abel Kirui with six kms left.

Kipsang, who took the bronze medal, said he expected the leading Kenyans to run together until the pacemakers dropped out and then it would be down to whoever was fastest at the finish.

“I think we want to run as a team and try to run a faster time to maybe break the course record and see how far we can go faster,” the 31year-old told Reuters.

Kipsang missed out on the course record by four seconds when he won in a time of two hours four minutes 44

Authorities provide 40 per cent more police for race

Britain’s Prince Harry poses with Kenyans Mary Keitany and Wilson Kipsang (right and bottom), the men’s and women’s winners of last year’s famous race seconds last year.

The pacemakers have been instructed to run at 2:03:30 pace until 32 kms, although world record holder Patrick Makau was expecting a tactical race and did not think his mark of 2:03:38, set in Berlin in 2011, would be broken today.

“I can’t talk about the world record,” he said solemnly.

“The course is different from the one in Berlin and we have a very big group of athletes which are strong, so I can’t say that the world record will be in danger,” added Makau, who was one of the favourites last year but dropped out of the race with a hamstring problem after 16 kms.

As a consequence, Makau was not selected for the Kenyan Olympic team.

“That was something which disappointed me a lot although I can’t say that it has affected my training. My training has been good,” he said.

“It will be like a championship where we will be trying to run as Kenyans. We will be running like a team.

“This is the best chance for the Kenyans to see the best team which can be in the world championships (in August),” added Makau.

The Kenyan line up also includes 2011 London champion Emmanuel Mutai and Geoffrey Mutai, whose time of 2:03:02 when winning the Boston Marathon in 2011 is the quickest recorded for the 26-mile distance although it did not count as a world record because of the downhill course.

But in a field organisers are describing as the greatest assembled for a single race, the Kenyans may not have everything their own way.

Uganda’s Olympic champion Kiprotich and Ethiopia’s Kebede, winner in Chicago last year, could be the men to foil them again.

Three-time London champion Martin Lel of Kenya withdrew from the race this week with a hamstring injury, and Kirui pulled out with a stress fracture.

Britain meanwhile is “double, triple, quadruple checking” security arrangements after the tragic events in Boston this week, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said.

Explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday killed three people and injured 176. No arrests have yet been made.

The London race, first run in 1981, will attract 36,000 runners, among them Britain’s double Olympic champion Mo Farah, who will be cheered on by hundreds of thousands of supporters lining the course.

BRITAIN is increasing police numbers by 40 per cent for today’s London Marathon as part of an effort to reassure competitors and spectators after bombs devastated the Boston race on Monday.

The head of the Metropolitan Police’s London Marathon operation, Julia Pendry, said on Friday there would be several hundred more officers on the streets than had originally been planned for today’s race.

“We’ve got more search dogs out, we’ve got more officers on high-visibility patrols,” she told reporters gathered outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard, less than two kms from the marathon’s finish line.

The increased policing was intended to reassure the 36,000 runners and the hundreds of thousands of supporters who were expected to line the course as the race wound round Tower Bridge and the Canary Wharf financial district before ending in front of Buckingham Palace, she said.

“There is no change to the threat level at this time to London,” she said. “There is no link at this time between the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon, so come out and enjoy the day as normal.”

Pendry, who has worked on the police operation for the London Marathon for five years, said that officers were well briefed and many contingency plans were in place to protect the 42-km route.

She said the Metropolitan Police had been in touch with security authorities in Boston regarding the event.

Westminster Council said in an emailed statement that in its borough, the site of the race’s finish, all rubbish bins near the course were being removed as a security measure.

O’Sullivan shines on his snooker return at Crucible

Zimbabwe celebrate record Test win against Bangladesh

CSKA reach Final Four as Efes force decider

RONNIE O’Sullivan made a fine return to snooker to lead Marcus Campbell 7-2 after the opening session of their first round match at the Crucible.

The 37-year-old has played only one competitive match since winning his fourth world title last May. But O’Sullivan, won the first frame with a break of 82.

He followed up with breaks of 62, 71, 85, 86 and 58 to need only three more frames in last night’s session to advance into the second round.

While former world champ Peter Ebdon claimed O’Sullivan looked in even better form than last year in practice, some expected him to be rusty after his long sabbatical.

ZIMBABWE bowled a hapless Bangladesh out for 147 in their second innings to complete a massive 335-run victory in the first Test at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

The wining margin was Zimbabwe’s biggest in terms of runs and almost double their previous best of 183 achieved against the same opposition and at the same venue in 2004.

Captain Brendan Taylor posted his highest Test score of 171 in the first innings and added another 102 not out in the second as Zimbabwe declared on 227 for seven early yesterday morning and set Bangladesh 483 to win with almost two days to play.

SIX-TIME winners CSKA Moscow advanced to Euroleague basketball’s Final Four after a 94-85 victory at Caja Laboral Vitoria completed a 3-1 win over the Spaniards in a best-of-five quarter-final series.

Holders Olympiakos Piraeus still have plenty of work to do after throwing away a seven-point lead in the final minute of a dramatic game against Anadolu Efes Istanbul who levelled the series 2-2 after grinding out a 74-73 home triumph.

Real Madrid, winners of eight Euroleagues, completed a 3-0 sweep of Maccabi Tel Aviv, while 2010 champs Barcelona and Panathinaikos are level at 2-2.

33 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

Sport

Nadal, Djokovic to face off in dream Monte Carlo final

Pace bowling is now a tougher job, says Akram

Spaniard seeks incredible ninth straight title

RECENT rule changes in limited-overs cricket and the increasing popularity of the Twenty20 format have made the job of pace bowling a much tougher assignment, former Pakistan fast bowler and captain Wasim Akram said yesterday.

Akram, 46, started a tenday training camp in Karachi for 19 of Pakistan’s top fast bowlers, including members of the national team and some raw talent.

The camp was set up ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy after selectors and some former players expressed concerns over the declining pace bowling resources in the country following Pakistan’s dismal performance in South Africa.

“The rule changes in oneday cricket, that you can’t keep more than four fielders outside the circle in a 50-over match at any time, and the rising popularity of T20 cricket means pace bowlers now need to be more adaptable,” Akram told reporters.

EIGHT-TIME defending champion Rafael Nadal recorded his 46th consecutive win at the Monte Carlo Masters by beating Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) yesterday to set up a repeat of last year’s final against top-ranked Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard has now reached five straight finals since returning from a seven-month layoff following a left knee injury. He will go for his fourth title of the season against Djokovic, who easily beat the unseeded Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-2, 6-1. The Serb showed no signs his right ankle is still bothering him, two weeks after twisting it on Davis Cup duty against the United States.

Djokovic and Nadal have not played against each other since last year’s French Open final, which Nadal won.

He has won their last three encounters, after Djokovic took the previous seven - all of which were tournament finals. Nadal leads their headto-head contests 19-14.

The sixth-seeded Tsonga saved four match points as he rallied back from 5-1 down to force a second-set tiebreaker, which was evenly poised at 3-3 before Tsonga started making unforced errors again by hurrying his shots.

Nadal clinched the victory with a forehand winner and took a step closer to a ninth straight Monte Carlo title

and to extending his Masters titles record to 23.

Tsonga started brightly but missed three breakpoint chances in the fourth game including one which left him shaking his head in disbelief after Nadal scooped the ball off his ankles and whipped it back down the line.

“He was extremely good today, and this is also what I call the champion’s luck,” Tsonga said. “The top players are able to do that.”

The flustered Frenchman lost his next service game easily and then lost his way totally, making 17 unforced errors in the first set compared to four for Nadal.

It looked like Nadal would wrap up the second set more quickly than the first, breaking for a 2-0 lead and later holding three match points at 5-2. Tsonga saved those with some excellent shotmaking, and then started to believe he could turn the set around.

“I always try to be aggressive when I play him. It’s the only way for me. If I stay back, there’s no way I can win,” Tsonga said. “But I can’t rush to the net either because otherwise he hits a passing shot, and 90 per cent of the time I lose the point.

So I have to have the right mix between patience and aggressiveness.”

With Nadal serving for the match in the ninth game, Tsonga held two break points that were erased by

a pair of aces. The Spaniard made two unforced errors, however, to drop serve and the Frenchman then drew level at 5-5 as chants of “Tsonga, Tsonga” rang out in the crowd.

Tsonga saved a fourth match point in the 12th game when an off-balance Nadal sent a forehand well wide.

But Tsonga ultimately made too many unforced errors - 39 to Nadal’s 12 - costing him a chance of taking Nadal into a third set, like Grigor Dimitrov had done in Friday’s quarter-finals.

Nadal has not been defeated at Monte Carlo since losing to former French Open champion Guillermo Coria in 2003. Nadal missed the following year through injury.

Fognini made 26 unforced errors and was jeered off the court at the end of his first Masters semi-final.

The Italian called for a trainer at 4-1 before continuing.

But he looked demoralised and on the next changeover he called the trainer again, pointing to his left shin as the trainer sprayed and taped it.

The Italian lost his serve again in the next game as Djokovic wrapped up the set without facing a break point and converted two of his four chances on Fognini’s serve.

Fognini did not hang around and quickly left the court as boos rang down from the stands.

By Peter Rutherford

AGGRESSION A MUST

Rafa Nadal (top) recorded his 46th straight win in Monte Carlo, while world No.1 Novak Djokovic was in ruthless form

Ban on anchored putts is a cop-out, says Langer

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

Former world No.1 Bernhard Langer using his ‘belly putter’ at last week’s Masters in Augusta

GOLF’S governing bodies are expected to announce shortly whether they will go ahead with a proposed ban on players anchoring putters to their body, a rule change which makes no sense at all to Bernhard Langer.

The German former world number one, long renowned for his meticulous preparation and attention to detail, describes the proposal by the US Golf Association (USGA) and Royal & Ancient (R&A) as “a cop-out” with no empirical evidence to back it up.

“I personally see no point in changing the rule, and I am not saying that because I use a long putter,” Langer, 55, told Reuters.

“My career is going to be done in ten years’ time, or whatever, on the golfing side and I just can’t see why there is all this fuss about it. I don’t see a reason to change.

“This thing (the use of long

putters) has been around way too long. If it was an advantage or illegal, then golf’s rulemakers should have made it illegal a long time ago. That’s a cop-out.”

Last November, the game’s governing bodies controversially proposed a ban on the anchored putting stroke, saying they wanted to outlaw the practice by 2016 in order to preserve the “skill and challenge” of putting.

Players and the golfing community were then given 90 days in which to discuss that proposal. By the end of that period, the European Tour had expressed its support of the idea while both the US PGA Tour and PGA of America voiced opposition.

Langer, a two-time Masters champion, felt the best argument against banning the anchored putting stroke stemmed from the fact there was no perceived advantage based on all the available evidence.

“Who is using the big-headed

driver? One hundred per cent of the players,” the German smiled. “Why? Because it’s an advantage. Who is using a hybrid? Everybody, because it’s easier to hit that than a oneiron, a two-iron or a threeiron.

“Who is using a long putter, or a belly putter? Twelve per cent of the players, maybe 15 percent. Why? Because it’s not an advantage. If it was an advantage, everybody would do it. It’s not easier. It’s different.

“Long putters are still going to have to make a stroke, they are still going to be nervy, they are still going to have to read the green, hit the putt with the proper pace,” he said.

“It doesn’t do it by itself.

It’s not like, ‘Ah, give me a long putter,’ and it goes in the hole. No. There’s a lot more to putting than whether you hold it this way, this way or that way,” Langer added, gesticulating with his arms.

“It’s not a magic button that I can push with a long putter and I make putts.”

“I will advise these bowlers that to be successful in this scenario, aggression is a must with top grade fitness, pace and the ability to have length variation.

“T20 cricket has changed the mentality of batsmen.

The odds are stacked against the bowlers.”

Pakistan’s most experienced pace bowler Umar Gul managed just five wickets in two Tests at an average of 45 when the team were whitewashed

by South Africa in a recent three-Test away series.

Left-armer Akram, regarded as one of world’s fast bowling greats with 414 Test and 502 ODI wickets, said Pakistan did not lack talent. Bowlers just needed proper guidance, he added.

“I see some of these bowlers have pace, and that is an encouraging sign, but they need to be groomed on how to best make use of it and how to bowl in the three different formats of the game,” he said.

Akram has been supervising the talent hunt for fast bowlers in ten cities across the country and said he would be paying extra attention to left-arm pacers Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan, both current members of the national team.

“Irfan is a special talent but because of his height he needs to be handled carefully,” Akram said of the seven-footer.

34 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport

Fit-again Bale back to give Tottenham a timely boost

Benitez ready for emotional Anfield return

Crunch clash with champs City

By Justin Palmer Glad to have you back: Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas says Gareth Bale will play a part against Man City

By Ken Ferris TOTTENHAM Hotspur attacking midfielder Gareth Bale is back in contention for today’s Premier League home match against Manchester City after injury, manager Andre Villas-Boas said.

“Gazza has been training for the last two days with the team and on his own since the beginning of the week,” Villas-Boas told reporters at the club’s training ground.

Asked if Bale would start the game against secondplaced City, Villas-Boas said: “This is a decision I have to make.”

Bale turned his ankle against FC Basel in their Europa League quarter-final first leg but the injury was not as serious as it looked and the Wales international has made a speedy recovery after missing two games.

Bale has been in outstanding form for club and country and was nominated for the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year Awards by the Professional Footballers’ Association on Friday.

Forward Jermain Defoe has also recovered in time for the game and Aaron

Lennon has a chance of being involved against City as Spurs bid for a top four spot and Champions League football next season.

“All of them are in with a chance of making selection,” added the Spurs manager. Bale has made good progress from the beginning of the week to training with the team so definitely will be up for selection.”

Fifth-placed Spurs have stuttered of late as the battle for the Champions League places hots up.

With one win from their

Cyprus Handicrafts

last four league games, Spurs have slipped behind resurgent Arsenal in fourth, with a game in hand on their arch-rivals.

The shock of losing last year’s title at the last second could derail Manchester United’s charge to this season’s crown, according to City assistant Brian Kidd meanwhile.

With United 13 points clear at the top and able to secure the title as early as tomorrow, it might sound like the defending champions are clutching at straws

but after the manner in which they won it last year they have good reason not to give in.

City clinched their first league title since 1968 when they scored twice in stoppage time to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-2 and win the championship on goal difference from United, who had finished their final game thinking they had done enough.

“There will be some jittery moments,” said Kidd, a former assistant to Ferguson at United who was

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standing in for City manager Roberto Mancini at the club’s regular Friday news conference.

“With what happened last year - it was a bad experience for them, I believe they will have been shocked by it.

“It’s not over until it’s mathematically finished with.

“To drop eight points in six games, nobody thought that could have happened this time last year but it did,” Kidd said. “There’s stranger things in football.”

DEFENDERS Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill have returned to training after injury, Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez said, as he prepared for an “emotional” return to former club Liverpool.

The pair could play some part at Anfield today as Chelsea continue their hectic schedule with their seventh game in 19 days.

“It is good news,” Benitez, who has been rotating his squad during the fixture pile-up, told reporters.

The fixtures continue to come thick and fast with Chelsea facing a twolegged Europa League semi-final against Switzerland’s FC Basel with the away leg on Thursday.

Benitez is looking forward to coming up against the side he managed between 2004 and 2010.

He twice reached the final of the Champions League and won Europe’s elite club competition in unforgettable style in 2005 when his Liverpool team came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with AC Milan and triumph on penalties.

“I am a professional so I will try to do my best to achieve the targets here,” he said of his Chelsea focus. “I have a lot of friends and good memories so it will be emotional, but I will try to concentrate on the game and do my best for 90 minutes.”

Misfiring Rooney no longer getting goals that matter FOR striker Wayne Rooney to be taken off the pitch because Manchester United needed a vital goal was once inconceivable but is now the reality facing a player whose future at the club is as shaky as his form.

“We had to get that goal that mattered,” was manager Alex Ferguson’s reasoning on Friday for the decision to substitute the England striker in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at West Ham United (right).

“As far as taking him off the other night, it was simple: he wasn’t playing as well as Shinji Kagawa was. In so many games Wayne Rooney is better than most players.

But on the night Shinji was playing so well.”

The worrying thing for 27year-old Rooney is that this in not just a one-off as it followed Ferguson’s decision last month to drop him for arguably their biggest game of the season - the Champions League last 16 second leg against Real Madrid.

The stats tell one story, with

Rooney netting 12 league goals to new Old Trafford darling Robin van Persie’s 21, but that could be explained away by Rooney’s deeperlying position as more of an attacking midfielder than a centre forward.

Even if he has been moved for the benefit of the team, the fact a world-class striker has increasingly been cast in this role says more about his form than anything else.

35 SUNDAY MAIL • April 21, 2013

Sport DI CANIO JOY AS SUNDERLAND BEAT EVERTON ON 20TH ATTEMPT

Terry snubs the FA at Champions League handover ceremony

By Mike Collett

That’s the way to do it: Paolo Di Canio was a happy man as victory in his first home game as Sunderland manager eased the Black Cats further clear of relegation trouble

Sunderland ease clear Sunderland 1 Everton 0

By Damian Spellman STEPHANE Sessegnon’s second goal in a week handed Paolo Di Canio victory in his first home game as Sunderland eased themselves further clear of relegation trouble.

The Benin international’s strike in first-half injury time secured a second successive win for the Black Cats and their first over Everton in 20 attempts in all competitions.

But more importantly, it was well deserved as they dominated for long periods and limited the Champions

League-chasing Toffees to a handful of half-chances in front of a delighted crowd of 44,614.

Midfielder Sebastian Larsson had earlier gone close with three free-kicks, the last of which Tim Howard had to claw out of his top corner.

However, opposite number Simon Mignolet had little to do at the other end as Everton struggled to impose themselves in the face of a concerted assault by a Sunderland side rejuvenated by their new manager.

They ran out still basking in the euphoria of last weekend’s famous derby victory at Newcastle, but under no illusions as to the task still ahead of them.

Di Canio had insisted within minutes of the final whistle at St James’ Park

that his team had taken only a small step forward, and with only those three points separating the Black Cats from the bottom three before kick-off, there was much work to be done.

In addition, a run of 19 games without a victory against Everton, 16 of them in the league did not augur well.

But buoyed by their heroics on Tyneside, the Black Cats turned in a fine firsthalf display and ended it deservedly leading by the only goal, even if they did have to wait until stoppage time to secure their advantage.

Sunderland threatened at regular intervals, most notably through Sweden international Larsson.

He clipped the bar with a 12th-minute free-kick and

Rangers face fresh turmoil

By Keith Weir CHARLES Green, the businessman who led the rescue of former Scottish champions Rangers last year, has stepped down as chief executive saying allegations about his takeover risked damaging the club.

The abrupt departure is a fresh blow to the Glasgow club, Scottish champions a record 54 times, who had to relaunch from the fourth tier in Scotland after their former parent company collapsed under a pile of debt.

Green faced a club inquiry into media reports he had secretly been working during his takeover with former owner Craig Whyte, who had been barred from playing any part in Scottish football. Whyte was the majority shareholder when Rangers went into administration in February 2012.

“Whilst Mr Green strenuously denies any wrongdoing, he has recognised that this negative publicity is a distraction,” Rangers said in a statement.

Green, who owns a stake of around eight per cent in Rangers, is stepping down from

the post with immediate effect and the club said they had already begun to seek a successor.

He is expected to retain his shares in the club.

“I feel that it is appropriate that I step down so that the club can continue to progress back to where it belongs at the pinnacle of Scottish football,” Green said.

Rangers remain one of the best supported clubs in Britain, regularly attracting crowds of over 40,000 to their Ibrox stadium. They have won the Scottish third division (fourth tier) with ease.

The club also appeared to be recovering off the field.

Rangers had returned to the stock market in December, raising 22 million pounds from investors in a flotation and have signed new deals with Blackthorn Cider and Puma for their shirt sponsorship and kit supply.

Green, an Englishman, had argued passionately that Rangers and their city rivals Celtic were too big for the Scottish game and should be integrated into the wealthier English structure.

whistled another just wide five minutes before the break before forcing a fine save with a third dead ball effort in the final minute of the half.

Everton were still regrouping after that near miss when they fell behind with Larsson turning provider with a pass which allowed Sessegnon to set himself before drilling a low shot past Howard, who got a hand to the ball, but could not prevent it from creeping inside the post.

Adam Johnson should have cemented the victory with six minutes remaining, but saw his shot blocked by Howard’s legs, and Everton were appealing in vain for a penalty seconds later after Nikica Jelavic went to ground softly in a tussle with Danny Rose.

FORMER England captain John Terry refused to shake hands with FA chairman David Bernstein at the Champions League trophy handover.

Bernstein ruled that Chelsea defender Terry should be stripped of the England captaincy after being charged with racially abusing Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers in October 2011.

Terry and club mates Frank Lampard, Branislav Ivanovic, Petr Cech and Fernando Torres were at the handover in London’s Whitehall when the trophy they won last year was presented to Britain’s Sports Minister Hugh Robertson by UEFA president Michel Platini.

The Chelsea skipper rejected Bernstein’s attempt to shake hands when the two came together after the presentation ceremony.

“It’s a difficult one for me he went and spoke about me in the court case,” Terry told Sky Sports television.

Asked if he shook Bernstein’s hand, the Chelsea defender replied: “No”.

Terry was cleared of the racism charge in court but the FA later banned him for four

Chelsea captain John Terry (right) is pictured with UEFA President Michel Platini at the Champions League trophy, where he snubbed FA chairman David Bernstein

Premier League standings Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Manchester United Manchester City Chelsea Arsenal Chelsea Manchester City Tottenham Liverpool Hotspur Everton Tottenham Hotspur Liverpool Everton West StokeBrom City Swansea Bolton Wanderers West Ham BromUtd Fulham Southampton Newcastle United Norwich City Sunderland Sunderland Aston Villa Stoke City Rovers Blackburn Newcastle United Wolves Aston Villa Birmingham Wigan Athletic Blackpool QPR Wigan Athletic Reading West Ham United

matches for the incident that occurred in a Premier League match between QPR and Chelsea at Loftus Road.

Bernstein said he had no idea the Chelsea player had snubbed him.

“My relationships with everyone here are really fantastic,” the FA chairman told reporters. “I didn’t notice a thing and I think we should talk about more positive things than that sort of nonsense.”

This season’s Champions League final is being staged at Wembley Stadium for the second time in three years to mark the 150th anniversary of the FA. The May 25 showpiece will be London’s seventh final following previous games in 1963, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1992 and 2011. No other city has staged the match as many times.

The trophy was carried around London on public transport to promote the final and Champions League ambassador and former England and Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux said: “Taking the trophy on the tube and bus was a great way to start the day and I’m sure it brightened up the morning for commuters”.

P

W

D

L

F

33 37 32 36 34 36 32 36 32 36 34 36 33 37 33 36 33 37 34 37 34 36 34 36 34 37 34 36 34 37 34 37 33 36 33 37 34 36 34 36

26 22 20 21 18 19 18 19 17 14 13 12 13 10 12 11 12 10 9 11 8 11 9 10 8 10 10 11 8 8 10 4 7 5 7

3 11 8 7 9 10 7 8 7 14 11 15 6 7 12 10 9 10 10 15 12 11 14 11 10 12 13 10 7 10 15 7 9 12 15 9 12

4 4 8 7 7 9 8 12 6 8 9 10 14 16 11 15 14 15 14 11 13 14 12 15 15 14 13 17 17 19 15 13 18 18 14 20 17

75 74 58 67 65 69 64 55 55 59 51 59 50 43 46 43 52 40 53 44 45 47 51 33 42 38 45 30 43 43 44 36 37 53 29 36 37 41

A Pts 35 27 30 35 39 33 40 41 38 45 40 45 44 42 54 47 68 52 41 54 52 53 56 45 58 41 57 60 63 60 54 60 74 56 59 65 64

81 77 68 70 63 67 61 65 58 56 50 51 45 46 42 46 42 46 40 45 39 44 38 44 37 42 37 40 37 40 34 39 31 39 24 36 24 33

Premier League Results Fulham Arsenal

0 1

Norwich Reading

2 1

QPR Stoke

0 2

Sunderland Everton

1 0

Swansea Southampton

0 0

West Brom Newcastle

1 1

West Ham Wigan

2 0

Playing today Tottenham v Man City, 3.30pm Liverpool v Chelsea, 6pm Playing tomorrow Man Utd v Aston Villa, 10pm

36 April 21, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport

Nadal, Djokovic to face off in dream Monte Carlo final 33

Fit-again Bale back to give Tottenham a timely boost 34

Rosberg seizes pole for Mercedes in Bahrain

By Alan Baldwin GERMANY’S Nico Rosberg looked forward to ‘kick-starting’ his season after seizing Mercedes’ second successive pole position in qualifying for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix yesterday.

Compatriot and triple world champion Sebastian Vettel joined him on the front row for Red Bull at a circuit where no driver has won from lower than fourth place on the grid in eight previous races.

“Am I surprised? A little bit. It wasn’t really clear who was the quickest car over one lap,” said Rosberg of his second career pole.

“I really want to kick-start my season. It has been a rough ride in the first three races. Today was my first real qualifying.”

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, three times a winner in Bahrain, will share the second row in today’s race with Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa after penalties for Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Mark Webber.

Hamilton was on pole in China last weekend but collected a five-place penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change after yesterday’s final practice, dropping him from fourth.

Webber was fifth fastest for his 200th race but falls three places as a punishment for causing a collision in Shanghai, with Massa moving up from sixth.

Rosberg’s only previous pole was in China last year. Mercedes have not had back-to-back poles since they returned as a works team in 2010.

The German driver has retired from two of the season’s three races and finished fourth in Malaysia when he was

ordered by the team not to pass Hamilton for third place for fear that the cars would run out of fuel.

The son of 1982 champion Keke now has a chance to take the second win of his career, at the circuit where he made his debut in 2006, but he warned that rear tyre degradation would be a concern in the race. “It’s difficult to say if we have enough pace to win the race but for sure we’ll try hard to win,” said Rosberg.

The driver on pole in Bahrain has won four of the past eight races there.

Vettel leads the championship with 52 points, with Kimi Raikkonen, who qualified in ninth place but moves up to eighth, second on 49 for Lotus. Alonso has 43.

“Congratulations to Nico, it was all his today,” said Vettel. “It was clear even with a perfect lap he was unbeatable today.”

Nico Rosberg celebrates his second career pole as the Silver Arrows topped qualifying for the second straight week

Arsenal stay on course

Anorthosis and Omonia play out Champions League dream alive and kicking after Mertesacker’s winner stalemate Fulham 0 Arsenal 1

By Nemanja Bjedov

By Jim van Wijk

A

RSENAL moved back up to third in the Barclays Premier League table as they edged past Fulham at Craven Cottage with both sides finishing with ten men.

Fulham could count themselves unfortunate not to have taken at least a point having battled gamely following the early sending off of midfielder Steve Sidwell just back from a three-match suspension - for a late sliding tackle on Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal, though, failed to make the most of their man advantage after going ahead just before half-time through a close-range header from Per Mertesacker.

Referee Andre Marriner then brandished the red card again on 90 minutes when he sent off Olivier Giroud for jumping into a challenge on Stanislav Manolev, although replays showed the France striker did get a foot on the ball first.

Arsenal, though, closed out stoppage-time as Fulham were urged on by the home support to move ahead of Chelsea, who play at Liverpool today, and now five clear of Tottenham, their rivals having two matches in hand ahead of their encounter with Manchester City at White Hart Lane this afternoon.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had decided to rest England midfielder Jack Wilshere, with Czech playmaker Tomas Rosicky coming into the side, as did Nacho Monreal, who had been on the bench for the midweek goalless draw against Everton, while Wojciech Szczesny contin-

High five: Per Mertesacker (left) celebrates scoring Arsenal’s winner with Nacho Monreal ued in goal as Lukasz Fabianski was still injured.

Fulham, well beaten 3-0 at home by west London rivals Chelsea in midweek, started brightly, and Arteta had to cut out a dangerous cross from Urby Emanuelson At the other end, Giroud played in Theo Walcott, who finished well past Mark Schwarzer, but the offside flag was already up.

Fulham were reduced to ten men on 13 minutes when Sidwell went in late on Arteta, catching the Arsenal midfielder on his ankle which resulted in referee Marriner going straight for a

red card.

Former Arsenal trainee Sidwell had just returned from a three-match suspension for a similar late challenge on QPR’s Armand Traore, and could now see his suspension increased for poor discipline.

The home fans roared their team on against the odds, and Dimitar Berbatov forced a good stop from Szczesny after breaking down the right and into the Arsenal penalty area.

Slowly, the visitors built up a spell of pressure.

Giroud was unfortunate on 35 minutes when he spun his

marker on the edge of theFulham box before driving a low shot across the face of goal, which beat Schwarzer, but hit the outside of his lefthand post.

Arsenal were ahead three minutes before the break.

Eyong Enoh fouled Aaron Ramsey conceding a freekick some 35 yards out on the right. Walcott floated the ball into the box, and Laurent Koscielny headed it back across the face of goal, where German centrehalf Mertesacker arrived unmarked to nod in from a yard out.

With 20 minutes left,

Walcott was replaced by Wilshere, while Lukas Podolski came on for Rosicky.

Fulham had the ball in the net when Manolev tapped home after Szczesny spilled a 20-yard free-kick from Kieran Richardson - but the assistant referee made a fine offside call.

Arsenal also finished with ten-men after Giroud was shown a red card after he clattered into Manolev.

Ramsey skewed a shot wide after a quick break in stoppage time, but Arsenal had just about done enough to give their Champions League hopes a major boost.

ANORTHOSIS and Omonia played out a goalless draw in the third round of the championship playoffs at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca yesterday afternoon.

The result was not what either side was looking for and means that APOEL have a chance to go eight points clear at the top of the table, with three matches remaining, should they beat AEK this afternoon at the GSZ Stadium.

Both sides played attacking football in the first half, but there were no clear-cut scoring opportunities. After the interval, it seemed as though the pace of the match would increase, but there was no quality in the middle of the park and the encounter soon descended into mediocrity.

The first good chance for Anorthosis came in the 75th minute when Ricardo Laborde’s shot went just past the post.

Toni Savevski introduced Demetris Christofi midway through the second half and he significantly improved Omonia’s front line, having his powerful shot stopped by Anorthosis keeper Christos Mastrou nine minutes from time in what was his team’s best opportunity.

Elsewhere yesterday in Group 2, Apollon demolished Enosis Neon Paralimni 4-1 at the Tsirion Stadium in Limassol, while city rivals AEL played out a 1-1 draw against Doxa Katokopia away from home.