Sunday Mail newspaper by Cyprus Mail Co Ltd

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Experts ponder a president’s increasingly erratic behaviour

Sex, drugs and rock and roll follow the money as Australia’s economy booms

TV and lifestyle supplements to see you through the week

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January 6, 2013

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COFFEESHOP: TOF THE TERRIBLE PRAISES HIMSELF FOR JOB WELL DONE PAGE 17 INSIDE Cyprus UK Greek Orthodox school in head scarf row 3

World Wildfires leave thousands stranded in Tasmania 8

Feature Welcoming the inevitable diet after Christmas feast 20

Property What to get up to in the garden this month 23

Sport Debut double for Ba as Blues thrash Saints back

The Central Bank defends rehiring retired personnel Contracts given to those who took retirement to ensure now reduced bonuses received

T LEAST two Central Bank employees who took early retirement to avoid losing any benefits have been rehired by the regulator on contracts, the Sunday Mail has learned. The two, Maria Stefani, secretary of Senior Director Spyros Stavrinakis, and Maria Papadopoulou, were both re-hired on contracts after opting to take early retirement to avoid losing any of their benefits as part of new legislation that came into force this month. The Central Bank said the contracts were for a short period and were deemed necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the organisation in light of the rising number of early retirements. Over 1,200 public servants – three-quarters of total retirements in 2012 - including teachers and police officers, opted for early retirement last year to dodge cuts to their pensions and lump sums after the government enacted a series of austerity measures in line with a bailout adjustment programme. A third retired employee, Andreas Michael, has also been re-hired on a contract, but it was not clear if he too had left early or if he had reached retirement age. The Central Bank said it was a necessary move to

cope with increasing obligations combined with the high number of personnel departures. The Central Bank is required to ensure the smooth operation of its departments and services, especially at this time, when it is assuming an increasing number of responsibilities, the regulator said. “It became necessary to offer a small number of work contracts of a limited time period until procedures to hire permanent personnel are completed,” the Central Bank said. Bank employee union ETYK, which had in the past made a lot of fuss over a similar move, has so far remained silent on the matter. At the end of 2010, ETYK lodged a complaint with the labour ministry after the Central Bank decided to extend the employment of senior director Costas Poullis beyond the date of his retirement. At the time, the union also took exception to the Central Bank hiring contract staff. Under the new regime, public servants’ retirement lump sums will be partially taxed while pension beneﬁts will be calculated on a prorata basis taking into account life-time service and not the last salary as it was up until the last day of 2012.

A gigantic, yellow rubber duck is prepared prior to being ﬂoated into Sydney’s Darling Harbour yesterday to kick off Sydney’s annual arts festival. The rubber duck by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman forms part of the festival, which will present more than 750 artists from 17 countries (AFP)

Fortune favours non-event: Grand Warlock sets out 2013 ANTONIO Vazquez is a cherubic 72-year-old with twinkling eyes, a long white beard and a knack for predicting things that don’t actually happen. For more than three decades, Mexico’s selfproclaimed ‘Grand Warlock’ has been doing tarot card and horoscope readings to reveal what’s in store - or not - for the coming year. His past predictions: Fidel Castro would die in 2008; Germany would win the 2006 World Cup; and Barack Obama would lose to Mitt Romney. Despite Vazquez’s consistently incorrect record of prognostication, dozens of journalists packed Mexico City’s press club for the

Grand Warlock’s latest round of predictions in what has become one of the country’s most reliably strange and inexplicably popular New Year’s traditions. On tap for 2013, according to the Grand Warlock: a new war in the Middle East; chaos in Venezuela and a tough year for Obama. But it’s not all bad news. Vazquez said 2013 would be a great year for Mexico, a country that has struggled with drug violence and a slow economy. “Mexico is going to have a relevant place in the world, economically speaking,” he said. “Mexico will place itself as a paradise for investors.”

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Nicosia i

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Club members’ cars on display at the Episkopi Garrison Fete last September

TODAY: A mixture of sunshine, cloud and rain. Temperatures will reach 15C inland, 16C along the coasts and 4C over the mountains. OUTLOOK: Remaining unsettled, with more rain forecast.

YESTERDAY

Nicosia Larnaca Limassol Paphos Paralimni Prodromos

max/min temp 17 - 5 18 - 7 18 - 8 17 - 10 18 - 9 7-1

Humidity 53% 53% 46% 53% 47% 82%

SUNRISE: 06.52 am

SUNSET: 16.39 pm

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Dream machines of the classic car club Fleets of classic cars have become an increasingly common sight on the roads By Bejay Browne PAPHOS Classic Vehicle Club is preparing to celebrate its tenth anniversary this year proud that its numbers of old car and motorbike enthusiasts now top 80 with membership constantly growing. Classic cars are now a popular sight at social events and rallies in Paphos since the ﬁrst meeting of the Paphos club was organised by Yiorgos Koutsides in 2003. He is now the clubs’ honorary president. “We would welcome new members who are owners of classic or antique cars and motorbikes; we’re a very social group of people,” says club chair and Paphos resident John Barnacott. Barnacott, originally from Plymouth in the UK, has been a classic car enthusiast for as long as he can remember. “I was brought up with classic cars, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t tinkering about with one with my dad. I love them. My grandfather had what was then referred to as a ‘taxi business’. Not many people had cars back then, or knew how to drive them, so when you hired a car, it came with a driver,“ said Barnacott who moved to Cyprus seven years ago. The deﬁnition of what constitutes a classic vehicle can vary around the world. In the

US, a car must be between 20 and 40 years old to be classed as a classic while vehicles of 45 years or more are viewed as antique. In the UK, there is no fixed definition of a classic car, although for company taxation, UK customs define a classic car as being over 15 years old with a value in excess of £15,000. Barnacott joined the club about three years ago but was just 19 years old when he owned his first classic car which cost him 120 pounds. “I retired to Cyprus and as well as my double cabin truck, which is a pretty standard vehicle here, I have a 40-year-old MGB which I bought in Cyprus,” he said. “I have done a fair amount of work on it myself.” On top of the purchase price of his current MGB, which he says he doesn’t want to divulge, he’s spent about 4,000 euros on restoring it, as well as “countless pounds over the years on other vehicles he owned in the UK”. According to the club chairman, all sorts of cars are part of the club, the greatest number being MG owners, as there were so many of these popular vehicles produced. “If you look after these models and preserve them they go on and on. We also have a few Landrovers and cars from the late 1950s and 1960s.” In addition, members also collectively own a couple of

John Barnacott’s much-loved 1972 MGB (below left) and competing in an MG Car Club autotest in 1971 (above) Rolls Royce’s and vintage or antique motorbikes. Barnacott hasn’t ruled out owning more collectors’ cars in the future, including his lifelong “dream machine”. “There are several cars which I’d like to own, but my dream machine has always been a 1950s Jaguar XK150. One of our club members has one. It’s got classic lines; it looks good and has a good engine.” There are a number of factors to consider when purchasing and driving a classic or collector’s vehicle. “You have to drive according to the vehicle and be aware that the brakes aren’t the same as a modern, newer car,” he said. Cyprus roads don’t seem to pose a problem to the car enthusiast. “I’d rather drive in Cyprus than in the UK where trafﬁc is at a standstill most of the time. Also here, it’s great

to drive a convertible in the countryside, although it can get hot in the height of summer.” PCVC currently meet once a month at a taverna in Anarita in Paphos and members often bring their vehicles with them. The purpose of the monthly meeting is often social but it is also an opportunity to discuss any problems they face, such as FIVA Registration (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens, the international body for owners of historic vehicles throughout the world) - and rising road tax costs in Cyprus. The club members and their vehicles attend numerous events during the year, including the September fete at Episkopi. During the winter Barnacott’s car is kept inside his garage most of the time, but he says he regularly uses it as a second car. “I often go shopping in it as well as using it for all the usual day to day tasks.” The club also offers assistance to classic vehicle owners wishing to move to Cyprus, helping them with the bureaucracy involved in importing classic vehicles from their countries of origin. They also organise social events and local rallies, and participate in rallies organised by the other classic car clubs all over the island. Barnacott added: “We are currently looking for someone who is computer literate to run our website and is genuinely interested in classic cars.” For further information visit www.paphoscvc.com or contact: 99799233

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Orthodox primary in head scarf row Parents of Muslim girl pull her from UK Greek Orthodox primary and take it to court THE PARENTS of a Muslim girl are taking the UK’s only Greek Orthodox primary school to court for refusing to let her wear a headscarf. The story has been reported across several media outlets – in the UK and elsewhere –after the parents of the nine-year-old applied to the High Court to lift the school’s ban. The head of St Cyprian’s primary school in south London’s Croydon, Kate Magliocco, said the parents believe it would be sinful for the nine-year-old to be seen without a headscarf in the presence of male

teachers. The Hufﬁngton Post (UK) quoted Magliocco as saying that the decision not to allow her to wear a headscarf was taken by the school’s governing body. “The school has a very particular uniform policy, which is shared with parents and, as head, I must follow the plan,” Magliocco said adding that the family were informed of their policy before the student joined them. The parents have withdrawn their daughter from the school but want to reinstate her because her brother still goes there.

A man making lokoumades yesterday. The sweet treats are traditionally made today and thrown on to the roofs of houses to make sure the Kalikantzeroi (mischievious goblin-type creatures) leave, marking the end of Christmas (Christos Theodorides)

Police make two arrests for New Year’s Day murder TWO suspects have been detained in connection with the murder of a 34-year-old man in Limassol on New Year’s Day, police said yesterday. The two men, aged 32 and 23, were arrested on Friday night and have been remanded in custody for eight days. Police spokesman Andreas Angelides said the pair allegedly had personal differences with the victim, Yiannakis Christodoulou. Angelides said the suspects’ claims regarding their whereabouts on the day the crime was committed could not be conﬁrmed so far. During the remand hearing, police told the court that the 23-year-old’s right thumb bears injuries apparently

caused by a knife. A 20-year-old man is also in police custody after police found a 12-centimetre folding knife in a car he was using. The car had been reported stolen and was carrying fake registration plates, police said. During questioning, the 20-year-old admitted that he knew the car was stolen and was also being used by the other two suspects. Christodoulou, aka Foxy, was stabbed ﬁve times, four in the front and once in the back as he scufﬂed with two men on January 1 in a residential area of Polemidia in Limassol after they had initially cut him off in their car.

The school’s mission statement says that it aims to provide a “supportive learning environment through the national curriculum, enriched by the progressive teaching of the Greek language and Christian Orthodox religion.” The school also states on its website that it is committed to “promoting good relations between members of different racial, cultural and religious groups”. The London Evening Standard said last week that the school’s uniform policy on its website required girls to wear a dark blue coat, optional blazer, a skirt, white

blouse and a navy blue pullover, but was silent on headscarves. The school’s website lists a few dozen school policies, but now makes no mention of a school uniform policy. The UK government’s guidance on uniforms says that there is “no legislation that deals speciﬁcally with school uniform or other aspects of appearance such as hair colour and style, and the wearing of jewellery and make-up.” On the issue of ethnic and religious dress, the government advises schools “to be sensitive to the needs of different cultures,

races and religions” and “to act reasonably in accommodating these needs within a general uniform policy”. Though geared towards children of Greek Orthodox faith, the school makes available 15 per cent of its intake to non-Orthodox Christian children and a further 5.0 per cent to children of other faiths. A 2010 report by Ofsted, the UK’s schools’ inspection body, says that the school’s communities have a harmonious relationship. The High Court is due to hold a hearing on the case next month, the Evening Standard said.

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Chasing the Red Devils dream By Peter Stevenson

OR SOME, the dream of playing for Manchester United is a distant unreachable dream but for 17-year-old Nicholas Ioannou the dream is close to becoming a reality. Ioannou was born in Limassol, son to a former professional footballer who is now coach of Aris Limassol, and travelled to Manchester at the tender age of 12 to try out for his boyhood heroes. Since then Ioannou has had his sights firmly focused on becoming a first team regular for the Red Devils although his father, Demetris Ioannou, is doing his best to keep his feet on the ground. “If we’re being realistic, he hasn’t achieved anything yet,” his father told the Sunday Mail. “We’re trying to keep his feet on the ground, keep him focused and God willing he will be able to make a career for himself.” Although Ioannou junior has a long way to go before he gets the recognition every young footballer in Manchester United’s youth set-up desires, there are hopes that one day he could go on and represent England at international level. He qualifies for England through his English mother and his father would be more than happy to see him represent the Three Lions as opposed to his own home nation. “It would be an honour if he represented England,” his father said. “Of course I would want him to represent England, it is much higher level and a greater honour, it doesn’t matter whether I’m Cypriot or not.” The Ioannous are all Manchester United supporters from before young Nicholas went to try out for the Red Devils, but that did not make it easier for the family or him being away over the recent holiday period.

A 17-year-old Cypriot from Limassol is devoting his teenage years to his beloved club Manchester United

Nicholas Ioannou now lives in Manchester, where he trains with the youth team “It is difﬁcult for me to go see him right now as I have commitments over here, trying to get promoted to the ﬁrst division with Aris,” his father explained. “But he knows why he is over there and he is focused. He knows it’s

not easy, but we very proud of him.” The young man is in good hands according to his father, currently living with a family in Manchester, one of many that co-operate with United in housing young boys in their

academy who are not from the area. The club covers the youngster’s cost of living and also pay for his schooling while he is over there. Being an ex-pro, his father knows of the long winding road that needs to be travelled still and he is making every effort to keep him away from the media spotlight. “Because he has such a long way to go before achieving something truly great I don’t want to expose him to the media just yet,” he concluded. The Sunday Mail also managed to catch up with Jason Demetriou, who currently plies his trade with AEK Larnaca and has followed almost the opposite route to young Ioannou football-wise. Demetriou was born and raised in London before coming through the ranks of Leyton Orient, where, in 2009, he caught the eye of the Cyprus national team coach Angelos Anastassiades, who gave him his ﬁrst cap last February 10 against Serbia. This put him on the radar in Cyprus, but it was son of Dutch legend, Johan Cruyff, Jordi, who saw the potential in Demetriou, eventually convincing him to join him at AEK Larnaca. “I was approached by a few teams and when Jordi Cruyff called me I was very interested and we spoke about six months before I joined AEK,” Demetriou said. “He really sold the club to me and he didn’t disappoint.” Since leaving Leyton Orient, Demetriou has had the opportunity to cement his position in the national team as well as playing in the Europa League with AEK. Asked whether he felt he made the correct decision in leaving England to further his footballing career, his answer was emphatic. “One hundred per cent. With the chance of playing in the ﬁrst division in Cyprus, for the national team and in Europe for AEK I feel

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lucky,” he said. Having seen the level of players and coaches in Cyprus and England means Demetriou is in a good position to gauge whether Ioannou will be one of the few that can make it abroad and whether we will see more Cypriot youngsters making it in Europe’s top leagues. “The level of the young kids in Cyprus is very good from what I’ve seen,” he said. “Looking at the boys who play for the national team and the young boys who have come into the squad recently you can see that they have the potential to play in Europe. They are excellent and have come through academies over here in Cyprus.” One man who is also in a position to offer unique insight into Ioannou’s situation and the state of young Cypriot players generally is the current head coach of Arsenal Soccer Schools in Cyprus, former QPR and Fulham player, Ara Bedrossian. “There is a lot of talent on the island and a lot of good coaches but what tends to let them down is their mentality unfortunately,” he said. From the ages of 13 to 17, Bedrossian came through the ranks of Tottenham Hotspurs, and he recalled what it was like being part of the youth training scheme (YTS). “We would be the ﬁrst ones in and last ones out, having to clean boots and do laundry. Nowadays unfortunately a lot of kids in Cyprus are spoilt and don’t have that mental edge required,” he explained. “For that I blame the parents, but Nicholas has a great chance of playing for England one day and that has a lot to do with

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‘Nicholas has a great chance of playing for England one day and that has a lot to do with the fact that his parents made the difficult decision of letting him leave at a young age’ the fact that his parents made the difﬁcult decision of letting him leave at a young age.” Ioannou and Demetriou are not the only Cypriots who are plying their trade abroad or have played on foreign shores. A page on social network site Facebook is devoted to tracking all of these players down. Click on http://www.facebook.com/ cypriotfootballersabroad

Efforts to reduce polling expenses More tourists in upcoming presidential elections expected in 2013 A TOTAL of 1,100 polling stations will operate across Cyprus for the upcoming Presidential elections, scheduled for February 17, Chief Returning Officer Andreas Assiotis said yesterday. Assiotis also said that efforts are underway to reduce expenses, in light of the financial crisis. “Everything is proceeding smoothly,” concerning preparations for the election day, the Chief Returning Officer said. According to Assiotis, savings will incur from the full employment of embassy personnel in the polling procedure, to reduce spending from the dispatch of personnel to polling stations abroad. February’s elections are being contested by a total of nine candidates although the three main ones are: President of the main opposition right wing party Democratic Rally (DISY) Nikos Anastasia-

Cost-cutting: Assiotis des, who is backed by his party and centre right Democratic Party DIKO; Stavros Malas, who will run having secured the backing of the ruling left wing party AKEL; and the independent candidate, former foreign minister Giorgos Lillikas, who is backed by the socialist party EDEK and others.

CYPRUS is expected to attract an increased number of tourist arrivals in 2013, tourism minister Efthymios Flourentzou said yesterday. The newly established direct flights between Cyprus and Ukraine as well as bookings made so far from Russia and Britain justify our optimism regarding tourism, he said. He was speaking during a visit yesterday to Larnaca airport, where he was briefed about the flights and arrivals to both Larnaca and Paphos. “We hope that an increased number of tourist arrivals will be recorded this year,” Flourentzou said, pointing out that this will benefit not only airports but also the hotel industry and the island’s economy at large. Asked on which data he bases his optimism, he said, “on the bookings already made in Russia”, adding another positive development is the direct flights with Ukraine.

6 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

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Grave concern expressed for religious treasures stolen from Kyrenia GRAVE concern for the future of religious treasures seized by the Turks and held at a police station in Munich, Germany since 1997 has been expressed by the founder of Walk of Truth, Tasoula Hadjitofi. Her comments come after the German newspaper Abendzeitung Munich reported in December that Turkish antiquities official Aydin Dikmen has not only claimed the antiquities as part of his wife’s dowry but has asked for financial compensation from the Church in the event they are returned. Hadjitofi said if this is true, the work by all those seeking the return of the items over the years must be taken into account and an investigation should be started to show how the case reached this point. She also raised alarm bells over the condition the items are now in, having lain in the Bavarian police station for 15 years. The treasures were found in Dikmen’s Munich apartment after coordinated actions of the Bavarian police and Hadjitofi, who at that time was serving as a representative of the Church for Cultural Heritage and Consul of Cyprus in The Hague. At the same time, in a letter to Walk of Truth the mayor of

Kyrenia Glafcos Kariolou calls for full details and information on the fate of religious images from Kyrenia that are now in the hands of the Bavarian police. The mayor says a clear assessment of the situation both in Munich and other cases of stolen treasures following the 1974 invasion needs to be made so the municipality can draw up a programme to secure their return. Particularly serious concern on the subject was expressed by Kyrenia Bishop Chrysostomos during a recent visit to Holland where he begged to be updated regularly by the Walk of Truth about developments in court cases concerning treasures stolen from

Kyrenia. Hadjitofi has asked the Law Office of Michalakis Kyprianou to prepare a legal report that shows the state of affairs with specific recommendations for future steps that need to be made for the safe repatriation of the treasures of Kyrenia found in Dikmen’s apartment. Walk of Truth is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation based in The Hague, The Netherlands. It was established to raise awareness of the value of cultural heritage in all its forms. It is particularly involved in tracing Cyprus artifacts that disappeared after the 1974 invasion.

Narcissism, paranoia, guilty conscience made by psychoanalysts about President

‘It’s always someone else’s fault’ By Elias Hazou HERE are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!” Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, Iraqi information minister declared in April 2003 just hours before Iraqi troops surrendered to US forces. Were those infamous words, and others like them, uttered by that peerless master of spin, Comical Ali a.k.a. Baghdad Bob, a testament to propaganda-gone-overboard, or an exercise in self-delusion? A bit of both perhaps. Whichever way you see it, it encapsulates a state of being out of touch with reality. What’s all this got to do with us, you ask. Well, closer to home, it feels like someone else has declared open season on common sense. Lately, President Demetris Christofias’ rhetoric has grown more and more puzzling, his behaviour increasingly erratic. Some samples: August 19: “There is an international - allow me to say - conspiracy which is called ‘the markets’. These so-called markets are the highway robbers of the world.” Mid-October: “To defend CoLA [Cost of Living Allowance], I am prepared to take to the streets and demonstrate with the workers.” October 31: “We are in continuous deliberations to ask the troika to come to Cyprus. This is what it has come to.” December 9: “I tell you only this: I am being hounded because I do not tolerate rousfeti [nepotism].” December 13: “We were stabbed in the back by different quarters of the [European] Union – allegations of money laundering, allegations that we were a paradise for Russian oligarchs, allegations that we would use the loan to protect the Russians and much more, all of which were blows below the belt.” All the above postdate the Christofias’ administration request for EU/IMF assistance to bail Cyprus out. Now, normally someone going hat in hand for a loan would not be expected

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to bad-mouth his potential creditors every chance he gets. Yet that’s precisely what the president has been doing - particularly when he feels cosy among a friendly (usually leftwing) audience. At the end of the day, aren’t these ‘highway robbers of the world’ and EU ‘quarters’ the ones who are going to save our skin? And as for the lamentation ‘This is what it has come to’, one could reasonably retort: “But aren’t you in charge, Mr President? Isn’t it under your watch that it has come to this?” What can we make of these assertions? Does the president really believe what he’s saying? And, does he himself realise what he’s saying? For answers, the Sunday Mail turned to experts in the psychoanalytical profession. The verdict: yes, Christofias genuinely believes what he says. “That’s what makes him dangerous,” comments clinical psychologist Vassilis Christodoulou. To him, the president displays signs of narcissism, layered with a firmly rooted belief in his own infallibility. “With Christofias, it’s always someone else’s fault. Right now, it’s the bankers, the capitalist system ... everyone is to blame for the economic crisis but him or his government. And he truly believes that, it’s not just propaganda. That’s what so disturbing.” Listening to the president’s utterances and looking at the body language, Christodoulou has come to the conclusion that Christofias is “in a state of confusion, panic even, which leads him to commit gaffe after gaffe. If you watch closely during his public appearances, he often cringes, as if he’s carrying all the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s clearly in defensive mode.” The analyst elaborates: “Remember how he always complains that his adversaries are out to undermine him, out to get him? That’s because he believes he is beyond criticism. He cannot grasp the concept that, having been elected to office, people still have the right to take swipes at him. “In other words, he thinks he’s right, and it’s the rest of us who don’t understand him. He displays unmistakeable traits of narcissism

‘Coming from AKEL, he has been cocooned and schooled in this creed: the party can’t be wrong’

Did a guilty conscience lead to those famous tears on our TV screens in December?

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are just some of the choicest judgements Christofias’ increasingly erratic behaviour Christoﬁas ‘believes he is beyond criticism’

- which all politicians suffer from to some extent. But with Christofias, it’s to the superlative degree. “It’s like: the other kids don’t wanna play with me.” And Christodoulou isn’t kidding either: “Christofias has what I would call an almost childish outlook. In part, it has to do with his political background. Coming from AKEL, where criticism and thinking out of the box are not encouraged, he has been cocooned and schooled in this creed, that the party can’t be wrong.” He believes there are instances where the president’s behaviour borders on the paranoid. “How else to explain that he threatened to demonstrate against the troika, whom he invited here in the first place? My guess is he doesn’t really comprehend what’s happening in Cyprus.” As a case in point, Christodoulou cites the president’s teary outburst while addressing the PEO congress on December 5. Christofias broke down, and took a few seconds to wipe away tears with a handkerchief, sniffling some more and blowing his nose. The president lost it while declaring: “My concern and priority has always been for the good of the workers, of the common people. I assure you that I shall continue to fight for these values to my last breath.” Christodoulou says: “What you can take away from this is that Christofias feels he was forced into this situation; that he was forced, through no fault of his own, to take these unpopular austerity measures.” Psychologist/sociologist Antonis Raftis takes the analysis a step further: “Guilty conscience,” he states unequivocally. “In that moment, Christofias felt like he was betraying the common people by saddling them with all these taxes and cutbacks. He knows it’s the lower-income classes who will suffer the most. But also, it was the stress getting to him.” Raftis offers his psychological profile of the head of state: soft-hearted, very possessive, a control freak, and last but not least stubborn. “It’s an unstable cocktail,” he says. Another factor is the president’s fear of responsibility. That ties in perfectly with Christofias’ tendency to shift attention elsewhere, lest he become the target. Raftis again: “Austerity? Blame the troika. The crisis? Blame the global credit squeeze and the bankers in Cyprus. But who was it who appointed one banker after another to the post of finance minister? And then you blame the banks for the mess.”

Other top quotes “I felt like the cheated husband who is the last to know.” “Even though I studied in Moscow, I made one moon in England.” “I thanks (sic) the Prime Minister of Denmark, for the pass he makes to me… like Messi.” “I am very embittered. You have a president who is sensitive.” “Christofias is a tough nut to crack, and anyone who tries to swallow [destroy] him will break his teeth.” “We leave, proud of our services to the Cypriot people. The government has managed to safeguard the rights and conquests of working people as well as issues relating to the sovereignty of the state during discussions with the troika.” “So as you know, Cyprus is a very, very beautiful island. A whole island. But unfortunately, let me say it’s been raped and we have to restore the visions of Cyprus.” The pattern goes all the way back to the Mari disaster: “Before the [civilian] probe came out, Christofias said he would accept it. After it came out, he rejected it because it made him look bad.” Moreover, Christofias is said to be politically naive: “You see him kissing everyone on the cheek...Talat, Sarkozy, Merkel. It’s as if he thinks that the personal touch will earn him the trust of foreign leaders. But it doesn’t work like that, of course.” It’s this naiveté that has generated a series of verbal bloopers, as the president strives to be endearing, only to end up being misunderstood - partly due to his poor command of English, and partly because he doesn’t understand that some Cypriot idioms are not to be translated literally. Raftis suspects that fear of rejection played a big part in Christofias’ decision not to run for re-election. “He couldn’t handle a defeat.”

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World

Wildfires leave thousands stranded in Tasmania

Chavez swearing in ‘can be delayed’

Record-breaking heatwave causes chaos in Australia

By Andrew Cawthorne and Deisy Buitrago

WILDFIRES on the Australian island of Tasmania have stranded thousands of people and destroyed at least 100 homes. Much of Australia is experiencing a heatwave, and temperatures in the Tasmanian state capital Hobart earlier reached a record high of 41C. Some took shelter on beaches on the Tasman Peninsula, which remains cut off. A flotilla has brought in supplies and hundreds have been evacuated by sea. The BBC’s Nick Bryant in Sydney says large swathes of south-east Australia are suffering from the worst fire conditions since the Black Saturday disaster almost four years ago, when 173 people in rural Victoria lost their lives. He says there has been a combination of a recordbreaking heatwave, high winds and drought, with Tasmania by far the worst hit. On the island, some 40 separate fires are burning - four of them out of control - despite temperatures falling back from their peak. At least 100 properties have been destroyed, a large number in the small community of Dunalley, east of Hobart, where the police station and school were burned down. One resident of Dunalley told ABC radio: “All I could do was drive the car out of the shed, drive across the other side of the road and

PRESIDENT Hugo Chavez’s formal swearingin for a new six-year term scheduled for January 10 can be postponed if he is unable to attend due to his battle to recover from cancer surgery, Venezuela’s vice president said yesterday. Nicolas Maduro’s comments were the clearest indication yet that the Venezuelan government is preparing to delay the swearing-in while avoiding naming a replacement for Chavez or calling a new election in the South American OPEC nation. In power since 1999, the 58-year-old socialist leader has not been seen in public for more than three weeks. Allies say he is in delicate condition after a fourth operation in two years for an undisclosed form of cancer in his pelvic area. The political opposition argues that Chavez’s presence on January 10 in Cuba - where there are rumours he may be dying - is tantamount to the president’s stepping down. But Maduro, waving a copy of the constitution during an interview with state TV, said there was no problem if Chavez was sworn in at a later date by the nation’s top court. “The interpretation being given is that the 2013-2019 constitutional period starts on January 10. In the case of President Chavez, he is a re-elected president and continues in his functions,” he said. “The formality of his swearing-in can be resolved in the Supreme Court at the time the court deems appropriate in coordination with the head of state.” In the increasing ‘Kremlinology-style’ analysis of Venezuela’s extraordinary political situation, that could be interpreted in different ways: that Maduro and other allies trust Chavez will recover eventually, or that they are buying time to cement succession plans before going into an election. Despite his serious medical condition, there was no reason to declare Chavez’s “complete absence” from office, Maduro said. Such a declaration would trigger a new vote within 30 days, according to Venezuela’s charter. Chavez was conscious and fighting to recover, said Maduro, who traveled to Havana to see his boss this week. “We will have the Commander well again,” he said. Maduro, 50, whom Chavez named as his preferred successor should he be forced to leave office, said Venezuela’s opposition had no right to go against the will of the people as expressed in the October 7 vote to reelect the president. “The president right now is president ... Don’t mess with the people. Respect democracy.”

Smoke from a bushﬁre billows over beach goers at Carlton, about 20 kilometres east of Hobart stand back and look at the whole place just being engulfed in ﬂames, just like a movie.” The main road to the Tasman Peninsula, south-east of Hobart, has been cut off, stranding thousands of people, many of them tourists in the historic site of Port Arthur. Some people sought refuge

on the beaches. A ﬂotilla of local vessels has been used to bring in essential supplies and evacuate those deemed most at risk. Acting Police Commissioner Scott Tilyard said it had been “a long night for many people but the main thing is that they have been safe”. Chief Ofﬁcer Mike Brown, of the Tasmanian Fire Serv-

ice, said: “Clearly, it’s going to take a long time and a lot of work to properly contain these ﬁres.” Prime Minister Julia Gillard urged people to look after their personal safety. She told ABC: ‘’My message is there’s only one you. Everything else in life, at the end of the day, no matter how precious, can be re-

placed.” She added: “It’s a very Australian thing to fear and also to understand the devastation of bushﬁre.” Much of southern Australia remains under intense heat. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a German woman died while walking in 40 degree temperatures in Cape Otway, Victoria.

18 held after loyalist violence in Northern Ireland By Brian Hutton and Michael McHugh EIGHTEEN people have been arrested after nine police officers were injured during the latest outburst of loyalist violence in Northern Ireland. More than 30 petrol bombs, along with fireworks, ball bearings and masonry, were hurled at police officers in a sustained attack on officers in east Belfast on Friday night. Up to 300 people were involved in the disturbances. None of the police injuries are life threatening, however one female officer required medical treatment at the scene. Three attempted vehicle hijackings were made in the Beersbridge Road area. A business premises on the O'Neill Road was also broken into by several masked men, who damaged the property and stole a sum of money. The PSNI said they will be seeking further arrests in the coming days in relation to the disorder and have appealed for witnesses. Conall McDevitt, SDLP policing spokesman, said those organising the demonstra-

Police stand guard as protesters wave the Union ﬂag during clashes in Belfast tions on social media must be held fully responsible for the resultant violence. "I appeal for calm today and over the weekend and ask people taking part in protests to reﬂect upon the violence and ask themselves if they want to be associated with that violence and if that

is the best way that they feel they can have their voice heard," he added. "Nobody is in doubt that some paramilitaries are exploiting these illegal protests to destabilise the situation and ultimately bring violence back on to our streets." Stormont First Minister

Peter Robinson said violence against the police was a "disgrace" and those behind days of unrest were playing into the hands of dissident republicans. On Thursday 10 police ofﬁcers were injured in east Belfast during a demonstration against the decision to

reduce the number of days the Union Flag is flown from Belfast city hall. Robinson said: "The violence and destruction visited on the PSNI is a disgrace, criminally wrong and cannot be justified. "Those responsible are doing a grave disservice to the cause they claim to espouse and are playing into the hands of those dissident groups who would seek to exploit every opportunity to further their terror aims." He said some demonstrators were employing language borrowed from the republican handbook to demonise police and undermine the DUP through a call for direct rule from London. "All right-thinking unionists will want to channel their energies into political activity and to support the cause of finding political solutions to the problems that we face," Robinson said. "In Northern Ireland the ballot box has primacy and is the only vehicle for choosing the people's representatives." Police in east Belfast were dealing with serious public disorder in the Castlereagh Street and Templemore Avenue areas.

9 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

World

KING JUAN CARLOS URGES SPANIARDS TO STICK TOGETHER

Obama says US can’t afford more showdowns over debt and deficits By Jeff Mason

Juan Carlos, who turned 75 yesterday, has reigned for 37 years since the death of dictator Francisco Franco

Youth unemployment hurts me, says Spain’s king as he turns 75 By Clare Kane SPAIN’S King Juan Carlos I said he was worried about high youth unemployment and urged Spaniards to stick together to combat an economic crisis, in an interview to mark his 75th birthday after a year of scandal for the royal family. The king was widely respected for overseeing Spain’s transition to democracy in the 1970s but last year his popularity slumped after he was forced to apologise for going on an elephant hunting trip to Botswana as his country was mired in ﬁnancial crisis. The interview, broadcast on national television late on Friday, did not mention the trip or his son-in-law, who is

under investigation for embezzlement. The king spoke of his pain at Spain’s unemployment rate, which stands at 25 per cent. “The lack of work, which means millions of families cannot live with dignity and that young people have to leave Spain to ﬁnd whatever they can working abroad, that hurts us a lot, and it hurts me especially,” Juan Carlos said. More than half of young people in Spain are unemployed, owing to a sharp economic slowdown after the country’s decade-long real estate boom turned to bust ﬁve years ago. The royal family took a pay cut after Spain’s centre-right government introduced a new round of harsh austerity measures last summer.

But the king’s elephant hunting trip in April sat badly with Spaniards suffering the effects of the crisis. It was made public after he was ﬂown home for medical treatment. A poll published in El Mundo newspaper this week showed only 50 per cent of people considered his reign to have been “very good” or “good”, 26 percentage points lower than a year before. Catalonian leader Artur Mas is leading a separatist movement in the coastal region and has called for a referendum on independence. The king said in the interview he was concerned about “breakaway policies”. “At this point in time that’s not what is good for Spain,” he said. “Spain needs unity, for us to all to move towards

FRESH from the long legislative fight to prevent a ‘fiscal cliff’ of tax hikes and spending cuts, President Barack Obama (below) warned yesterday that the United States could not afford further budget showdowns this year or in the future. Obama, who returned to Hawaii for a family vacation shortly after the House of Representatives passed a compromise bill on Tuesday, said in his weekly radio and Internet address that the new law was just one step toward fixing the country’s fiscal and economic problems. “We still need to do more to put Americans back to work while also putting this country on a path to pay down its debt, and our economy can’t afford more protracted showdowns or manufactured crises along the way,” he said in the address, broadcast yesterday. “Because even as our businesses created 2 million new jobs last year - including 168,000 new jobs last month - the messy brinkmanship in Congress made business owners more uncertain and consumers less confident.” Government data released on Friday showed the U.S. unemployment rate remained at 7.8 per cent in December. Lawmakers in the Senate and the House passed legislation this week that raised tax rates for the wealthiest Americans while making

Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class permanent. It was a victory for Obama, who campaigned for re-election largely on a promise to achieve that goal. Republicans have indicated that they are ready for another fight over the U.S. debt ceiling. Representative Dave Camp, delivering his party’s weekly address, warned, at least indirectly, that they would expect spending cuts in return for raising the ceiling again. “Many of our Democrat colleagues just don’t seem to get it. Throughout the fiscal cliff discussions, the president and the Democrats who control Washington repeatedly refused to take any meaningful steps to make Washington live within its means,” Camp said. “As we turn our attention toward future discussions on the debt limit and the budget, we must identify responsible ways to tackle Washington’s wasteful spending.” Obama repeated that he would not negotiate on the debt ceiling, hoping to avoid the 2011 conflict that led to a credit rating downgrade and pushed the country close to default. “If Congress refuses to give the United States the ability to pay its bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy could be catastrophic,” he said. “Our families and our businesses cannot afford that dangerous game again.”

the future together.” Spanish media reported that a village in Catalonia had decided to remove the king’s name from a street last week. Juan Carlos, who turned 75 yesterday, has reigned for 37 years since the death of dictator Francisco Franco. He won respect from many Spaniards in 1981 when he publicly condemned an attempted coup.

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10 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World feature

Sex trade and drugs follow the money Down Under Music fans grumble about high ticket prices as rock acts also cash in on Australian boom time By James Grubel

ORGET Australia’s mining boom. The nation’s strong economy, high currency and wages have made it a magnet for sex, drugs and rock and roll. Foreign sex workers, drug smugglers and global rock acts are all targeting Australia to cash in on an economy growing at 3.1 per cent when other developed nations are struggling to expand at all. The alternative boom has emerged as Australian average fulltime wages hit $72,500 a year, and with the Australian dollar trading stubbornly above parity with the US dollar for the past two years. That has made Australia even more profitable for fly-in and flyout rock acts and prostitutes, and especially for drug traffickers who are taking bigger risks with the hope of windfall profits. “Offshore organised crime syndicates perceive Australia to have a robust economy and to have been less affected by the global financial

Bruce Springsteen and Pink, two of many acts heading to Australia this year

crisis than other jurisdictions,” said Paul Jevtovic, the Australian Crime Commission’s executive director of intervention and prevention. Australian police made 69,500 illicit drug busts in the year to June 30, 2012, the highest in a decade, and have made record arrests in the first six months of this financial year. In recent months, police have intercepted drugs hidden in a 20tonne steamroller and heavy machinery, in a large wooden altar, and they have broken up a drug ring involving smugglers in Australia, Japan and Vietnam. One of the biggest smuggling operations was a failed bid to bring in more than 200 kg of cocaine across the Pacific Ocean from Ecuador on a 13-metre yacht, found grounded on a small atoll in Tonga with a dead crewman aboard. Australian police, who work closely with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and authorities throughout Asia and the South Pacific, said the high prices paid in Australia and the strong dollar all helped make th the country attractive for smugglers. smuggler Crime statisti statistics show why some are willing to rrisk up to 20 years in prison.

A prostitute with condom handbag in Sydney, one of many Australian cities where there has been a marked rise in in the numbers of sex workers. In the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie in the Western Australia state, the Red House brothel (below), which has operated since 1934, advertises services starting at A$300 an hour The Australian Crime Commission, which examines trends and works closely with police agencies, said heroin and MDMA, also known as ecstasy, sell for about eight times more in Australia than in Britain and the United States, though Australia Au is a much smaller market. Crime C Commission data given to Reuters shows a kilogram of cocaine is worth about $2,400 in Colombia, $12,500 in Mexico, and $33,000 in tthe United States. The same kilogram of cocaine is worth $220 $220,000 in Australia. Once a remote destination for big rock a acts, Australia has been ﬂooded wi with talent over the past year and fa faces a steady stream of musicians, including heritage acts, in 2013. The stron strong dollar has made Australia the ideal id place to perform for musicians wanting to make money at a time w when touring rather than album sale sales is the main driver of income, with w many acts charging a premium p in a cashed-up econ economy. In the ﬁrst half of 2013, Au Australia will see tours by Br Bruce Springsteen, Pink, G Guns N’Roses, Ringo S Starr, ZZ Top, Thin Lizzy, tthe Steve Miller Band, Deep Purple, Santana, Status Quo, Robert Plant, Neil Young, Carole King, Paul Simon and Kiss. The high ticket prices have upset some fans, who question why an artist like Springsteen charges $220 for a premium ticket in Australia, when the same ticket to the same show in Connecticut in

October cost $90. “You can’t tell me it costs more than double per head to stage a concert here in Australia,” said music fan Robin Pash, who has just returned from the United States, where he saw Springsteen and a series of acts for what would be considered bargain prices. Entertainment journalist Jonathon Moran, however, said the higher prices reflected the higher cost in Australia, although Australia’s strong dollar did make it more attractive to perform down under. “More people want to come here, and Australian audiences are comparatively well off and can afford the tickets,” Moran, from Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph, told Reuters. Sex workers are also cashing in on the boom, particularly in remote mining towns, where the world’s oldest profession is the latest to adopt fly-in, fly-out work practices. And more overseas sex workers are heading for Australia. A 2012 report for the government in the most populous state, New South Wales, found a marked rise in the number of female sex

workers from Thailand, Korea and China since 2006, with 53 per cent of sex workers from Asia and a further 13.5 per cent from other nonEnglish-speaking countries. The report, by the University of New South Wales, found a median hourly rate of A$150 for sex services in Australia’s largest city of Sydney, although sex workers can charge double that in remote mining towns full of cashed up men. In the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie in the Western Australia state, the Red House brothel, which has operated since 1934, advertises services starting at A$300 an hour. Proprietor Bruna Meyers said women in her establishment earned up to A$4,000 a week at a busy time, or about three times the average full-time Australian wage. “The girls who come here are mainly from over east (eastern Australian states). They come in, sometimes for two or three weeks at a time. Some are just girls who are travelling around the world,” Meyers told Reuters.

11 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

News Review Good Samaritans CYPRUS Samaritans have expanded their services to cope with the growing number of people needing someone to talk to. The Paphos-based volunteer organisation is now offering a free helpline number, which can be accessed from all over the island, has opened a new listening centre in Limassol and has expanded into email and social media in order to reach more people. In the past year or so, the Samaritans have seen the biggest increase in the number of people contacting them via email.

BoC not selling BANK OF Cyprus CEO Yiannis Kypri has denied press reports that the group plans to sell its Greek operations. He was commenting on reports that the Nomura Group, a Japanese financial services conglomerate, has approached the Central Bank governor with an offer to purchase the Greecebased operations of the three Cypriot banks, which collectively account for around 12 per cent of the banking market in Greece. Kypri said the island’s largest lender has “reconfirmed” its longstanding policy on maintaining a presence in Greece, and that it aims to return its Greek operations to profit.

ELAM candidate NATIONALIST group ELAM is ﬁelding its own candidate to contest the general elections in February. Earlier this week ELAM (National Popular Front) said Georgios Charalambous would run for president in the February elections. Explaining its move, the outﬁt said none of their “thousands of supporters” felt represented by the other candidates. Born in 1966, Charalambous hails from the village of Lymbia, and has been a member of ELAM since its inception in 2008.

Car owners ﬁll up with petrol on Thursday ahead of the start of what was expected to be an indeﬁnite strike by petrol stations (Christos Theodorides)

Queueing and elections just days after the president and archbishop stood side by side at the Nicosia hospital calling for greater optimism from the people. The latest spat began on New Year’s Day when Archbishop Chrysostomos II bemoaned the fact that no government representative showed up to the special service held at St Ioannis Church at the Archbishopric to welcome in the New Year. The government says it wasn’t invited.

‘In no mood’

Stabbed to death

PRESIDENT Demetris Christoﬁas said on Wednesday he had no intention of privatising semi-state companies as part of a bailout deal as he blamed the former Central Bank governor once more for the island’s predicament. The president, who will not be seeking reelection in February, blamed the banks for Cyprus’ economic woes and former CB governor Athanasios Orphanides, whom he accused yet again of lax supervision. Christoﬁas repeated that he did not intend to privatise semi-state organisations as part of the bailout deal.

A 34-YEAR-OLD man was found stabbed to death on the pavement in a residential area of Polemidia in Limassol at 8.15pm on New Year’s Day, police said on Wednesday. Yiannis Christodoulou aka ‘Foxy’ was found next to his car with the ignition still running when police arrived on the scene after residents called about hearing a heated argument. According to eye-witness reports, Christodoulou from Trachoni in Limassol, was cut off in his car by two men in another vehicle. He was forced out of his car and the three began arguing, police said. In the ensuing scufﬂe, the two perpetrators stabbed Christodoulou with a sharp object, believed by police to be a knife.

Needs covered FINANCE Minister Vassos Shiarly said on Wednesday the state’s ﬁnancing needs were covered until March pending ﬁnalisation of a bailout agreement with international lenders. Speaking on state radio, the minister said plans have been drafted so that the new government that will take over after February’s election will have the necessary funds to cover March. Last month, the government warned public organisations that it was just days away from defaulting in a bid to convince them to lend the state some €240 million.

Voter dash HUNDREDS OF Cypriots made last minute applications on Wednesday to become eligible to vote in next month’s presidential elections. According to head of the Interior Ministry’s Electoral Service, Demetris Demetriou, the number of people who registered on the electoral roll in the last ﬁve days equalled the tally collected for the last three months. The elections will be held on February 17.

Church-state CHURCH AND state are once again at loggerheads over who’s more pitiful,

Cyprus beat out Britain and France, coming in 23rd place in a list of 80 countries ranked according to whether they were a good place for a child to be born in 2013

Diabetes rate

‘Turning page’

OVER 34,000 people in Cyprus - most over the age of 60 - may have diabetes and not know it, the international diabetes federation (IDF) has said. A total of 83,810 people aged between 20 and 79 in Cyprus are thought to have some kind of diabetes, according to the 2012 IDF diabetes atlas. But around one third do not become aware of it until four to seven years after the onset of the disease. The majority of diabetics are men. The IDF estimates that there are 34,490 people aged between 60 and 79 who have undiagnosed diabetes.

THIS YEAR will be full of challenges, Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades said on Thursday, with the need to successfully implement the bailout adjustment programme taking centre stage. Successful implementation of the adjustment programme would secure the stability of the island’s banking system, which is currently going through severe turbulence due to its exposure to Greece, the governor said. “Our aim is for a banking system based on solid foundations,” Demetriades told reporters. Demetriades, who took over at the helm of the Central Bank early last year, struck a note of optimism about the future of the sector.

Grovelling THE GOVERNMENT had to eat crow on Wednesday over the Larnaca airport diplomatic fiasco that threatened to stain bilateral relations with Egypt over security checks on a diplomat’s boots. Upon instructions of President Demetris Christofias, Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis apologised for the incident at Larnaca airport last Saturday which saw Egyptian ambassador to Cyprus, Menha Mahrous Bakhoum, swear at and slap a police officer, claiming she was the victim of humiliating verbal and physical abuse by police duty officers.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK “Since the economic crisis took hold, we are receiving more calls from people who are losing their jobs; needing places to stay and are worried about money. People are really suffering from a lack of money and we are being contacted by people of all ages” Sally Unsworth, Director of the Cyprus Samaritans “Until the government nment decides to put a hold on the issuing of licences to petrol etrol stations we will be forced d to take action” Deputy head off the Petrol Station Owners ners Association, Stathis Spartiatis “The vast majority ty of travel in Cyprus takes place e on the roads, you would think the government would get a grip”” A driver commenting on the e petrol strike

“Fortunately, some MPs, the army and police came, mitigating somewhat the shame of the present government. They are for pitying. They get what they deserve” Archbishop Chrysostomos about the government’s absence from a New Year service “The Primate of the Church cannot be excluded from this group of g entrepreneurs and bankers. And ba I say this fully conscious of cons what I am saying” Christoﬁas “Even if th they shouldn’t have asked her to take boots, is off her bo any way to that an react, swearing react and hitting at an police ofap cer?” ﬁc Police source on ‘airport slap’ ffurore

“Unfortunately, once again, Cypriots have shown they like to do things at the last minute. Suffice to say the number of applications (to register on the electoral roll) we’ve received in the last five days are equal to those collected in the previous three months” Head of the Interior Ministry’s Electoral Service, Demetris Demetriou “I am in a position to say today that the banking sector is turning the page. The Central Bank is looking ahead and is optimistic about the future… but at the same time it seeks to identify past mistakes so that they will not be repeated” Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades “I hope… they do not ask us to also privatise semi-state organisations because if they do - I am making it clear – I am in no mood to proceed with such a step as president of the Republic” President Demetris Christofias

A great place CYPRUS beat out Britain and France, coming in 23rd place in a list of 80 countries ranked according to whether they were a good place for a child to be born in 2013. The ‘where-to-be-born’ index was ﬁrst compiled a quarter of a century ago by the Economist Intelligence Unit as a light-hearted project but it says it has now earnestly calculated where would be best to be born in 2013. The quality-of-life index links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys - how happy people say they are - to objective determinants of the quality of life across countries. Being rich helps more than anything else, but it is not all that counts - things like crime and trust in public institutions matter too, it said.

Stations reopen PETROL station owners on Friday called off an indefinite Cyprus-wide strike after the interior minister agreed to review and impose stricter restrictions on licences for new stations. The petrol station owners want to restrict the number of petrol stations – they say there are over 300 – so they can remain viable. On Thursday afternoon they announced an all-out indefinite strike after their peers in the Famagusta district shut down shop because a licence was issued for a new petrol station on the Paralimni-Ayia Napa road. Motorists formed queues to fill up their tanks on Thursday night but operators stopped their plans on Friday afternoon, when interior minister Eleni Mavrou met with them and agreed to review 29 licences issued over the past two years.

12 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Opinion

The most low-key elections in Cyprus history IT IS VERY difﬁcult to believe that presidential elections are a little over a month away. In past elections, the campaigning was in full swing a few weeks before the vote and we saw and heard nothing other than the candidates and their spokesmen. They would be on all television stations, on the radio shows, the front pages of the newspapers and staring out of hundreds of bill-boards. Normally, a few weeks before the vote, the campaigning would already have reached the stage of overkill. Things are very different this time and the 2013 elections are set to go down as the most lowkey in history. The candidates might be campaigning but nobody is paying them any attention, their activities and soundbites given little prominence by the media which remain ﬁrmly focused on the woes of the economy and the bailout. This is to be expected as people are much more interested in whether our debt would be sustainable and how it would impact their

standard of living if it were not, than in the cheap slogans and big promises of the candidates. Attempts by the candidates to attract attention by taking stands on the bailout and the recession have also failed to work. Hardly surprising when we consider what they have been saying. AKEL’s candidate Stavros Malas declared a few weeks ago that he would never sign a second bailout if this was demanded by the troika. In the last week, independent candidate Giorgos Lillikas came up with the following gem: “I pledge that if citizens honour me with their vote, I would work so that in 2013 Cyprus would be released from the memorandum of the troika.” He would achieve this through some naive plan to monetise the country’s hydrocarbon prospects. The DISY-DIKO candidate, Nicos Anastassiades, has taken a more pragmatic line on the bailout, avoiding the electioneering excesses of his rivals.

SundayMail He even took the bold step of writing to the president, when the latter was dithering over the bailout, applying pressure on him to give his consent. This has already been used against Anastassiades, AKEL accusing him of siding with the troika at a time when the president was ﬁghting for a better deal. No doubt it will be brought up again in the scheduled televised debates of the three candidates which might eventually breathe some life into the campaign. There is a strong possibility that the memorandum would not be signed by the elections, scheduled for February 17, which could make it the only topic of debate in the ﬁnal weeks of the campaign. This would be a far from desirable development as some of the candidates could try to win

votes by adopting anti-bailout rhetoric. Lillikas took a firm stand against the bailout before it was eventually agreed without attracting much support according to opinion polls. Malas, on the other hand, could be asked by his backers AKEL to adopt a negative approach also if it becomes apparent that the new president would have to sign the bailout and Christofias would be spared this political humiliation. The troika could ensure against the electoral exploitation of the bailout by insisting that all presidential candidates gave their written consent to it. It did this in Greece, making an expected release of funds conditional on having the written consent of the then opposition leader and current prime minister Antonis Samaras. The same should be done here as soon as final amounts are decided and the Euro group approves the memorandum. No candidate would refuse to give his written consent to a bailout if he were

held personally responsible for failure to finalise the deal. Ideally, all the candidates and parties backing them should avoid big words and promises about the bailout, even though they would find this very difficult if the troika insists, as seems almost certain, on the privatisation of semi-governmental organisations. Like the president, all candidates have stated they would not accept the selling off of SGOs. What would happen if the issue came up just a couple of weeks before the elections, giving Christofias an excuse not to sign the memorandum? Would the candidates put the national interest first and agree not to oppose the proposal, or would some be tempted to take a hard line for electoral purposes? We can only hope that a sense of responsibility would be shown by all, because an election victory secured with an anti bailout stand would be a crushing defeat for the country.

Letters to the Editor

Every Christmas it’s the same old story with post By December 27 I had only received three Christmas cards in the post. Mentioning this to various friends over Christmas we soon found out that many other British foreign residents in Paphos and also in Limassol experienced the same phenomenon. It is very sad that foreigners who look forward to hearing from both family and friends both in the UK and other overseas regions which seem to include not just the UK, but also Australia, Canada, USA and Europe were all saying that they had received little of their Christmas mail, including both letters, Christmas cards and parcels. I have read in your paper that the post ofﬁce here in Cyprus have been receiving more mail than usual,

but don’t they expect this to happen? Why is it that they were complaining about an increased workload and even having to lift 30kg mail bags? Is this not a part of their job description? If they didn’t have time to deliver post to the regional post offices before December 24, why were they rewarded with a week’s Christmas holiday plus presumably their 13th salary? I went into my local post office in Paphos. I was told we may expect delivery of our post after January 10. This seems ludicrous and quite unacceptable. Regardless of this year’s mail delivery fiasco could any lessons be learnt to avoid this happening again next Christmas?

There is no real logic to denying us the vote For some weeks I have been receiving emailed promotional pamphlets from DISY illustrating Mr Anastasiades looking suitably presidential. Although I wrote to him explaining that we expatriates have no vote in the forthcoming election I also asked if he would support a campaign to alter this situation. I continue to be sent his Greek language leaﬂets and despite many appeals for him to express his opinion about widening the voting franchise he has yet to respond. All my perfectly civil correspondence has remained unanswered and ignored - the usual discourteous and infuriating tactic from much of Cypriot ofﬁcialdom when it doesn’t want to be held to account. Other examples include property mat-

ters and the decade-long struggle for a crematorium. These are primarily expatriate interests and, despite our contribution, successive governments have largely brushed them aside. Why? Because we have no political leverage, and this must change. Last October 7 you published a letter from me in which I explained that the 300,000 Greek Cypriots resident in the UK have the right to vote in all UK elections (conﬁrmed by the UK’s Electoral Commission), providing the voter registers his or her intention, and irrespective of their length of stay or its purpose. It seemed to me resident expatriates in Cyprus might expect a reciprocal arrangement. We pay our taxes here; we are subject to the same political measures and requirements as every other

citizen, and there is no real logic in denying us the vote. According to the British High Commission, campaigns in exactly this respect in other EU countries have been waged. But although Cyprus is not being unduly discriminatory, it is nevertheless not disposed to have the issue discussed. Why not? And why is Mr Anastasiades so coy and unforthcoming in terms of stating his position on this topic? It could be to his advantage. He is a shoo-in for the presidency in February, and setting legislation in process to allow the expatriate vote could be a very popular early measure with the 10% of our population currently disenfranchised.

Whatever happened to the idea of ‘waste not want not’?

Disgusted with post office I am writing to say how disgusted we were with the postal service over Christmas. On December 21 we received notice that the parcel we have been waiting for had arrived. It contained the presents for our grandson in Nicosia. As the post office in Kiti was not open that afternoon, or on Saturday, December 22, we said we will pick it up on Christmas Eve, only to find that the post office was closed all day and would not be opened again until Thursday December 27. Christmas Eve is the busiest day of the year for post and yet post offices are shut? Can the government not see this is why the country is in such a mess and only thinks of itself and not the people it is supposed to represent? Peter Smith, Kiti

eat meat, let’s use every edible scrap of it and save other animals from being slaughtered to feed dogs and cats. We should also modernise all our abattoirs to process the animal organs that are rich in proteins. Dogs eating meat from supermarkets that is only a few days past its sellby date is not harmful to them and so we must not apply human standards of hygiene to dogs. Without doubt, animal care organisations will shortly feel the pinch from the cash crisis and should be trusted to buy or be given all the off cuts and

Much conflicting history about the Cyprus problem

the outdated meats, hams tinned foods and anything else dogs or cats can eat. My New Year’s wish is that we should all contact our political party candidates to ask for a change in the law to stop wasting what can be used to save animals from the death sentence due to people having money problems and being unable to feed them. The politicians must also demand that the police enforce the law for hunters to have all their hunting dogs chipped and registered or be heavily ﬁned.

After reading the article ‘No longer ‘traitors’ to the EOKA cause’, and the comments on the online Cyprus Mail, it has really saddened me to read of the hatred and fear that was abound during the mid-1950s then on through the 60s to the 1974 Turkish invasion. I, like countless others Greek Cypriots / Turkish Cypriots and British citizens are wondering what really happened during this period of time. A lot has been written and said about these eras but a lot of the books and stories are conﬂicting, thus confusing people as to what the real truth is, therefore harbouring a lot of hatred and fear.

N. Davies Nicosia

Frederick Dallas, Avgorou

D. Gallanders, Paphos My wife now feeds over 20 stray (rat controlling) cats and at times also the hunting dogs roaming the forest nearby that are discarded by ‘animal loving’ hunters when the hunting season is over. Can anyone explain why supermarkets have been prohibited from giving away or selling the off cuts from meat that is unﬁt for human consumption? Where we used to be given chickens and others meats removed from the cold display cabinets because the sell-by date was about to expire, we now have to buy expensive cat food. Surely if we must kill to

Clive Turner, Paphos.

Want to send a letter? You can send letters to the Cyprus Mail by email, fax or post. Letters should include a full postal address (an email address is not sufﬁcient), a daytime telephone number and a reference to the relevant article. A name and address may be withheld from publication if circumstances warrant. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Correspondence will be published at the discretion of the editor. Management is under no obligation to inform readers if, when or where their letters will appear.

13 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

Opinion

Our very future is at stake A re-examination of the recapitalisation needs of the banks and co-ops and debt viability is absolutely crucial Comment Athanasios Orphanides

VEN THOUGH the government spokesman has recently demanded that I refrain from making public statements I feel that I have a duty towards my fellow citizens to inform them about how crucial the next few weeks are and what exactly is at stake. The events of the past few months are well known. The public debt during this government’s term has become unsustainable due to the excessive increase of the state’s expenditure and its undertaking of non-productive future expenditure. This conclusion can be drawn from the recent report of the European Commission’s (Fiscal Sustainability Report 2012). The AKEL government lost its trustworthiness and from May 2011 was unable to borrow from international markets, well before the banking crisis. That is before the Greek government bond haircut but also before the Mari disaster that plunged our economy further into recession. The state’s untrustworthiness, along with the decision taken by President Christoﬁas and the other European leaders to proceed with the Greek haircut in October 2011 resulted in the need for temporary state aid for Laiki Bank in May 2012. Despite this, the whole situation was in fact manageable. With the correct handling by the government and the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC), handling that included the implementation of commitments already undertaken by the government and minor spend-

ing cuts, the government could have regained its trustworthiness and, with the help of the European Central Bank (ECB), have avoided the support mechanism. Unfortunately, instead of this, it opted for a different course of action. Instead of taking fiscal consolidation measures to avoid the troika, the government along with the CBC, focused all their efforts on a communications game that involved slandering the banks, both in Cyprus and abroad, in order to divert public attention from the real issues at stake. As a result, before the end of July 2012, Cyprus became the first country in history from which the ECB did not accept government bonds as security for drawing of liquidity by banks. This development forced the government to invite the troika. The result was that before the end of 2012, after the oral and written ultimatum by the ECB, painful measures were imposed by the government. However instead of trying to restrict the negative consequences of the troika for the country, the government, together with the Central Bank, continued targeting the banking sector, thus putting our economy in even greater danger. A fiscal consolidation programme would have meant a loan of €7 to €8 billion. It was however convenient for AKEL’s propaganda purposes for the CBC to come up with capital ‘requirements’ for the banks that were even bigger, probably in the region of €10 billion. The swelling of the final amount for the ‘requirements’ of the banks, started from June, through, among other things, changing the methodology for calculating the nonperforming loans (NPLs) and provisions for possible future losses as well as excessively pessimistic projections for the future course of the economy.

The swelling of the ﬁgures regarding the capital needs of the banks will have serious effects Even if these changes, that were either suggested or agreed to by the CBC, served AKEL’s communication strategy for a few months, the consequences for the country would be catastrophic and irreversible. The swelling of the ﬁgures regarding the capital needs of the banks will have serious effects. First, if implementation of the same methodology used for the banks is used to calculate the NPLs of co-operative banks then this will result in the latter requiring billions of euros in aid, something that will put them at immediate risk. Second, when the €10 billion required for the supposed recapitalisation of the banks is added to the €7 to €8 billion required by the government for its immediate budgetary needs, the debt of the

Cyprus Republic will immediately be deemed unviable, even after austerity measures have been taken. As a result, the troika will not only demand the sale of state assets, but the mortgaging of future resources, the restructuring of the state’s obligations and much more. These developments would be a fatal blow to Cyprus as an international ﬁnancial centre. This will result in the loss of thousands of jobs and the destruction of our economy. Third, questions about the viability of the debt puts at risk the national sovereignty of Cyprus. These disastrous consequences for Cyprus should and could be avoided. The sustainability of the debt should be ensured without question. The CBC should take the lead in preventing the destruc-

tion of the Cyprus ﬁnancial sector. Methodology changes, evaluations and ‘admissions’ that bloat the ﬁgures for the supposed capital needs of the co-ops and banks should not be accepted. In this context, I welcome the decision by the House Finance Committee to discuss ways of ensuring the sustainability of the debt as well as to re-examine the capital needs of both the co-ops and banks. I sincerely hope that the CBC will secure the necessary changes in the terms of reference that would bring the desired result for the country, because the economy of our country is a national cause. Athanasios Orphanides is a former governor of the Central Bank

Swansong scales new heights of absurdity Comment Loucas Charalambous WHENEVER we hear the statements made by President Christofias and AKEL’s top brass we become confused. We form the impression that either we are living in another country or that they are addressing people in another country. The only sure thing is that they could not be in Cyprus, addressing Cypriots and talking such incoherent nonsense. Christofias, reaching new heights of the irrationality that has marked his words and deeds for a long time now, came up with another classic a few days ago - he was leaving office, proud of his achievements. During the traditional cutting of the ‘vasilopitta’ at AKEL HQ, he said: “We leave, proud of our

services to the Cypriot people. The government has managed to safeguard the rights and conquests of working people as well as issues relating to the sovereignty of the state during discussions with the troika.” It takes a lot of nerve for someone leaving the presidency of a country that has gone bankrupt to feel proud of this achievement; this is probably the most insane statement ever made by a head of state. All our politicians talk nonsense, but this is in another league, as it crosses the boundaries of absurdity. It would be very interesting if the president informed us which achievements he felt proud of on leaving ofﬁce. The ﬁrst thing that springs to mind of most people that heard him would have been the Mari disaster in which 13 people lost

their lives and a power station was blown to bits causing losses of €1 billion to the economy. And all this because of the sick obstinacy of Christoﬁas who insisted on the ‘safe’ keeping of vast quantities of explosives for the sake of a bloodthirsty tyrant, in order to get one over the Americans and satisfy his ‘anti-imperialist’ prejudices. And he cannot be proud of the stench left by the scandals that decorated his presidency. He was personally responsible for some, as the heroes of these were his personal choices - friends and close associates at the presidential palace or the attorney-general’s ofﬁce. We all remember the case of the tooth implants of his personal appointee, deputy Attorney-general Akis Papasavvas that were paid for by the taxpayer and whom the president

publicly defended. Then there were the rampant rousfeti orders which were being sent out from the PCs of his associates and the AKEL leader. Was it these cases that made him proud and allowed him to leave office with his “head held high”? A president with so many embarrassments on his record should not leave with his “head held high” but with it hanging down in shame. The best thing is that the president has an appetite for black humour now that he is leaving. In five years he almost doubled the foreign debt, squandering the borrowed money on provocative payments and benefits in the belief that this would buy votes for his re-election. Yet even though he will be leaving with his tail between his legs, he said he felt proud because he safeguarded the “rights and

conquests of the working people”. Was it the “conquests” of the 55,000 people who lost their jobs that he safeguarded? And what of the tens of thousands who saw their wages and pensions drastically cut under his presidency? Did he safeguard their “rights” as well? All this has nothing to do with the banks and the bankers, whom he wants to burden with his own unforgivable sins, as if their own blunders were not enough. Finally, we should not say anything about the Cyprus problem, about which the “solution president” thought he was fooling everyone for five years. Departing from office he leaves partition so firmly cemented, that not even the most powerful pneumatic drill could crack it.

14 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Opinion A personal brush with death for a man forced into the Greek private healthcare system

Six days in a hell-hole heart of darkness Comment Hermes Solomon

OW BADLY have repeated troika austerity measures affected the average Greek? We know standards of living there for the majority have fallen well below what they were three years ago, many tentatively employed at the inception of the first round of measures now finding themselves both on the dole and breadline. A university professor’s salary cut from 2800 euros a month to 800 during this past two years is just one example of troika driven impoverishment. It is often claimed with considerable bitterness that this worldwide economic crisis has hit the middle and lower classes hard, leaving the rich to get ‘filthier’, but I do wonder whether that is entirely the case. This last August, Brian’s 75 foot yacht was moored in an idyllic bay situated off the island of Samos (population 34,000, the ninth most populous of the Greek islands with a land area of 477 square kilometres, a twentieth that of Cyprus and within easier swimming distance of mainland Turkey) when, at midday, he dove from it into the sparkling Aegean to cool down. As those of us who own yachts and sail the Greek islands every summer know, there is a wind that blows down from the north called the Meltemi, and it was blowing hard when Brian climbed back on deck. Rather than shower, towel off and slip into an Armani robe, mix a vodka Martini, light an Abdullah and twist it into his Dunhill cigarette holder, he stood instead chatting on deck with guests, wearing only his 70-year-old birthday suit, manly but not an unexpectedly pretty or sensible sight. That night, he came down with what at first seemed like a fever, yet was eventually diagnosed as pneumonia by the island’s only

week-end available doctor, a retired Russian lady living in a hideaway cottage in the hills, who the yacht’s Greek captain had miraculously found and forcibly fetched to the master’s cabin. Brian was immediately transferred to the island’s only operational clinic, where the captain was requested to supply Brian’s bed linen, food and water. He was plugged into several drips containing a cocktail of antibiotics, which serve no purpose if the infection is viral, not bacteriological. A suddenly ‘emotionally disturbed man’, he was left alone in 35 degrees of oppressive heat to vegetate, sat upright in a corner perspiring, staring at icons and struggling to clear phlegm from his wheezing chest. So delirious was he that he fantasised he’d been infected with Trypanosomes (parasitic single cell animals) transmitted by the tsetse fly, and was being held against his will in a field hospital in deepest, darkest Africa. Six days into this hell-hole heart of darkness, the captain began to worry not only for Brian’s life but his own livelihood. He ordered an air ambulance at a cost of 5000 euros, paid the miserable clinic’s extortionate bill of another 5000 euros and delivered the yacht’s master to an Athens clinic, where Brian remained for 21 days in a state of stupor and semi-consciousness, plugged in to yet more antibiotic drips, whereupon a doctor informed Brian during one of his more lucid moments that he had a couple of partially blocked heart valves. Ahead of sailing from Cyprus (Brian’s permanent residence) to Samos, a Nicosia haematologist had prescribed a combination of drugs to combat liver disorders, (Brian not unknown to drink a bottle of Bordeaux for lunch and another for supper). Unfortunately, these drugs had the side effect of suppressing Brian’s immune system, ergo the eponymous viral infection not unsurprisingly developing into pneumonia, leaving him fatally unfit for heart surgery. The captain yet again took matters into his own hands and, after paying a further 11,000 euros to the Athens clinic, flew Brian to London, where he was admitted immediately into the only specialist heart clinic out of six prepared to ‘attempt’ to save his life.

A fancy yacht in the idyllic bay off the island of Samos won’t necessarily save you Excellent intensive care and ﬁfty thousand pounds, a double heart by-pass and four weeks later, Brian was home and dry at his ‘second residence’ in Wales. Had Brian been Greek, poor and struck down with pneumonia, he’d now be dead given the present state of Greek healthcare services. Private clinics are now under threat of bankruptcy and closure in all of our major towns (not just Paphos), and public health nurses are demonstrating outside the Health Ministry against cut backs in stafﬁng numbers - falling healthcare standards in Cyprus are inevitable. Unacceptably long queues are forming at the Nicosia General Hospital, where treatment and drug prescription is becoming increasingly rudimentary and cost conscious. Health cards are being denied to many EU and third world employees whose bosses duck paying social charges. The Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Nicosia claims a ‘yellow slip’ now costs 200 euros - the state ex-

torting any which way to ﬁll empty tills. Paucity will cut across all public and private service sectors in Cyprus once the troika have ﬁnished with us (if ever they do?) unless we introduce cuts from the top down instead of from the bottom up, this being the only way to save jobs and halt rising unemployment and misery for the masses. Cynics among you might think the yacht’s captain, being Greek, received a handsome rake off from both Greek clinics. How dare you! Brian insists that he was never so emotionally disturbed as to let go of his wallet, and that his yacht’s six year captain is a totally trustworthy man. Last November, there were a total of 9,548 calls made to the NYPD by ‘emotionally disturbed persons’, 33 per cent due to the after effects of last October’s ‘Hurricane Sandy’. What percentage can we expect in Cyprus due to the after effects of this January’s ‘Hurricane Troika’? Icons a plenty we already have…

Tempting peace dividend of a settlement Comment Ozay Mehmet WITH a new year come hopes of better things. Topping my list of those ‘things’ would be an agreed settlement in Cyprus. The peace dividend would be huge and perfect for a cashstrapped south and a north dependent on Ankara, as well as for Greece and Turkey. Imagine a united Cyprus at the centre of a region of cooperation involving energy, water, tourism, higher education. The list goes on. A reunited Cyprus would be an economic magnet: billions would come ﬂowing in to develop and market offshore gas, shipped to markets in the West via Turkish pipelines. Plentiful water supplies from Anamur in southern Turkey would start reaching the island, with electricity not far behind. On offer are economies of scale, lower

costs and more competitiveness. There is so much more. Turkish tourists would help to ﬁll hotels in the south and tourist trafﬁc would head the other way; goods from both sides of the current green line would be in stores and would help reduce the cost of living for consumers. Of course, all this assumes rational behaviour by all Cypriots in order to optimise their own interests. And therein lies the biggest obstacle.

RATIONALITY Recent history is sadly not on the side of rationality as neither the Right [Denktash/Clerides] nor the Left [Christoﬁas/Talat] have succeeded in removing division. Can both sides listen to reason? Mr Alexander Downer, the UN Special Representative, is probably the best hope. Can he pull off a miracle at the 11th hour? Downer is currently on tour trying to drum up sup-

port for a ﬁve-party conference (three guarantor powers plus the two Cypriot communities). Both sides have a lot to gain from a breakthrough. With a colossal debt overhang, the Greek Cypriots have no better option than investing in a settlement. The troika can provide encouragement, but it is up to everyone concerned. Over the next six months, two alternative options spring to mind: Option A: Power sharing based on a new plan leading to a United Republic of Cyprus. However, after living apart for nigh on half a century, this no longer seems to be a realistic option. Option B: Two microstates loosely tied in a soft federation. Each microstate would have its own public debt and budget and retain residual powers. There would be much to share through co-operation agreements regarding environment, crime, offshore resources, EU, etc.

Shared development of offshore energy would be one way to settle land and property issues, probably the single most contentious problem. Turkish Cypriots could use their share of revenues from hydrocarbons in order to settle the balance owing on land and property. The EU would welcome a Cyprus settlement with open arms as it would normalise its relations with Ankara and enable the EU to play a more constructive role in the Eastern Mediterranean. The permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as the Secretary General would be delighted to see the Cyprus problem resolved at last. The question that remains is this. Do the Cypriots have the will to opt for rationality and go for those huge peace dividends?

A reunited Cyprus would be an economic magnet: billions would come ﬂowing in to develop and market offshore gas

Ozay Mehmet is Professor Emeritus of International Affairs and Economics at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

15 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

Opinion The original error is the belief that ‘fracking’ has fundamentally transformed the energy situation of the United States

uotes of the week “Gluttony and idleness are two of life’s great joys, but they are not honourable”. Commentator Julie Burchill “I would be vile. I have no time for people who think they can cut corners - for people who think they can be better dancers in three weeks than a dancer of 20 years”. Top ballerina Tamara Rojo, artistic director of English National Ballet, admitting she would not have the patience to be a judge on Strictly Come Dancing

Comment Gwynne Dyer

HICH of the following statements is true? The United States now has a 100-year supply of natural gas, thanks to the miracle of shale gas. By 2017 it will once again be the world’s biggest oil producer. By 2035 it will be entirely “energy-independent”, and free in particular from its reliance on Middle Eastern oil. Unless you’ve been dead for the past couple of years, you’ve been hearing lots of enthusiastic forecasts like this, but not one of them is true. They are generally accompanied by sweeping predictions about geopolitics that are equally misleading, at least insofar as they depend on assumptions about cheap and plentiful supplies of shale gas and other forms of “unconventional” oil and gas. For example, we are assured that the United States, no longer dependent on Arab oil, will break its habit of intervening militarily in the Middle East, since what happens there will no longer matter to Washington. But this new era of cheap and plentiful energy from fossil fuels will also result, alas, in sky-high greenhouse gas emissions and runaway global warming. These statements are also untrue, at least in the formulation given above, since they are based on quite mistaken assumptions. The original error, on which most of the others are based, is the belief that “fracking” - hydraulic fracturing of underground formations of shale rock to release the gas trapped within them - has fundamentally transformed the energy situation of the United States. Huge amounts are being invested in the newer shale plays like the Eagle Ford formation in Texas and the Marcellus in Pennsylvania, but the numbers just don’t add up. Production of shale gas has soared in the United States (still the home to most shale plays) in the past ten years, but it is only compensating for the decline in conventional gas production in the same period. Moreover, while the operators’ calculations assume a forty-year productive lifetime for the average shale gas well, the real number is turning out to be around five to seven years. That means that in the older shale plays they have to drill like crazy just to maintain current production - and since drilling is very expensive, they aren’t making a profit. As Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson told a private meeting four months ago: “We’re making no money. It’s all in the red.” They are hoping to make a profit, of course, once the gas price recovers from the ridiculous level of $2 per

An anti-fracking demonstation in Delaware in the United States

Fracking is just another energy myth million BTU that it fell to in 2009, when a great many people believed this really was a miracle. $4 per million BTU would do it for most operators, and even the highest-cost ones would be making a proﬁt at $7. But it’s clear that shale gas is no miracle that will provide ultra-cheap fossil fuel for the next 100 years. In that case, the prediction that the United States will be the world’s biggest oil producer by 2017 is nonsense. Even on an ultra-optimistic estimate of how much “unconventional oil” it can eventually get out of the shale formations, it will still be importing a large proportion of its oil in 2035. At the peak of US oil production, in 1970, it produced 10.6 million barrels per day. It currently produces 9.6 million barrels per day, and consumes 21 million bpd. It is preposterous to argue that it can close that gap by coming up with another 11 million bpd of unconventional oil at an economically viable price. “Energy independence”, if it ever comes to the United States, is likelier to come from a combination of conservation measures (like President Obama’s regulation that will almost double the fuel efﬁciency of American-built cars by 2016) and an increased emphasis on renewables (wind, solar, etc.).

And the whole Middle Eastern business is a red herring, because the United States does not depend heavily on Middle Eastern oil. Most US oil imports come from the Western hemisphere (Canada, Mexico, Venezuela) or from Africa (Nigeria, Algeria, Angola). Only 15 per cent of its oil comes from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, and virtually none from anywhere else in the Gulf. Whatever America’s various wars in the region may have been about, they were not about “security of oil supply”. Which leaves the business about shale gas and oil pushing the world’s greenhouse gas emissions over the top. They can’t do that, because we are already over the top. We need only continue on our present course, without any growth in “unconventional” oil and gas production, and we will be irrevocably committed to 2 degrees C of warming (3.5 degrees F) within ten years. Within 25 years we will be committed to +4 degrees C (7 degrees F). So why are we fed a daily diet of misinformation about energy in general, and shale gas in particular? Because a lot of people have something to sell. Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.

“Every time I walk on the diving board I am terriﬁed. Every single time. Terriﬁed. I can’t look down because it is so high”. Olympic diver Tom Daley

“You see him on TV chewing gum and you think there is not much to him, but he is very much 3D”. Sculptor Philip Jackson on Sir Alex Ferguson the Manchester United manager

to its maker. Whether or not you want to talk about God, you can’t help but stand back and admire what humans can achieve in pursuit of transcendence”. Rowan Williams, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury

“Had to go back to bed. Glitter make-up still on but seeing double”. Liz Hurley’s New Year celebrations “Has anyone tried to break into a toothbrush lately?” Sir Terry Wogan on hardto-open packaging “Who would have thought that the groping, shell-suited gargoyle could have possibly destroyed the mood of an entire nation at the same time as single-handedly nearly destroying the BBC?” Entertainer and writer David Baddiel on the effect of the unearthing of the Jimmy Savile scandal last year

“Once she is in a row, she is in it for the duration, and what she usually does is end the relationship. She used to do it twice a week, but now it is only twice a month. I think she has got departure fatigue”. Entertainer Frank Skinner, who says he has trained up his once “passive” partner Cath to be a “champion arguer”

“The worst thing you can ever do is tell your children they can sing”. Pub Landlord comedian Al Murray

“Canterbury is much more than a functional building. It is an effort to make sense of the cosmos and reach out

“Not having someone to do nothing with”. Agony aunt Virginia Ironside on the worst thing about living alone

16 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World in pictures

People take part in a traditional dip in the sea during New Year’s celebrations at Malo-Les-Bains beach in northern France

Young carol singers make their way over a snowy meadow in front of the Ascension of Mary conventual church in southern Germany (AFP)

A Bahraini Shiite Muslim girl watches the Arbaeen religious festival from a window (AFP)

Fatme Ulanova during her wedding ceremony in the village of Ribnovo, southwestern Bulgaria. The people of this Bulgarian mountain village are famous for performing their unique wedding ceremonies in winter time only (AFP) Cheerleaders wait in line before taking part in the New Year’s Day Parade in central London (AFP)

A man dives into Rome’s river Tiber as part of traditional New Year celebrations (AFP)

Roses with the faces of the Sandy Hook Elementry students and adults killed on a pole in Newtown, Connecticut before children returned to classes at an alternative campus (AFP)

A zoo keeper holds a Bull frog during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo, which houses over 17,000 animals (AFP)

People release balloons to celebrate the New Year’s during an annual countdown ceremony in Tokyo (AFP)

17 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

Coffeeshop

Tof the terrible congratulates himself for a ‘job well done’ WE WOULD like to wish a happy and healthy New Year to all our customers. We have omitted the adjective ‘prosperous’ from our wishes, in case anyone thought we were taking the piss or engaging in black humour. If there is one thing that is certain about 2013 it is that, for most people, it will be anything but prosperous. On the plus side, after February the clique of incompetent, commie half-wits who have turned a oncethriving plantation into a wasteland will not be able to cause any more destruction as they will leave office. On the minus side, by March there could be nothing left to save for the successor of Tof the Terrible. The outrage is that Tof will leave his job with a retirement bonus of 350 grand, an annual pension in excess of 60 grand and a government limo, while he will also be provided with bodyguards, a chauffeur and a secretary by the taxpayer. Kyproulla has always rewarded poor performance and failure very generously. Still, I resent the fact that as a taxpayer I will be contributing to a five grand per month pension to a commie clown whose reckless stupidity has bankrupted the country, left tens of thousands of people jobless with zero prospects and reduced us to begging for money from the EU. THE COMRADE, of course, had a different view of his pathetic presidency. Last Sunday, speaking to a commie gathering in Larnaca, he said: “These five years, under very difficult circumstances, we were responsible, both in the Cyprus issue and domestic policy, for achievements of exceptional significance. If only everyone in this country could say the same thing… we worked in such a way so our children and grandchildren would be proud.” Three days later, during the vasilopitta-cutting ceremony at AKEL’s offices, it was evident that his condition had not improved. “We leave with our head held high and proud of our services to the Cypriot people for 90 years and for our services of the last five years.” He did not give any examples of the achievements of exceptional significance and it is doubtful even he in this delusional state would count the blowing up of a brand new power station which caused the death of 13 people as one of them. What he deserves to be proud of, even though I am sure he is not, is that he cut the wages and pensions of the public parasites by about 15 per cent. In short, he made the rich poorer, which must have satisfied his communist conscience, but in the process he also made the poor much poorer. Without meaning to the comrade turned Kyproulla into the Cuba of the Mediterranean, but with a few more freedoms. ARCHBISHOP Chrys, who is not an economist or a great mind, pointed out the poverty politics when he was called by Mega TV on Wednesday night to respond to the latest attack by Tof the Terrible. Chrys the not-so-meek said the comrade wanted to make the rich poorer but should have realised that when this happened “the poor will also become poorer.” The spat was sparked by the failure of the government to send a representative to the New Year’s Day church service held by Chrys. The holy man described this behav-

iour as shameful and said the government “was for pitying.” The next day the vindictive comrade accused Chrys of belonging to the group of businessmen and bankers responsible for the mess the economy was in. “The Primate of the Church cannot be excluded from this group of entrepreneurs and bankers.” Chrys has said and done a lot of stupid things in his career but destroying the economy was not one of them. Only one man has the right to take credit for this achievement of exceptional significance, even though his innate modesty does not allow him to do so. DURING the cutting of the vasilopitta Tof the Terrible also expressed the wish that the troika would not insist on the privatisation of semigovernmental organisations when the memorandum was finalised because if it did he would refuse to sign. “I have a commitment to the party and to the programme of the government. I want to make this clear he said.” He is already plotting his escape route, happy to leave the signing of the memorandum he brought upon us to his successor. But was it not the comrade and his cheerleaders who kept telling ment team’s suus that the government kills had saved preme negotiating skills atisation? Were the SGOs from privatisation? e they were. The they lying? Of course memorandum, to which the comhat if the assistrade agreed, said that ance fund was too high the SGOs would be privatised. So will he now ement with the go back on his agreement is commitment troika because of his to the party? ing coward that As any self-respecting ake responsibilproudly refuses to take ity for anything he will leave the orandum to signing of the memorandum someone else. rys who IT WAS not only Chrys quate pissed off our inadequate rulers last week. The former Governor of the aCentral Bank Athanae sios Orphanides, the d man AKEL decided should take the falll for the blamelesss al comrade’s criminal ve incompetence, gave ma an interview to Sigma omTV that had the comrades seething. Orph responded to every lie uttered by the Akelite e, rationally expropaganda machine, ga blunders by plaining all the mega the comrade which led to the state needing a bailout and debunking bout him, which the commie myths about ught. most people had bought. ld have been The situation could ast May if the salvaged as late as last he measures government took the er had told the finance minister the ECB would be taken. But Tof the Terrible vetoed the ures Vasos relatively mild measures d and less Shiarly had prepared than a month later we asked for a bailout. Having no answer, the govn simply ernment spokesman said that Orph had resorted to “the well-known lies and over his wretchedness” to cover e bankresponsibility for the d keep ing crisis. He should dvised. quiet, Stef-Stef advised. hat he Had anything of what ef-Stef said been a lie, Stef-Stef would have taken great

pleasure in pointing it out, but, strangely, he failed to do so. AKEL does not need to provide proof when it declares someone a liar because it has been serving the Cypriot people for 90 years. AKEL deputy and bon viveur Stavros Evagorou said that the party was considering ﬁling a law-suit for defamation against Orph. This was not because Orph claimed Tof had personally interfered in his work demanding a favour for a speciﬁc businessman. Obviously that was not a lie. The party would sue because Orph claimed AKEL was immersed in corruption and everyone knew this to be untrue.

NOBEL PRIZE winner, professor Christoforos Pissarides, who has a weakness for publicity, also gave a TV interview last week but the show he chose to appear on was surprisingly low-brow. He was a guest on Mega’s afternoon chat show, in a Barbie dollhouse studio setting, hosted by one of the regulation blonde bimbos that dominate daytime TV. What was a Nobel winner doing on a show that makes no secret of its mindless ﬂufﬁness? Apart from the presenter it also features three characters sitting behind desks making lame jokes. They were removed when Pissarides was being interviewed and answering questions by callers, one of whom introduced himself as “a former classmate of your brother-in-law Makis Constantinides”. Pissarides, rather unwisely, even tried to answer a question about a possible hair cut of bank deposits, betraying a naivety that some really smart people have. He ended up telling the caller, if she had 300 grand to open three accounts of 100 grand in three different banks as this amount was guaranteed by the government. But if someone had a deposit of a million euro he or she “should worry”, he said. Did it not occur to him that he could have started a bank run with his comments? When a Nobel laureate goes on telly and says that there could be a hair cut of deposits, people are inclined to take the warning seriously. PISSARIDES also made some very interesting revelations. Despite

Cheers! Here’s to Tof the Terrible’s achievements of excessive signiﬁcance

honouring him, the government never once asked him for advice about anything. Labour minister Sotiroulla, whose measures to fight unemployment increased the numbers of jobless, never thought it necessary to ask the professor, specialising in employment economics, for a meeting. The government did not consider using his knowledge of the European Commission and the IMF, with which he had worked in the past, in the bailout talks. Instead we had Sotiroulla, Sylikiotis and Stef-Stef negotiating with the troika. The problem was that like Shiarly he was not an Akelite and therefore could not be trusted. On the show, Pissarides said things that would have embarrassed the government – the delay in agreeing a bailout was a very big mistake; the banking crisis was not the only cause of the economy’s problems; blaming Orphanides for the crisis was unjustified; the failure to take measures to reduce the deficit promptly made things worse. It was a good thing that no journalists saw the show because if they asked the spokesman about his criticism of the government, Stef Stef and AKEL might have declar our Nobel laureate a to declare liar, that should keep quiet. WO THE WOBBLY thrown by the Egyptian Ambassador Menha Mahrous Bakhoum at Larnaca l Airport last weekend when dutiful cops insisted that she went through a security check before int the departure lounge going into provided some light relief in these miserabl times. miserable Bak Ms Bakhoun had a ‘do you know a who I am’ tantrum when cops he to take off her boots at asked her the security secu screening point and refus she refused. The cops refused to g through and after an let her go exchange of words with a female cop who stood in front of her blocking her way, the ambassador th uppity cop a solid slap gave the f in the face. Other cops stepped an one of them put Ms in and Bakh Bakhoun’s hands behind her bac and led her away. back Si Sigma TV obtained the CC CCTV footage of the showdo down and broadcast it on T Thursday night. It also s showed how the cops p pushed around the relatives whom the ambassador was accompanying. The feisty ambassador, when she was taken to a private room at the airp port, reportedly pulled th wig off a female officer the but there was no video footage of this incident. go Our government, fearing the incident might affect Cyprusre Egypt relations, offered a grovelapol ling apology to the ambassador. Bakh Ms Bakhoun, however, did not apologise to the cop she slapped fac for trying to do her job. in the face t And the thing is, the cop-attacker h should have taken her boots off ha been asked instead of as she had throwing a diplomatic tantrum. FORTY-T FORTY-TWO days left until the elections and just 53 (February befor Tof the Terrible leaves 28) before pala the palazzo del popolo with his he head held high, proud of his achievem achievements of excessive significance.

SUNDAY MAIL

Reportage

GOLD R

HE sun is shining. The breeze is blowing. The caipirinhas are ﬂowing. Ever since Brazil’s footballers left Wembley and its dancers sambaed off the Stratford stage behind the folk singer Seu Jorge and the supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio, Brazilians have been getting ready to party like never before. Blame it on Rio - or Rio 2014 and Rio 2016 to use the full names. Work on the new Maracana stadium and everything that goes with hosting the two biggest sporting events in the world, the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, has cranked up to a pace previously unheard of in laid-back Brazil. Why? Because sport sells. More than one million visitors are expected to travel to Rio and São Paulo for each event. And Brazil wants to sell them more than just the

gold and green shirts of its most famous cultural export: its football team. The world’s biggest brands want to be ready to open their doors to Brazilians and visitors alike to sell them the pure gold of luxury goods. “There’s a wealth of potential,” says John Hooks, president of Ralph Lauren and former deputy chairman of Giorgio Armani and commercial director of Jil Sander. Brazil, the ‘B’ in the socalled emerging BRIC economies - the others are Russia, India and China - has been slow to enjoy the luxury consumer boom that has remained remarkably resilient, in spite of the global recession. Until recently, many Brazilians travelled abroad to buy luxury goods or asked friends to bring them home for them. The growth in luxury sales at home was as skimpy as the swimsuits on

Ipanema beach. But that’s all changing, as Emanuel Chirico, chairman and chief executive of Phillips-Van Heusen, in charge of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, knows well: “Brazilian consumers are increasingly interested in global brands. We see this in our growth there, as well as in the US, where Brazilian consumers are our number one international shopper.” Rivals agree. Louis Vuitton has reported its biggest profits per square foot in its São Paulo stores. Here’s why. Brazil is now the world’s eighth-largest national economy, ahead of France and just a whisker behind Britain in terms of GDP. An estimated 30 million people have entered the middle class in the past decade. Unlike Europe or Japan, Brazil has an enviable demographic profile, with only 6.7 per cent of the population over 65 and

Brazilians travel to Florida to buy luxury goods, including Michael Kors bags

Brazil’s big cities and smart beach resort tidal wave of international luxury brands, World Cup and the Olympics consumer bo on the growing samba an average age of 30 or below. But it is the top of the pyramid that has the luxury goods industry in a state of breathlessness. Consultants McKinsey estimate that about three million Brazilians can afford luxury goods.

There are 24 billionaires and some 155,000 millionaires, according to the 2011 Global Wealth Report. One third of these millionaires are under 35. If the dry numbers don’t paint the picture, look around. São Paulo has more helicopters than any other city in the world (for many it is the preferred method of getting around the city). Brasilia, the nation’s capital, is a major yacht market - even though it’s landlocked. For luxury brands, São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil and the unofﬁcial capital of South America, is the place to start. Cariocas (people from Rio de Janeiro) joke that Paulistanos (people from São Paulo) love to shop so much because they have no beach. It certainly looks that way. Whether in the Iguatemi or Cidade Jardim shopping malls, the Daslu department store or the luxury boutiques on streets such as Lorena and Haddock Lobo in the Jardins district, most of the world’s leading luxury brands are on show. Chanel has three stores, Tiffany has two, with more in Brasilia and Rio, Prada has one store plus one for its sister brand Miu Miu, and Gucci and Armani have several boutiques each. Those that aren’t already there are looking for a home. More than 100 new malls are on course to open

by 2014, at a cost of almost £2 billion. It’s more about the mall in Brazil than in most markets because there is no tradition of upscale department stores and street crime is rife. Even the coffee shops in São Paulo have security guards. Hermès, which attracted attention for opening India’s ﬁrst freestanding luxury boutique in Mumbai’s Horniman Cir-

Cariocas (people fr joke that Paulista São Paulo) love t because they h cle when it entered the India market, opened its first Brazil store inside the Cidade Jardim mall. The malls may look like the kind of cathedrals to Mammon you find across all the emerging markets - glass, steel, marble, clicking heels, orchids for the five-star brands, and models self-consciously prancing and preening, the wind in their hair (the climate means the malls are open-air). But woe betide the retailer that does not do

L • January 6, 2013

RUSH The Maracana stadium in Rio under construction for the 2014 World Cup

The opening of the ﬁrst Chanel store in Sao Paolo in 2010

ts are being swept up in a all hoping to cash in on the oom. John Arlidge reports a surge its homework. Because Brazil is different. It has a rich tradition of fashion itself. It is the world’s ﬁfth-largest textile producer. Vogue Brasil, read by 345,000 Brazilians, and Vogue Passarelas, a biannual magazine presenting the new season collections, with a readership of 78,000, don’t just feature top-tier international labels such as Chanel, Dior and

rom Rio de Janeiro) nos (people from to shop so much have no beach Lanvin. OK, you’ve heard of Havaianas, makers of ﬂipﬂops for the Hollywood set. But what about Alexandre Herchcovitch, Maria Bonita, Richard’s, H Stern, Salinas or Osklen? These labels are valued at more than £40 billion and growing - offering gilt-edged competition to incoming foreign brands. When they do buy foreign, Brazilians buy differently, too. Take cosmetics. In the US, Europe and Asia, facial products are the big sellers

but in Brazil it’s butt ’n’ boobs products. Leonardo Diniz Jorge, director of Drogaria Iguatemi in São Paulo, says: “Body lotions and anti-cellulite products are the really big sellers.” Even the way Brazilians pay for goods is different. If you went into a Bond Street store and asked to pay for shoes or a bag in instalments or hire purchase, you’d be shown the door, not the latest collection. Not in Brazil. Consumers love credit - in fact, they demand it. And retailers put up with it. More than 70 per cent of luxuryproduct sales are in creditcard instalments. Giorgio Armani allows Brazilians to pay by cheque, in up to ten instalments. On purchases of 10,000 Brazilian reals or more (€3,700), Tiffany will allow up to ten payments. Talk to many women shoppers in São Paulo and they will, privately, tell you the instalments are not just about spreading the cost. It’s about hiding the true cost from their husbands. It’s just as well that retailers allow credit because Brazil is expensive. Forget Russia with its 31 per cent luxury tax or India’s myriad duties that have earned the country the nickname ‘the tariff Raj’, Brazil’s 35 per cent import duties on luxury clothing and accessories, and local taxes,

are the steepest in the world. A bag, trainers or an iPhone on sale on Rua Oscar Freire, São Paulo’s answer to Rodeo Drive, will be twice the price as the same item in Beverly Hills. For now, though, the markups don’t seem much of a deterrent. Consumption of Western luxury is so new that consumers are still at the bling stage. It’s not enough to spend big, you have to be seen to be spending big - the higher the price, the better. Many take their lead from Mulheres Ricas (Rich Women), a reality TV show based on the lives of wealthy women in Rio. One character, Brunete Fraccaroli, has big, blow-dried hair and extreme plastic surgery, carries multiple bags, and shows off a Barbie-style doll of herself. Carla Schmitzberger, president of Havaianas, says: “I don’t know what motivates consumers here. I guess it’s the weight these brands carry - and a lot of weight in Brazil is put on appearances.” Sadly, not everything about Brazil differs from other emerging markets. Corruption is rife and bureaucracy is glacial. “People think, ‘Brazil: football, the beach, caipirinhas,’ that it’s all superrelaxed here,” says Abraao

Louis Vuitton in Sao Paolo’s Cidade Jardim mall Ferreira, a Brazilian-born fashion industry consultant. “Next thing you know, their product is stuck in Customs for three months. Then they start to realise that not everything in Brazil is as laidback as it might appear.” Overall, Brazil was ranked

126 in the latest World Bank Ease of Doing Business report. But none of this is holding back the purveyors of global goodies. With China’s luxury juggernaut slowing, US and European spending down, and India taking a lot longer

Seu Jorge performs with dancers at the Olympics closing ceremony last year

than anyone thought to genuﬂect at the altar of Western luxury, the luxury-goods barons are betting that an unlikely ally - sport - will ﬁnally help Brazil cast off the old joke that has dogged it for a decade: that it is a country of the future and always will be.

20 January Ja anu nuar ary ar y 6, 6 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Feature

The constant dieter oms, As the agony of shedding those extra Christmas pounds looms, own to llove ove the annual fast Lucy Cavendish on why she has grown

Lightening up: a recent picture of Lucy. Far left: in 2003 with her son and (left) six years later with her daughter

T IS the New Year and, as per usual, I am on a diet. All the mince pies, trifle, cream, brandy butter, chocolate and nuts I have consumed over the past few weeks mean that I have put on weight, well over half-a-stone. So, along with half of the rest of the population, I am about to embark on a diet. Usually the idea makes me feel sick with worry. It’s all so punitive, so tricky. It means everything I love - biscuits, cakes, cheese, crackers, bread - goes out of the window. But not this year. For this time I have discovered something amazing: I actually love dieting. I love everything about it. I can while away hours on end researching diets and thinking about them and working out what I am going to eat when. I almost enjoy it more than eating. For diets have become fascinating to me. Why, for example, do we choose certain diets? Why are some that were popular a few years ago getting short shrift now? Why do we veer from cabbage soup diets to the protein-obsessed Dukan version? I went on the Dukan last year (protein, protein and more protein) and I loved it because I shed weight so rapidly. It also consisted of the most complicated ingredient list I have ever seen. I got to spend hours perusing the shelves in the supermarket, choosing fish, ham (no fat), Greek yoghurt and oat bran flakes. I could then look down at my basket and feel the swelling of pride. I was about to go on a diet, lose weight, take back control, let myself be bossed around by a higher power (Monsieur Dukan, in this case). I’ve calculated that over the past few years I have lost about five stone in total and gained about two - I am now three stone lighter than I was four years ago. So this year I’m having a tremendous amount of fun deciding which diet to try next. I’m tending towards the Caveman (eat nothing but nuts all day, then have one meal). I like the idea. I visualise myself wandering around, handfuls of nuts in my pocket like a squirrel, feeling very virtuous. But then again I am worried I will get sick of nuts. I would have to eat nothing much more than nuts for eight weeks, which strikes me as far too long. So instead I am veering towards the “intermittent fasting” (IF) diet. This involves eating restricted calories for two days running (500 calories or fewer for women) and then eating anything else you want the rest of the time. It’s the current craze, this period of denial then excess. It has occurred to me, as the years go by and diets evolve, adapt and change, that they actually chart

our social history. In times of boom, when life seems sunny and we can all afford gym memberships, people go for “body beautiful” diets such as the South Beach. Now we are in a recession, it’s all about diets that involve some level of fasting. The Dukan is still popular but it’s expensive to live on protein. It’s also, in this day and age, not just about how your body looks externally. It’s also about what’s going on inside. The IF diet apparently lowers cholesterol and has far more benefits for the body than just merely losing weight. This was proven by a reporter who went on it for BBC’s Horizon science programme. He lost a stone in five weeks and his cholesterol levels went down. The Caveman diet’s selling point is really about “getting back to who we really are” by losing all the wheat, dairy and other foods that apparently dull our senses. The website claims you will receive huge bursts of energy once your body is “cleansed”. The Raw Food diet - on which you eat no cooked food at all - apparently gives you more mental clarity, according to those who have done it. There is also the link between fasting and religion. As many commentators have pointed out, most great faiths insist on a period of fasting the idea is that we are more able to think clearly when not laden down with something as burdensome as food. That there are feasts and fasts in religions is always about more than just mere sustenance. We no longer just wish to improve our bodies - we want to hone our minds through stringent denial. This was not the case in the early Nineties when I went on my first diet. I remember it was the Mon-

tingnac, a French diet on which you had to drink a glass of wine every day and eat lots of dark chocolate. It was a time when the thought of not drinking (now a staple of all diets) was alien and probably rather scary. Calories are also out. In the Atkins and Dukan it’s about the combination of the food you eat, not the number of calories consumed. But do diets actually work? I’m not sure that is the point. I think the process of going on the diet is what works. I think we all secretly love going on diets which is why we all do it so often. And the New Year is always about change and the resolution to change. We can all envisage ourselves that bit lighter, healthier, happier. This is what diets so cleverly promise us, the

lure of slim glamorous hapeby everyone will piness whereby re us because we like and desire are thinner! Yet, as much uch as dieting is about hope, it’s also about taking control. There’s something so involving about a diet. Everyone I know iss doing one form or another. It’s a nightmare when we go out to eat with half of us munching nuts, the rest eating only grilled e odd one nibbling on steak and the a raw stem of broccoli but… it’s he idea that I am goworth it for the at last half-stone and, ing to lose that at, it will remain off. more than that, It’s 2013 and all I can say is, bring mittent Fasting! By on the Intermittent spring, I’ll be half the woman I used to be.

I’ve calculated that over the past few years I have lost about five stone in total and gained about two

FOOD FOR POPULAR DIETS French Women Don’t Get Fat As a teenager Mireille Guiliano, who wrote the seminal book French Women Don’t Get Fat, went to the US for school and returned home 20lb heavier. She blamed the larger portions in America and her habit of eating too many sweets. Upon embracing the eating habits of French women, she restored her shape with a new understanding of food, drink and lifestyle that she shares in her book. The basic principle is that you should eat only good

food of very high quality in small portions, and savour every bite. From chocolate to champagne, eat slowly, with all your senses, and make every dining experience pleasurable so you will be satisﬁed with smaller portions of delicious food. No food is off limits, only large portions. No counting calories, no skipping meals - just control the quality of what you eat. The Caveman Power Diet This apparently increases energy, the ability to burn fat, and gets you in touch with your natural instincts. It’s not just a way to lose weight, it’s a healthy approach to “making your body indestructible”. The idea be-

hind it is that it takes you back to the natural state your body should be in. It claims to “give you the freedom to enjoy food to the fullest”. Basically it is a three-step diet during which you eat little more than nuts and seeds. Raw Food Diet Depending on the source, a raw food diet is either a path to perfect health or serious u n d e r- n o u r i s h ment. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Devotees insist that a diet consisting mainly of uncooked, unprocessed plant foods

leads to a leaner body, clearer skin, and higher energy. They also believe it cuts the risk of disease. The fundamental principle is that plant foods in their most natural state uncooked and unprocessed - are the most wholesome. The raw food diet is a lifestyle choice rather than a weight loss plan. Intermittent Fasting There are two ways of doing this diet – you can either fast every other day (women consuming fewer than 500 calories, men 600) or fast for two non-consecutive days. It has been proven by the Horizon TV programme to reduce weight - the reporter lost a stone in ﬁve weeks

- and to bring down cholesterol levels. Non-fasting days mean you can eat whatever you like and still lose weight! Dukan Diet Highly complicated but very effective. For the ﬁrst three to four days you eat nothing but lean protein. You then alternate protein days with vegetable and protein days until you reach a target weight. After that you “consolidate” for a period, gradually reintroducing other food groups such as carbohydrates, alcohol, sugar and fruit. Then, as along as you do one “Dukan day” a week, eating nothing but protein, apparently the weight stays off.

21 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

Business & Jobs

Europe’s narrative struggle By Ana Palacio HE START of any year invariably prompts stocktaking, and 2012 certainly offers much to consider: the dramatic events in the Middle East, leadership change in China, and the brinkmanship of America’s budget debate. All were high in importance, if not always in popular interest. That seems especially true of the painful and excruciatingly prolonged - indeed, still ongoing process of saving the euro. The euro’s survival in 2012 - if only by the skin of its teeth - confounded sceptics who forecast Greece’s exit from the eurozone and the single currency’s collapse by the end of the summer. Indeed, the European Union’s future still seems acutely uncertain, owing mainly to a mismatch between rhetoric and reality. In the realm of reality, the latest of many “grand” summits in Brussels has left a yawning gap between Europe and a fiscal union, as heads of state stripped much of the substance from the blueprint proposed by Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, and developed by the European Commission. Nonetheless, concrete and positive steps toward institutional consolidation - though far from achieving the ambitions of some - have been taken. The creation of the European Stability Mechanism, the European Central Bank’s new supervisory role, and the ECB’s purchases of sovereign bonds over the course of the last year have provided much-needed relief to Europe’s beleaguered peripheral economies. Moreover, Europe is one step closer to a full-fledged banking union. The main impediment to further progress is that two competing narratives have emerged to explain Europe’s economic travails and lay out a path forward. One centres on the eurozone’s structural flaws and aims at strengthening the institutional framework, whereas the other highlights faulty domestic policies and focuses on austerity.

The latest of many ‘grand’ summits in Brussels has left a yawning gap between Europe and a fiscal union

Latest summit stripped much of the substance from the blueprint proposed by Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council

Alarmingly, the resulting political debate has degenerated into a shrill cacophony of moral righteousness, finger-pointing, scapegoating, and stereotyping. In fact, though often portrayed as irreconcilable opposites, the two approaches to resolving the euro’s problems are complementary - indeed, essential - components of any realistic approach to ensuring the eurozone’s future. Likewise, neither narrative alone can provide a vision for the EU; the gap between them can be filled only by trust. Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and even France need to control their deficits and streamline debt. But no degree of austerity on its own will enable Europe’s southern economies to get back on their feet.

Consider Greece. Anticipating desertion by Europe and convinced that painful budget cuts and repayment will benefit only its creditors, the country has ring-fenced itself, and has been sapped of all motivation to undertake the reforms dictated by Brussels. Meanwhile, Germans regard economic transfers to the South as a moral-hazard problem that no European political agreement could resolve. Seeing only one side of the equation, public opinion has become polarised between northern and southern Europe, perpetuating a vicious cycle of mistrust. It would be equally wrong to imagine that institutional changes alone will fix Europe’s problems. While an integrated financial framework for

Europe is taking shape, daunting decisions regarding the design of a European resolution mechanism need to be worked out. A banking union will undoubtedly entail signiﬁcant encroachments on sovereignty (for example, decisions to close banks, distribute losses, or cut workforces at the national level), which, unless accompanied by progress toward a political union, will generate a crisis of legitimacy. Thus, addressing Europe’s serious economic issues requires wading into the deep waters of the political imagination. So far, however, policies aimed at shoring up the euro have been narrowly technical, in an effort to isolate Europe’s ﬁnancial travails from popular discontent over its direction. That debate has

been left to fester, serving as a dangerously dysfunctional pressure valve for turbulent and frustrated citizens across Europe. Confronted with the reality of disgruntled electorates, pundits are quick to bemoan the “democratic deﬁcit” of the Union’s institutions. Lately, they have been pleading for the direct election of the European Commission president, the transformation of the Council of Ministers into a form of second legislative chamber, or for the establishment of Europe-wide political parties to contest elections to the European Parliament. None of these initiatives would work, however, owing to a simple, inconvenient truth: to this day, Europeans view each other in “us versus them” terms. Europe’s common institutions - both old and newly created - can survive in the long run only if a common European identity materialises to underpin them. The emergence of such an identity depends on politicians’ ability to communicate to their fellow citizens the Union’s real advantages and the bleak prospects of nationstates that try to go it alone. In a “post-European world,” Europe is globally relevant only when united. The single market is the paramount example at one extreme, with defence - plagued by duplication and lacunae between EU countries - at the other. Although politicians and voters are equally unwilling to admit it, the EU has reached a fork in the road. One route leads to further integration, while the other implies a return to national sovereignty; navigating the former will require great effort, whereas the latter is a relatively straight downward path. Ultimately, the EU’s future - if it has any future at all - depends on constructing a coherent narrative that articulates that choice explicitly. Ana Palacio, a former Spanish foreign minister and former senior vice president of the World Bank, is a member of the Spanish Council of State © Project Syndicate, 2012

22 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Business & Jobs New asset backed scheme for bank bonus at Credit Suisse The global economic crisis has affected Cyprus in quite surprising ways

The effects of the recession on wealth

By Laura Noonan CREDIT Suisse is preparing to offload more risk exposure to staff in its 2012 bonus giveaway but significantly fewer managers will be allowed to join the latest version of a scheme that has yielded stellar rewards in previous years. Pioneered in 2008, Credit Suisse’s ground-breaking asset-backed bonus schemes pay managers a portion of their bonuses in financial instruments whose value depends on the performance of risky assets that the bank is exposed to. The creation of a new Credit Suisse scheme comes as banks bow to the demands of shareholders and regulators to move away from cash bonuses in favour of alternatives that are more aligned with the risks bankers are taking.

EARLIER SCHEMES Two earlier schemes have helped the bank to transfer $17 billion of troubled loans and derivatives off its balance sheet, improving its capital position since capital demands are directly related to the size of a bank’s balance sheet. The schemes have also allowed the bank to save about $1.4 billion on cash or sharebased bonus payments. Staff, who are not given a choice about how they receive their bonuses, can reap sizable rewards if the underlying assets do well and have already enjoyed massive paper proﬁts on one of the schemes, though they can’t get their money until 2016. Sources at Credit Suisse told Reuters the bank was preparing to launch a new, slimmed-down scheme for 2012’s year-end bonuses. Credit Suisse declined to give any information on the size of the scheme. A spokesman for Credit Suisse conﬁrmed the bank sent an email to eligible staff last week signalling the creation of a third scheme, to be called the ‘Plus Bond’.

Currencies USD GBP CHF JPY AUD CAD SEK

Comment Costas Apostolides C N CYPRUS the recession and stagnation that characterises the response of the local economy to the international economic and ﬁnancial crisis have concentrated on the issues of changes in output (GDP), the budget deﬁcit, the sovereign credit ratings, the banks and the effects of the Greek crisis, but very little has been said about the wealth effects of the crisis. This is in contrast to the United States where wealth is at the centre of discussion, in terms of both the origins of the crisis, notably non-performing mortgage loans, heavily borrowed households, leading to toxic bonds and the collapse of house prices and a lower or stagnant demand by the population at large. In Cyprus, however, the sequence of events has been more complex and in some ways more surprising. In most households, wealth is determined by the value of assets in terms of immobile property ownership, savings and company shares. The market capitalisation of shares on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) - the price shares would get at the time in question assuming that there is no mass panic to sell - increased sharply

CAPITALISATION OF SHARES AND BANK DEPOSITS Year

Capitalisation GDP current GDP constant Residents’ €mlns growth % deposits €mlns

2006

12,254

14,433

4.1

27,511

2007

20,160

15,829

5.1

33,955

2008

5,732

17,157

3.6

43,452

2009

7,163

16,856

-1.9

45,681

2010

5,094

17,406

1.3

49,403

2011

2,200

17,979

0.5

51,982

2012

1,632

18,000

-2.0

53,111

Sources: CSE Fact books and 2012 estimate, Central Bank

04-Jan-2013

1.2990 0.8080 1.2017 113.77 1.2333 1.2732 8.4203

from €3.4 billion in 2004 to over €20 billion in 2007. This was a period of rapid real growth of the economy, but can be described as one of excessive or irrational exuberance by investors in shares, with the capital value of shares exceeding the value of GDP at current prices in 2007. In late 2007, the effects of the international financial crisis began to be felt in the USA and Europe, and in 2008 it was a full blown crisis with share prices falling in most markets by 30 to 35 per cent. The Cyprus market was hit, especially by the withdrawal of foreign investors facing losses in their home markets, and the capital value of shares in the CSE fell by 77 per cent to only €5.7 billion, even though the domestic economy was still growing rapidly. To confuse matters further, when the international crisis hit Cyprus in 2009, the stock exchange prices went up and the market value increased to over €7 billion. However, in 2010 the market value of shares fell again to around €5 billion, and from then on in 2011 it was all downwards as a result of the Mari explosion which destroyed much of Cyprus’ most modern power plant. This reduced confidence which further declined as the impact on the country of the Greek euro crisis became evident. In 2011 share values fell to €2.2 billion. At present, share values on the CSE are estimated at only €1.6 billion, as a result of the financial and economic crisis and the current recession (estimated at -2 per cent). Con-

1.3095 0.8145 1.2162 115.14 1.2645 1.3054 8.6334

28-Dec-2012

1.3187 0.8180 1.2013 113.79 1.2604 1.3008 8.5072

1.3292 0.8246 1.2158 115.16 1.2923 1.3337 8.7226

21-Dec-2012

1.3151 0.8094 1.1996 110.26 1.2473 1.2906 8.5077

1.3256 0.8159 1.2140 111.59 1.2789 1.3233 8.7231

1wk 1mth 2mth 3mth 6mth 1yr

There is disagreement over how much building values have fallen sequently, the loss of wealth to shareholders from 2007 to 2012 was about €18 billion. In contrast to share values, bank deposits by Cyprus residents have actually increased by 22 per cent since 2008, increasing the wealth of the local population by almost €10 billion. In 2008 deposits by residents were €43 billion, but in the recession year of 2009 they actually rose by 5 per cent to €45 billion. Deposits continued to increase by about €2 billion a year and reached over €53 billion in November 2012. These ﬁgures do not include deposits by third country nationals which are currently at over €13 billion. By increasing savings and depositing them in the banks, the residents of Cyprus have actually created wealth in the middle of an economic crisis. In so doing, however, they have reduced consumption and therefore contributed to the current 2012 recession in Cyprus. Wealth has increased, but incomes have fallen. Though stock market values and savings are important forms of wealth in most countries, the main form of wealth held by households is generally immovable property, essentially their homes. The 2011 census found that there are 431,059 dwellings in Cyprus (south of the Green Line), which on the basis of 2012 values presented in the “RICS Cyprus Property Index” have been estimated to be worth €115 billion. Adjusting the census data the number of dwellings in 2008 is estimated at 384,898 and valued at about €118 billion. However by 2012 it appears that dwellings (mainly houses and ﬂats) increased by 11 per cent

USD 0.19 0.21 0.25 0.31 0.50 0.84

EUR 0.02 0.05 0.10 0.13 0.22 0.44

GBP 0.49 0.49 0.51 0.52 0.67 1.01

CHF -0.01 -0.01 0.00 0.01 0.07 0.26

over the period but this additional value of about €13 billion has been lost. Overall therefore the households lost €16 billion in value of property. The construction and real estate sectors have been badly hit in Cyprus since 2008, but the indices are not in agreement with respect to how much prices of buildings have fallen. One source normally considered reliable is the “Residential Index of the Central Bank”, but its estimates appear conservative. This index shows a 10 per cent decrease in price values for houses and flats between 2009 and 2011. Most observers would estimate larger price falls. In fact the “RICS Cyprus Property Index” implies a larger fall, depending on whether they are houses or flats, of between 15 to 20 per cent. To conclude, the combined losses in wealth arising from the fall in prices on the stock exchange (€18 billion) and the property market (€16 billion) are estimated at €34 billion, while gains in saving deposits have increased wealth by €10 billion. There has therefore been a loss in wealth of about €24 billion. This exercise does not however include all forms of wealth, and consideration of business losses would greatly increase the deficit arising from the recession and stagnation. Furthermore this analysis does not include losses in income, which is also substantial or the losses to the unemployed. Though it presents the position arising in three very important components of wealth, it does not represent the whole picture. Costas Apostolides is chairman of EMS Economic Management Ltd, costas.a@highwaycommunications.com

JPY 0.10 0.13 0.15 0.17 0.28 0.48

LIBOR RATES (London Interbank Borrowing Rates) AS AT 07/01/2013

CAD 1.00 1.05 1.15 1.24 1.52 1.95

AUD 3.02 3.14 3.18 3.24 3.37 3.69

23 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

Property

Beetle threat to local palm trees

PLANTOFTHEMONTH Lime trees Citrus aurantiifolia

Although EU has restrictions in place it cannot stop the insect flying in from Egypt and affecting trees in Cyprus I MENTIONED the problems with Hibiscus rosasinensis on the island at the end of last year but there is an even greater threat to our gardens, parks and landscapes and that it is Palm Beetle. I have written previously about the problem that these beetle causes, but having met someone recently from the east of the island whose trees are greatly affected, I was asked if I would repeat the treatment and I hope that it will help others and perhaps halt the spread of this awful beetle. The death of so many palm trees has been caused by the dreaded Palm Beetle (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), which can cover great distances - most ﬂy in from Egypt. My garden is too cold to grow palms successfully, so I have had to rely on one of my readers (who gardens nearer to the coast and whose palms were affected), to help out. The problem occurred in her garden after her gardener hacked off the branches with a chain saw, leaving open wounds on the trunk. She could hear the beetles gnawing away inside the tree as it began to die back. Another reader told me that when eventually one of her trees had to be cut down as it was completely dead, the inside of the trunk was disgusting with dead and dying beetles and their detritus. Perfecthion is the most effective ‘medicine’. This sells for around €14 for 1 litre and is obtainable from Garden Chemical shops. Dilute 250ml of Perfecthion in

A palm struck by the beetle

GARDENING with

Patricia Jordan

10 litres of water and pour into the crown if the tree is not too tall, around the root area and into any open holes, at least twice a week initially then weekly until it kills the beetles. Protect your eyes and mouth when you are using this product as you would with any other garden chemical.

It may some slight consolation to know that the European Union is introducing stricter measures to combat red palm weevil, which is a harmful insect not native to Europe and which can attack a wide range of palm trees, including date, coconut and areca palms. The insect was introduced to the

EU through imports of palm plants and has been found in all Mediterranean Member States (Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain), causing concern about the future of palms in these areas. The Commission ﬁrst adopted emergency measures to control the entry and spread of the insect in May 2007. However, the might of the EU cannot stop the ﬂight of these beetles, so be vigilant and take prompt action if you think your trees are affected. On the positive side of things though, growth is appearing on the mature olive trees that were planted in a garden in the next village to mine. You may recall me writing about them back in the summer, when they were ‘erected’ in the hottest July for a long time. I am so glad that I was proved wrong, but there you are, olive trees can survive being almost completely massacred when they are pruned and still recover. Bravo them!

THE hot dry climate of Cyprus is not ideally suited to growing limes as they much prefer more humid places in the world. However, they will grow along the coastal strips and even as far inland as 300 metres. Growing to around 2 metres, they prefer more humidity than other citrus. Plant them in a sunny spot making a hole much bigger than the rootball and put some slow release fertiliser into the bottom of the hole. Make sure that the hole is damp and that the rootball is damp as well. Fill in with compost and press down ﬁrmly with your foot. Feed at the same time as other citrus in December, February and again in May with the usual 20.10.10 in December and 20.0.0 in February and May. The ﬂowers are small, white and heavily perfumed and appear in April and May, cropping during the late autumn into

winter. Limes are very juicy, are almost always seedless and have a very distinctive aroma. They are usually picked while still green, although if left on the tree they will turn yellow just like lemons. Black, green or brownfly and/or the Asian Citrus Leaf Miner on new leaf growths can be a problem, so spray the leaves with a soapy water solution. The Asian Leaf Citrus Miner Moth is sometimes better left alone, as you will kill beneficial insects if you spray with chemicals. Limes are an excellent source of vitamin C. 18th century British mariners were issued with a lime to eat each day to ward off scurvy. Now it is thought it was the juice of the limes that cured this complaint, rather than the flesh of the fruits. All this led to the derogative nickname that the Americans gave to the British later on of Limey.

THINGSTODOINTHEGARDENTHISMONTH January and February are not my favourite months in the garden but there are still a lot of jobs to do. We may be lucky and have some ‘Halcyon Days’ when the sun shines down from cloudless skies when you can get out there and do those jobs on your list! I always seem to have a list of things to do and never quite get to the end of it before others are added onto the bottom. There are still masses of weeds coming through and countless seedlings too, which may or may not survive February, usually a cold and wet month. Citrus trees are laden with ripe fruits and will be the target of Mediterranean Fruit Flies. They find it difficult to penetrate any unripe fruit but once the peel has turned colour they can pierce it and lay their eggs. Lemons and limes usually escape this fate but oranges and grapefruit fall victim and before long the eggs will turn into grubs, eventually leaving the fruit through the exit holes, falling to the earth beneath the tree and pupating there. The whole process takes only 20 days from start to finish. When we first came here almost everyone sprayed the trees at this time of year, but nowadays gardeners don’t like spraying chemicals over their fruit, and more and more

are hanging those yellow cards between the trees to catch the Med flies. You may have to change them quite often. In the garden Jasminum mesnyi will be out with lovely, bright yellow, single or sometimes double blooms along the trailing green stems. In some gardens Jasminum grandilforum will still be in flower but if you want to enjoy the highly scented flowers in the summer then now is the time to prune this year’s stems right back to the main branches of the bush. A reader asked me recently how to tell the difference between young and old wood when pruning. The young growth will still be greenish and supple, whereas older stem growth will be rigid and probably a grey or brown colour. As a general rule, bushes and climbers which flower early on in the season are pruned after flowering. This also applies to lavenders and rosemary bushes, which I am always being asked about as well. Many succulent plants will be coming into flower too and I envy those who have the bright red Aloe ferox, which I so admire. A reader gave me some last year but his variety was more orange-red than bright red. I did have one bright red one but it didn’t like the dry summer this year and has

succumbed! They will be followed by Aloe vera, which have put on so much growth this winter due to the autumn and winter rains. Other plants that have swelled with rain again are Aeonium arboreum (above) with their broccoli-like heads soaring above those I planted in an old wheelbarrow. Some spring bulbs will be showing through the earth now, so keep your eye on them as slugs find their fleshy leaves delectable. I have started off my huge amaryllis (left) again and hope for the double lot of flowers that they have given me in the past. Of course the bulb made the flowers for this season, after the flowers of last year faded and died. When they die down only cut off the flower head, as the stems continue to work hard at next year’s growth long after the flowers have faded. This is the time that they should be fed just like daffodils. If you are in a mild area you may find native narcissus in flower and being offered by vendors on street stalls. On a warm day they have a very delicate perfume. The other bulbs will not be far behind.

Magic views at Leptos Belvedere plots and villas in Paphos area THE Belvedere plots of land are located on a gently sloping hillside overlooking the sea on the outskirts of Paphos town and just 300m from the sea and nearby luxury beach hotels, in an exclusive coastal area, within walking distance of the shops and nightlife. Belvedere plots & villas is a special project of fabulous plots and individually designed villas. All plots command stunning views of both the sea and the surrounding area. It is the perfect place for those wanting peace and tranquility, yet having all the local amenities to hand. All villas will be ﬁnished to the highest speciﬁcations, combining traditional architecture with modern features. All necessary services will be provided including asphalted roads, electricity, water and drainage. Enjoy a relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle from your villa elegantly set in lush gardens with the option of a private swimming pool. Belvedere provides an idyllic lifestyle for discerning people! For further information call 80000707, email info@Leptosestates.com or visit www.leptosestates.com

24 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Property Homes must be valued for at least €300,000

LEGAL ISSUES WITH GEORGE COUCOUNIS

The registration of restrictive provisions

Home buying and permanent residency By Antonis Loizou FRICS THERE is so much information flying around, some of which is incorrect, we hereby attempt to provide comprehensive information on the subject: A person from a non EU country can ask (not as of right) to obtain a permanent visa to stay in Cyprus if he acquires a house (apartment/house) at a cost of at least €300,000. Of the €300,000 he must prove he has already paid €200,000 (on application) and the rest from local (loan) funds or from abroad. The first €200,000 must come from abroad (as well as any loan repayment). This permanent residency visa may be withdrawn if the visa holder does not visit Cyprus over a period of two consecutive years (he may visit Cyprus even for one day). Also, the visa will be withdrawn if the applicant/visa holder becomes a permanent resident of another country (not his own). If the visa holder has dependents on the visa, they must also visit Cyprus once every two years. In the event the visa holder sells the property, the visa will be withdrawn. Periodic checks will be undertaken towards this direction. All documents submitted to the immigration department must be original and any copies must be so certified. The documents can be translated into Greek or English, must be done by the Foreign Ministry of the country of origin or the Cypriot embassy in his country or the embassy of the foreign

person in Cyprus. Applications may be undertaken by the applicant himself or his representative duly certiﬁed. Applications once approved bear a fee of €119.17. The applicant’s annual income must be not less than €30,000 plus €5,000 pa for each dependent who is covered by the visa. The ability to prove the income must come either from the income tax authorities of the country of origin, banks where the applicant has money, contracts of rentals, share certiﬁcates etc. The €300,000 residence buying does not include VAT and/or transfer fees. The purchase price of €300,000 for third country nationals may not be for anything else other than a single residence. People who have real estate and meet the above criteria can apply now for the visa even if they bought the real estate some time ago. The visa applicant must deposit at least €30,000 in a local Cypriot bank for a period of at least three years. Any interest earned can be collected by the depositor but in no case its euro value will be less than €30,000 during this three-year period. Dependents mean wife and children under 18 years old. Older children must apply separately and must comply with all the said requirements. Applications will be examined with the family circumstances in mind however. A visa holder cannot work in Cyprus other than through an offshore status. He is allowed however to become a

WHAT YOU GET FOR

shareholder of a Cypriot company which operates in Cyprus, provided he does not work (with or without pay). Visa holders may not as of right travel to other EU countries without a visa from the country to be visited. These details are very important with the increasing interest for the Cypriot permanent visa coming from various countries, but with particular interest from Chinese. According to information received, 60 Chinese have acquired property in Cyprus over the last three months and the application number is increasing. Care is needed however especially for the Chinese who, we understand, use Visa Offices in their own country which charge ±€25,000/visa if the application is successful, plus €5,000 legal fee, plus five to ten per cent sales commission. This is a con job to say the least, since the use of a local lawyer to submit an application will not cost more than €2,500, let alone the rest. In addition, prospective newcomers to Cyprus should carry out some basic due diligence with respect to titles, mortgages and the correct value. We understand that more or less an apartment/house of any size, quality etc is sold for €300,000 to Chinese – a question raised by the Paphos Lands Office recently. This means that some unaware buyers have been had because the uniformity of value is not normal. Antonis Loizou & Associates Ltd – Property Valuers & Property Consultants, www.aloizou.com.cy, nicosia@ aloizou.com.cy

THE town planning legislation empowers the relevant authority to impose certain restrictive provisions regarding the development and use of an immovable property within a speciﬁed area. Such restrictive provisions can also be registered on the title deed in accordance with the provisions of the Immovable Property Law for the protection and beneﬁt of the public according to the town planning law. Moreover, they can be imposed by the owner of a piece of land when developing it to keep the unique and special planning and environmental character of the area. In the latter case, these restrictive provisions must be registered on the title deed of the units to be built. Even if they are included in a written agreement (sale contract), this does not imply they will also be registered on the title deed. They must be included in the transfer declaration at the time of transfer from the vendor to the purchaser and the parties have to sign and give their consent. Through this procedure, the restrictive provisions remain in force forever, protecting the character of the development. The owner of the property in whose favour these restrictive provisions are registered has the right to safeguard that the owners of the other properties in the same area do not effect any changes. Any violation of such a restrictive provision can be remedied through a legal action instituted by the owner, as long as such a right has been reserved in writing at the time of the transfer. The validity of these restrictions is based on their registration at the Land Registry and they constitute an estate in land following the properties over which they were registered. They do not depend on any prior contractual or other obligations of the parties made prior to the transfer. Their consent is necessary for the estate in land to be created and is established by the transfer declaration. Hence, if the sale contract or other written agreement

includes restrictive provisions with regard to the use or development of a property without them being registered at the Land Registry upon transfer, the owner cannot thereafter impose compliance with them. The owner, leaving a property in the area registered in his name and having imposed restrictions for the beneﬁt of his property, has an immediate interest in the planning and environmental development of the area. Thus, if the restrictions imposed do not allow commercial use of the properties, no owner can change their residential use to commercial. In such a case, the remedy available to the owner is a court order prohibiting the use of the other property contrary to the restriction imposed. Likewise when a life interest is granted to a person to use, live in and enjoy a property, the registered owner cannot divide it or build another house next to it. The former has the right to prevent such trespass to the property, since the life interest affects the whole property, not only the house itself but also the surrounding garden or land. The registration of a life interest is considered a restrictive provision. If the legislator allowed the imposition of a restrictive provision on part of a property, then no protection would have been provided to the beneﬁciary and the estate in land created would be of no value. The restrictions are always imposed by the original owner for his protection or of the area and they are registered, becoming an estate in land as recognised by the law. Similar restrictions are also imposed by the town planning authority when issuing a town planning permit and the public must be aware of them to accept them or not when the permit is issued. 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

€40,000 compiled by Peter Stevenson

How much: €40,000 What you get: This studio in Paralimni a short drive away from Ayia Napa and Protaras has an open-plan living, dining, kitchen and bedroom area and a balcony. From: www.aloizou.com.cy Tel: 25 871552

How much: €37,000 What you get: This property in the quiet area of Ayia Napa, is furnished and has air-conditioning units. It is situated very near to the town centre and is a two minute walk to the beach. From: www.foxrealty.com.cy Tel: 23 724433

How much: €35,000 What you get: This top ﬂoor, one-bedroom apartment located on the outskirts of Paralimni, in a prime location has a communal pool and its own parking place. From: www.buysellcyprus.com Tel: 26 200000

25 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

ADVERTISER helps you find what you’re looking for

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STERY CLEANING, also carpets, rugs and mattresses. Special offers now available. For a quote call Rickys Cleaning Services on 99131044 (all areas) rickyscleaningservices@gmail.com **************************** UPHOLSTERY, RUG, BLINDS + CURTAIN Cleaning Rugs from 20€ - Carpets from 38€ - Fabric Suites form 85€ Leather Suites from 95€ - Mattresses from 25€. Curtains, Roman blinds, Vertical Blinds need to be surveyed. Collection Service available. For a free quotation call Mark on 70006766 All areas **************************** 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 or 96333961 All areas **************************** 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 **************************** WE UNDERTAKE REFURBISHING of houses or holiday homes, construction of pergolas, undertaking of plumbing, house painting, garden work. For information call JIMMYS: 96587137, MELIS: 96547879 ****************************

Nicosia - tel: 22 818583 fax: 22 676385 Friendly, attentive and athletic. At the Nicosia Dog Shelter, many more dogs and puppies like this one are looking for forever homes! To provide a temporary foster home or to adopt contact on 99520511 mon-frid 10-2pm. ****************************

LOUISE, she is around 1 year old Segugio Italiano cross and she is not suitable for hunting. She will make a perfect pet as she loves cuddles, hugs and kisses. Very playful gentle girl, friendly with other dogs and loves kids! At the Nicosia Dog Shelter, many more dogs and puppies like this one are looking for forever homes! To provide a temporary foster home or to adopt contact on 99520511 mon-frid 10-2pm. ****************************

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TAG 87, a very handsome young male wirehaired pointer cross around 1,5 years old.

OZZY is an adorable male which came into the shelter almost a year ago! The person who found him wanted to help increase his re-homing chances so he sponsored his neutering...! But Ozzy has since been sitting in the shelter wishing for a new family...! But he has a great character and is only around 2 years old! At the Nicosia Dog Shelter, many more dogs and puppies like this one are looking for forever homes! To provide a temporary foster home or to adopt contact on 99520511 mon-frid 10-2pm. *****************************

Limassol - tel: 25 761117 fax: 25 761141

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FOR SALE BUSINESS/ PROPERTY/LAND **************************** TIMI, PLOTS, a few selected available, seaview, near the 2 golf courses, Venus rock and airport. 60% Building factor, eu 99,000. Half registration fees till the 31.12.12. Tel. 99 621914 **************************** LARNACA, Alethriko, plots for sale, 525 sqm, 90% building factor, near highway Limassol-Larnaca, 5 min from airport, quiet residential area, eu 109,000. Half registration fees till the 31.12.12. Tel. 99 621914 **************************** PRIME LAND IS AVAILABLE FOR LONG LEASE IN LIMASSOL. 40, 000 sq.m., zoning Ka7 (80% -45% - 3 stories). Regular amphitheatrical shape overlooking Ladies Mile. Close to New Limassol Hospital with direct access to Limassol – Paphos Highway. Water supply, electricity and telephones are readily available. Suitable for immediate development. Ideal for various health facilities and resorts, holiday centres, commercial and shopping centres, entertainment enterprises etc. Information: Tel. 22 674338, 99621554 **************************** FOR SALE LAND in Anthoupoli (half plot) 288 sq.metres. for information 99621554.

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Paphos - tel: 26 911383 fax: 26221049 automatic - tiptronic. dual zone climate control, power steering, electric windows, 6 airbags, central locking, cruise control, computer board, alloy wheels, and many extras. €6900 ono. Contact: 99022779 - Nicosia

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PROPERTY TO LET NICOSIA FOR RENT - Spacious one bedroom apartment, on second floor of small block of flats near the American Embassy, big veranda, bathtub (not shower) wood floors, concealed lighting in all areas, provision for surround system, granite counters in the kitchen, built-in oven, refrigerator, washing machine, ceramic hob unit, solar water heater, instant water heater in the bathroom, A/C in the bedroom, double bed with side tables, bar furniture, roller blinds on the windows and veranda doors, covered parking. Price €470.00 the month. For Information 99-660350 ***************************** TWO FLATS FOR RENT in central area of Ay. Omologites. They consist of 2 bedrooms an extra dining room as a third bedroom. Furnished or not. Fire place, covered parking and no common expenses. Rent €430 p.m. Information 99651156 ***************************** To let spacious 2 bdrm apartment in a small building in Strovolos area near ARETAIEION hospital (dead-end) with independent petrol heating, 3 a/c, water pressure system, satellite. Directly available. TEL.: 96275151 ***************************** BEAUTIFUL listed house for rent in the village of Agrokipia, 2 bedroom, large living room with fireplace, large garden. Rent €550 per month negotiable. For info please call 99358863, 97643896. ***************************** FLATS TO LET - Nicosia: A wide selection of furnished & unfurnished in all areas of Nicosia. NIKARIA ESTATE LTD Theo Loizides 22761616 / 99660050 nikaria@cablenet.com.cy ***************************** 2 BDRM flat (almost new, 4 years old) at Lycavitos with good area near University of Cyprus with fully equipment kitchen, a/c in all rooms. For info call 96530532. ***************************** TO LET 3 bedroom house situated on a dead end street next to a small quiet park near Falcon School. Has an En-suite master room, large study room, central heating, a/c and fire place in

Larnaca - tel: 24 652243 fax: 24 659982

classified contents Employment Opportunities pg 25 Employment Miscellaneous 25 Pets 25 Lessons -Health & Fitness 25 Personal -Services 25 For Sale Miscellaneous 25 For Sale Land/ Property Business 25 For Sale Motor vehicles 25 Wanted -To Let Nicosia 25 To Let Limassol 27 To Let Larnaca 27 To Let Paphos 27 To Let Protaras, Ayia Napa, Paralimni -For Sale Nicosia 29 For Sale Limassol -For Sale Larnaca -For Sale Paphos 29 For Sale Ayia Napa -For Sale Famagusta Protaras 29 For Sale Athens -Property& Home Services display ads --

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 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA the living room. For enquiries tel 99660758 ***************************** LUXURIOUS APARTMENT FOR RENT A luxurious one floor apartment situated in central Nicosia in an area of exceptional Beauty at 3 Museum Street, is available to let. It has been recently renovated and consists of four bedrooms, two bathrooms, big dining and sitting rooms, kitchen and a huge veranda. Approximate covered area 250 sqm. Monthly rent €1400.00 o.n.o. Tel: 99622370. www.parcon.com.cy ***************************** MODERN 2 BDRM, first floor flat in attractive building in Anthoupolis, very quiet area between the Grammar School and the European University, also very convenient for Pascal and Highgate Schools and the University of Nicosia. Large front veranda, all appliances, modern fittings, light and bright. Furnished or unfurnished €550p.m. Call 99900177. ***************************** 2 ROOMS €125 each, near McDonald’s Engomi only Philippine girls. Call 99663927. ***************************** FOR RENT 3 B/R apartment fully furnished close to Central Bank. 3 W.C., fully air-conditioned extra storeroom, owned covered parking. Excellent condition. Information: Tel. 99621554 ***************************** 3 BEDROOMS flat on second floor in a block of six flats, in a nice position at Strovolos

TO LET NICOSIA

area, fully a/c, c/h, covered parking place for one car, recently painted. Rent €650pm. (furnished if required). Tel: 97773358.

aluminum shutters, in a quiet area off Nikis behind Burger King - ACROPOLIS €600 (H2ACS0001-R), (photos in the website).

***************************** LUXURY HOUSES:

4. 3 bedr luxury semi-detached house with character, 200sq.m, central heating, full ac, sitting and dining room with ﬁre place, big kitchen with cooker and oven, dishwasher and refrigerator, nice mature garden with ﬂowers, trees and small garden with grass, covered parking, 3wc, 2 bathrooms in a quiet neighborhood. Available middle of January. Agios Andreas - €1200 - H3AAD0001-R (photos in website).

1. 5 bedrs detached house, 550sq.m, built in 2 big plots of land, big garden with grass, big swimming pool with extra fence for children and big covered patio with bbq area, big reception areas with marble floor, fire place and bar, big kitchen with all electrical appliances and sitting room with fire place, maid’s room, floor heating, full a/c, blinds on the windows, master bedroom with en suite bathroom and shower, big bathroom for the other 3 bedrooms and extra shower in the 5th bedroom - Strovolos €2500 (H5ST10001-R), (photos in the website). 2. H3AR0004-R, 3 bedr luxury detached house with central heating, full a/c, 3wc, 2 bathrooms, parquet floor throughout the house, big sitting and dining area, big kitchen with family room opening onto the swimming pool which has big covered area with wooden deck, bbq area, covered parking, in a very quiet area behind Apoel football training ground Archagelos - €1700 (photos in website). 3. 2 bedr fully renovated semi detached house 120 sq. m, a/c for hot and cold, small yard, FULLY FURNSIHED or not, double glazed windows with

5. 4 BEDR spacious luxury detached house with central heating, full a/c, 3wc, big sitting and dining area, big separate kitchen with electrical appliances and family room, big bedrooms, blinds, bbq area, garden, 2 parking(one covered), in a very quiet area near Apoel training ﬁeld – ARCHANGELOS - €1200 – H4AR0016-R (photos in website). 6. 3 bedr+big attic room with shower and wc luxury new house, 210sq.m, central heating, full a/c, 4wc, blinds on all windows, cooker and oven in the kitchen, small garden, covered parking near Alpha Mega supermarket - STROVOLOS €1100 (H4ST10007-R), (photos in the website). 7. 3 bedr detached ground ﬂoor house with separate maid’s room, with very big garden with grass(200sq.m) and covered

TO LET NICOSIA patio with bbq and bar, central heating, full a/c, 180sq.m, FULLY FURNISHED or NOT, 2 covered parking, storage room, in a very quiet neighborhood opposite Acropolis park - Acropolis - €1000 - H3ACS0004-R (photos in website). 8. H4LAK0002-R, 3 bedr + office space luxury detached house, built on a big plot, 350sq. m, big swimming pool with cover, garden with grass, big sitting and dining room, separate family room, central heating, a/c, curtains on all the windows, cooker, dishwasher and dryer, parquet floor throughout the house,3wc, 2 bathrooms, 2 covered parking in a quiet area on the borders of Strovolos with Lakatamia - Lakatamia€1600 (photos in website). 9. 3 bedr upstairs and 2 separate bedroom in the basement luxury detached house(all the bedrooms with en suite bathrooms/shower), also separate kitchen and sitting room in the basement which has also separate entrance from the house, central heating, full a/c, solid parquet floor all the house, big sitting and dining room with fire place, big fully equipped kitchen with breakfast area and family room, big overfloor, swimming pool with covered patio area with fully equipped bar(bbq, fridge, freezer, cooker), mature garden around the house, 2 parking places, alarm system near the Cyprus Conference CentrePLATY AGLANTZIAS €3500 (H5PAG0002-R), (photos in the website). 10. 4 bedr semi detached house with central heating, 4 a/c, 3 wc,

TO LET NICOSIA

2 bathrooms, 180sq.m, electrical appliances, small yard, bbq area, off Kostantinoupoleos street near French ambassador residence.- STROVOLOS €700 (H4ST10043-R), (photos in the website). 11. 4 bedr luxury semi detached house with good size garden with grass, big covered patio with bbq area, central heating, a/c units, 3wc, 2 bathrooms, 2 covered parking, FULLY FURNISHED AND EQUIPPED, in a quiet area in a dead end close to all amenities and schools. ANTHOUPOLIS €1300 (H4ANT0002-R), (photos in the website). 12. 4 bedr luxury detached house, 350sq.m,central heating, full ac, big garden with fruit trees, grass and swimming pool 6 X 12,2 covered parking, electrical appliances in the kitchen, 4 years old in a very quiet area 25 min from the centre – DEYTERA - €2000 – H4DEF0001-R (photos in website). 13. 3 bedr ground ﬂoor house with big separate 80sq,m room with shower and wc for multi use, central heating independent, full a/c, 2wc, 2 shower,1 bathroom, fully furnished, small garden, bbq area, parking, on a small building in a very quiet area near Agios Vasilios church. Strovolos - €900 - H4ST10028-R (photos in website). 14. 3 bedr detached house with extra room for ofﬁce, 250sq.m, central heating independent, 4a/c, big renovated kitchen with cooker and oven, big sitting and dining room with parquet

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floor and fire place, 1bathroom, 2 shower, 3wc, 2 covered parking, double glazed windows and shutters in bedrooms, big verandas surrounded by trees and bushes off 28th October street in the central part of Makedonitissa - Makedonitissa - €1100 – H3MAK0004-R (photos in website). For many more properties with photos visit our website at www.landtouristestates.com which is updated daily. LANDTOURIST ESTATES LTD 22422225/96-422225/96422226, www.landtouristestates.com ***************************** LUXURY FLATS: 1. 3 bedr luxury finished spacious floor apartment with very big sitting and dining areas with family room with fire place, solid parquet floor all throught, 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 neighborhood – Agios Andreas- € 1300 – A3AAD0005-R (photos in website). 2. AINIC0006- R, 1 bedr., fully furnished and equipped apartment, 50sq.m, 2AC for hot and cold, covered verandah, covered parking, nice view, off Makarios avenue between Hilton and DEBENHAMS shop. Nicosia centre, € 450 (photos in website). 3. 3 bedr new luxury big apartment 150sq.m+big 25sq.m veranda with very nice view, big sitting and dining areas, big separate kitchen with all the electrical appliances, big bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, storage heaters, full a/c, shutters and blinds on the windows, covered parking in a quiet neighborhood off Prodromou close Ministry od Defence – Engomi€600 – A3ENG0026-R (photos in website). 4. A1DAS0010-R, 1 bedr luxury spacious apartment with big sitting and dining room, big bathroom, big bedroom with shutters, covered veranda, storage heaters, 2a/c, cooker and oven in the kitchen, covered parking in a quiet area in a small modern building near Acropolis Park. Dasoupolis €400 (photos in website). 5. 2 bedr new luxury modern furnished apartment , central heating ind, 2 a/c, big covered veranda and covered parking in a quiet area behind the Municipal building – Agios Dometios - € 660 - A2ADO0004-R (photos in website). 6. 2 bedr luxury spacious apartment on a small modern building with central heating independent(with petrol), full a/c, solid parquet floor, big bedrooms, big sitting room with open plan kitchen, big covered veranda, FULLY MODERN FURNISHED, covered parking off Makarios avenue in a quiet area near the centre – Nicosia Centre- € 800 – A2NIC0030-R (photos in website). 7.

4 bedr luxury floor apartment,250sq.m, office, maid’s room, central heating ind, full hidden wall unit a/c,2 showers, 1 bathroom, 3wc, parquet floor, big kitchen with cooker and oven, bbq on the veranda in the kitchen, big sitting area, roller blinds on all the windows, alarm system, big veranda on a small building off Athalasas avenue near Alpha Mega supermarket and Areteion hospital – Dasoupolis € 1100 - A4DAS0002-R (photos

27 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

TO LET NICOSIA in website). 8. A1ACS0007- R, 1 bedr luxury spacious apartment with 2 a/c for hot and cold, electrical appliances in the kitchen, big bedroom, covered veranda, blinds, covered parking, in a quiet area near Acropolis park. NICELY FURNISHED. Acropolis €450 (photos in website). 9. 3 bedr new luxury finished PENTHOUSE apartment 150sq.m internal areas+120sq. verandas, solid parquet floor all the flat, big bedrooms, big sitting and dining room, big semi separate kitchen with electrical appliances, home cine ma with big screen, LCD tv, covered parking in a quiet neighborhood near CYTA, Laiki + Hellenic bank headquarters and French school. CAN BE RENTED ALSO expensive MODERN furnished – Dasoupolis - € 1200 - A3DAS0019-R (photos in website). 10. 2 bedr luxury apartment with 3 a/c for hot and cold, big covered veranda, covered parking and storage room, NICELY FURNISHED, near Acropoli park behind Tseriotis showroom – ACROPOLIS - €450 – A2ACS0033-R (photos in website). 11. 3 bedr luxury spacious ground floor apartment with separate entrance, big verandas and garden, big sitting and dining room, central heating independent, full a/c, 2wc, very big master bedroom, electrical appliances in the kitchen, aluminum shutters on windows, parquet laminate floor all the flat, covered parking, storage room, in a very quiet neighbourhood in a dead end street, off Athalasas Avenue behind Stephanis near English School €650 (A3ST10030-R), (photos in the website).

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA

(photos in website). 14. 4 bedr new spacious luxury 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, fire place, covered parking and big overfloor 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 €2000 - A4ENG0003-R (photos in website). 15. 2 bedrs new luxury apartment, sitting room open plan with kitchen which includes cooker, oven, refrigerator and washing machine, 2 wc, central heating, full AC, blinds on the windows, very big covered verandas, covered parking and storage room in a dead end off Athalassas avenue near Laiki popular bank and Hellenic bank headquarters. - DASOUPOLI €500 (A2DAS0006-R), (photos in the website). 16. 2 bedr luxury apartment with a/c for hot and cold, NICELY MODERN FURNISHED, covered parking, off Stavrou Avenue behind Coffee Beanery. PRICE INCLUDES COMMON EXPENSES – STROVOLOS - € 550 – A2ST10051-R (photos in website). For many more properties with photos visit our website at

TO LET NICOSIA

TO LET LARNACA

TO LET PAPHOS

www.landtouristestates.com which is updated daily. LANDTOURIST ESTATES LTD 22422225 / 96-422225 / 96422226 www.landtouristestates.com

room first floor flat in central location near Metro supermarket, A/C, private parking, intercom system, en-suite bathroom, small block. Phone: 99354789

***************************** 2 BDRM ﬂat in the centre of Nicosia. Rent €450. For information call 99453663, 99663927.

***************************** 2 BEDROOM NICOLADES SEA VIEW CITY BLOCK, a/c’s in all rooms, private parking, sea view, walking distance to everything, can be used for ofﬁce or residential. €750, minimum 12 months contract. 99320077 Larnaca

LIMASSOL ***************************** GROUND FLOOR HOUSE, furnished renovated this year. Laminated parke ﬂoor, and big wardrobes in the 3 bedrooms. Rent €590.00 Tel 99497576 99886775 *****************************

LARNACA ***************************** ON THE PHINIKOUDES PROMENADE. An unobrstructed, panoramic view of the sea and the marina. An exclusive superb 1 bdrm on the 4th floor on the beach. Fully renovated, brand new. Has fitted new kitchen, w/m, fully a/c and sauna room!! Also suitable for office use. Must see to appreciate. Rent €520. Call 99222197, 99541828. ***************************** LARNACA FLAT FOR RENT: Fully-furnished spacious 2-bed-

FOR SALE – PAPHOS

***************************** FOR RENT 2 bed, 2 bath, new built apartment, in a quiet scenic location In Alethriko, Larnaca 5 min. to Larnaka, 5 min. to the beach Fully furnished, A/C, communal pool, under covered parking, Long term rent, €350.00 per month For more info pls call 99639378 ***************************** FULLY FURNISHED one bedroom ﬂat near Larco hotel Larnaca. Price €370. Tel: 99202543

PAPHOS KILI – PAPHOS, 3 bedroom villa, with swimming pool and garden, unfurnished, gas central heating, large verandas, lovely mountain views, very quiet and tranquil area, €500 per month o.n.o. Call: 99479006 ***************************** GREAT VALUE STUDIO FLAT FOR RENT, - Large modern studio ﬂat in small residential block, in central Paphos, 5 minutes from town centre, 2 minutes from motorway, and 10 minutes from Kato Paphos. Separate Living area/kitchen and bedroom. and shower room. Fully furnished (washing machine etc.) , and air conditioning. Covered veranda, and undercover designated parking. Only Euro 215/month inc. communal charges. Phone 99310481. PAPHOS / PEYIA VILLA, villa

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

TO LET PAPHOS for rent in Peyia, 4 bedroom, 4 bathrooms, large sitting-dining area, fully airconditioned and heated, unfurnished, panoramic views, large parking, low rent contact: 99490953, 26815534 *****************************

APHRODITE HILLS - Villa share at this amazing resort? Now available for discerning people, luxury double rooms, each with own en suite and heating unit and plus of large lounge/dining/ kitchen area, external patios, gardens and swimming pool. Fully furnished and equipped €800pm plus share of running expenses, min period 6 months or yearly contract renewal. To enquire (or view from January

English-Painter & Decorator Fully Qualified 30 years’ Experience ALL AREAS • External & Internal painting • Damp Damage Repairs • Spritze Repairs • Free Estimates + very clean work • All areas. All types of woodwork stained and preserved • All work guaranteed

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12. 2 bedr luxury apartment with central heating independent, full a/c, electrical appliances in the kitchen, blinds, big covered veranda, in a small 2 storey building in a quiet area behind Tymvos – MAKEDONITISSA - € 500 – A2MAK0008-R (photos in website).

• industrial oven

13. 3 bedr luxury apartment with central heating independent, full a/c, 2 bathrooms, parquet ﬂoor, big sitting and dining area, big covered veranda, covered parking, storage room, blinds, shutters in the bedrooms, big kitchen with all expensive electrical appliances, off Makarios avenue near the centre – Nicosia Centre- € 800 – A3NIC0025-R

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28 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET PAPHOS

TO LET PAPHOS

2013) ring 99178141. A chance not to be missed! ***************************** 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. UNIVERSAL AREA €450 spacious 3 bedroom ﬁrst ﬂoor apartment, master with ensuite. Situated on small complex with no pool. Fully furnished with modern furniture, fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher. Balcony leads to a large private roof terrace with shaded barbeque area offering views of the sea, storage & sunbathing deck. 2. SEA CAVES €500 we are delighted to offer this detached 2 bedroom villa situated on a corner plot in a quiet residential area offering sea views. Gated drive for off street parking. Fully enclosed good sized low maintenance garden with private pool offering privacy and shaded areas. Available unfurnished or part furnished. Pets allowed at owners discretion. Website reference number: RTL_482 3. KISSONERGA €550 modern detached 3 bedroom villa situated in a quiet residential area. Master bedroom with ensuite, separate kitchen, downstairs guest wc. Enclosed garden offering private pool & off street

parking. Available unfurnished though can include kitchen appliances. Pets allowed at owners discretion. Website reference number: RTL_501 4. PEYIA €700 price includes pool cleaning. If you are looking for a villa with breathtaking views & privacy than this property is for you. This modern detached 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom villa is furnished with modern furniture, including satellite TV. One bedroom & bathroom on ground floor. A spacious enclosed garden with private pool offering stunning views. Off street parking. Website reference number: RTL_401 5. CHLORAKA €750 modern detached 4 bedroom 3 bathroom villa with ground floor bedroom & bathroom. Beautifully furnished with good quality modern furniture includes sky satellite, fly screens & feature fireplace with modern gas fire. Private pool offering views of the sea. Off street parking. Situated within walking distance of bus routes & shops. Website reference number: RTL_611 6. KATO PAPHOS €800 large 4 bedroom detached villa situated in the sought after residential area of Limnaria. Walking distance to the beach and the many amenities of Kato Paphos. Spacious living accommodation offering an enclosed garden with c/pool. Fully furnished with modern furniture & solar panels. Website reference number: RTL_442

TO LET PAPHOS

7. ANAVARGOS €895 we are delighted to offer this unique 5 bedroom 3 bathroom rustic country home offering spacious living accommodation with large gardens, private pool & stone built bbq & entertainment area. Fully furnished with log burner for those winter months. A real character home worth viewing. Pets allowed. Website reference number: RTL_635 offers considered.

A DELIGHTFUL AND SPACIOUS 1 bedroom apartment, F/F, top ﬂoor, new, located at a peaceful location just 500 from St. George hotel in Chloraka. A+ quality apt. Within walking distance to amenities, part of a beautiful building with swimming pool, list and other amenities. Only €250p/m Other apts also available near Carrefour in the Centre of Paphos. Call 99403261, 26934650

TIMI: 3 bed nicely furnished villa with large sitting and dining areas, ﬁre place, full AC. Upstairs large family bathroom, 3 bedrooms, master bedroom having en suite shower and walk in wardrobes. Off street parking, private pool Ref: 722 Price: 600

8. TALA €900 a charming detached 4 bedroom villa with character, situated on a corner plot in a quiet residential area with breathtaking sea views. Spacious living rooms with central heating & real ﬁreplace. Separate kitchen & dining room. Good sized garden offering private pool and stone built barbeque area. Undercover parking. Available fully furnished. Website reference number: RTL_638

****************************** FLOWRON PROPERTY SERVICES LTD: PROVIDING AN EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE FOR TENANTS AND LANDLORDS: PROPERTIES AVAILABLE FOR RENT LONG TERM RENTAL, PROPERTIES WANTED: FULL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT WITH KEY HOLDING AND RENT COLLECTIONS OFFERED

TEL: 97790883 OFFICE: 26271858 VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MANY MORE PROPERTIES www.mrrent-paphos.net Email: info@mrrentpaphos.net ****************************** FOR RENT A selection of 1 to 5 bedroom houses & apartments F/F & U/F Universal, Peyia, Tomb of the Kings, Tsada, Timi, Chlorakas & Kato Paphos Landlord & Owners please call 99329357 Or please view at are website www.cyprussands.com Fully Registered Company in Cyprus

FOR SALE Semi-detached house in Archangelos area split level on a hill, no houses in front, 3 big bedrooms, 2 big bathrooms and TV room big lounge & dining area, fireplace, fitted kitchen, 40 sq.m. store room, C/H, A/C, solar. For information call: 99496541

ANAVARGOS: 1 to 3 Bedroom apartments available near to the general hospital, furnished or unfurnished. All properties, have white goods and are modern. The building has a lift and off street parking. Prices from 300-400 Euros per month. Ref 7777 Price 300-400 ANARITA: 3 bed nicely furnished villa in the centre of Anarita village with private pool, off street parking. Property has a modern kitchen with granite work tops, sitting and dining area, guest wc. Upstairs 3 bedrooms Master with en suite shower, separate family bathroom. Outside shaded pergolas. Ref 855 Price 600 SECRET VALLEY: 3 bed villa fully furnished 3 bedroom villa with private pool. Nice furniture, master bedroom with on suite shower, family bathroom, 2 bedrooms with twin beds. Dining area, kitchen, guest WC, off street parking, private pool. Modern Villa. Ref: 1035 Price 700 SERCRET VALLEY: 4 bed beautiful furnished bungalow to the highest of standards, with large bedrooms - en suites, Modern large kitchen fully equipped, sitting and dining area with ﬁre place. Outside heated pool, off street parking, landscaped gardens and great views. Ref: 1151 Price 1800

PEGEIA: 4 bed villa with stunning situated in a lovely quiet location in Pegeia offered unfurnished. The property has 2 down stairs bedrooms, a large sitting room with fire place, central heating, kitchen with Stylish design, dining area. Upstairs 2 bedrooms, large outside veranda. Outside stunning views Private pool. Ref: 765 Price: 900 MESGOI: large unfurnished villa situated in a residential area. Property is very modern with fire place, downstairs bedroom with en suite, kitchen and separate utility room, 3 additional bedroom upstairs with master en suite, family bathroom. Outside private pool, fully fenced and private, nice views, pets welcome, suit family with children going to local international school. Ref: 783 Price: 750 TALA: A family home offered part furnished in a quiet residential area, property has off street parking, private pool, central heating and AC, modern kitchen, sitting/dining area, guest wc, upstairs 3 bedrooms with master en suite, family bathroom, sea views. Ref: 988 Price: 750 OFFICE: 120 MAKARIOS AVENUE, PAPHOS. OFFICE: 26600450 MOBILE: 97614070 many properties available on WEB: www.flowron.com Email info@flowron.com ****************************** PEYIA – 3 bedroom villa with modern quality furniture and finishes. Central heating, sky, alarm, infinity pool and stunnning 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 €340p.m.Tel 99403261 ****************************** RENTAL POINT - PAPHOS PROPERTIES AVAILABLE TO RENT IN THE PAPHOS DISTRICT. JUST A SMALL SAMPLE OF AVAILABLE PROPERTIES. ALL TYPES OF PROPERTY URGENTLY REQUIRED FOR

TO LET PAPHOS LONG TERM RENTAL. CALL 97648440 FOR MORE INFORMATION. LANDLORDS CALL IF YOU HAVE A PROPERTY FOR RENT.!!! 1. MESA CHORIO – 2 bed 2 bath fully furnished ground floor apartment set on an elevated position on this prestigious development. Open plan living area. Good sized kitchen. 2 double, bedrooms, master with en-suite shower room. Family bathroom. Large patio areas with enclosed gardens and lovely sea views. Covered parking and security gates.. Comm swimming pool. €425.00 or near offer 2 EMBA 3 bed 2 bath unfurnished villa in handy location close to the shopping areas. Property also has separate 1 bed apartment on the lower level. Large open plan living area and dining area. Fully fitted dining/kitchen with appliances . Guest WC. 3 double bedrooms one with en-suite. Family bathroom. Separate 1 bed apartment on lower level. Perfect for dual living. Small garden & and parking. €550.00 a month. 3. GIOLOU – 5 bed unfurnished villa consisting of 3 bed, 2 bath main house (bungalow) with self contained 2 bed apartment with own entrance. Main house, open plan living area, beamed ceilings with feature fireplace. Dining space and kitchen. 3 bedrooms, master with ensuite and family bathroom. Covered balcony with sea and rural views, swimming pool and garden areas. Lower level apartment reached via the main house or separate entrance. Large open plan living area, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms. €850.00 per month 4. TALA – 3 bed 3 bath quality furnished villa. Set in enclosed gardens the villa consists of open plan living area with dining space. Fully fitted kitchen with all appliances, door to rear garden. Storage room. Ground floor bed room with adjacent shower. Stairs to two double bedrooms both en-suite, one with Jacuzzi tub. Small seating area with adjacent balcony. Pool and off street parking. Lnadscaped gardens €750.00 per month or close offers only 5. TRIMITHOUSA – 4 bed, 3.5 bath unfurnished villa set in quiet location. Open plan living area. Fully fitted kitchen. Ground floor

U SEFUL PHONE NUMBERS Proudly Presents

POLICE DIVISION HQ

HOSPITALS ........ 1400

Nicosia ........................22 802 020 Limassol ......................25 805 050 Larnaca .......................24 804 040 Paphos ........................26 806 060 Famagusta ..................23 803 030

Nicosia General .............22-801400 Nicosia Makarios ...........22-405000 Limassol Old ................25-305333 Limassol New ................25-801100 Larnaca Old...................24-630312 Larnaca New .................24-630300 Paphos ..........................26-821800 Famagusta ....................23-821211

Drug Law Enforcement Unit ......................................... 1498 (Confidential Information) Rescue Co-ordination Centre ............................. 1441 (Immediate Response Service for Aeronautical or Maritime Accident & Incidents)

Tickets Adults €10 Under 16s €5 Under 10 Free TICKETS BY RESERVATION ONLY CONTACT 99934668 OR EMAIL abfchairman@gmail.com

Book early to make sure you get a seat! (Limited number available at the Box Office on the night)

Bar opens at 6pm – Enjoy your BYO picnic outside

Game Fund Service: (Wildlife and hunting) Central offices (Nicosia): 22867786, 22-867897 Nicosia: 22-664606, 99-445697 Limassol: 25-343800, 99-445728, Larnaca/Famagusta: 24-805128, 99-634325 Paphos: 26-306211, 99-445679

Narcotics Helpline ......... 1410 (Outside hours.............. 22304160) AIDS Advisory Bureau ................................ 22-302826 Domestic Violence Centre .......................................... 1440 (Emergency Centre for Victims) Drug Info & Poison Control ............... 1401 Cyprus Samaritans ... 77777267 Police Duty Officer ......... 1499 (Confidential Information)

Forest Fires ..................... 1407 Airports Larnaca ..........................77778833 Paphos ...........................77778833

29 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

TO LET PAPHOS bedroom with en-suite shower. Guest WC. Stairs to 3 more bedrooms, one with en-suite and family bathroom. Garden areas, large terraces and feature BBQ area and pergola. Private pool, garage. Never been occupied. Available 1 Feb. €725.00 per month OVNO. 6. UNIVERSAL AREA – 2 bed fully furnished apartment. Living area, fitted kitchen. 2 double bedrooms and family bathroom. A/C, Enclosed garden area. Comm pool and parking. €375.00 a month or offers. 1 & 2 bed apartments available on Universal starting at €250per month. 7. LOWER PEYIA – 3 bed, 2.5 bath part furnished villa situated in quiet cul du sac. Open plan living and dining area with doors out the to pool and garden.. Very large breakfast fitted kitchen. Doors out to garden and pool. Separate guest WC. Stairs to 3 double bedrooms. Master bedroom very large with en-suite shower. Family bathroom. Private pool, gardens, shutters. €550.00 per month or close offers only. 8. STROUMBI – 3 bed 2.5 bath large unfurnished villa in quiet village area. Spacious open plan living area with feature fireplace and dining space Good sized fitted kitchen and breakfast area. Guest WC with storage area.3 double bedrooms. Master with en-suite bathroom. Family bathroom. Enclosed gardens, pool and off street parking. Realistically priced €550.00 per month.

Advertiser TO LET PAPHOS

OVNO FOR FULL LISTINGS OF APARTMENTS/TOWNHOUSES AND VILLA PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILS. ALL TYPES OF PROPERTY URGENTLY REQUIRED FOR LONG TERM RENTAL LANDLORDS/OWNERS PLEASE CALL. PLEASE CALL 97648440 or email:- inforentals@aol.com ****************************** REFURBISHED stone-built village house located in Kili Paphos. Consists of 3 large rooms 1 small. Traditional wood burnt ﬁreplace, fully tiled secluded yard and garage. Tel: 99210610. *****************************

PROPERTY FOR SALE NICOSIA ***************************** NICOSIA, FLAT FOR SALE: 2 bedroom ﬂat with title deeds, 110 sqm, fully renovated, best central area, 800m from the european university,excellent view, eu 99,000. Tel 99 621914 *****************************

PAPHOS ***************************** 3 BEDROOM APARTMENT. Large living room and sepa-

FOR SALE PAPHOS rate kitchen. Excellent views to the sea and the harbour. Double glazing and fly screens throughout. Off peak electric heating. Window shutters to all main rooms and an intruder alarm fitted. Lift and car park. Euro 120.000 ono, Call: 26 947315 ***************************** PAPHOS, FLATS FOR SALE OR RENT: kissonerga, 3 bedroom flat with title deeds, in a block of 4 flats only, fully renovated, 2 baths, 146 sqm closed area, ch, ac, covered parking, excellent view of sea and mountains, half registration fees till 31.12.12.Reduced to eu 135,000,or rent eu 450 pm. Tel 99 621914 ***************************** KATO PAPHOS UNIVERSAL, large 2 bedroom apartment, ground floor, 1 bathroom, kitchen, large veranda, private parking, A/C, satellite TV. Near bus route, shops, banks, quiet apartment. Full furniture. Communal pool. 92 sq.m covered area. Full TITLE DEEDS. REDUCED €92,000 ***************************** PAPHOS 1 bedroom apartment, fantastic central location, lounge/kitchen, bathroom, veranda, covered parking, communal pool, Furnished. Near all amenities. TITLE DEEDS NOW REDUCED €45,000. ***************************** 1 BEDROOM APARTMENT, TOMBS OF KINGS AREA, close to the sea, large private

FOR SALE PAPHOS roof terrace with electric and water, covered parking, veranda, furnished, swimming pool. Full TITLE DEEDS, was €95,000 reduced to €65,000. ***************************** Chlorakas, 2 bedroom townhouse. Exceptional sea views. New kitchen, bedrooms and bathroom. Private parking, On mains sewage system. Communal pool. A/C, quality

FOR SALE PAPHOS ﬁxtures. Fully furnished. Security barrier. FULL TITLE DEEDS Now €92,000 Call 99716390.

FOR SALE FAMAGUSTA FAMAGUSTA

***************************** 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.

***************************** AYIA NAPA, studio for sale, 38 sqm, furnished and fully renovated, with title deed, in licensed complex, 500m from nissi beach, eu 49,000, tel. 99 621914

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

30 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser FOR PAPHIAKOS ANIMAL WELFARE SOS HELPLINE, 24 HOUR MEDICAL EMERGENCY SERVICE - CALL 99655581 CONTACT DETAILS FOR PAPHIAKOS. Paphiakos & C.C.P. Animal Welfare Education/Information Centre, No. 12 Dedalos Building, 8049 Kato Paphos PO Box 61272 8132 Kato Paphos Web. www.cyprusanimalwelfare.com www.facebook/paphiakos Email info@cyprusanimalwelfare.com Larnaca Emergency Service - The contact point for animal emergencies in Larnaca is Maria at the Paphiakos Animal Welfare Charity Shop, telephone 24623494 or 99325897 STOP, SHOP AND GIVE TO THE ANIMALS! ALL DONATIONS ARE WELCOME AT OUR CHARITY SHOPS! PAPHIAKOS & C.C.P. ANIMAL WELFARE Registered Charity No 1529 Contact our shops and we can take your clutter The Charity Shops are located at: Shop No.1 Agapinoros Street, Kato Paphos Tel 26910325 Shop No.2 Ap Pavlou Avenue, Kato Paphos Tel 26942894 Shop No.3 Gr. Afxentiou Avensia Court 3 Larnaca 24623494 Shop No.4 9 Ayiou Ioanni Street 3061 Limassol 25561695 Peyia Information Centre & Shop & T Rooms 26622828 Polis Information Centre & Shop & T Rooms 99223572 Book Exchange Shop Trimithousa 99771763 Our shops are always happy to receive your unwanted goods! NOW YOU CAN HELP BY COLLECTING YOUR ALUMINIUM CANS AND HANDING THEM IN AT ANY PAPHIAKOS CHARITY SHOP OR THE CLINIC. SAVE AN ANIMAL AND SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT!! PAPHIAKOS CAR BOOT SALE EVERY SATURDAY at the Ambassador Restaurant and outside in the grounds at Paphiakos. Free parking. Sellers from 7am, buyers from 8am. For information & bookings please call MIKE on 96702600. FORTHCOMING EVENTS FOR PAPHIAKOS CHARITY NO. 1529 WORLD ANIMAL DAY. On Thursday October 4th Paphiakos will be micro chipping pets for only €20 including all the paperwork. For further information telephone 26953496. To celebrate World Animal Day on Thursday October 4th Paphiakos will be offering free spaying/neutering for all feral and unwanted animals as they do throughout the year. Contact 26953496 for further details. PAPHIAKOS SHELTER OPEN DAY The Open Day will be held on Sunday October 7th between 10am and 3pm. It will be a Family Fun Day out with a lot of different activities. There is car parking, toilets and refreshments on site so enjoy and join in the celebration of animals and what they bring to our lives. Entrance is €2 CHARITY HAIR CUT. On Thursday 4th October 09.30-17.30 without an appointment Andri at Atlantic Bay Hotel (2nd Floor) will be charging €5 for a haircut with all proceeds going to Paphiakos. Telephone Suzanne on 99151996 or Andri on 99604783. PAPHIAKOS CHRISTMAS BAZAAR. Saturday November 24th 9am – 3pm at the Crazy Spoon Restaurant. For further details contact 99151996. Stalls, Santa’s Grotto, Donkey Rides, Pirate Pat and many more.

CHEMISTS NICOSIA SUNDAY 06/01/2013 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 D. K. Kokkinou, 124 Limassol Ave. Tel: 22422470, 22428499 (H) E. A. Antoniades, corner Athalassa & 2A Hadjijoseph Ave, Acropolis. Tel: 22314634, 22491526 (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 V. Flouris, St. Lazaros Square. Tel: 24628331, 24667037 (H) L. Georgiou, 77 S. Timayia Ave. Tel: 24631390, 24821388 (H) PAPHOS D. Hadjicharalambous, 104 Ellados Ave. Tel: 26822627, 70008181, (H) G. Ioannou, Tombs of the Kings Rd, Kato Paphos, Tel: 26818397, PARALIMNI Ch. X. Alapai, 8 Gr. Dighenis Ave. Tel: 23742002, 23744155 (H)

NICOSIA MONDAY 07/01/2013 A. Stavrou, 76 D. Akritas St. Tel: 22751679, 22333220 (H) P. Aresti, 206 Strovolos Ave, Strovolos. Tel: 22420058, 22491533 (H) E. Christou, 13A Kantaras Ave, Pallouriotissa. Tel: 22435250, 22730120 (H) Ch. Savva, 146A Athalassa Ave, Strovolos. Tel: 22514131, 22354627 (H) LIMASSOL J. Papachristou, 31 M. Kavazoglou St. Tel: 25565267, 25340982 (H) A. Polycarpou, 225 Makarios Ave. Tel: 25588346, 25318417 (H) M. Demetriou, 18 Petrou Tsirou Tel: 25339191, 25332813 (H) LARNACA S. Iacovides, 68 Str. Timayia Ave. Tel: 24637499, 24657045 (H) G. Antonis, 14 K. Matsis St. (Atticon Cinema road) Tel: 24626332, 24657313 (H) PAPHOS L. Tselepou, 91 E. Venizelou St. Tel: 26954594, 26949276 (H) PARALIMNI A. Kamilaris, 52 Korai, Tel: 23744160, 23743418

SATURDAY SERVICES NICOSIA St Paul’s Church Hall, Byron Ave LIMASSOL ‘Meeting Point’, 193A Christodoulou H’pavlou, opp Molos Park on beach rd BIBLE STUDY FOR ADULTS & CHILDREN 10.00 am Nicosia • 10.30 am Limassol FAMILY WORSHIP SERVICE 11.30 am Nicosia • 11.45 am Limassol Pastor: Branislav Mirilov 96702349 Info: Nsia 96207014 • Lsol 99322614 www.adventist.org | www.hopetv.org

DOCTORS ON DUTY NICOSIA Pathologist: Costas Schizas, Tel: 22311077, 99606611 Gynaeocologist: Christos Ppouris, Tel: 22469000, 99680488 Paediatric Surgeon: Eliana Eliadou, Tel: 99384324 Dentist: Maria Sozou, Tel: 22676616, 99617867 LIMASSOL Pathologist: Polikarpos Evripidou, Tel.: 99514910, 25251919 Surgeon: Theodosis Loizides, Tel.: 25355211, 25334115 Neuro-Surgeon: Michalakis Spirou, Tel: 99624939 Paediatric: Androniki Pampori, Tel.: 99598668 Paediatric Surgeon: Georgios Hadjiconstantas, Tel.: 25730055, 25723914 Doctor: Lampros Theodosiou, Tel: 25581712, 99624372

AYIA NAPA and DHERYNIA (Anglican Church in S.E Cyprus) Sunday Worship 9.30am Morning Prayer every Sunday morning at St Constantinos & Eleni Chapel, Dherynia (near Hospital in Dherynia) 11am at Scandinavian Church, off Nissi Avenue (opp Tassia Maris Hotel), Ayia Napa nd 6pm at St Constantinos & Eleni (2 week) Chaplain : Revd Simon Holloway M.A. Tel: 97 839349 www.angsecyp.org Visitors especially welcome

31 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Compiled by Rosie Ogden

Brand new carmaker Qoros reveals GQ3 NEW independent car manufacturer Qoros has taken the wraps off the GQ3, the first of a family of all-new models designed and developed specifically for markets in China and Europe. Qoros Auto Co. Ltd. was founded in 2007, within the context of ‘a partnership of equals’ between Chery Automobile, China’s largest independent car manufacturer, and Israel Corporation, a globally acting industry holding company. The first model from Qoros, the GQ3 C-segment saloon, introduces design themes and styling features that the makers say “will define a unique brand identity across the forthcoming family of Qoros models”. “During the development of the GQ3, we directed all our efforts towards the needs and expectations of today’s young, aspirational customers,” says Volker Steinwascher, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board. “They are very sensitive about design and quality, are highly sophisticated users of technology, and insist on the very best safety standards. As an entirely new brand, we have the advantage of being able to focus our efforts, without compromise or distraction, on meeting the demands of these customers.” Making its world debut at the Geneva International Motor Show (7-17 March), the Qoros GQ3 goes on sale in China in the second half of 2013, with the first cars arriving in Europe later in the year. Bearing in mind the antipathy in some European quarters to things manufactured in China, there’s been considerable European input into the new car: under the leadership of Executive Director of Design, Gert Volker Hildebrand, a team of designers in Munich and Shanghai have created ‘distinct and precise styling based on modern European design tastes’. The GQ3 has a sporty profile with a long wheelbase, short overhangs, a coupé-like silhouette and a roof that flows smoothly into the strong rear quarters. Horizontal lines emphasise the car’s stature – at 1839 mm, it is one of the widest cars in its class, and a prominent matt aluminium strip above each side sill adds to the impact of the side profile. Muscular wheel arches accommodate

Motoring

‘COMBINES LUXURY TOURING WITH SHATTERING PERFORMANCE’

up to 19-inch alloy wheels. At the front, wide headlamp units extend into the flanks of the car, framing the central upper grille at the same height. Horizontal LED bars feature at the upper edge of the headlights and in the distinctive rear light clusters. The GQ3 will, say its makers, “offer generous interior space, and the horizontally arranged ‘floating’ dashboard will further enhance the impression of space in the cabin. In its ergonomics and quality, the Qoros GQ3 sets new standards for cars produced in China and will be comparable with the best-selling cars in Europe”. In the central console there’s an innovative eightinch touchscreen infotainment system that Qoros says “represents an automotive industry first”. The advanced software, technology and graphics were designed and developed in-house “to safely manage information displays for minimal driver distraction and to optimise ease-of-use while on the move”. Replacing the array of switches and buttons that blights many modern car interiors, the touchscreen enables users to manage entertainment, navigation, ‘Cloud’ connectivity and in-car networking functions with intuitive finger ‘swipe’ movements that will be familiar to smartphone users. The system allows drivers to book dealer service appointments, features an automatic emergency services alert in the event of an accident, and supports usage-based car insurance services. The state-of-the-art navigation system includes ‘best-inclass’ traffic information and an advanced points-ofinterest search. The infotainment system will be fitted as standard across the GQ3 range. The GQ3 is engineered to achieve maximum European and Chinese crash test ratings: the car’s structural architecture incorporates the latest developments in the field of crash safety. In addition, occupants are protected by a comprehensive package of state-of-the-art safety measures, including front, side and curtain airbags, as well as seatbelt restraint systems. After its world premiere in Geneva, the Qoros GQ3 will be exhibited at the Shanghai Motor Show in April.

The GQ3 is the ﬁrst of a family of all-new models designed and developed speciﬁcally for markets in China and Europe

The ﬂagship of the Continental range, the new GT Speed Convertible has a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h)

Bentley unveils fastest four-seat convertible BENTLEY’S new open-top performance flagship, the Continental GT Speed Convertible - billed as the world’s fastest four-seat convertible - makes its international debut on 14th January at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Combining “the sensory pleasures of roof-down luxury touring with the shattering performance of a 625 PS (616 bhp) twin-turbocharged 6.0 litre W12”, Bentley have managed to tweak a fifteen per cent improvement in fuel efficiency. There’s a close-ratio eightspeed transmission, while the suspension has been uprated and lowered and the steering retuned to provide ‘exhilarating acceleration and sharp, communicative handling’. Permanent all-wheel drive ensures optimum traction and power delivery whatever the road conditions. The flagship of the Continental range, the new GT Speed Convertible has a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h) - though where you would be able to use that sort of speed legally is a moot point! Subtle sporting design cues include exclusive 21-inch alloy wheels, dark-tint grilles and ‘rifled’ exhaust tail pipes. Inside its handcrafted cabin, the GT Speed convertible features the Mulliner Driving Specification as standard, blending contemporary luxury with a distinctly sporting character. Commenting on the new Continental GT Speed Convertible, Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive Dr Wolfgang Schreiber said: “Following the recent successful introduction of the GT Speed, the new GT Speed

Inside, exclusive treadplates welcome you to a four-seat cabin that features hand-craftsmanship including Bentley’s distinctive diamond-quilted hide upholstery Convertible will appeal to drivers who seek the sensory thrills of the world’s fastest four-seat soft-top and the practicality of a year-round grand tourer, together with unrivalled levels of luxury and refinement. It is designed for those who accept no compromise.” The Continental GT Speed convertible shares its powertrain specification with its Bentley stablemate the GT Speed coupé. The 625 PS (616 bhp) twin-turbocharged, 48valve, W12 engine powers the new convertible to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.4 s.) and onto a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h). Zero to 100 mph (160 km/h) is despatched in only 9.7 seconds. Peak torque – an impressive 800 Nm (590 lb.ft) – is reached at just 2000 revs/ min and maintains that level through to 5000 revs/min for effortless, refined performance at all times. The latest ME17 engine management system, capable of performing 180 million individual calcula-

tions per second, provides enhanced turbocharger control and torque management, enhancing driveability. In common with all W12-engined models, the GT Speed convertible features an energy recuperation system. Together with a close-ratio, quick-shifting eight-speed transmission, this has resulted in a 15 per cent improvement in fuel economy and CO2 emissions compared with the ﬁrst generation Speed, with a commensurate increase in tank range. The new GT Speed Convertible’s powertrain is even more tractable than its Speed predecessor, and just as fuel-efﬁcient as the new W12 Continental GT. Switching the gear selector to ‘Sport’ mode however demonstrates the dual personality of the new GT Speed convertible, delivering a sharper throttle response, gear-shifting at higher engine speeds and faster ‘block shifting’ (eg 8th direct to 4th gear) for instantly accessible

acceleration. The enhanced performance is accentuated by a glorious baritone snarl from the free-breathing exhaust, a thrilling soundtrack to the magnificent powerhouse under the bonnet. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system is optimised for the new engine management system to deliver both outstanding safety and greater driver involvement. The ESC system retains the “Dynamic Mode” setting that allows increased wheel slip at higher speeds, with engine torque reinstated more quickly after a system intervention. Together, these systems give the keen driver more opportunity to exploit the full potential of the new chassis set-up and higher power output. Inside, exclusive treadplates featuring the ‘Speed’ legend welcome you to a four-seat cabin that features the hand-craftsmanship of the Mulliner Driving Specification, with its distinctive diamond-quilted hide upholstery. For the Continental GT Speed models Bentley offers an exclusive Dark Tint Aluminium ‘engine spin’ finish, inspired by the dashboards of the Le Mans winning Bentleys of the 1920s. Its understated shade is the perfect complement to the exterior’s dark tint chrome radiator and bumper grilles. Other optional finishes include the full range of fine wood veneers and a satinfinish Carbon Fibre option for fascia and centre console. The result is an exhilarating combination of performance and practicality; a Bentley that can tackle sun-drenched boulevard or snowy alpine pass with equal aplomb.

32 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport NFL offers clash of generations

Euroleague favourites Road to the Super Bowl will become clearer after wild-card weekend stutter By Zoran Milosavljevic

WITH Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson set to make playoff debuts, the year of the rookie continues in the National Football League (NFL). But defense and experience win championships and few know the road to the Super Bowl better than longtime quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The wild-card weekend kicked off last night with the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the Houston Texans, followed by NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings renewing hostilities on Lambeau Field’s famous frozen tundra. Today’s games will be a rookie quarterback showcase. Luck, the number one overall pick in last year’s draft, will lead the resurgent Indianapolis Colts against the Baltimore Ravens, with Griffin, selected number two by the Washington Redskins, going against the Seattle Seahawks and their brilliant first-year quarterback Wilson. More intriguing, however, is the possibility of a clash of the generations in the divisional playoffs the following weekend when Manning and the AFC top seeded Denver Broncos join the action along with Brady and the number two seeded New England Patriots. In the NFC, the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons and number two San Francisco 49ers await their conference’s wild-card winners. While NFL fans have been mesmerized by the dynamic talents of Griffin, Luck and Wilson, the old guard of Brady, Manning and the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers have trophy cases that contain Super Bowl rings and most valuable player awards. Rodgers and Manning finished the regular season with the top two quarterback ratings, generating plenty of MVP buzz. They were followed by Griffin and Wilson. Luck completed his first

A blistering individual performance by Euroleague’s top scorer Bobby Brown gave Montepaschi Siena a 98-92 win at Fenerbahce Istanbul while several big guns were rocked by surprise defeats in the second round of the top 16. Khimki Moscow stunned 2010 champions Barcelona 78-65, six-time winners Panathinaikos Athens went down 78-64 at Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Maccabi Tel Aviv, the winners of four titles, were edged 71-70 at home by a rejuvenated Caja Laboral Vitoria. Holders Olympiakos Piraeus strolled to a 77-64 home success against Besiktas Istanbul to register their ﬁrst win in the second group stage of the competition, featuring two pools of eight teams, as former champions CSKA Moscow, Real Madrid and Zalgiris Kaunas also enjoyed easy wins.

IN BRIEF

By Steve Keating

JOURNEYMAN Today’s games will be a rookie quarterback showcase. Andrew Luck, the number one overall pick in last year’s draft, will lead the resurgent Indianapolis Colts against the Baltimore Ravens campaign by grabbing the single-season rookie passing yards record as the Colts went from last place to the playoffs in one year. Wilson tied Manning’s single-season rookie record with 26 touchdown passes, leading an explosive Seattle offence that became the ﬁrst in 62 years to register backto-back 50 point games. While the spotlight will be focused on the trio of rookies, the pressure will be on two other quarterbacks. The apprenticeship and honeymoon is over for Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, the third overall pick in the 2008 draft, and the Ravens’ Joe Flacco, taken 18th overall in that same draft class. The two must prove they are ﬁnally ready to deliver a championship. Texans veteran play caller Matt Schaub will also be under the microscope while San Francisco’s second year

Peyton Manning and the AFC top seeded Denver Broncos know what it takes to win man Colin Kaepernick maybe the one true wild card, after taking over ﬁrst string duties mid-season from Alex Smith. In Minnesota, the Vikings’ offense does not revolve so much around quarterback Christian Ponder as bruising

running back Adrian Peterson, who rushed for a staggering 2,097 yards, falling just nine yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. The wild-card weekend will also feature the NFL’s top three rushers with Peterson, Redskins’ powerhouse rookie Alfred Morris (1,613 yards) who averaged over 100 yards a game and the Seahawks’ Marshawn Lynch (1,590). Along with Lynch and quarterback Wilson, the Seahawks enter the postseason with the league’s top ranked defense, allowing just 15.3 points a game. They are followed closely by their West division rivals the 49ers. With six wins in their last seven games, including ﬁve straight to close out the campaign, the NFC Seahawks carry considerable momentum, but no team is hotter than the AFC Bron-

cos, who have reeled off 11 consecutive wins. The Seahawks were the NFL’s best home team, winning all eight home dates, but must do something they have not done since 1983 win a playoff game on the road. Atlanta, the NFC’s number one seed, went 7-1 at home and will have home ﬁeld advantage throughout the playoffs while second seeded San Francisco was nearly as dominant, going 6-1-1 on its own turf. “It’s about consistency when you get into this opportunity,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said on the team’s website. “You’ve got to bring what you’ve got. Don’t show up without your stuff on that day. “We know how to do that. Now we have to see if we can bring it to life and not get distracted by the fact it’s the playoffs.”

The 28-year old Brown, a journeyman who plied his trade at several NBA teams as well as little known sides such as Germany’s Oldenburg, equalled Euroleague’s record of 41 points as Siena overcame an 11-point third quarter deficit in the cauldron of Fenerbahce’s Ulker Sports Arena. Brown, who has averaged 19.2 points per game, nailed 12 of his 18 shots from the field and all 13 from the foul line while he also dished out seven assists, overshadowing Croatian forward Bojan Bogdanovic who led the home side with 31 points. “It was a special night for me and my team mates and I was happy to help the team win,” Brown told the competition’s official website (www.euroleague.net). “We played very well at a crunch time and stayed calm in the end to get a very important road win, but this is just the beginning and we still have plenty of games which we need to play the same way.”

Wales wing North suffers head and neck injuries

‘Snow Queen’ Shiffrin crowned in Zagreb slalom

Paul keeps Clippers on top in Los Angeles battle

WALES winger George North could be a doubt for the Six Nations championship after being carried off on a stretcher with head and neck injuries in Scarlets’s 47-17 defeat at Ulster on Friday. Scarlets backs coach Mark Jones told the BBC: “I only know what I saw on the replay. He’s had a knee to the head and he’s struggling with some head and neck issues.” Six Nations grand slam champions Wales, who have lost seven games in a row since their triumph in March, begin the defence of their title on February 2 at home to Ireland. Wales have been hit by a string of injury problems in recent months.

MIKAELA Shiffrin was crowned a ‘Snow Queen’ at 17 when she won the classic ﬂoodlit slalom in Zagreb to show she is not just a one-hit wonder. The American teenager, who celebrated her maiden World Cup victory last month in Are, dominated both runs to win in two minutes and 1.73. Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter was second, like in Are, a considerable 1.19 seconds adrift while Canada’s Erin Mielzynski, her country’s own slalom prodigy, ﬁnished third some 1.76 off the pace. “After Are, I thought I’d be able to handle it the next time, but I’m not,” she told reporters.

CHRIS Paul and the Clippers maintained a grip on top billing in Los Angeles with a tense 107-102 victory over the Lakers to cement their status as the city’s best team. Paul withstood a ﬁerce challenge from Kobe Bryant, recording 30 points and 13 assists to Bryant’s 38 points, and the Clippers moved further ahead in both the standings and the crosstown rivalry. “It’s a big win because it’s a division game,” Paul said. Despite sharing the Staples Center, the teams have had little else in common as the Clippers have raced toward the top of the West while the Lakers are struggling to ﬁnd an identity under new coach Mike D’Antoni.

33 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

Sport Harrington: Monty would be mad to captain again

Herath alive and bowling despite death rumours

By Tony Jimenez

Sri Lankans dumbfounded by speculation By Nick Mulvenney AS Mark Twain might have said, rumours of the death of Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath which spread like wildﬁre across social media late on Friday proved to be greatly exaggerated. Far from lying in a Sydney morgue alongside former Test bowler Chaminda Vaas after perishing in a car crash as the reports had suggested, Herath was very much alive when he pitched up for work at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. The most proliﬁc wickettaker in Test cricket last year, the 34-year-old leg spinner claimed two Australian wickets to seal a haul of four for 95 and then contributed nine runs with the bat. Team mate Dimuth Karunaratne told reporters at the conclusion of the day’s play that the team had been dumbfounded by the rumours. “I heard about it when we having breakfast but I had no idea where that came from,” he said with a laugh.

“Guys from Sri Lanka were calling us asking ‘when is the funeral?’ and stuff like that. “Rangana is alive,” he added, somewhat unneccessarily. Herath’s efforts were not enough to prevent Australia taking an iron grip on the third Test match yesterday and move to the brink of a 3-0 series sweep. That could all change, however, if he and Dinesh Chandimal, who ﬁnished the third day unbeaten on 22, are able to dig in today, inﬂate their lead beyond the current 87 and give Sri Lanka a decent target to bowl at. The Sydney track has traditionally offered a lot of turn for spinners in the last couple of days of a Test and, as Herath’s 60 wickets last year showed, there are few better spinners operating in Test cricket at the moment. “The wicket is turning a lot now and the Aussie guys are playing the fourth innings, so I think Rangana... can do something,” said Karunaratne. Vaas has no position with the test team and remains,

also unharmed, in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan reporters said. The hosts dominated the morning courtesy of a sparkling unbeaten century from Matthew Wade before declaring at 432-9 with a ﬁrst innings lead of 138 just before lunch. “It could have gone pearshaped quickly,” Wade told reporters. “It could have gone the wrong way for us this afternoon but luckily enough our bowlers were good enough and they did well to pull it back. “We’ve got to take three wickets as quickly as we can because we don’t want to be chasing too many on that wicket.” Wade reached the century mark by smashing his ninth four to deep cover and then raced around the ground, arms outstretched, in an emotional celebration of his ﬁrst hundred on home soil. “It was an amazing feeling. To do it on a day like today, with the McGrath foundation day, was something special. I will never forget it,” said 25-year-old Wade, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer as a teenager.

34-year-old leg spinner Rangana Herath was the most proliﬁc wicket-taker in Test cricket last year

British man on trial for hurling abuse and bottle at Bolt By Estelle Shirbon A BRITISH man went on trial this week accused of screaming abuse at Usain Bolt and hurling a beer bottle onto the track as the Olympic men’s 100 metres ﬁnal was starting, a climactic moment of the London Games in August. The court heard that the packed 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium had fallen silent in anticipation of the race when Ashley Gill-Webb, 34, began shouting insults like “Usain I want you to lose, Usain you are bad, you are an arsehole”. The Jamaican sprinter did not hear the abuse or see a green Heineken bottle land behind the starting line, and went on to win the race in 9.63 seconds, the secondfastest time recorded. Gill-Webb did not have a ticket to attend the 100 metres ﬁnal but had somehow pushed his way to the front of an exclusive seating area, among members of the Dutch Olympic team. After his outburst, GillWebb was confronted by Dutch judoka Edith Bosch, an Olympic bronze medallist, then restrained by

Ashley Gill-Webb, 34, was arrested immediately after the 100 metres ﬁnal, after throwing a Heineken bottle (bottom of Lane 5) onto the Olympic track volunteer workers and arrested. He has pleaded not guilty to a public order offence, the Press Association (PA) reported from Stratford Magistrates’ Court in east London, without saying what penalties he might face.

“In the stadium, along with the many thousands who should have been there legitimately and were watching the race in hushed anticipation, was also Mr Gill-Webb who it is now accepted was unwell at the time,” said prosecutor Neil

King. “This bottle landed extremely close to the athletes and it’s probably luck rather than Mr Gill-Webb’s judgment that it did not do anything far more serious,” said King, quoted by the PA. In a written witness state-

ment read out in court, Bosch said Gill-Webb’s taunts against Bolt had gone on for about two minutes. As he started to move away after tossing the beer bottle, she confronted him, saying: “Dude, are you crazy?” “He was trying to walk away so I pushed him hard to stop him,” Bosch said in her statement. “I was angry with what he had done which was so disrespectful.” “I was sad to miss the 100 metres,” she added. The court heard that GillWebb’s behaviour after he was escorted to a police station had been “somewhat unusual”. He gave some “no comment” answers to police questions but also handed over a prepared statement signed “Alan Cumming”, the name of a Scottish actor. He maintained he had nothing to do with throwing the bottle but said he had been “quite hyper” in the stadium. Prosecutor King said although it was accepted Gill-Webb was unwell at the time, he knew what he was doing and intentionally caused distress to those around him.

COLIN Montgomerie would be mad to entertain the thought of returning as Europe’s captain for the 2014 Ryder Cup, according to triple major winner Padraig Harrington. The players committee will meet during the January 1720 Abu Dhabi Championship to decide on the successor to Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal at the biennial team event, with 2011 British Open champion Darren Clarke and Ireland’s Paul McGinley the frontrunners. Clarke, however, said last month that he believes Europe should appoint a leader with a “huge presence”, suggesting 2010 skipper Montgomerie should be considered. “There’s not a chance, after what he went through last time, that Colin would ever take the captaincy again,” Harrington told Reuters in an interview. “He puts so much more on the line than anybody else - it would be madness for him. He’s had a great Ryder Cup playing career, he’s been a successful captain why risk all that? “I can’t see in any shape or form him agreeing to do it again.” The United States, desperate to halt a run of seven defeats in nine editions, appointed eight-time major champion Tom Watson as captain last month. “That was a big statement and brilliant for the event,” said Clarke. “There are few more iconic ﬁgures in golf... and it sends out a statement they are serious about winning the trophy back. “Maybe we have to consider other people. Whoever it is standing on that stage opposite Tom Watson needs a huge presence.” But Harrington, who won the British Open in 2007 and 2008 and the U.S. PGA Championship in 2008, said half of Montgomerie’s career would go out of the window if he lost as skipper. “I had a long chat with Monty the evening we won the Ryder Cup in 2010,” said the 41-year-old Irishman. “I could see the relief Colin had when he won. “I don’t think he quite realised until then the enormity of being captain for him. Most players who take the captaincy, whether they win or lose, it doesn’t change people’s perception of their overall career. “Monty’s career though is based on his eight order of merit wins and his Ryder Cup performances,” added Harrington. “By taking the captaincy he’s putting far more on the line than anyone else because it would be hard to mention that he’s unbeaten in the singles in the competition but, oh, he’s also a losing captain as well. That would take the shine off his great record.”

34 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport Birthday boy Cox weds before Reds

Wenger focused on squad ahead of Swansea clash

By Sean Taylor

‘The Cup is something special and is watched all over the world. It has a special history to it’ By Jim van Wijk ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger does not intend to lose any sleep over how to best tackle the January transfer window and will instead focus on getting the best out of the players he already has. The Gunners are expected to make some moves to bolster the squad this month, with a £10 million bid for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez said to be on the table while fringe players like Johan Djourou, Sebastien Squillaci and Morocco forward Marouane Chamakh, a target for West Ham, will also be ofﬂoaded. However, as he prepares to take his team to Swansea for today’s’s FA Cup third round tie, the Arsenal manager wants concentration to remain on the side producing the required performance rather than thinking about how to boost any perceived deﬁciencies. “The most draining is that you get the best out of your team and worry about the

next game. In our job it is important that you focus on what is really important, the players who can help the club to win the games - those who are somewhere on the transfer market will not help you to win the games,” Wenger told a press conference. “For us it is important to focus on our next game and our next game can only be won by the players who are here.” Wenger admits it is becoming harder to locate bargain buys and accepts pressure is for players to make an instant impact rather than be allowed time to grow at their new club. However, the Arsenal manager does not expect many major moves in the opening week of the January window. “I’m expecting it to be very calm because, ﬁrst of all, I believe there is little money and what can happen is basically a transfer market within the English clubs,” Wenger told Arsenal Player. “That is more difﬁcult than with the foreign clubs.

Overall, I believe that not a lot will happen. “The clubs have to look at the ﬁnances. What makes the clubs are the fans and what makes the fans is the economy. On that front, nobody is really sure what will happen in 2013.” Arsenal crashed out of the Capital One Cup at npower League Two Bradford to see another chance of ending their trophy drought in 2013 disappear. Wenger intends to take a strong squad to Wales as he looks to continue his own personal love affair with the world’s oldest knockout competition, which brought Arsenal their last piece of silverware back in 2005. “It is something special because it is something exciting, it is watched all over the world. It has a special history in England and I always respected that,” Wenger told a press conference. “I am always sad when we don’t win it or when we go out. We will put our maximum effort in on Sunday to win the game.”

Arsene Wenger intends to take a strong squad to Wales as he looks to continue his love affair with the FA Cup

AC Milan walkout re-ignites racism row in Italy By Naomi O’Leary

I’ve had enough of this: Milan’s Ghanaian striker KevinPrince Boateng (right) led his side off the pitch

RACIST chanting that led AC Milan players to walk off the pitch during a friendly match provoked howls of outrage in Italy but also revived debate about whether authorities are doing enough to combat a deep-seated problem. Milan’s Ghanaian striker Kevin-Prince Boateng kicked the ball into the stands, removed his shirt and led his team mates off the pitch 26 minutes into the match on Thursday after monkey chants and jeers from fans of lower division team Pro Patria directed at him, Urby Emanuelson and Sulley Muntari. The mayor of Busto Arsizio, the northern hometown of Pro Patria where the incident occurred, said his administration would sue the fans responsible for the chanting. Local police say they are questioning fans to identify the culprits. “We have begun a civil claim against the imbecile thugs that have stained the city,” mayor Gigi Farioli told Sky Italia television.

“An education drive will be launched, with concrete measures against racism in and out of the stadium,” he said, adding that AC Milan and the players involved had been invited to participate. But he said Boateng was “unprofessional” to kick the ball at chanting fans. Boateng’s action was widely applauded, however, and prompted renewed criticism of authorities for not taking stronger action to wipe out the racist insults that are commonplace at Italian grounds. “Finally, thanks to Boateng, there has been an adequate response to the demented people that chant racist choruses in the stadiums,” wrote Pierluigi Battista in an editorial in the respected Corriere della Sera daily. He called for games to be suspended and points deducted from the team of the offending fans even in Serie A matches as soon as there was racist chanting. “Now is the time for the football authorities to stand up and do something. We need to see real actions that will have a genuine inﬂuence,” former AC and Inter

Milan player Patrick Vieira said on Twitter. Italian football federation (FIGC) president Giancarlo Abete said the incident was “unspeakable and intolerable” but critics say the federation needs to take much more draconian action than the relatively small ﬁnes it has imposed on clubs in the past. Late last year 10 fans of London side Tottenham Hotspur, which has a large contingent of Jewish supporters, were injured, one of them gravely, when dozens of anti-semitic ‘ultras’ stormed a central Rome bar in a well-planned attack. Pro Patria has been ﬁned 15,000 euros over the last year for racist chants, Italian press reported. Manchester City and Belgian national player Vincent Kompany was one of thousands to express their support of Boateng’s action on Twitter. “Act of racism against Boateng during Milan’s friendly. How about becoming extremely intolerant towards racist idiots? They need to be told,” the defender wrote.

FRIDAY marked the start of the biggest weekend in the life of Mansfield manager Paul Cox. Cox married long-term partner Natasha Bertin on Friday afternoon, little more than 48 hours before his team host Liverpool in the FA Cup third-round on what will be the day of his 41st birthday. Cox tied the knot in West Bridgford, Nottingham, and the reception was in a specially-erected marquee at the club’s training ground next to the One Call Stadium where the Stags will lock horns with the seven-time winners of the competition today. The pair were planning to wed in the summer but Cox promised to bring it forward if Mansfield won the replay against Blue Square Bet Premier rivals Lincoln to set up a dream clash with the Merseysiders. “Apparently I agreed to get married if we beat Lincoln in the second round,” said Cox this week. “My girlfriend and the chairman were talking about it during the game and after the win, Carolyn (Radford, chief executive) and the chairman were congratulating me - I thought they were talking about the result. “Then they said that they were looking forward to the big day - the wedding. “So the wedding was on Friday after training and there were one or two more cameras there, but it is something I embraced and cherished.” On Sunday’s televised clash, Cox added: “The way it’s fallen, it is going to be quite a weekend. But it will all be fabulous for me. “To play Liverpool in the FA Cup is a dream and it is a great birthday present for me. “It will be a massive game for the club. The players, chairman and supporters all deserve it. “I think the whole town is up for it. Everyone is ready for the big game. We want to give a good account of ourselves and make the supporters proud of our players.” Mansfield chairman John Radford is revelling in the extra attention the club is receiving. He said: “This is fantastic for the club. It is a chance for us to show off Mansfield Town and the squad we are getting together in front of a national TV audience. “We are Mansfield Town playing the mighty Liverpool, it is fantastic and hopefully we can give them a game. We will be flying the flag for the Conference.”

35 SUNDAY MAIL • January 6, 2013

Sport Classy Tevez takes spotlight off Balotelli Man City 3 Watford 0 By Martyn Ziegler

Giant-killer: Brighton and Hove Albion’s Andrea Orlandi (centre) scored a brilliant goal to increase the pressure on struggling Newcastle

Seagulls upset Magpies again Brighton 2 Newcastle 0 BRIGHTON repeated last season’s FA Cup heroics by dumping an under-strength Newcastle out of the competition with a 2-0 victory after Andrea Orlandi supplied an outstanding opener at Amex Stadium yesterday. The ﬁrst-half strike was born out of Wayne Bridge’s willingness to chase a seemingly lost cause, but it was Orlandi’s exquisite touch, turn and shot that stole the show. The Spanish playmaker was applauded by Brighton and Newcastle fans alike

Brighton repeat last season’s Cup heroics as he departed with half an hour to go having scored a goal that required repeat viewings to appreciate its brilliance. The second was delivered by substitute Will Hoskins, who tucked home David Lopez’s defence-splitting pass, as the npower Championship play-off hopefuls completed a comfortable win. Newcastle were further frustrated by captain Shola Ameobi’s second-half sending off. Ameobi was deeply unlucky to receive the second yellow from referee Lee

Probert and will miss Saturday’s match against Norwich. From the start it was clear the Seagulls sensed an upset was on the cards when Dean Hammond ﬁred a shot over the crossbar. Lopez then showed superb control to keep in a long pass before crossing to the far post. Gary Dicker was on hand to head the ball towards goal, but James Perch was able to clear and moments later Probert ignored a penalty claim from Orlandi. It was all Brighton as Magpies keeper Rob Elliot, mak-

ing only his ﬁfth appearances of the season, plucked a powerful shot from Lopez out of the air. The match drifted into an uneventful period that was only broken when Orlandi ﬁred Brighton ahead with a tremendous goal. The sprinting Bridge skillfully collected a long pass from Gordon Greer and picked out Orlandi who took one touch with his left foot, turned and steered the ball into net with the outside of the same boot. Newcastle replaced Mehdi Abeid and Perch with Paul Dummett and Nile Ranger

for the second half in an attempt by manager Alan Pardew to wake his side from their lethargy - but Brighton still looked comfortable. Little was going right for Newcastle and the dismissal of Ameobi for his second yellow card - given by Probert for an innocuous contact with Dicker - left them a man down for the last half hour. Newcastle were pressing hard for an equaliser, but they appeared to have run out of ideas as the ﬁnal 10 minutes beckoned. Instead, the second goal was delivered by Brighton with Lopez putting Hoskins one on one with Elliot and the substitute neatly tucked the ball home.

Spurs easily win 1987 rematch Tottenham 3 Coventry 0 By Paul Hirst

Clint Dempsey scored twice for Spurs, who crushed Coventry 26 years after losing to the Sky Blues in the ﬁnal

COVENTRY were unable to pull off a repeat of their historic 1987 FA Cup ﬁnal win as Tottenham crushed the Sky Blues with an easy win at White Hart Lane. Coventry stunned the eight-time Cup champions 26 years ago in one of the most memorable ﬁnals in this illustrious competition, but the Midlanders have fallen a long way since that day. Mark Robins’ npower League One side sat 52 places below the Londoners in the league ladder yesterday morning and that much was evident

in the opening stages as Tottenham controlled the game before taking the lead through Clint Dempsey. The American’s deﬂected shot ﬂew into the path of the excellent Gareth Bale, who made it 2-0, and the Welshman returned the favour soon after, setting the American up to make it 3-0 just before half-time. Coventry barely got a sniff of goal all afternoon and the game could have turned in to a real hiding had Dempsey, Emmanuel Adebayor and Steven Caulker taken further chances. Indeed the only thing the 5,000 travelling fans had to be cheerful about was the half-time appearance of Gary Mabbutt, the man who scored the own goal that gave the Midlanders their famous Cup win 26 years ago.

The game proved to be a good run-out for Tottenham’s squad players, plus Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Scott Parker, who were both making their return from long-term injuries. Parker, who faces a fight to get back in to Tottenham’s first team, gave manager Andre Villas-Boas an early reminder of his talents, breaking Coventry’s midfield up with a couple of crunching tackles. Tottenham controlled the game from the off but Coventry initially rode out the pressure. Parker and Tom Huddlestone both had wayward shots, but there was nothing amiss about Dempsey’s effort on goal after 13 minutes. Bale flicked on Gylfi Sigurdsson’s pin-point cross and Dempsey nipped in front of his marker to stab the ball past Joe Murphy.

CARLOS Tevez took the spotlight off Mario Balotelli with a classy performance crowned by a stunning freekick as Manchester City eased to a comfortable FA Cup win over Watford. Even with Sergio Aguero rested, Balotelli was left on the bench following his training ground bust-up with manager Roberto Mancini. It was left to Tevez, the source of such controversy at the club last season, and a goal on his debut by teenage Portuguese midfielder Marcos Lopes to put the smile back on Mancini’s face. Lopes, nicknamed ‘Rony’ after the Brazilian forward Ronaldinho, only turned 17 last week and struck the third in injury time after Gareth Barry had made in 2-0 just before the break. With such attention on the club, Mancini’s line-up reflected a manager not prepared to risk an upset. Only Aguero and keeper Joe Hart were rested, with Javi Garcia coming in for Yaya Toure who is on African Nations Cup duty. The importance attached by Watford manager Gianfranco Zola to the FA Cup was perhaps underlined by him making six changes. With the Hornets challenging for promotion to the top flight it is clear where their priorities lie. The pressure on Watford was unrelenting though and when City took the lead in the 25th minute the visitors had barely strayed into their opponents’ half, let alone had a shot. City had already had a Edin Dzeko goal ruled out for offside when Tevez was crudely felled 25 yards out by Watford skipper John Eustace, who was booked. Tevez ran up and drilled the free-kick with immense power, the ball still rising as it hit the back of the net with keeper Jonathan Bond clutching at thin air. It was 2-0 a minute before half-time as City sliced through Watford’s defence again. David Silva’s ball to James Milner created the space and his cross was easy for Barry to head firmly past Bond. Balotelli had a chance after the break. As he waited to come on in the technical area next to Mancini, the Watford fans chanted ‘fight fight fight’ but he nearly made amends with his first touch, cutting inside and leashing a powerful shot that was well saved and Tevez stabbed the rebound wide. With three minutes left Mancini gave a debut to Lopes and it turned into one of the dream variety - the teenager pouncing to fire home in injury time after Bond had only managed to parry Balotelli’s low drive.

36 January 6, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport

Herath alive and bowling despite death rumours 33

Seagulls upset Magpies again 35

Debut double for Ba as Blues thrash Saints FA Cup holders cruise into fourth round Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 By Simon Peach

Controversy: Marcos Baghdatis was penalised for a time violation in the deciding tiebreaker, which clearly affected the Cypriot

Time’s up as Baghdatis edged out by ‘Baby Fed’ By Nemanja Bjedov and Will Swanton CYPRUS star Marcos Baghdatis fought back from a set and a break down to force a decider, but was eventually narrowly beaten by Bulgarian rising star Grigor Dimitrov 3-6 7-5 6-7 in the semifinals of the Brisbane International yesterday. Dimitrov will now take on Britain’s Andy Murray after the US Open and Olympic champion eased into today’s final when his opponent Kei Nishikori retired. Dimitrov will now attempt to usurp the defending champion after his match against Baghdatis, which was notable for the Cypriot being penalised for a time violation in the deciding tiebreaker. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is trying to speed up matches and an automatic fault was called against Baghdatis when he exceeded the permitted 25-second time limit at 2-2 in the tiebreaker. Baghdatis was clearly agitated by the call at such a crucial juncture and Dimitrov o reach won the breaker 7-5 to the final after almost two and g time. a half hours of playing ght Dimitrov took only eight minutes to cruise to a 3-0 ning lead on his way to winning datis the first set and Baghdatis uble looked to be in big trouble when a double fault gifted his 21-year-old opponent a break in the third game of the second set. However, he immediately broke back and wore down Dimitrov, nt to using his third set point atis then level the score. Baghdatis

saved a break point in the ninth game of the decider to force a tiebreak before Dimitrov finally prevailed. “I think it is good,” said Dimitrov who had no issue with the rule and believed Baghdatis lost rhythm after the umpire’s intervention. “Let’s not forget that the players voted for that, so I guess it’s if they want it to be there, it’s there. It’s kind of their call,” he added. Dimitrov is contesting his first ATP final at the beginning of what he hopes will be a breakthrough year. Nicknamed ‘Baby Federer’ because of the similarity in style and natural ability to 17-time major winner Roger Federer, the Bulgarian denied the comparison had become a burden. “Weighing me down?” Dimitrov replied. “What for? No, not at all. Total opposite. People can judge anyway, right? Again, Roger is Roger. I am me. “I haven’t won a title yet - even though I’m in the final. I’m on a roll and that’s fun.” Baghdatis is currently ranked 36 in the world, b but his ranking could improve slightly a after he earned 45 points for reaching the last four. d He was due to have a Skype media call Cyp with Cypriot journalists after the match, but his PR representative told the Sunday M Mail the call had to be postponed as B Baghdatis was immediately leavin ing for Melbourne where he will take part in the AAMI Kooyong Classic which starts on Wednesday.

Andy Murray made it through to the ﬁnal when Kei Nishikori retired. He will play Baghdatis’ conqueror Grigor Dimitrov

EMBA Ba got life at Chelsea off to a fine start yesterday, netting a brace on his debut as the FA Cup holders secured safe passage to the fourth round at the expense of Southampton. The 27-year-old completed his move from Newcastle to west London on Friday and took just 35 minutes to open his account for the Blues. Rafael Benitez’s side had fallen behind to a fine Jay Rodriguez goal but Ba quickly drew his new side level, getting the final touch on a goalbound Juan Mata effort. Victor Moses’ strike in firsthalf stoppage time gave Chelsea the lead, with Branislav Ivanovic heading the visitors further ahead seven minutes after the restart. Ba put the tie out of any doubt in the 61st minute, linking up impressively with his new team-mates to slot home past Artur Boruc. The Senegal international was denied a hat-trick goal by the Southampton goalkeeper, who was beaten from the penalty spot by Frank Lampard, equalling Kerry Dixon’s all-time scoring record of 193 for Chelsea to put him joint second behind Bobby Tambling. The match took a while to get going on a mild afternoon at St Mary’s, with David Luiz’s tame 13th-minute effort the first of note. Play swung from end to end as both sides patiently waited for an opener, which went to the home side. Jason Puncheon sent a fine through ball to Rodriguez, who took a touch before expertly slotting past Ross Turnbull with the outside of his right foot. The 22nd-minute strike jolted the visitors into life and Eden Hazard soon came close with a curled effort that went narrowly wide of the far post. Ba’s link-up play was improving as the half wore on and Saints were having to defend resolutely. However, their resistance only lasted 35 minutes as the

Off to a great start: Demba Ba hit a brace for Chelsea new boy opened his Chelsea account. Hazard played through Mata, whose dink over Boruc was creeping in only for Ba to ﬁre into the roof of the net. The Polish goalkeeper was looking rusty on what was only his second start since October 28 and soon fumbled a long-range Cesar Azpilicueta strike.

CONFIDENCE Chelsea were playing with new-found confidence and took the lead in first-half stoppage time, with Moses collecting a cutback from Ashley Cole to power home a low left-footed strike. The Blues continued in the ascendancy after the restart, with Mata seeing a strike deflected wide by Guly do Prado shortly after the restart. The Spaniard was involved yet again in the 52nd minute, sending over a left wing cross that Ivanovic headed home at the near post. Chelsea soon found the back of the not again. Having started the move, Ba showed excellent movement to latch onto a Hazard pass from

the right to slot home under pressure from captain Jose Fonte. The Portuguese defender looked to be badly injured in the challenge and was stretchered off, with Jos Hooiveld coming on in his place. A great double save denied ﬁrst substitute Steve de Ridder and then Steven Davis as Saints looked to claw a goal back, before Ba was denied a hat-trick by Boruc. The Saints goalkeeper did excellently to stop the striker’s header with his feet and had to be alert to deny substitute Lampard. However, the midﬁelder did get on the scoresheet seven minutes from time. Davis was harshly adjudged to have handled and the 34-year-old sent Boruc the wrong way to equal Tambling’s record of 25 FA Cup goals for Chelsea.