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NEW iGENERATION

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INSIDE

The iPad was a winner this Xmas but families now left to deal with iKids

New book shares a rare glimpse into life on the island in the 1870s

TV and lifestyle supplements to see you through the week

Page 20

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www.cyprus-mail.com

January 27, 2013

COFFEESHOP: A TRIUMPH OF HOPE OVER EXPERIENCE INSIDE Cyprus Moufflons for sale.

Yours for just €1,200 3

World 27 dead in Egyptian football verdicts riots 9

Reportage Could next pandemic lead to global recession? centre

Motoring Road testing the new BMW 316i 31

Sport Azarenka retains Australian Open title back

€1.60

PAGE 17

‘Time to look beyond sun, sand tourism’ Hotels close for winter due to high fuel bills as mountain residents call for policy change

By Peter Stevenson

F

ACING hard times because of the crisis, with many hotels shutting for the winter due to crippling fuel bills, those in the mountains say it is time for Cyprus to move beyond its sun and sand image and promote all of the island.

It is a stance backed up by presidential candidate Nicos Anastassiades, who is tipped to win. “The region of Troodos is a unique destination, combining natural beauty, streams, waterfalls, amazing footpaths and rare flora and fauna,” he said in a speech given in the Troodos region, during which he revealed his plan to develop the area if he is to be elected.

His plan is to involve the state and local communities, to use European funding programmes and to attract foreign and local investment for the region. Welcome words to the ears of tourist officer for the regional tourist board in Platres Constantinos Constantinou who said all the small communities in the area need to come together as one to battle the plunge in tourism this winter.

Soaring prices for electricity and fuel have led many of the hotels to close for the winter

season, while fewer numbers of visitors have had knock on effects on other businesses in the region.

“The community leaders of Platres along with Kakopetria, Agros, Omodos, Pedoulas and Troodos need to cooperate instead of each looking at their own village and what it requires to pull people in,” Constantinou said. “Alone they will struggle to succeed in attracting large numbers but if they work together there is a possibility they could succeed but it also requires vision and ambition,” he added.

Of the hotels that are closing for this year’s winter season Constantinou believes it is the larger hotels that have suffered the most. “Small family run hotels have been able to stay open to a large extent because they don’t hire workers and usually the owners themselves run the hotel and often live in it,” he said. “The larger hotels like New Helvetia and Forest Park have had to close to decrease the loss they are making during this winter period,” he added.

The fall in business at hotels has had a knock-on effect on other businesses in the area with restaurants also reporting low figures for this

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WARMTH IN A COLD ECONOMIC CLIMATE

The Alkionides warehouse where food, clothes and home items are available for the needy has seen demand rise from hundreds of families a year to hundreds a month FULL STORY PAGES 6-7

2 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

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Rare glimpse into the Ottoman rule

Weather

Nicosia i

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Troodos 8

18 Larnaca

Paphos h

Limassoll

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By Poly Pantelides

TODAY: Cloudy with outbreaks of rain, while the highest peaks of Troodos could see a light dusting of snow. Temperatures will reach 16C inland, 18C along the coasts and 8C over higher ground.

OUTLOOK: Cloudy with isolated rain showers and storms

YESTERDAY

Nicosia Larnaca Limassol Paphos Paralimni Prodromos

Stage set by Bulgarian revolutionary exiled here in 1877

max/min temp 18 - 6 19 - 8 20 - 10 19 - 9 20 - 11 10 - 2

Humidity 59% 60% 59% 61% 62% 66%

SUNRISE: 06.49 am

SUNSET: 17.10 pm

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AS THE Ottoman era drew to an end in Nicosia death was a common event, people used mules to travel, camels as work animals, and visitors to Larnaca were put up in a church because there was no inn, the newly released memoirs of a Bulgarian revolutionary exiled here in 1877 reveal.

In a rare glimpse into life in Nicosia at the time, Atanas (Tancho) Shabanov details how he was among 43 people exiled here as prisoners for their role in the revolution against Ottoman rule in Bulgaria in 1876.

“At 8am in the morning (September 8, 1877) we approached Cyprus and they told us we would disembark,” Shabanov’s opening line says.

He finally arrived here on September 15.

The authorities told the exiles they would be transported to another city and told them to rent a mule, if they could afford one.

“We all had money but each one of us had a mind not to pay up, hoping the government would provide mules,” Shabanov said.

Nonetheless, four men including Shabanov did rent mules and with their feet tied underneath the mules’ bellies they made their way to Nicosia. Camels followed with their bundled clothes and the convoy got underway guarded by ten constables.

The Bulgarian embassy and Cyprus’ foreign ministry put together a bilingual edition of Shabanov’s book Description of my Life in Cyprus to highlight “the longstanding relations between the two countries,” the foreign ministry said. The book – disseminated across diplomatic missions – is not available to buy in bookshops but the Sunday Mail obtained a copy.

Shabanov described the still unnamed city of Nicosia as “surrounded by walls” and having three entrances.

At 3am, while “the moon

Nice: Shabanov’s impression of the Ottoman prison. Below: a portrait of him and his wife shone beautifully” the prisoners were taken to a prison - later taken down by the British – that was in the Sarai square area, now in the occupied part of Nicosia.

The prisoners had chains fitted around their feet but they were free to move about the city and earn a living, using the prison’s workrooms to build things. Some people “started making English penknives, others knitted bags, someone knitted socks, I put together bags from cannabis and painted boxes,” he said.

“We had a nice time in this prison because they would lock us up at night and during the day we would sit in the courtyard,” Shabanov said.

“The courtyard was large.

There were about 400 people.

It had three nice coffee shops and two or three kitchens.”

Life went on, comfortably, although the occasional mention of death is a reminder that life was different then.

“Someone from Sliven (in Bulgaria) got sick… and died after a week,” Shabanov said, without elaborating.

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“Life was different then and conditions were harsh. It was more commonplace for people and infants to die,” the University of Cyprus’ Ioannis Theocharides said, who wrote an introduction for Shabanov’s book.

By 1878 the Bulgarian prisoners had received word from Beirut and Damascus that they were to be let go.

But the now 40 prisoners (“a priest and two elderly men had died”) were forgotten.

Other political prisoners were released but despite orders to release everyone, the authorities kept answering back to a number of telegrams that there were no more prisoners left to release. It transpired the only note the authorities were given on the Bulgarian exiles said: “We are sending you 43 people who you should keep under strict restriction”.

Eventually the prisoners appealed to the Rhodes pasha,

asking him to come and free them himself.

The Pasha did arrive and told them that the Sultan forgave them and left. The prisoners got their chains removed and the locals opened up a church, bells ringing, and a service was held.

The Bulgarians had a week left in Cyprus and roamed for a few days, “meeting many local merchants”. When time came to go, they were escorted to the city gates “by many young people”. The locals had already arranged transportation and given each man a little money they had collected for them. It is at this point that Shabanov names the city. “[It] is called Nicosia. We left it on May 27 1878,” he said.

Arriving in Larnaca, the newly freed men looked for an inn but were informed the city did not have one. “When strangers come, they are taken to the Saint Lazarus church, and they told someone to lead us there.” Although they opened up rooms for them to stay in, the group opted to stay in the church yard.

Shabanov arrived back in Koprivshitca in June. His mother and wife did not recognise him. His mother even pointed him out. “Shall we ask this man if our Atanas is coming too?”

“Mother, could it be him and we have failed to recognise him?” she said. Shabanov’s closing line is concise. He cried for his mother and wife.

“Then my wife and mother turned, crying in their great joy, and we went home.”

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3 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

Home 13 Limassol families have been left without a home

‘State officials not ruled by party politics’ AKEL hits back as Central Bank leak row rumbles on

By Poly Pantelides GOVERNMENT offices and officials are independent of any political party, AKEL said yesterday as the furore surrounding the leak of confidential information from the Central Bank rumbled on, On Friday it was revealed the leaked information was linked to the European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision to cut emergency liquidity help to Cyprus if there was no memorandum agreement

by January 20. The attorneygeneral has asked the police to investigate a complaint filed by the Central Bank in relation to the leaking of confidential information.

Opposition daily Alithia suggested the investigation has been instigated by ruling party AKEL as part of efforts to put presidential forerunner DISY leader Nicos Anastasiades on the spot. Anastasiades was aware of the ECB’s intentions and wrote a letter to President Christofias on the repercussions of failing to agree to a memorandum.

But AKEL parliamentary spokesman Nicos Katsourides yesterday tried to dissociate the issue from party politics.

“This is not a matter concerning any party or electoral team,” Katsourides said.

“The institution of the governor and the central bank is

independent,” he said.

“The office of the attorney general is an equally independent institution and I wonder what the position is of electoral teams or parties when they intervene in matters dealing with two purely independent bodies that are regulated by the constitution,” Katsourides said.

“Woe betide us if party interventions stop investigations that bear – according to the attorney general – on matters of national security,” he said.

Police spokesman Andreas Angelides repeated his chief’s positions yesterday. “Any person who knows anything that might help the investigations or needs to offer an explanation, will be [asked to do so],” he said when asked if any politicians would be questioned.

But DISY deputy Ionas Nicolaou would not let go of the matter and accused the police of trying to intervene.

“I was surprised to hear the police chief state that rights should be abolished that any suspect has and are recognised by fully respected human rights conventions… that Cyprus has ratified for decades,” Nicolaou said.

Chief Michalis Papageorgiou actually said that no one was obliged to answer the police’s questions, and expressed dissatisfaction over the difficulties this created in their investigations.

Yours for a mere €1,200 but it will have to be exported

For sale: moufflon at €1,200

By Peter Stevenson THE Forestry Department is looking at increasing the sale of moufflon, deer, wood for burning and seeds for various plants in an effort to boost state coffers.

The department has released a new catalogue with prices lists for such things as Christmas trees, charges for renting camping-site spaces or even staying in local hotels, and of course, the Cyprus moufflon.

“The moufflon has been on sale for years now,” said Senior Forest Conservator for the Forestry Department, Andreas Christou. “To clarify though, the moufflon is not for sale to any members of the public, it must be an organisation looking to buy,” he added.

According to Christou the decision to put the moufflon up for sale came after they increased in number over recent years, resulting in their own endangerment.

Moufflon cost €1,200 each, not including VAT but will

only be available for export as the department wants to avoid the goat-like animals being taken to zoos or farms and reproducing and multiplying without checks.

Any offers made to purchase the animal will be looked at seriously by the department with a full investigation into the parties that make the offer, the method of export and their destination.

Also up for sale are 30 Dama dama, fallow deer, which were brought over in the 1970s from Germany. There are many Dama dama in Europe and they are mainly bred for hunting and meat production.

Their population in Cyprus has grown dramatically but their vast numbers threaten their own survival as well as endangering the environment as there is not enough food to go around. The deer can be purchased for €400 each, which includes the five per cent VAT charge and do not necessarily

need to be exported.

Prices for rooms at guesthouses have been reasonably set by the Forestry Department with a house in the village of Stavros tis Psokas charging €14 for adults per night. Charges for children between 6 and 12 are set at €7 a night while younger kids can stay free of charge.

Charges for the use of Kampi tou Kalogyrou, Stavros tis Psokas and Platania campsites are €5 a day to park a mobile home but between €200 and €250 during the summer months. Setting up a tent costs €3 a day normally but between June and September it will cost €120 for the whole summer period, while a sleeping-bag will cost €2 a day and €75 for the whole summer.

The catalogue has been updated and improved upon to ease accessibility. A copy can be found on the ministry of agriculture’s website.

THIRTEEN Limassol-based families each paid hundreds of thousands of euro for residential estates in Fasoula but have been left hanging after the contractor and property developer folded without ever building anything, a DISY deputy has said.

“The families bought real estate land in 2007 with [some] companies undertaking to build new residential units within nine months according to the terms of the contract,” said Limassolbased DISY MP Efthimios Diplaros.

But all works were stopped in July 2010, with the companies folding and “leaving these families vulnerable, indebted and without a home, while the bank pushed these people to pay off the companies’ debts to avoid foreclosing on their properties,” he added.

The contractor was not registered and the property developer allegedly pocketed VAT receipts worth over €350,000, Diplaros said.

Diplaros has reported the matter to the attorneygeneral and said the legal services found grounds for disciplinary action against a land registry official.

The deputy said among the companies’ CEOs and shareholders were a Limassol architect as well as the son and wife of an official with the Limassol land registry.

“The police have also started taking testimonies from witnesses to investigate a criminal case,” Diplaros said.

The families have said they have taken legal action against the contractors and consider the matter to be one of theft.

Ten of these families, who have young children, have spent their savings to pay off the bank and the property they bought and have been trying for some two and a half years to reach an agreement with lawyers, Diplaros said.

4 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

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CYPRUS TODAY Deportee arrest

Tough times: the Helvetica and Forest Park hotels. Below: Marios Skyrianides, Panayiotis Papadopoulos and Constantinos Constantinou

‘It is time to look beyond just sun and sand tourism’ Mountain regions suffer with falling visitor numbers and high fuel costs continued from page one time of year. “The industry in general is down which is causing a chain reaction as there are less tourists in the area, meaning restaurants are suffering from a lack of business as they cannot sustain themselves through local visitors,” Constantinou said.

Although numbers are down, Constantinou said there is plenty for visitors to see and do once up the mountains.

“Gone are the days when visitors would come, spend a night in a cheap room, enjoy a relatively cheap meal and drink and be happy,” he said.

“They are now looking for wellorganised trips to enjoy the culture and beautiful scenery which exists and if potential visitors are not made aware of what is on offer more barren winter periods will follow”.

The Forest Park Hotel in Platres is among those closing its doors this winter. “We have had to make some changes to the hotel over the winter to meet CTO (Cyprus Tourism Organisation) regulations, we felt that during this lean winter we would attempt to cut some of our losses and close down for a short period,” said owner Marios Skyrianides.

The driving force for this decision was the exorbitantly high costs of electricity and heating fuel that meant running a hotel with 140 rooms

was a tall order if ness he the only business ting arwould be getting urrived on Saturn day and left on Sunday.

T h o u g h the hotel will reopen on April 1, Skyrianides said some-thing needs to ng be done to bring tourism back to he the area. “The ‘product’, all of ful the beautiful ariscenery, the variies, ous activities, tauthe great restauts,” rants, exists,” hat he said. “All that is needed iss a rom small push from the CTO and the government to heir increase their advertising of the area and whatt it has to offer”.

Platres Community Leader Panayiotis Papadopoulos said this downturn in tourism had led him and the village’s council members to spring into action. “We are a small community of around 200 people and of course it’s a tall order to expect the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism to listen to our demands but we couldn’t sit

idly by,” he said.

The council visited the ministry to present proposals to minister Neoclis Sylikiotis but had yet to hear back from anyone. They asked for VAT on electricity and heating fuel to be reduced at certain periods.

The council also suggested a small amount of funds that go towards providing cheap-

er sum summer holidays for govern government employees could be used to fund ho holidays over the C Christmas period to m mountain resorts. “ “We are not asking for much but we feel like our demands have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.

“Currently the c cost of electricity a and heating fuel h meant the mahas jori jority of hotels in the area area, not only in Platres tres, will remain shut over the winter period and something needs to b be done about it becaus cause it’s a real shame if we can’t take advantage of this beautiful area area,” he concluded.

On man who has One kep kept his business o open in Platres desp spite working at a de cit is the Edeldefi weiss Hotel owner George Papas, and he feels that the area is suffering from a lack of unity. “We are not many hotel owners, yet we do not see eye-to-eye,” he said. “Many look at personal gain instead of trying to look at the bigger picture to help bring in business to the whole area”.

Platres has recently invested in a modern sports centre with a football pitch, futsal, basketball and volleyball court but Papas feels with the addition of a swimming pool the village could be a very attractive destination for European football teams. “While speaking with

members of the AEL team that came up to Platres for pre-season training they told me that although our sports centre is excellent, without a swimming pool it loses some of its appeal with many top teams looking for places with pools,” he explained.

Papas believes the cost of building a swimming pool would be easily recouped.

“There are members of our council who have swimming pools in their hotels and don’t want the village to invest in a public pool for fear of losing business,” he said.

“I am a firm believer that what makes this area great is the fabulous hospitality but unfortunately that too is disappearing. If we want to resurrect tourism we must return to the ideals we once held sacred,” he concluded.

The main proposal made by Anastasiades was the building of a teleferique in the Troodos region to make the whole area more accessible to tourists with parking areas, information centres for the region and stands selling local goods and produce. To offer tourists a different kind of experience he also suggested the creation of theme parks, play-places for children, event spaces, religious monuments, nature trails for pedestrians and cyclists and different cafés and restaurants.

“Our vision is to develop the Troodos region to create jobs and make farming life sustainable, which will not only give residents of the area motivation to remain there but also to bring new residents,” he said.

A 38-year-old man followed another in a car and threatened him in Protaras on Friday night, ran away, and later attacked police with a broomstick and a knife, authorities said.

The Bulgarian man was deported from Cyprus in 2010 “for a number of crimes” but is thought to have made his way back via the occupied areas, Famagusta police spokesman George Economou said.

At about 11pm on Friday night an employee at a hotel in Protaras told police as he was driving into work he realised he had been followed by another car. When he parked, his pursuer got out and threatened to kill him with a knife unless he gave him money, he said.

The hotel employee hit him on his hand and the man dropped his knife, running away.

Police said the car the Bulgarian man left behind was stolen on Friday morning.

Police found the man roaming about close to the same hotel holding a broomstick. When he saw police officers, he threw the broomstick at them and threatened them with a large kitchen knife, Economou said. But he was soon arrested and was taken to Paralimni police station.

Mosque charges THREE youths, aged 17, 18 and 21, have been charged with maliciously damaging an 18th century mosque in Denia last week, authorities said.

In their testimonies the three said they had demolished the north and south walls of the mosque that had only started being restored earlier in the month.

The trio have been charged in writing and released.

Birds found 30 protected wild birds were found by the Larnaca game fund and police in two restaurants, where a fine dodger was also arrested.

Restaurants often offer songbirds or ambelopoulia as delicacies, despite their protected status.

5 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

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What’s really on your plate?

By Peter Stevenson A WEBSITE that will allow consumers in Cyprus to find out about the different ingredients that go into the food they eat has been developed by the Food Safety Council.

The site was presented at the health ministry this week in the presence of Minister Androulla Agrotou. “As a link between Europe and the Middle East and as the EU’s most eastern point, Cyprus has a serious responsibility to secure safe and healthy food by creating a method to check the import of foods,” she said.

Agrotou explained the system in place was for preventative and proactive reasons, adhering to EU policy by covering the chain of production up to the point where food is placed on the plate.

“Furthermore, informing the public and productive communication with a wider consumer audience will help develop a healthy eating culture and enable people to face different dangers,” she added.

According to Agrotou, over the last three years under the leadership of the health ministry’s permanent secretary, Dionysis Mavronicolas, the Food Safety Council has essentially been very effective in responding to crises. “The earthquake in Japan and the Mari Naval Base blast were prime examples of how the

A new website encourages you to check in a few clicks It is important children learn about a healthy, balanced diet

council did not allow crises to effect food distribution or safety,” she added.

The minister went on to explain that a bad diet and a lack of physical exercise were why 50 per cent of adults in Europe were overweight or obese. “It is also estimated that more than 21 million children are obese, a number which rises by 400,000 each

year,” she said.

It is for this reason, according to the minister, that the EU has in recent years given added importance to setting out special information to consumers and placing limits on certain foods by promoting a reduction in salt, fats and sugars in food.

“The EU has highlighted it is important for consumers

to be well informed before they chose what to eat so they can make sure they find the healthiest option,” she added.

For consumers to have those choices, Agrotou pointed out, they must have facts on food ingredients, especially in cases of non-packaged and cooked food. “It is the primary concern of the Health Ministry and the Food Safety

Council, to offer timely and accurate information to aid healthy eating, stressing the importance of a balanced diet, in particular that based on the traditional Mediterranean diet,” she said.

“A balanced diet is necessary, not only for the smooth running of our children’s minds and bodies but for the prevention of illnesses in later

life which was one of the priorities of Cyprus’ EU presidency,” she concluded.

Mavronicolas, who is also head of the Food Safety Council, said the council was carrying out multi-annual checks on food samples taken at critical points of production. He added that any samples found that did not pass the stringent checks were immediately reported by state Health Services to the Rapid Alert System for food. “The council’s goal is to impose transparent procedures so consumers can regain their trust in the state and also to gain trust in the quality and safety of food,” he added.

Senior Chemist at the State Laboratory, Dr Stelios Yiannopoulos revealed 2,500 checks were done on 69 different foods from bakeries, cooked foods with meat and other cooked foods. Other traditional foods were checked including free-range fish and farmed fish in Cyprus.

The foods were checked for humidity, fat, fatty acids, protein, ash, dietary fibres, carbohydrates, calories, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, nickel and copper.

The laboratory also analysed four traditional Cypriot foods which were the flaouna, zalatina, resi and a pork kebab in Cypriot pitta bread.

For more information visit www.moh.gov.cy/fsc

6 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

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Presidential candidates back policies they have taken no action on yet PRESIDENTIAL candidates say they are in favour of democratic reform and transparency but none have demonstrated this in practice, a think tank has said. “It is worth asking why reformation [on democracy and meritocracy] has not taken place, and why during their political career the candidates have not worked towards adopting them,�

Thoukidides Think Tank said, asking why there was a difference between what politicians say and what politicians do.

Presidential candidates’ views seem to be aligned with the public’s opinions about introducing horizontal voting, using referendums on important issues, introducing the same terms of employment for the private and public sectors, and introducing transparency on party ďŹ nances, the think tank said.

The candidates were asked if they agreed with 80.3 per cent of those polled that state ofďŹ cials should be liable to losing their posts if the public stops supporting them during their term.

EDEK-backed Giorgos

Lillikas, DISY leader Nicos Anastasiades and independent Makaria Andri Stylianou were in agreement. United Democrats’ leader Praxoula Antoniadou Kyriacou stayed neutral on the subject. Stavros Malas, who is backed by ruling party AKEL that supports incumbent president Demetris ChristoďŹ as who has hung on to his post despite public demand that he step down over the naval base blast in July 2011, also chose to stay neutral.

REFERENDUMS Everyone agreed with the 82.3 per cent who wanted to see the introduction of referendums on important issues.

They also sided with the 82.4 per cent of those polled who wanted to see the same employment terms in the private and public sector. There is a discrepancy between wages and beneďŹ ts between the two sectors.

However, the candidates have different takes on the austerity measures that have led to a cut in the allowances and wages of civil servants.

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All agreed with the whopping 96.8 per cent of people who wanted transparency in party ďŹ nances. But Thoukidides pointed out that parliament ignored a council of Europe recommendation on ďŹ ghting corruption, and did not amend the law to oblige parties to be transparent over their assets.

Lillikas, Anastasiades and Stylianou agreed with the 77.3 per cent majority that horizontal voting should be introduced for municipal and parliamentary elections. Currently, voters can support a particular party or single independent candidate but they cannot pick and choose individuals irrespective of their political afďŹ liation as would be possible under a horizontal voting system. “Time will show whether the tradition of empty electoral promises will carry on, with people watching indifferently as our democratic institution is humiliated,â€? the think tank said.

Thoukidides questioned 809 people on the phone on a random sample basis in November.

Giving warm days during a fiscal freeze Alkionides charity used to help hundreds of families a year. Now it’s hundreds a month

By Maria-Christina Doulami T CAN be said that you never truly appreciate the importance of a charity until you’re on its receiving end. When it comes to the charity organisation, Alkionides, hundreds of families a month now know that to be true.

In recent months as the crisis has worsened, and unemployment soared, singleparent and large families in particular have turned to charities such as Alkionides to ask for help.

Since its founding in 1998, Alkionides - its name taken from Halcyon days, the warm sunny days given by the Greek gods to the kingďŹ sher during January to lay its eggs - has helped hundreds of people every year with their electricity bills and food coupons. Since last year it has also donated clothes, shoes, furniture and heaters. “The situation has deteriorated dramatically,â€? said Koula Demetriou, in charge of the Alkionides warehouse in Dali. “We used to help hundreds of people per year, and we are now helping hundreds per month.â€?

She said that all of the dozens of people who come in daily to ask for help were emotionally charged, particularly if it was their ďŹ rst time. “It is a painful experience for them. They don’t know how to react, what to do, and they often cannot believe their lives have come to this - to having to ask for help,â€? she said.

President of Alkionides Georgia Polyviou explained that there is however a com-

I

The warehouse is ďŹ lled with shelves of donated items

mon trend. “People who were once well off and economically independent, who believed that they would always have a job as unemployment in Cyprus was at zero rate, have now suddenly been left unemployed, cannot pay their mortgages or their loans, and their expenses are running up. They sometimes don’t even have enough money to feed their children,� said Polyviou. “Some families have lived on

subsidies all their lives. Those can deal with this situation a bit better. But there are others, the ‘newly poor’ who feel extremely ashamed.�

Polyviou described how it had taken one woman, who had never had to ask for this type of help in her life, two weeks of picking up the phone and putting it back down again without dialling the number before she ďŹ nally could bring herself to call.

The two charity ofďŹ cials have plenty of tragic tales

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The warehouse is open three times a week for the needy to choose clothes and other items

7 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

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Koula Demetriou is in charge of the charity’s warehouse in Dali (Christos Theodorides) to tell. In one case a woman came in on a cold afternoon with no coat on and all she wanted was to sit by the heater, waiting for her children to find some warm clothes to wear from among the donations. They didn’t even have a heater in their home.

Then there was the 18year-old girl who had lost her brothers in a car accident, her parents are old and she is unemployed. She turned to Alkionides for help.

“There are hundreds of such cases,” said Demetriou.

“Each case is unique and tragic, and we try to help as much as possible.”

The situation has deteriorated rapidly over the past year. The government, which Polyviou stressed “has never helped us”, now provides far less than it did to help the vulnerable. In a reform of the benefits system, welfare office benefits for single parents were slashed and as a result a single parent, who may have received €800 a month from the state, might now only get around €250.

Unemployment, meanwhile, has now reached 14 per cent.

“The welfare office now cannot provide any assistance,” said Polyviou, “let alone the fact that applications take about a year to be examined, and they send the cases to us in the hope that we can do something to help.”

All cases assisted by Alkionides are looked into both by the charity themselves, and by other social partners (priests, community officers etc.). Funds for Alkionides are raised from various charity and fundraising events, and from donations, either from companies or from individuals.

“We try to help as much and as many people as we can,” Polyviou explained. “But we too are having difficulty now as the money is running out.

And when you hear people on the phone with an ap-

‘It is a painful experience for them. They don’t know how to react’ parent distress in their voice telling you that they don’t even have €2 to go by, how can you turn down any help you can offer?”

“We get around 40 such calls a day,” Polyviou said, “with five to six applications a day for electricity bills that cannot be paid. Per month that amounts to about 120.

The sums we pay vary per month. It can be from €20,000 to €60,000 for electricity, food coupons and medical expenses. The needs keep multiplying,” she said, adding that €60,000 was the amount the charity paid out in December and covered Christmas and New Year and was therefore an exception.

Polyviou added that apart from appeals for donations for food, clothes, furniture and gas/oil heaters, “we are now also trying to introduce a new institution of adopting families”. This means that a family that is better-off adopts a family in need and takes care of their expenses for a certain time period in order to help them get back on their feet.

“People have now realised that there is a real need in Cyprus,” Polyviou said. “And they are responding to it.”

The acts of kindness are shown in various ways. One young woman often comes into the warehouse dropping off supermarket bags full of supplies (food, baby wipes, detergents etc.) to be

donated to the families in need. “There are a lot of people who come in and bring clothes and any other stuff that they can to donate,” said Demetriou.

The warehouse began operating in June 2012, initially as a storage for clothes for needy school children. But as people’s needs expanded so too did the donations and a large warehouse with a wide variety of goods is now operating.

Alkionides itself started out in 1998 as an attempt to raise money to send a young girl to England for an operation and the idea was born to offer aid to those in need.

Since March 2010 the charity established a “nest” in London to provide free accommodation for disadvantaged patients and their families.

The charity has no administration costs and is based solely on the work of volunteers. All help is received from the people and given back to the people.

If there has been any criticism directed towards the charity it is that its focus is just on Cypriots in need, even though many non-Cypriots are suffering just as much and in some cases more. According to the two women, this is not strictly true.

“The people we help are mostly Cypriots, although we would not turn down anyone in need,” said Demetriou. “It is just that now Cypriots are in serious need and those who come and leave stuff for them want to ensure that their fellow citizens are the ones who receive it.”

Want to help too? Contact Koula Demetriou 99668872 or Georgia Polyviou 99 611863.

The warehouse operates Monday 09:30-14:00; Wednesday 15:30-18:00; Thursday 09:30-14:00; and Friday 16:3018:00. www.alkionides.org To see a video of the facility and what it does go to www.cyprus-mail.com

8 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World

Dozens killed in Venezuela after bloody prison clashes

French forces seize airport and key bridge in Gao ‘French special forces facing harassment’

By Richard Valdmanis FRENCH special forces in Mali with air support yesterday seized the airport and a key bridge over the Niger river at the Islamist rebel-held stronghold of Gao as France accelerated its ground offensive against al Qaeda-allied fighters.

“The rebels have melted in to the local population. There is harassment. The operation is still under way. It is a bit complicated,” a French officer in Mali, who asked not to be named, told Reuters, referring to the assault on Gao. France’s Defence Minis-

ter Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the seizure of the airport and bridge at Gao, the largest town in Mali’s Saharan north which was occupied last year by a coalition of Islamist groups including al Qaeda’s North African wing AQIM. France’s defence ministry initially gave few details of the operation at Gao, but there were unconfirmed reports from Malian sources that it involved French paratroops.

The French officer said the attacking French forces were facing “harassment” attacks but no solid line of resistance.

The speed of the French action at Gao suggested French and Malian governmnent

troops intended to drive aggressively into the north of Mali in the next few days against other Islamist rebelheld towns, such as Timbuktu and Kidal.

For two weeks, French jets and helicopter gunships have been harrying the retreating Islamists, destroying their vehicles, command posts and weapons depots. The French action had already halted a sudden Islamist offensive launched in early January that had threatened Mali’s southern capital Bamako.

A French defence ministry statement quoted minister Le Drian as saying that many of the Islamist fighters’ vehicles

A Malian soldier looks at the wreckage of a rebel armed pick up truck yesterday in the town of Konna, now controlled by French troops and the Malian army (AFP) and logistics bases had been destroyed.

News that the French forces were at Gao came as African states struggled to deploy a planned 6,000-strong African intervention force in Mali,

known as AFISMA, under a UN mandate. African Union leaders meeting at a summit in Addis Ababa were calling on the UN to provide emergency logistics and funding to let the AFISMA force deploy.

DOZENS have been killed in a bloody prison riot in Venezuela, and the government says it is investigating.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro called the violence tragic early yesterday on television and said the authorities had launched an investigation.

He and other officials did not give a death toll from the riot at Uribana prison in the central city of Barquisimeto.

The newspaper Ultimas Noticias reported on its website that 54 were killed.

The television channel Globovision reported about 50 killed.

Both cited Ruy Medina, the director of Central Hospital in the city. The hospital also said that dozens were hurt.

Venezuelan prisons are controlled by armed gangs that have rioted repeatedly over the last several years due to disputes with jail authorities or prison leaders.

Kyrgyzstan president approves law toughening the penalty for bride-kidnapping THE president of Kyrgyzstan has approved legislation toughening the penalty for the broadly practised custom of bride-kidnapping.

Almazbek Atamabyev’s office

said in a statement on its website today that sentences for forcing women into marriage against their will could now range up to 10 years.

The offence was previously

punishable by a maximum threeyear prison term.

Although illegal, the practice of snatching potential brides, often under the age of 18, off the street is widely tolerated in the former

Soviet Central Asian nation.

Proponents of bride-kidnapping argue that it is an integral part of nomadic Kyrgyz culture, but some academics argue that the practice has been adopted

relatively recently in Kyrgyz history.

One leading motivation behind the practice is believed to be the desire to avoid the cost of onerous dowries.

9 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

World

27 dead in Egyptian football verdicts riots 21 face death penalty over stadium disaster TWO football players are among 27 people killed in riots in the Egyptian city of Port Said, the area’s director of hospitals said.

Violence erupted in Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection with soccer violence that left 74 fans of the Cairo-based Al-Ahly team dead.

Dr Abdel-Raham Farah said Mahmoud Abdel-Halim al-Dizawi, a football player in Port Said’s Al-Marikh club, was shot three times and died.

He said Tamer al-Fahla, a footballer who used to play for the city’s main Al-Masry team, was also shot dead on his way to the Al-Marikh club.

The club is near a prison residents tried to storm on yesterday to free defendants in the football trial.

The military has been deployed to try and restore security.

The verdicts follow deadly

Al-Ahly football club fans celebrate the sentence in Cairo yesterday

clashes between police and demonstrators on Friday, the second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

Such cycles of violence, often lasting for weeks and costing

dozens of lives, have occurred regularly over the past two years.

Die-hard football fans from both teams, known as Ultras, hold the police at least partially responsible for the

Port Said deaths and criticise Egypt’s president Mohamed Mursi for doing little to reform the force. Al-Ahly Ultras in particular have been at the forefront of protests. But anger is also boiling in Port Said, where residents say they have been unfairly scapegoated.

The army was widely used to keep order by top generals who took over after Mubarak, but the military has kept a much lower profile since Mursi was elected as president in June.

The military was also deployed overnight in the city of Suez after eight people died in clashes between security forces and protesters opposed to Mursi. Another protester was killed in Ismailiya, and security officials told the state news agency Mena that two policemen were killed in Friday’s protests, bring the death toll on the second anniversary of Egypt’s uprising to 11.

Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid read out the death sentences. Defendants’ lawyers said all those sentenced were fans of the Port Said team, AlMasry. Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

The judge said in his statement, read live on state TV, that he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on March 9.

Leftist former PM Zeman wins Czech presidential polls

By Jan Lopatka LEFTIST former prime minister Milos Zeman won the Czech Republic’s first direct presidential election, beating a conservative opponent, results showed yesterday.

Zeman, 68, was leading by 55.1 to 44.9 per cent over Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who is from a centuries-old aristocratic family, results from 98.3 per cent of voting districts showed.

Economic forecaster Zeman, a member of the Communist Party before the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, will take the Czechs closer to the European mainstream. Outgoing President Vaclav Klaus is strongly Eurosceptic.

Czech presidents do not wield much day-to-day power, but represent the country abroad and appoint prime ministers, central bankers and judges.

Zeman served as Social Democrat prime minister in 1998-2002 under a powersharing deal with Klaus’s right-wing party that critics saw as a breeding ground for corruption.

He has an appeal among poorer and rural voters.

Schwarzenberg’s centreright cabinet has raised tax-

Zeman was leading by 55.1 to 44.9 per cent over FM Karel Schwarzenberg es, cut social benefits and suffered several corruption scandals.

Zeman is credited with privatising the main banks and attracting foreign investment during his premiership. Opponents criticise his friendship with former communist officials and businessmen with links in Russia.

10 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World feature

Recent extradition case in UK highlights how corrupt officials work with businesses to stamp out rival competition in Russia by the judge as a ‘whistleblower’ was admissible. Witness A said that he/she had first-hand knowledge of the investigation, which was not being conducted fairly, and that the prosecution was commenced ‘to order’.

Witness A said there was a failure to obtain necessary expert reports to evidence the alleged fraud, money was possibly paid to senior members of the investigative committee by former business partners of Trefilov to ensure the investigation continued while the original charge was unjustly changed to a

‘The level of

corruption is just appalling’

The price of doing business in Russia By a staff reporter

A

LANDMARK decision by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London could make the issuing of extradition orders against Russian businessmen wanted by the Russian Federation’s authorities much more difficult.

Last November Westminster Magistrates’ Court turned down the request of the general prosecutor’s office of Russia for the extradition of businessman Georgy Trefilov, who was facing charges of 16 counts of fraud, having decided that evidence that Russian officials had sought bribes to reduce the charges he faced was admissible.

District Judge Nicholas Evans, who said he “was horrified by the level of corruption” in Russia, said that the Russian authorities had not provided adequate evidence to prove that the criminal prosecution of Trefilov was justified. “Where there is no opportunity to examine any documentary evidence specific to the allegations, it is very difficult for the court to make an informed decision,” Judge Evans said.

Trefilov, a wealthy businessman, was involved in a number of successful businesses, primarily in construction, and also developed a supermarket chain under the SPAR franchise. His holding company Marta owned retail networks Grossmart, Billa and Pur Pur (more than 300 shops in total) and in 2008 the total value of his assets was in excess of $1.5 billion.

In 2008, when he encountered trouble he went to the Internal Affairs Department in Moscow to report ‘corporate raid seizure’ of RTM, his developer group, and Marta, but ended up under investigation himself. The Investigation Department undertook criminal proceedings

Russian authorities accused Georgy Trefilov (right), owner of the Billa supermarket chain, of fraud against him, for ‘unlawfully obtaining credit’, but two years later, in September 2010 the criminal case was changed to fraud.

Judge Evans explained what was meant by ‘corporate raiding’ (reidversto) and ‘prosecution to order’ (zakaznoye delo), citing a report published by Professor Bill Bowring, a law professor at Birkbeck College, University of London. “The defining characteristics of such cases are private companies and/or individuals, often with links to the Russian state, who pay off police and the courts in order to further their commercial interests by harassing their competitors, and using pressure (often under the cover of ‘legitimate’ investigation/prosecutions) to force controlling shareholders to sell their stakes.”

According to Professor Bowring, “some 8,000 companies a year are

targets of lawsuits or investigations, at the behest of rivals seeking to put them out of business or take them over, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says. In some of these cases, companies pay off police and courts with the goal of harassing competitors. In other cases, raiding companies or their agents use legal pressure as a tool to force controlling shareholders to sell their stakes.”

Trefilov was charged with 16 counts of fraud, mainly relating to obtaining credit from banks and other credit organisations amounting to 1.3 billion roubles by providing false information as security. It was alleged that Trefilov “granted a charge (to secure loans) over property which either previously had been charged or did not belong to him.” His lawyers argued that some charges related to loans that had

already been repaid and regarding some counts the banks had recovered their losses by selling the property used as security.

On September 23 2010, Trefilov was summoned for questioning and to hear the charges against him, but he was abroad. On November 16 of the same year the Tverskoy District Court in Moscow issued a decision in his absence and placed him on the federal wanted list, on charges of fraud. He was subsequently placed on the international wanted list and in September 2011 Russia’s extradition request was submitted to the UK where Trefilov was staying. The extradition trial was held in October last year.

The court decided that the evidence provided by Witness A (who demanded protection of his or her identity for fear of retribution by the Russian authorities), described

more serious offence for the purpose of increasing the potential prison sentence.

More damning testimony was provided in a 12-page statement by Georgy Usuphavshilli, a friend of Trefilov for 12 years, who had several meetings in early 2012 with Senior Prosecutor Victor Gvozdev from the General Prosecutor’s Office in Moscow. Gvozdev told Usuphashvilli, who was wired up during the meetings and recorded his conversations, that the lieutenant-colonel of justice, who signed the order to bring charges was corrupt as was her superior, Gennady Karlov.

Gvozdev was trying to negotiate a payment of $1 million from Trefilov’s representative, an amount that would reduce the charges. “The evidence of corruption he (Usuphashvilli) provides is damning,” wrote Judge Evans in his decision adding: “The level of corruption revealed by the transcripts (of recorded conversations) is just appalling.”

In his decision Judge Evans also noted that he could not grant the extradition request because there were serious doubts that Trefilov would have a fair trial. “There must be a ‘serious possibility’ that this extradition request is polluted by extraneous considerations in that the proceedings derive from a prosecution brought ‘to order’ by politically well-connected opponents of Trefilov,” he said in his decision.

“Trefilov will be prejudiced at trial in that no Russian court will consider his case on its merits... and convict him regardless.”

Even if the ‘abuse of process’ was not a consideration, the judge said he would still not have ordered the extradition because of the risk of Trefilov’s ill-treatment while in custody in Russian prison. “Return is prohibited if there are substantial grounds for believing that there is real risk of treatment which violates Article 3 i.e. treatment which amounts to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” He cited several cases and reports which illustrated the poor detention conditions in the Russian Federation.

Meanwhile the audio recordings, of the conversations between Usuphashvilli and Godzev, the authenticity of which the latter denied, have been posted on the internet, while the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service forwarded the transcripts to the General Prosecutor’s Office in Russian. On December 15, Gvozdev was arrested and he was sent to a pre-trial detention centre until February 15, reported Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

Trefilov told Novaya Gazeta: “I think they will charge Gvozdev alone, although I truly feel sorry for him. He is simply a scapegoat in this collective ‘trough’ system.”

11 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

News Review Heat is on CYPRUS on Monday briefed its eurozone counterparts on the progress of an adjustment programme but no decision was expected on financial assistance pending the total amount needed for bank recapitalisation. At the same time Cyprus’ partners turned up the heat concerning financial transparency matters, which they see as key before agreeing to a bailout, given their statements before the meeting.

A French navy captain works out on board French Navy vessel Commandant Bouan while it was docked in Limassol this week (AFP)

Mayor dies THERE was widespread shock and sadness at the news of the unexpected death of Ayia Napa mayor and hotelier Antonis Tsokkos on Monday. According to police, the 59-year-old complained of breathing difficulties in the morning, but died before paramedics arrived at his home. An autopsy determined he died of a heart attack. Tsokkos was buried on Wednesday. During his time as mayor, he gained a reputation as being an articulate and accessible leader.

Mosque damage OFFICIALS on Monday condemned the “criminal damage” caused to an

Royal stopover and dirty money 18th century mosque in Denia village last Sunday night. Police are investigating how perpetrators demolished the north and south walls of the mosque.

Restoration work had only begun earlier this month. Visiting the site, Presidential Commissioner Giorgos Iacovou hinted the destruction of the mosque walls was clearly a premeditated act.

It’s a gas COMMERCE Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis on Monday accused the opposition of filibustering a government bill for a national hydrocarbons fund, warning the move could derail plans for exporting natural gas by 2018. But the opposition yesterday called the bill “short, generic, a rush-job, and a joke”. Sylikiotis said the opposition was being motivated by “petty politics”. He hit back at fresh allegations, spearheaded by EDEK MP Giorgos Varnava. Over the weekend Varnava had charged Sylikiotis of seeking to rush through the legislation in order to appoint AKEL people to the two committees provided for in the bill.

Saved by Russia A 42 per cent growth in tourist arrivals from Russia led to 3.0 per cent increase in Cyprus’ overall tourist arrivals in 2012. Last year’s total arrivals have been finalised at 2,464,908 compared to 2,392,228 in 2011. According to data released by the statistical services, the increase in tourist arrivals from Russia in 2012 was 42 per cent, or 140,340 extra visitors - a total of 474,419 people, up from 334,079 in 2011. By contrast, arrivals from the UK in 2012 decreased by 6.0 per cent, or by 61,246 people, to 959,459, down from 1.020705 in 2011.

Prince Harry PRINCE Harry was in Cyprus during the week for a much needed alcoholic drink on his way back to Britain from his twenty week deployment to Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot. It is common practice and part of the vital recovery programme for British soldiers returning from Afghanistan to spend a few days in Cyprus as part of the ‘decompression’ procedure. Soldiers usually have a 24-hour stopover at a British base on their way home, to wind down and sink their first beer after many months in active service. The compulsory stop also gives the servicemen and women time to reflect on their experiences.

IPC jump THE NUMBER of Greek Cypriot refugees seeking compensation for occupied properties in the north has increased by almost 30 per cent – nearly 1,000 new applications - in the last six months alone, showing an upward trend that has caught the attention of Cyprus’ Legal Service.

Attorney-general Petros Clerides plans to hold a broad-based meeting after the presidential elections to deal with the increasing number of Greek Cypriot refugees applying to the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) in the north set up by Turkey. According to the IPC website, as of last Monday, 4,471 applications have been lodged with the Commission, of which 309 have been concluded through friendly settlements and nine through formal hearing.

Ten years GREEK Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have become less prejudiced, more trusting of each other and more willing to live together in the ten years that the checkpoints have been open, studies have shown. The University of Cy-

Soldiers usually have a 24-hour stopover at a British base on their way home, to wind down and sink their first beer after many months in active service

prus’s Haris Psalitis gave a talk to commemorate the roughly ten years since the checkpoints first opened allowing Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to become reacquainted. Since 2003, about 7.5 million crossings have occurred from the Greek Cypriot side and 13.5 million from the north.

Paphos needy AN urgent appeal for donations to help needy families living in Paphos villages has been made by a group of volunteers. More than 250 families living outside the boundaries of Paphos municipality are in desperate need of help, as without it they will go hungry.

Paphos has been hardest hit by the wave of unemployment. The municipality, in conjunction with a social welfare committee programme, are doing all they can to help those in need, but they are unable to help those living in the outlaying villages, as they are outside municipal boundaries.

Dirty money CYPRUS is going on the counter-attack over money laundering allegations with political parties embarking on a cam-

QUOTES OF THE WEEK “I want to become a dictator. I wish to rule as dictator to bring order to the chaos. I’m a dictatorin-waiting.”

Presidential candidate Costas Kyriakou, aka Outopos (right) “Suspicion arises - and it’s plain to see - because Russian investment in Cyprus is so high and at the same time Cypriot investment in Russia is high” German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble “This is a criminal act with many consequences. It is an attempt to hurt bicommunal co-operation on the protection of Cyprus’ heritage” Presidential Commissioner Giorgos Iacovou “If they’re in such a hurry to pass the bill, why didn’t they prepare the regulations too and be done with it? They wanted to create a precedent. In fact, the bill is so short and generic it smacks of a rush job. It’s a joke,” DISY’s Averof Neophytou

“Disorderly developments in Cyprus could undermine progress made in 2012 in stabilising the euro area. Cyprus could well be systemic for the rest of the euro area despite its size” European Central Bank board member Joerg Asmussen “We have to be sensitive to the issues which ich may arise in other member states. tates. We are the applicants, they’re hey’re the lenders, we have to be e sensitive to their own issues” ssues” Finance Minister Vassos Shiarly hiarly “We do not ot believe that this [cutting judges’ salaries] undermines es the independendence of the e judiciary” AG Petros s Clerides

“MIG has been grossly wronged

by Cyprus. We are seeking to protect our investment” Marfin Chairman Andreas Vgenopoulos “At the ministry we prefer to be strict with the regu regulations on electronic cigarett cigarettes despite not indication of having an exact ex harmful they may be” how harmfu for Public Acting director dire Christos Health Services Se Christou you don’t have “If yo money it’s not posmo sible to pay the si bills.

There are b about 50 families a ttrying and failing every month.

We are trying to do whatever we can to help but it’s very hard and electricity board the el help.” can’t he Paphos councillor George Sofokleous

paign abroad to convince people that such claims were unfounded. The decision, taken by parliament on Wednesday, is for party representatives to seek meetings with parties they are affiliated with in other countries. Parliament will also look into organising a mission to countries, like Germany, where most of the allegations have come from.

Lost edge CYPRUS has lost its edge as a financial service centre, former president George Vassiliou said on Wednesday as he urged authorities to put measures in place so that the island could regain its lead. Vassiliou said it was important for Cyprus to speed up procedures and fully automate departments dealing with companies. “Cyprus remains one of the biggest and most important centres for companies with international activities, but it no longer has the leading role it used to,” Vassiliou said. Cyprus’ financial sector makes up between 9.0 and 10 per cent of the country’s GDP.

€150m boost THE GOVERNMENT sealed a deal on Thursday granting an Italian-Korean joint venture a concession to drill for hydrocarbons in three offshore blocks.

Three separate agreements, one for each of the prospects, were signed on behalf of the government by commerce minister Neoclis Sylikiotis and finance minister Vassos Shiarly. The three blocks (2, 3 and 9) licenced to the ENIKOGAS consortium lie north of a gas field that holds an estimated 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. “The discovery of hydrocarbons... creates new realities and prospects for transforming Cyprus into a regional energy hub,” Sylikiotis said at the signing ceremony.

Avenue closure THE Debenhams Avenue store in the middle of Nicosia’s Makarios Avenue will shut down, an announcement confirmed on Thursday. The brief announcement cited “commercial and financial reasons” leading to the decision to shut down the store as part of restructuring efforts. The flagship Debenhams Central store, also on Makarios avenue in Nicosia, will continue working as normal. “Efforts are being made to absorb a number of the (Debenhams) Avenue employees,” the announcement said. No further comments were made.

12 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Opinion

Radical change needed to boost state sector CYPRUS has lost its edge as a financial services centre, said former President George Vassiliou who conducted a survey of a sizeable number of law, auditing and tax advisory firms. Presenting the findings of his survey on Wednesday, Vassiliou said it was of paramount importance to speed up procedures at government departments and computerise state services.

We have been hearing such calls from the financial services sector for decades without anything ever being done. In fact, it is difficult to understand why Vassiliou spoke about Cyprus losing its edge, considering the inefficiency and slowness of our bureaucracy have been constants and we never had an edge in this respect.

It still takes the office of the Registrar of Companies a month to carry out a routine name check for a company, if the customer does not pay for the ‘accelerated service’, and a month to register a company; the queues at the counters are also phenomenally long.

The former president repeated the suggestion we have been hearing for the last 20 years about the need to set up a onestop shop that would cover all the requirements of foreign businesses by co-ordinating various government departments such as Inland Revenue and the Registrar. The Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency could run the one-stop shop which would be assisted by specialised staff from the VAT service, immigration department and social insurance office, Vassiliou said.

Auditing and law firms have been calling for the establishment of a service taking care of all requirements of international businesses for 20 years but nothing was ever done, for a very simple reason – our state services are not geared to serve individuals or businesses. They seem to exist to make life as difficult as possible for the people they are supposed to serve and assist.

Employees at state services are unmotivated and do not know the meaning of customer service,

SundayMail while management is disinterested and ineffective.

There is also a lack of leadership in the state sector. How else can we explain the fact that the office of the Registrar of Companies is not fully computerised yet? What claim could we have to being an international business centre when the offices at the Registrar still feature piles of paper files and no services are provided online? Vassiliou said the time required to register a company had to be significantly reduced while noting that the UK and Malta offered approval of a company name within 24 hours.

The truth is that without a radical change of mentality and work practices in the state sector nothing will improve. For too long the public sector has existed for the benefit of its employees, PASYDY ensuring that the working life was as easy as possible for

them. Customer service training was never permitted and public employees were of the mind-set that if they made things difficult for the people they served it meant they were doing their job properly. It is astonishing how in the last 10 years, despite computerisation and the appointment of more civil servants, service in most departments has remained as slow and inefficient as it had always been.

PASYDY did not even permit the employer – the government – to move staff from over-manned departments to departments facing acute staff shortages or to change the working hours (these have now been changed thanks to the troika). It also prevented the introduction of proper evaluation systems because that would motivate staff. We would not be surprised if PASYDY has also been blocking the full computerisation of government services in order to protect jobs, even though this could be a consequence of weak management.

We need to abandon the men-

tality that our economy exists in order to provide state employees with a good living. All emphasis must be put on improving service and simplifying procedures which must include the full utilisation of computer technology and the web. Civil servants must undergo training, transfers from one department to another should be a routine matter and a reliable performance evaluation system must be put in place for everyone. And most importantly, the government must abandon the practice of seeking the approval of PASYDY for every organisational change it plans.

Giving the union a say in how the civil service is organised is one of the main reasons for the lousy service.

Things must change radically in the way the civil service operates if we are to have the edge, as a financial services centre, that Vassiliou spoke about. And this would also help local businesses which, for too long, have had to contend with unhelpful – at times openly hostile – state services.

Letters to the Editor Civil servants think only of their salaries Shame on the little madams in the so called ‘Department For Social Inclusion of Persons With Disabilities’ at the labour ministry who refused to process my extremely sick and mobility impaired husband’s application for a parking card for our car simply because the doctor who wrote his health report did not “stamp”. it One phone call to the oncology centre at the hospital would have confirmed that what was written was the truth and the doctor concerned was indeed his doctor . Instead it was implied that I may have written it myself and signed the doctors name (quite impossible as I don’t read or write Greek).

The young woman concerned wanted us to return to the hospital to obtain this stamp, when it was quite obvious that my husband is unable to walk very far unaided. He begged her for understanding and it was the first time in 40 years I have seen tears of despair in his eyes.

There is a great deal more

to this story as you can imagine, but it seems that this particular department is unable to think “outside the box” and are quite unable to help those who desperately need it. They think only of their salaries and pensions.

I will not return to this sad and shabby little office and will continue to use the wheelchair decal I have printed off the internet and inform anyone who asks of the situation and rely on their good judgement and common decency to allow me to park for my husband’s comfort.

I am fortunate in that I have mental and physical resources to deal with such stupidity but I fear for others who are not so fortunate. In closing I should mention that we are Cypriots with real ID’s and real passports and real voting cards. Maybe next month we can make a difference and help stop the rot that has so obviously infected the civil service of Cyprus.

Name withheld

Chattering on the move Having just returned to Britain after a delightful few days in Cyprus (my first encounter with the island and its hospitable people), could I express my dismay at the standard of driving displayed by so many? Undertaking on the motorway was common, as was the jumping of traffic lights on red, especially by motorcyclists.

Much intolerance, as witnessed by excessive hooter blowing and gesturing was

unnerving to me in my red number-plated hired car. But what amazed me most was the apparent mandatory use of a mobile phone whilst driving.

Car drivers, lorry drivers, even bus drivers seemed to enjoy incessant chatter on the move. How often are drivers stopped by the police for not being on the phone?

Malcolm Hensher, Oxford, UK

Blatant nepotism is holding Cyprus back

The end of Cyprus grows ever nearer

The bureaucratic nightmare of the Ginn family (Sunday Mail January 20) encapsulates the malaise that has infected this island since independence. Singapore - an island nation much smaller than Cyprus - gained independence in 1965 and I had the pleasure of living there from 1968 to 1971.

In 1968 in Singapore we had mail delivered daily by a postman in a smartly starched post office uniform riding a post office bicycle, today we get mail once a week if we are lucky delivered by a friendly chap on a worn out moped.

In 1968 in Singapore we had mains drainage, today we have a soakaway. In 1968 in Singapore there was no problem with flushing toilet tissue away.

Today I am expected to go through the disgusting routine of keeping soiled toilet tissue in a bin in the house.

A bailout will be worse than the 1974 Turkish invasion.

It will destroy Cypriot society completely. Cyprus will cease to exist as an independent country.

From a paradise it will turn in to a hell worse than Greece.

It would have been cheaper to let the Cyprus Popular Bank collapse.

Regarding privatisation, the only people who will benefit will be a few insiders making huge profits just like in Russia when public companies were privatised.

Just look to the UK where privatised energy, water and communications companies can charge what they like.

It would be wise for the three main presidential candidates to be careful about what they wish for.

I hope and pray that I am wrong but judging by the comments of the Germans and other EU finance ministers the end of Cyprus as a great place to live is near.

Upon gaining independence the shrewd and forward thinking prime minister, (Harry) Lee Kuan Yu, realised that the expertise to drive Singapore forward did not exist in enough numbers in Singaporeans themselves, so he welcomed entrepreneurs and anybody with skills that would help his country, by providing them with monetary incentives.

Archbishop Makarios did exactly the opposite, he became insular and protectionist (that protectionism has become even more entrenched today, as the Ginns found out to their cost). He would not employ anybody that was not a Greek Cypriot.

Lee Kuan Yu was driven by a passionate desire to improve his country, Archbishop Makarios was driven by passionate egomania. The tiny nation of Singapore is now one of the richest countries per capita in

the world, it stages what must be the most spectacular race of the formula one calendar and its leader does not feel the need for childish posturing on the world stage.

I love living in Cyprus, I have bought property here and I pay income tax here, but I get so frustrated by the blatant nepotism that is holding it back, just because you are the son/brother/cousin of a politician does not necessarily qualify you for high office.

One paragraph in Bejay Browne’s article sums up the real Cyprus problem in a nutshell “According to Bill, the family had managed to accomplish in three months in Malta what had taken them almost three years in Cyprus”. If the Ginns had been Greek Cypriot, they would have found the doors opening sooner and easier.

Rodney V Bird, Pyla

Mari surcharge and a gullible public In 2011 the power station at Mari was destroyed by an explosion on the adjacent naval base with the loss of 13 lives. In evidence in court a colonel stated that he opposed the stacking of the containers but was assured that this would only be for a short time.

They were in fact left like that until they exploded. Apparently the Americans, the Germans and the British offered to remove the containers and to dispose of them in a safe manner. Apparently these offers were spurned.

Following the explosion it was decided (by whom?) that the customers of EAC should bear the cost of repairs but we do not know how this decision was made.

Since then we have had an extra element on our electricity bills but without any explanation by EAC. We heard recently that the insurers had made payment of compensation

to EAC for the damage repairs. BUT, we still have the additional charge on our bills.

This charge is also included in the VAT element so it would appear that the government is benefitting from repairs to the power station, which was directly the fault of the government.

It would be nicely democratic if the government could explain the situation and confirm that the charge is for repairs to the power station, explain why VAT should be added to this charge, what is the total amount of the cost of repair, how much has been recovered from the insurers, how much has been paid by way of an extra charge, how long will it be that the charge is collected.

Or, perhaps this is to be just another example of a permanent charge on the gullible public.

Jeremy Seavers, Paphos

Worried Cypriot

Where’s my EAC rebate?

Now that the EAC will be paid out by the plant’s insurers, can we domestic electricity users look forward to a rebate for all the months we have been forced to pay on our bills for the tragic negligence which took place in July 2011, or is this a slice of Pie in the Sky? Beryl Hutchinson, Pervolia

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13 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

Opinion Customary practices in petroleum agreements and bidding are there for a reason

Why following the rules is vital Comment Constantinos Hadjistassou

T

HE DISCOVERY of fossil fuels in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in conjunction with vigorous interest from energy giants for hydrocarbons rights, during the second licensing round, constitutes a lifeline for the Cypriot economy.

Recent developments pertaining to the negotiations between the short-listed companies and the government for the concessions of offshore blocks 2, 3, 9, 10 and 11 raise the question of whether the customary international practices in the oil and gas industry are being duly followed. But what are these recommended international practices that safeguard the national interests of the host country, promote transparency, ensure the profitability of the companies, and reinforce people’s confidence in political decisions?

The evaluation of the tenders submitted by the interested energy companies and joint ventures is usually based on the total bid value. In turn the total value of the bid consists of two attributes: the development plan, also known as the work programme, of the prospective block, and the signature bonus. The work plan comprises the number of wells to be drilled by the operator and the type and extent of seismic data to be undertaken, e.g., two- or three-dimensional seismic acquisitions and other technical issues. Other criteria include royalties, the company’s liquidity, the level of technical competency in pertinent developments the organisation has completed (for example, in ultra-deep water), the company’s reputation, national-strategic interests, the involvement of the organisation in the upstream (exploration and extraction) and downstream (transportation and distribution), competition, environmental matters, technology transfer, local content, etc. Local content refers to the development of local skills, the utilisation of local manpower, and local manufacturing.

Details of the successful tenders are usually made publicly available, thus strengthening the transparency of the adopted procedures. This practice makes it possible for competing companies to benchmark their bids against the winning offer while it renders prospective licensing rounds more attractive. The major development, in the Cypriot EEZ, which prompted considerable interest among oil and gas companies while raising the value of the bids was the discovery of the Aphrodite gas field.

In parallel with deciphering the geological structure of this part of the Levantine basin, the availability of seismic data together with their interpretation reports, which the companies purchased from the Cypriot ministry of commerce, industry and tourism, have also contributed to the success of the second licensing round in a decisive manner.

avoided. As in the case of Cyprus, such a situation could only lead to unfavourable developments.

Transparency and meritocracy are relatively easily ensured through sound procedures. For example, investment decisions in the pension fund of Norway where the proceeds from hydrocarbons are deposited, currently amounting to $650 billion, are posted on the internet and scrutinised by independent auditors.

Concurrently with the award of an exploration licence to a consortium, the government earns an agreed signature bonus - usually in cash. The principal types of petroleum agreements are: (a) a licence agreement and (b) a contract agreement.

CONTRACT AGREEMENTS

POSITIVE FACTOR The traditionally friendly relations between Cyprus and neighbouring Arab countries were also a positive factor as well as the maritime delimitation agreements signed with Israel and Egypt. Of course luck cannot be neglected.

Despite the relatively low probability of about 25 per cent of striking hydrocarbons in a typical well, a natural gas reservoir of approximately 200 billion cubic metres was discovered.

Leaking the tenders’ evaluation report to the media is definitely not a good exercise as it imperils the whole process, especially in the event that the country opts to award a concession to another bidder other than the highest one.

In such cases, there is the risk that a company or consortium may legally challenge the decision or it will deter them from participating in future calls.

Negotiations between the host country and the energy companies usually span several months.

Granting an exploration licence to a consortium practically marks the exploration phase of the quest for hydrocarbons.

From a strategic perspective, considering the Turkish threats, the ideal tactic for Cyprus is to create a blend of companies and

Tenders for the second licensing round being delivered last year consortia with activities in both the upstream and downstream sectors with expertise in offshore hydrocarbon fields and access to world markets of oil and natural gas. Major independent and national oil companies usually enjoy the support of the country they are located in. In contrast to Israel, Cyprus had the luxury of choosing among big players in the oil and gas sector, namely French Total and Italian ENI. Best practices also dictate that hydrocarbons rights are granted to the best bidder. Take for example block 9 which attracted most of the bids during the second licensing round and is believed to conceal large volumes of hydrocarbons. If block 9 were awarded to a licensee other than the best bidder even small differences in the terms of the agreement be-

tween the two offers are likely to yield large differences in earnings for the state, which in the long run could amount to several hundreds of millions if not billions of euros.

Although a government reserves the right to choose a bid inferior to the best received, such negotiations start from a lower base and the bargaining power automatically shifts to the company’s negotiators. Deviations from the preceding guidelines are permitted only when serious concerns surround the emergence of companies with dominant market positions or insufficient capital to develop the oil and gas field(s).

At the societal level it is important to avoid politicising the matter and certainly the clash between the executive and the legislative branches of government should be

Drawing from previous experience with Noble Energy during the first call for interest, it is almost certain that the government will again grant contract agreements for all five blocks. This means that the company or consortium which wins the bid assumes the role of the operator and with its own resources locates and extracts the hydrocarbons.

Meanwhile, the government owns the hydrocarbons resources and compensates the company for its expenditures including a reasonable level of profit either in commodities (hydrocarbons) or in cash. The best-known type of such an agreement is the production sharing agreement (PSA) or contract (PSC).

The ministry of commerce, industry and tourism has made publicly available the (model) production sharing contract signed with Noble Energy. So far the percentages agreed regarding the recovery of hydrocarbons costs and production sharing have yet to be released.

Agreeing on these percentages, in light of the work programme, is perhaps the most demanding part of the negotiation process. Prudent decisions can only be distilled from past experience.

Constantinos Hadjistassou, PhD is a researcher at the University of Cyprus specialising in hydrocarbons and low-carbon energy technologies. Website: www.energysequel.com

Lillikas does it again, this time with CyTA Comment Loucas Charalambous A LOT of nonsense is being said by politicians, trade unionists and others about the issue of the privatisation of semi-governmental organisations (SGOs). As always, demagoguery and populism are the means through which this very serious problem for the country is being faced. They have learnt nothing from what has happened to us.

The issue, in the last few days, has been restricted to CyTA with all the candidates and parties declaring their strident opposition to its privatisation, believing that in this way they will secure the votes of its employees. Two of the presidential candidates - Anastasiades and Lillikas - say they would accept CyTA becoming a

public company and propose that some of the shares be given to its employees and some to the state.

The ‘clever’ proposals do not end there. Lillikas has suggested that the state remained the main shareholder, but the management be given to private interests. EDEK, of which he is the candidate, has staked a claim as the owner of the idea of issuing shares, but believes the state should maintain control of the new company. Meanwhile Malas, as the hostage of the AKEL leadership, does not want to hear of privatisations.

It would be interesting for someone to explain to us what the difference is between privatisation and ‘share issue’ (or metochopiisis). There is only one way for CyTA to be privatised, either fully or partially. It must become a public limited company, issue

share capital and offer it to potential buyers. So privatisation and metochopiisis go together.

If it is not being sold what is the point of a share issue?

We can only conclude that our politicians, once again, are opening their mouths and uttering nonsense, having no clue what they are talking about. The most absurd of the suggestions were by Lillikas and EDEK. No individual would invest in CyTA if the majority of shares were owned by the state. What lunatic would buy shares in a company, which would be run by the government, and already has operating costs three times those of a private company? In effect they want to impose the model that has bankrupted Cyprus Airways, which nobody wants to invest in now.

I was very surprised to hear that even former president George

Vassiliou, a successful and knowledgeable businessman, believed “the state could maintain control even if it did not have the majority of the shares.” I would like to ask him if he would be prepared to invest even one hundred euros in a company that would be run by the state.

The man who stole the show was EDEK vice-chairman Marinos Sizopoulos, who unearthed ‘national reasons’ that prohibited the privatisation of CyTA - it provided services to the National Guard. That’s a cute fairy-tale.

Is he suggesting that Greece’s armed forces will close down now that the country’s telecommunications company OTE has been privatised? Will the private owners be passing on all Greece’s military secrets to Ankara now?

Am I wrong in despairing of our politicians?

Among the fiercest critics of privatisation are, inevitably, the board and unions of CyTA, the people who will lose their positions and their super-privileges.

Chairman Stathis Kittis underlined that the board was opposed to privatisations irrespective of whether the debt would be viable or not.

“We must not slaughter CyTA. CyTA is not five corner-shops,” he said. In other words the state can go bankrupt but CyTA must remain as it is with Kittis as its chairman.

Kittis, the unions, the AKEL leadership and many others, do not seem to have understood how deep in trouble we are. The country is collapsing and in effect we are bankrupt. We should be prepared to ‘slaughter’ not just one CyTA, but 10 if we had them, in order to survive.

14 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Opinion

Dragging our heels and so losing treasure Don’t think our gas will save us.

Candidates should be focusing on the reality of job cuts and price rises Comment Hermes Solomon

A

MILLIONAIRE uncle taught me that any fool can make promises and pots of money; only a wise man keeps both.

I have chosen JS Bach’s, MatthäusPassion - with alto, Rene Jacobs singing the aria, ‘Erbarme dich mein Gott’ - as our president’s swan song: ‘Have mercy, Lord, on me.

Regard my bitter weeping. Look at me, heart and eyes both weep to Thee, bitterly.’

But as the Germans know, our passionate ‘Christoffhäus’ is way too proud a president to entertain such humility. After his past five year reign of terrible blunders, he seems convinced that ‘immense hydrocarbon deposits’ rumoured in our ‘Waters of Oz’ will be the saviour of our economy.

Nobly, we struck gas in early 2012, and like the Klondike Gold Rush of Canada in 1896, a species of hymenoptera (anthropoids prospectus) have collected around the honey pot; the USA, Russia, China and the EU, with Turkey threatening to remove the sting from our home grown fat drones, when in fact it will be removed by any or all of the above manipulating the mandibular nerve of our newly elected troika president.

We are still a long way off benefitting from any rumoured wealth. Our self-inflated Wizard of Oz, Solon Kassinis has only just begun his journey along that yellow brick road to for-

tune. There are still innumerable outstanding problems to overcome; price, politics, policing and profit to name but a few.

And there is one we must now take seriously, notably hydraulic fracturing, which is the propagation of fractures in a rock layer by a pressurised fluid. Some hydraulic fractures form naturally and can create conduits along which gas and petroleum from source rocks may migrate to reservoir rocks. Induced hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking is a technique used to release petroleum, natural gas (including shale gas, tight gas, and coal seam gas), or other substances for extraction.

‘Energy is today’s gold

as much as fresh water will be tomorrow’s’ Due to the relatively recent widespread introduction of this method, the USA claims they will be self-sufficient in fossil fuels within five years, no longer reliant on the Middle East.

France and Canada have joined the race. By the time gas is extracted from our ‘Waters of Oz’ it will likely halve in value - even becoming unviable to extract given the outlay required not only to drill, but transport, liquefy and pipe to distant consumer markets.

The competition from the fast growing renewable energies such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat, collectively of paramount importance in a world undergo-

Our presidential candidates should not make gas their prima facie case for election ing climate change, make promises of our long term gas wealth look increasingly tenuous.

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true. But ironically, Cyprus does not even need a fart of gas given our blue skies and average of 10 hours daily sunshine. Had we installed hundreds of wind and solar energy farms yesterday instead of buying BMWs and Mercs, we would not be in the economic mess we’re in today - energy is today’s gold as much as fresh water will be tomorrow’s.

Noble Energy have twice put back the date for drilling a second borehole in Aphrodite’s Block 12. Maybe there isn’t as much gas down there as we think, and just maybe, our Minister of Commerce Neoclis Sylikiotis has asked Noble to hold off until he has negotiated ‘best terms’ for the sale of other blocks. And why did Noble not take any of the four blocks on offer? The dream of wealth from the ‘Waters of Oz’ could end in deception, tears and bitter weeping.

Our presidential candidates should not make gas and the sale of it, whether in blocks or forward placements, their prima facie case for election. Contenders who don’t even mention it in their election manifestoes, but instead suggest sound ways forward to combat our bankrupt economy, will win valuable points over their rivals.

We should, for example, be told how much the cost of living will rise over the next five year term - by how much direct and indirect taxation will increase after we sign troika memoranda - by how much wages and pensions will

fall and unemployment climb, etc. We must prepare and be prepared! Forewarned is forearmed. Spaniards are moving to Germany in search of work, where 500,000 skilled and semiskilled jobs are on offer. Cypriot post grads no longer see any point in returning to Cyprus.

The Cyprob has been a dead duck for 38 years, so why bother mentioning it when the population in the north (barely one fifth of Turkish Cypriot origin) now totals one third that of the south. It is rumoured that 20,000 Turkish Cypriots now live in the south - an ‘advance army’ in readiness for an inverted take-over of the entire island by Turkey. Ah, rumours! We need to be given hope, not despair!

Greece has already signed away the future of her next three generations by accepting troika addenda to already agreed memoranda - that’s 45 years of the ordinary man paying off banker, government and politician induced national debt! The Greek diaspora is four years old and on-going. The Mediterranean basin is destined to become a no-go area other than for tourism, wine and olive oil.

I advise all three presidential candidates to stop blathering on about hydrocarbons and get down to giving us the hard facts about the state of our economy, money laundering, bank debt and NPLs in an effort to save Cyprus from a fate worse than Greece. Thus far I’ve heard little of consequence from any of them and now prefer to listen to JS Bach.

‘Alas! Now is our Saviour, gone!’ is the magnificent aria with chorus which precedes ‘Have mercy, Lord, on me…’ But AKEL have yet to weep bitter tears over the impending loss of their blameless leader.

Hollywood can’t hide the legacy left by Bin Laden Comment Robert Fox ZERO Dark Thirty is Hollywood’s narrative of closure on one of the key episodes of Barack Obama’s first term.

This account of the tracking and killing of Osama bin Laden is almost a slice of American history in its own right.

With Bin Laden dead, Washington’s Wyatt Earp-like vendetta with the founder of al Qaeda may be over, as the film implies. But events in Algeria, Mali, Somalia and Yemen, within a week of the film’s launch in Britain, suggest that the legacy of Bin Laden in the al Qaeda brand is far from dead.

Its spores now spread through three continents. The al Qaeda message has been adopted by myriad groups across northern Africa, in Yemen, and by the most organised element in the insurgency in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra.

“For you the jihad is over,” a CIA interrogator says to an al Qaeda detainee in the film. Maybe, but

the story of al Qaeda isn’t over yet even in Afghanistan where it is being reinvigorated by new splinter groups with links to Islamist insurgents in the Central Asian republics.

As in North Africa with the Tuaregs fighting for their own domain in northern Mali, the al Qaeda affiliates are entangled with local movements.

Many of them live by smuggling narcotics and kidnapping foreigners for ransom.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the brains behind the attack at the Amenas plant in Algeria, is a former leader of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a drug smuggler who made his fortune from kidnapping tourists in the Algerian desert.

Though now public terror enemy number one, it is unlikely that Belmokhtar could be the subject of a multi-Oscar nominated Hollywood movie - except possibly a terrorismnoir essay by the Coen brothers.

Zero Dark Thirty is a grey, grim and very American story. Repeatedly we are reminded of the “3,000 American citizens” who died on 9/11, as if there weren’t

Less than sympathetic: Jessica Chastain as CIA agent Maya any other nationals in the Twin Towers. The drama is oddly cartoonish and two-dimensional, despite the indulgent scenes of waterboarding torture. Most of the principal characters verge on caricature - even Jessica Chastain

as CIA agent “Maya”, with majestic cheekbones and auburn hair, is less than sympathetic.

Much has been made of the graphic portrayal of the torture of al Qaeda suspects, which by this account delivered the vital

information on Abu Ahmed “Al Kuwaiti”, the courier with whom the Bin Laden family hid in a compound in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad.

Most of the evidence suggests that the crucial information about Al Kuwaiti and his lair did not come from torture but careful trailing and surveillance. It is a disturbing mix of well-observed fact and detail and sheer Hollywood fantasy.

Both the scenes of torture, and the ruthless manner in which the Bin Laden family are dispatched, raise important questions - which are left with little conclusion.

In reality the whole drama was a lot more complex than this. On the night of the Zero Dark Thirty raid, a dozen more special operations were mounted from the same base.

Lincoln and Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty are the two great Hollywood tributes to the Obama era at its mid-term. I suspect Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis’s portrayal of Lincoln battling friend and foe in the last weeks of his life is truer to the spirit of his times and ours.

15 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

Opinion

European Union: the way forward

uotes of the week

‘Nothing is durable without the institutions’ The beginning of 2013 finds the European Union needing to deliver on its principal promise: prosperity for its citizens

Comment Andreas Mavroyiannis

I

N THE face of major challenges in the past four years, European leaders have demonstrated their determination to tackle and resolve the adverse consequences of the banking and sovereign debt crisis and restore economic stability and growth.

These consequences are not merely financial and economic, but have become political - as questions on the future of the EU are constantly being raised - and, at the same time social, as citizens all over Europe are suffering from the scourges of the recession, in particular, unemployment. Thus, the beginning of 2013 finds the European Union needing to deliver on its principal promise: prosperity for its citizens.

This of course, cannot be the result of a magic concoction, but rather the outcome of the decision and effective implementation of important measures that will result in overcoming current stagnation and demonstrating progress.

The means to achieve progress and growth are not theoretical debates and passive decision-making. It consists of key measures promoting structural reform, enhancing the internal market and investing in trade relations. The way forward for some of us is clearly fostering growth through policies that will restore credibility by stabilisation of public finances and structural reforms. Some others are still agnostic on the modalities and the right mix of policies that will lead us out of the crisis. Still, we all agree on the need to restore credibility to and confidence of both the markets and the citizens and to preserve and enhance the quality and strengths of our European social models and our anthropocentric society.

The end of 2012 found the European Council agreeing on the next steps for a genuine economic and monetary union. The core actions therein will, in essence, result in an even more integrated economy. This does not, however, mean that further integration will come at the expense of the existing community of 27 - that will become 28 in July. Simply, it must be acknowledged that not all member states want, or can, move at the same pace in the process of integration. The ever-increasing divergences of the modalities of being together in the EU are defining the new reality of the operation of the union. They have to, therefore, be directed so as to become orbiters and not centrifugal forces.

And as theoretical discussions for ‘more’ or ‘less’ Europe are ongoing, the EU is starting to look - as it was recently put - more as a three-lane highway, since progressing in parallel lanes is in reality already part of the EU’s modus operandi. This is why it is imperative to retain and safeguard a strict ‘driving code’, which should be our common vision for an expansively polymorphic union that will be - in the words of Schuman - “solidly united and constructed around a strong framework”.

Thus, it is necessary to put in place a form of agreed and co-ordinated differentiation and ensure that the right bridges between those different speed

“Nothing should be off the table when it comes to returning powers from Brussels to national governments”.

Prime Minister David Cameron in his longawaited speech on Europe

“The costumes look great. Some were cumbersome, but some were very snug. You can almost see what religion I am”.

Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch of his role in the new Star Trek film

“Say that Europe is a soccer club. You join this soccer club, but you can’t say you want to play rugby”.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius “I would like to see whether I can get untired”.

Hillary Clinton, who is stepping down as US Secretary of State

groups exist. These are questions that need to be addressed within the next years and which were also raised by British Prime Minister, David Cameron, in his speech on January 23 on the future of Europe and the UK’s role within it. The difference being, that what we are suggesting here is that this co-ordinated differentiation should be an implicit one and of a temporary and de facto nature; whereas Mr Cameron talks of a “de jure” and permanent differentiation, where the UK will not be a full member but will “pick and choose” and will have a special relation with the EU. Naturally, this idea has been perceived by Europeans as going a bit too far and rather hard to accept and digest.

As Jacques Delors recently put it, “if some countries want to go further while respecting the rules of the whole, they should be allowed to do so”. However, for such differentiation to exist without blocking further integration the proper framework needs to be established and conditions set so as to avoid creating too much of a gap, ideally opting for the temporary and welldefined differences in pace and scope, thus safeguarding the rationale of the European unification process. It is important not to forget that its essence is co-substantial to its inception as a formidable peace building process and an intrinsically and eminently political process, with a lofty teleological aspiration of a Europe being a space of prosperity and a beacon for valuebased progress and development in the world.

In effect, this means defending the core European ideals of equality, pluralism, freedom, solidarity and fairness

which lie at the heart of the EU. This has become more imperative as the elusive nature of prosperity in times of crisis, risks to create a platform for euroscepticism and xenophobia, which must be addressed before it penetrates even further into the minds of European citizens.

At this point in time, we should refrain from getting entangled in endless teleological debates and opt for a more functional approach. European leaders must act with commitment and determination to find suitable solutions. And these solutions need to ensure quality of life of the citizens in the kind of community that we aspire to. We need to make choices; we can’t keep contemplating and postponing decisions, waiting for the ideal scenario to be on the table. We need to decide and move forward the European project. We need a new deal and a renewed osmosis between the people and institutions, between institutions and a new brewing together of what cements our renewed European commitment. “Nothing is possible without the people. Nothing is durable without the institutions,” Jean Monnet wrote in his memoirs.

We need synergies and complementarities, and a more rational, rather than emotional approach that will lay the ground for our pluralism to flourish and for our civilisation to lay the ground for the new European social contract, which will allow us to bequeath a better Europe to the younger generations.

Deputy Minister for European Affairs Andreas D Mavroyiannis oversaw the Cyprus EU presidency last year

“Retiring? That’s not my style. I don’t understand it. Retire from what?

From having fun?”

Hollywood star and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger “She studies ghosts and absolutely knew about the ghosts of Highclere Castle where we film, and she treated them as if they are friends. She is not nutty at all. She understands the occult”.

Actor Hugh Bonneville describing Hollywood co-star Shirley MacLaine during the filming of Downton Abbey “The experience was so intense and had such a surreal quality about it that I forgot to ask which of the eight tracks she would save. My mind was doing cartwheels of joy”.

Broadcaster Kirsty Young waxes lyrical about her Desert Island Discs interview with Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi

“Take a life to save a life - that is what we revolve around. If there’s people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we will take them out of the game”.

Prince Harry saying he killed Taliban fighters during his service in Afghanistan “This Prince comes and compares this war with his games, PlayStation, or whatever he calls it.

To describe the war in Afghanistan as a game demeans anyone - especially a Prince who is supposed to be made of better things”.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman on Prince Harry’s comments after he returned from a tour of duty “She angrily flashes her eyes, flares her nostrils and before a kiss sticks out her unique jaw as if she is about to bite off his tongue”.

Russian critic Lidiya Maslova pans Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina in a new film version of the novel

16 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World in pictures

American Matt Gone poses before the opening of the Expotattoo Venezuela 2013 in Caracas

(AFP)

People arrive for the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing-in at the US Capitol (AFP)

A model texts messages on her mobile backstage ahead of French designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s show during the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2013 shows in Paris (AFP)

A trompe-l’oeil mural painting of a ship on the wall of a house in Berlin

(AFP) Ostriches crowd in an open-air cage at an ostrich farm in the Belarus village of Kozishche (AFP)

An Indian Hindu devotee takes a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna in Allahabad.

The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad will see up to 100 million worshippers gather over 55 days to bathe in the holy waters

A model presents a creation by Lebanese designer Elie Saab during the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2013 collections in Paris (AFP)

Brazilian mural artist Eduardo Kobra and his assistants paint the side of a 56m building, portraying Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in Sao Paulo, Brazil (AFP)

A man dressed as The Joker at the London Toy Fair in Olympia, central London (AFP)

17 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

Coffeeshop

Calling cops a triumph of hope over experience THE COMMIE apparatchiks running the Central Bank decided to call in the cops to investigate the leaking of the ‘sensitive’ information about the European Central Bank’s plan to stop offering emergency liquidity assistance to our banks.

Why did they take so long to report a leak to the AG that took place in November? Were they waiting for instructions from the AKEL Central Committee, or is this another farce like the sending of the private bailiff to the Lefkara house of the former Governor to collect the hard-drives of his laptop?

The commies are running the Central Bank as well as they have been running the country, their priority being scoring publicity points. And their man in charge, Professor Panicos, just goes along with their loony schemes, showing admirable obedience to AKEL despite the fact that in a month it would be out of the picture and not able to boss him around, at least not directly.

According to press reports, there had been an attempt to deal with the matter in an internal investigation at the Central Bank but it was unable to identify the super-grass.

This may have been because Professor Panicos did not want to use the mean muscle-men that provide his personal security to carry out the questioning.

But if the internal investigator could not find a paper-trail or evidence on the Central Bank server what are the chances our clueless cops, who do not know how to turn on a computer, would crack the case? Leaving aside the politics of the decision, calling in the cops is like a second marriage, a triumph of hope over experience.

THE AKEL central committee is not really bothered whether the cops will find anything as all it is interested in is to create another conspiracy theory against the poor comrade and scoring electoral points.

They know the cops will find nothing because there was no leak of documents about the ECB’s plans to withdraw emergency liquidity assistance from our banks on January 21 if the memorandum had not been agreed by then. The information was reportedly contained in minutes of an ECB meeting which only the Governor’s office would have.

On Friday night, meanwhile, it was reported that the information was relayed from European sources to DISY deputy Averof Neophytou, who immediately asked for a meeting with Professor Panicos to establish whether it was correct.

The Governor confirmed it and did the same at a subsequent meeting he had with the DISY Fuhrer.

So from where could the leak have happened? Are our cops going to go to Frankfurt as well to question members and officials of the ECB in order to solve the big mystery or are they going ask for Interpol’s assistance?

IN HIS written request to the AG for an investigation the comrade professor did not mention any names of officials he suspected.

However, Politis reported yesterday that in his contact with the AG, Panicos pointed a finger at Central Bank senior director George Syri-

to turn us into Albania.

chas, whom the commies hate because he was the previous Governor’s closest associate.

As soon as Panicos took over the Central Committee of AKEL took all powers away from Syrichas and put him in charge of the Economic Research Department. And now the professor, as if to prove he is well-schooled in Stalinist methods, wants to pin the leaking of the non-existent document on the poor guy.

CHIEF of Police Michalis Papageorgiou did not rule out the possibility of calling in politicians for questioning. Apart from the chief suspect Averof, the Fuhrer, Nice Nik, could also be questioned as he was also privy to the information from the ECB which he used in his letter to comrade Tof. In the letter, written before Tof the Terrible had voiced his agreement to the memorandum, Nik warned the comrade that he would be held personally responsible if he refused to agree terms with the troika and a collapse of the banking sector followed. He had called a news conference to reveal the letter’s contents but refrained from doing so because the comrade had signaled his agreement to the memorandum, earlier in the day.

The commies nevertheless have tried to present Nik’s commendable behaviour as an act of treachery, accusing him of siding with the troika against our great leader, in an effort to wear down Tof’s heroic resistance to the nasty neoliberals of the troika and force him to accept the unfair terms of the memorandum.

This pathetic investigation is part of the same plan, the AKEL Stasi intent on portraying Nik, especially if he is questioned by the cops, as an enemy of the country and an agent of the troika ahead of the elections. Under the circumstances and aware that the country was being run by a clueless commie clown, leading it from one catastrophe to another, Nik did the only responsible thing in applying pressure and threatening to go public.

Had Nik ignored the ECB threat the comrade would not have agreed to the memorandum, sent the troika home and the when the banking sector collapsed he would have pleaded his customary ignorance. Nik ensured that Tof could not claim ‘nobody informed me of the danger of a banking collapse.’

For this alone Nik should be declared a national hero. And if the cops ever find the source of the alleged leak we should award him or her with the highest state honour for saving us from the commie plot

MANY are wondering why Professor Panicos, an educated man and, theoretically, an independent state official, keeps playing the AKEL stooge, actively participating in the ridiculous commie schemes. AKEL would be history in a month, but he appears afraid to cut the umbilical cord from the Party which appointed him Governor.

His AKEL dependence has made enemies in Frankfurt, where he is seen as a loyal servant of a totally untrustworthy and disreputable government with a hidden agenda.

Ethnarch Junior on Friday quoted a report of the ECB which said “the relevant authorities of the Cyprus Republic do not co-operate with us”, an obvious reference to the Governor.

He has been, however, co-operating very well with Pimco, which he hired, at three times the cost of rival firms to calculate the future capital needs of the banks.

He agreed with Pimco’s arbitrary decision that the value of the collateral (real estate) the commercial banks had as security for loans would lose 60 per cent of its value by 2017, which helped raise the financial needs of the banks to very high levels, as per AKEL’s instructions.

Before the professor reports our establishment to the AG, we must inform him that the document containing the information was leaked to us by an Akelite.

OUR ESTABLISHMENT appears to have been misinformed about the activities of Vassilis Rologis, a director of the Bank of Cyprus for more than 20 years. In last week’s Shop, we reported that Rologis was seeking the help of different people in order to remain director despite being asked to step down by the Governor of the Central Bank. We had also joked that Rologis would probably step down in five or 10 years.

We are informed by his lawyer that Rologis has every intention of stepping down as a B of C director before the next AGM of the bank in June and that he “never asked” for anybody’s help to keep his seat on the board. As regards the dinner he gave in honour of Professor Panicos in London, it was exclusively regarding banking business but Rologis still paid the bill out of his own pocket; he did not charge the bank as we had written.

That the bill was not charged to the bank was also confirmed by the secretary of the B of C board, Phivos Zomenis, who also took the trouble to send us a letter, setting the record straight. We apologise for the factual inaccuracies and for suggesting that Rologis was trying to keep his seat on the board for as long as possible when his intention was to hold on to it only until June.

THE RECTOR of the Cyprus University, Constantinos Christofides, ruffled a few Akelite feathers last Sunday when he spoke in an interview with Phil about the government’s continuous interference in the affairs of the university.

This prompted the AKEL-appointed chairman of the Council of the University, Charis Charalambous, to issue a statement implying that Christofides was talking

ely nonsense (more crudely alkput, the rector was talkm). ing through his rectum).

The university had exth cellent relations with the government, said the apparatchik, and were never in es of the dispute as the minutes icated.

Council’s meetings indicated.

As if the minutes of the meete governings would record the isting that ment’s diktats, like insisting ey was deall the university’s money controlled posited in the AKEL-controlled Limassol Co-op Bank, instead of ad been the a variety of banks as had practice. d also cut The government had ruction of funds for the construction y, in what the university library, is seen as a vindictive act, as it warded to wanted the contract awarded ytou conthe Miltiades Neophytou struction firm that is owned by e desperAkelites. In spite of the atchiks on ate efforts of the apparatchiks the University Councill to award ytou, it was the contract to Neophytou, awarded to the firm which had 5.5 million. made a lower bid, by €5.5 iday, finally THE FUHRER, on Friday, released a statement with his personal assets, which was eagerlynd now we awaited by Akelites and rs after the know why. A few hours release of the figures which put his personal wealth at €2.3 million - this made him poorer than his rival candidate Yiorkos Lile €4m – the likas whose assets are EL spokesmiserable-looking AKEL es said Nik man Giorgos Loucaides ot revealed was lying as he had not all his wealth.

Of the three main candidates two are millionaires, a point that verished inAKEL and its impoverished las will try debted candidate Malas e elections. to capitalise on in the ll us that a No doubt they will tell ould make a man of poor means would better president, and cite Tof the Terrible as conclusive proof of this theory.

LILLIKAS, who tries to be all things to all people, has found a ft wing votway of appealing to left ionaire now ers. He might be a millionaire nforming us but he never tires of informing that he was brought up in abject poverty in his Paphos village and hrough hard acquired everything through work. erview with As he said in an interview Phil last Sunday, “I cannot feel ceeded proashamed because I succeeded ious that he fessionally.” It was obvious om the phodid not feel ashamed from ront page of tograph of him on the front the newspaper.

On seeing the picture I thought he had been photographed in the Palace of Versailles, but forgot to wear one of those wigs worn by the Bourbon kings. Reading the caption, it became apparent this was his palatial home. He stood next to a gold, ornately carved, Louis XIV table, above which was a gold, ornately carved mirror, in front of which was a small statue; above his head was a gold, ornately-carved, twin candle-holder with lamps.

If you’ve got it flaunt it, as they say. Self-made millionaires cannot resist the temptation to advertise their riches. I have nothing against new money and as the great Groucho said, better nouveau than never.

OUTSPOKEN tree-hugger Giorgos Perdikis came up with a novel

Who exactly is professor Panicos pointing the finger at?

idea for d li ith dealing with the allegations of money-laundering against Kyproulla by the Germans. The Germans were welcome to come here to investigate whether money-laundering was taking place, but on one condition: “A special committee would leave Cyprus, on a direct flight to Berlin, and go to Deutsche Bank” to investigate if it was involved in money laundering.

THIS was not the only idiocy we heard in the last week. DIKO attacked the Lillikas camp for being involved in an unrelenting campaign to steal its voters. Surely this is the point of any election – stealing as many voters from the rival candidates/parties that you can.

The question is why has DIKO not reported the voter-thieves to the police?

18 SUNDAY MAIL

Reportage

Flu-conomics: the next could even trigger globa Highly contagious illness affects spending and the economy in far reaching ways says Sharon Begley HIGH BODY count is not the only meaningful number attached to a pandemic. The potential cost of a global outbreak of the flu or some other highly contagious disease, however ghoulish to calculate, is essential for government officials and business leaders to know. Only by putting a price tag on such an occurrence can they hope to establish what containing it is worth.

The financial damage by itself can be devastating. The expense of major epidemics is evident every time a health agency adds up the cost of treating infected people - the outlays for drugs, doctors’ visits, and hospitalisations.

But that spending is only the most obvious economic impact of an outbreak.

Consider the effect on international airlines. During the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which began in southern China and lasted about seven months, business and leisure travellers drastically cut back on flying. Asia-Pacific carriers saw revenue plunge $6 billion and North American airlines lost another $1 billion.

The tourism industry also took a beating. The net revenue of Park Place Entertainment, owner of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas and other gambling and hotel complexes, plunged more than 50 per cent in the second quarter of 2003 compared with the year before, mainly because Asian high rollers hunkered down rather than risk infection while travelling.

That’s just the easily measured stuff; the indirect costs pushed the total SARS bill much higher. “The biggest driver of the economics of pandemics is not mortality or morbidity but risk aversion, as people change their behaviour to reduce their chance of exposure,” says Dr Dennis Carroll, director of the

A

Most of China was essentially on lock down at the beginning of 2003 due to the SARS epidemic

US Agency for International Development’s programmes on new and emerging disease threats. “People don’t go to their jobs, and they don’t go to shopping malls. There can be a huge decrease in consumer demand, and if (a pandemic) continues long enough, it can affect manufacturing” as producers cut output to align supply with lower demand. If schools are closed, healthy workers may have to stay home with their children. People afraid of becoming infected are less likely to go out to stores, restaurants or movies.

Most of China was essentially on lockdown in the first half of 2003 as the government did everything in its considerable power to minimise human-tohuman contact and, hence, the spread of SARS. Beijing was shut down tighter than at any time since martial law was declared during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

Discos, bars, shopping malls, indoor sports facilities and movie theatres were closed, and 80 per cent of the capital’s five-star hotel rooms were vacant.

By May 2003, Singapore Airlines had cut capacity 71 per cent and put its 6,600-member flight staff on unpaid leave. Tourism to Singapore fell 70 per cent, and the country’s gross domestic product took a $400 million hit that year.

It’s not surprising that a pandemic hurts businesses dependent on employees or customers moving from point a to point b, but SARS also set back transport companies such as FedEx (closed airports; fewer people doing business), telecom equipment-makers such as Nortel (vendors and customers staying home) and cableTV-box maker Scientific-Atlanta (multiple parts made in Asia). It even cut deeply into profits for Estee Lauder, which under normal circum-

stances sells a lot of cosmetics in Hong Kong, Singapore and China, and in duty-free airport shops.

In our interconnected world, a farmer running a fever in Southern China can reduce the income of a baggage handler in Frankfurt, and hence all the businesses that worker patronises. “Within hours or days, an event that starts on one side of the world can establish itself on the other,” says Carroll. Lufthansa saw demand for flights to and from the Far East tumble 85 per cent that year, and grounded a dozen planes.

With planes grounded, oil demand fell by 300,000 barrels a day in Asia, dinging the revenues of oil companies from Kuwait to Venezuela.

The World Bank estimated China’s SARS-related losses at $14.8 billion, and although the United States and Europe were largely spared its ravages, the pandemic reduced the global GDP by $33 billion. And here’s a scary thought: As health crises go, SARS wasn’t that bad:

Tourism to Singapore took a big hit

it killed just 916 people and lasted well under a year. The Department of Health & Human Services estimates that the ho-hum seasonal flu is responsible for 111 million lost workdays each year in the United States. That’s $7 billion in sick days and lost productivity.

A global pandemic that lasted a year could trigger a “major global recession,” warned a 2008 report from the World Bank. If a pandemic were on the scale of the Hong Kong flu of 196869 in its transmissibility and severity, a yearlong outbreak could cause world GDP to fall 0.7 per cent. If we get hit with something like the 1957 Asian flu, say goodbye to 2 per cent of GDP. Something as bad as the 1918-19 Spanish flu would cut the world’s economic output by 4.8 per cent and cost more than $3 trillion.

The majority of the economic losses would come not from sickness or death but from what the World Bank calls “efforts to avoid infection.”

The really bad news is that we may not be hearing all the bad news. Economists who study pandemics worry they may be underestimating the financial toll because they haven’t been considering all the ramifications. “Research to understand the indirect costs of an epidemic has been growing, focusing on how to accurately incorporate productivity losses and effects on economic activity,” says Bruce Lee of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre.

Take workplace vaccination. Public health officials recommend it, but does it help the bottom line? Would targeted shots bring a higher return on investment?

Should employers vaccinate only their older employees?

Or just those, say, in the ship-

ping department? Lee and colleagues found that for the 22 main occupations defined by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (legal, management, food preparation, edu-

The majority of the would come not from but from what the ‘efforts to avo cation, and 18 more), when the employer footed the bill, “employee vaccination was cost-saving for the median wage” if contagion was on the low side (one case producing

19 • January 27, 2013

t pandemic al recession Sales of the H1N1 vaccine boosted the bottom line for some pharmaceutical companies

0.2 to 0.6 additional cases). It was almost cost-neutral for low-paid occupations, and a clear benefit for high-paid ones. The biggest payoff is for older workers, since they are

e economic losses m sickness or death World Bank calls oid infection’ more likely to become ill and miss work if infected. As a result, “employers could gain money” by underwriting flu shots, Lee says.

Lee and colleagues ana-

lysed what closing schools in Pennsylvania would cost.

Reducing transmission of a virus saves healthcare expenditures, not surprisingly, and averts deaths. “But closing a school has a lot of ripple effects,” Lee says. “You not only have teachers and staff not working, but parents have to stay home with their kids.”

Bottom line: It would cost as much as $51,000 to avert a single case of a very transmissible flu.

A 2009 study by economists at the Brookings Institution analysed the direct economic impact of closing schools during a flu pandemic. Since about one-quarter of civilian workers in the United States have a child under 16 and no stay-at-home adult, closing all the nation’s K-12 schools

Even the impact of closing schools would be huge

for two weeks would result in between $5.2 billion and $23.6 billion in lost economic activity; a four-week closing would cost up to $47.1 billion dollars - 0.3 per cent of GDP. “Those are only the firstorder effects,” says Ross Hammond, who led the Brookings study. “There are also multiplier effects from a multibillion-dollar decline in economic output.” He looked only at lost wages, but people whose income falls because they don’t work for several weeks don’t spend as much, and the people who don’t receive that spending cut their own in turn.

It may seem heartless to count spending on consequent medical care as an economic plus, on a par with welcoming an earthquake for the construction boom it triggers, but a dollar spent on medicine still contributes to a company’s bottom line and to the GDP. In fact, analysts do a robust business figuring out how investors can profit from an epidemic. Sales of vaccines and drugs to combat H1N1 (swine flu) in 2009 boosted some pharmaceutical companies. By early 2010, when the mild epidemic had petered out, Sanofi-Aventis had registered net profits of $10.1 billion, up 11 per cent year-to-year.

Wall Street never encountered a disaster it couldn’t profit from, and pandemics are no exception. Several companies have produced investor guides to avian flu. In a 2005 report Citigroup says avian flu will not only benefit healthcare companies but also those that provide products and services people turn to when they’re afraid to leave home: telecoms, internet commerce companies, home entertainment and even utilities. Finally, because any worldwide calamity sends currency traders scurrying for safe havens, Citi expects the dollar to rise in the event of a pandemic. Overall, it concluded, “We would expect global economic activity to decline, raw material prices to collapse, risk aversion to rise, monetary policy to ease, and interest rates to fall.”

Researchers are making progress on the true costs of disease, but it hasn’t been easy. “When we economists first came to CDC in 1995, many people told us it was immoral to include economic analyses in questions of public health,” says health economist Martin Meltzer. “But taxpayers have a right to know, if they’re putting x dollars on the table (for vaccinations, quarantines or other flu-fighting measures): What are they getting?”

Until all those questions are answered, savvy investors won’t be putting money on the table to cash in on the next global pandemic. But as surely as a devastating swine flu epidemic is coming, some shrewd, and perhaps soulless, quants wizard will figure out how to profit from it.

20 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Feature

Tablet computers were the big Christmas seller but who really spends most time using them? Gavanndra Hodge charts the rise of the iKid

“M

U M M Y , you’ve got to go to the app store and buy me Flow with Bridges.” My daughter is four. She can get to level 17 on Candy Crush, she can negotiate her way from the Angry Birds app to Angry Birds cartoons on YouTube, she knows the various codes for my smartphone, my husband’s smartphone and the family iPad. She “loves” the iPad, she tells me, gripping it tightly with her sticky hands as I try to pull it away.

When I finally extricate it, she snarls, curling her fingers into talons and slashing at me. This has come to be known as the i-tantrum and it can last for half an hour.

We normally calm her by persuading her to do some drawing, with real felt tips on real paper. The problem is, last time we did this, she started drawing Bad Piggies. iPads are obviously revolutionary, beautiful things. We got ours at Christmas, but as a late thirtysomething who already has a computer, a TV, a collection of CDs and a predilection for sticking photographs in albums, I have yet to work out its

She discovered her eldest was waking at 5am so he could play with the iPad for five uninterrupted hours unique place in my life. My daughter, on the other hand, claimed the iPad as her own the minute it entered the building.

There is something so wonderfully intuitive for a child about touching a screen and making things happen, it makes pre-iPad technology immediately seem clunky.

Today’s toddlers can often be seen stroking antediluvian computers and televisions in vain; and the “a magazine is an iPad that doesn’t work” YouTube clip,

I am iParent showing a one-year-old -old uselessly pinching the page of a glossy magazine, has had four million views. We suspect that 21stcentury ury technology is changing how our brains work in ways ys we are yet to understand, and surely the same must be true tenfold for our children. dren.

Yes, I am an iParent. ent. I use the iPad on long car journeys and like listening ening to Hebe hooting with laughter in the back seat while she plays the Toy Sto-ry game in which you turn out the lights and Woody, Buzz and co noisily bump into each other; I let her play with it when her 13-month-old sister is having a morning nap, giving me a full hourand-a-half in which to do the washing up, paint my nails and all those other domestic tasks I never have the time to finish. I have filled it with “educational” writ-ing, reading, maths hs and drawing apps, ps, but these generally ally get bypassed in favour vour of the classic i-crack crack games such as Mouse Maze and Fruit Ninja. nja. I have even downloaded aded Fisher Price apps forr babies, so Minna doesn’t esn’t feel left out. She enjoys njoys headbutting the screen reen and making giggling gling shapes appear, and who wouldn’t?

I am not alone in my shame – more than han 100 million iPads have ave been sold worldwide wide and virtually everyone one I know lets their chilhildren use touchscreen creen devices just for a few minutes (okay, hours) of quiet now and then. I have friends with a two-year-old whose third word was “iPad!” and others who gave their 18-month-old the iPad between 5.30am and 7am to

play Gravitarium so they could get more sleep.

There have been stories toddlers of up racking hundreds pounds’ of worth of debt on their parents’ Apple accounts bewith cause many of

these games, for 15 minutes after the initial d o w n load, users can make “inapp purchases” without inputting a password. I am aware of Hebe watching me closely as I type in my password, dreamscheming and dream ing about the day when she finally works it out and has unfettered access to the app store and its infinite pleasures.

But at least the iPad is in-

teractive, I tell myself as Hebe chases m me around tthe th e flat chanting “iPad, iPad, iPad”, unlike the television, which it has so comprehensively supplanted; and sometimes she does play those reading games, such as the excellent Reading Raven, developed by educationalists. The problem is that at present no one knows what the long-term effects of extended iPad use in children will be.

The child psychologist and author of Raising Boys and Girls, Steve Raising Girls Biddulph, advises caution.

“One thing we know is that screens in general affect young children’s visual skills and perception because they are looking at a flat surface.

T h e growbrain is grow ing fast in the early years and it ideally needs a lot of moving, grasping, using the whole body, touching and sensing in other ways. If you don’t use all your abilities,

they don’t develop, and you the lose them. Looking for long los periods at the same disper tance, moving a finger here tan and there, are not giving the brain all it needs.” bra The American Academy of T Paediatricians has warned Pae that under-twos should not tha be allowed to watch television, and although data evi has yet to be collated on tablets, it is suggested the tab same guidelines should be sam adhered to. With older chiladh dren, the case is more condre fused. Many schools, both fus primary and secondary, are prim introducing iPads as an edintr ucation tool. The teachers uca at Bowes primary school in London’s Enfield have been Lon particularly impressed at par how iPads have helped reception children with “excep ceptional learning needs” cep develop their reading. dev Most problems seem to M arise when children are aris left to their own devices. A friend who is divorced and frie sends her sons, four and sevsen en, to their father every other weekend was distressed to discover that her eldest was waking at 5am so he wa could play with the iPad for cou five blissful uninterrupted hours. “His favourite game hou has these bike riders that you steer into accidents, resulting in decapitation, s legs falling off and so on.” Another friend’s son, eight, sneaks into his parents’ bedroom when they are asleep for illicit night-time sessions.

It is the solitary, introverted iPad use that worries academics and psychologists and may eventually result in stifled development and inhibited social skills. “It might be that, as with TV, m i-devices have a small use iin getting through the dinner hour or making a long ne car trip less boring,” says c Biddulph. “But a family B all cloistered with their a own screens isn’t really a family any more. We need to be in each other’s hair more to learn to be really human. When kids are quiet and absorbed, it’s tempting to just ignore them for long periods of time. That isn’t always a good thing.” go PS: the iPad has been reP moved from Hebe’s life and will remain on the highest bookshelf until she is old enough to control her i-lust.

Our home is now a more restful place.

Details of racy Victorian divorces revealed online at genealogy website THE original Mrs Robinson’s diary and scandalous suggestions about a former heir to the British throne are all part of the latest ancestral revelations to go online.

British genealogical website Ancestry.co.uk said this week it has put the transcripts of thousands of Victorian divorce proceedings online, which reveal the racy details of an era that most modern Britons consider to have been dominated by imperial duty, a stiff upper lip and formal familial relations.

The UK Civil Divorce Records, 1858-1911 date from the year when the Matrimonial Causes Act removed the jurisdiction of divorce from the church and made it a civil matter.

Before this, a full divorce required

intervention by Parliament, which had only granted around 300 since 1668. The records also include civil court records on separation, custody battles, legitimacy claims and nullification of marriages.

Primarily due to their high cost, divorces were relatively rare in the 19th century, with around 1,200 applications made a year, compared to approximately 120,000 each year today, and not all requests were successful due to the strength of evidence required.

The rarity of such cases, combined with the fact that it was wealthy, often well-known nobility involved, made the divorce proceedings huge public scandals, played out in the press as real life soap operas.

Famously high-profile divorces

included that of Henry and Isabella Robinson, the inspiration for the novel Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace, by Kate Summerscale.

Henry Robinson sued for divorce after reading his wife Isabella’s diary, which included in-depth details of her affair with a younger married man.

The diary was used as court evidence and when reported by the media became a huge scandal, partly because of the language used within the journal. Isabella claimed the diary was a work of fiction, which led to her victory in court.

Conservative MP and baronet, Charles Mordaunt, filed for divorce in 1869 from his wife Harriet who stood accused of adultery with multiple men.

The case became national news when the Prince of Wales was rumoured to be among the men who had had an affair with her. This rumour was never proven and Lady Mordaunt was eventually declared mad and spent the rest of her life in an asylum.

“At the time, such tales often developed into national news stories, but now they’re more likely to tell us something about the double standards of the Victorian divorce system or help us learn more about the lives of our sometimes naughty ancestors,” Ancestry.co.uk UK Content Manager Miriam Silverman said.

When the divorce laws first came into effect, men could divorce for adultery alone, while women had

to supplement evidence of cheating with solid proof of mistreatment, such as battery or desertion.

Despite this double standard, roughly half of the records are accounts of proceedings initiated by the wife. Many of the nullifications of marriages fall into this category, with failure to consummate the nuptials a common reason.

One such example in the records shows a Frances Smith filing for divorce in 1893 under such grounds.

In the court ledgers it is noted that the marriage was never consummated, with the husband incapable “by reason of the frigidity and impotency or other defect of the parts of generation” and “such incapacity is incurable by art or skill” following inspection.

21 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

Business & Jobs

The real agenda behind money laundering claims Germany’s priority is our tax status more than money laundering

BELGIUM is building the world’s largest lock - as wide as a 19-lane highway ready to welcome the latest generation of giant ships after Europe’s brace of new trade deals.

EU lawmakers approved free-trade accords with Colombia, Peru and six Central American nations in December and also wrapped up trade talks with Singapore. A deal with Canada is expected to be finalised early this year and a more limited investment pact with China is a possibility.

At the construction site in Antwerp, 30 supersized dump trucks toil away from a giant pit, removing earth that could fill Britain’s Wembley Stadium eight times over.

A century ago, Antwerp could handle the Titanic, the largest ship of its time.

But as sea-going ships grow in size and the Panama Canal builds a new set of locks, Europe’s largest port after Rotterdam does not want to be left behind.

Comment Costas Apostolides HE issue of money laundering in Cyprus has been raised by the finance ministers of Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Finland in recent weeks.

Articles in the German press, meanwhile, have built up into a crescendo, just at the time that Russia implemented an agreement with Cyprus that took the island off their black list of countries that Moscow discouraged investment in.

That some states could derail the Cyprus EU bail out efforts is very important, but research undertaken has shown that money laundering occurs everywhere, with the most eye catching cases being the 2008 spat between Euro giant Germany and ant-sized Liechtenstein, the British HSBC the largest bank in Europe, and the Vatican money-laundering embarrassment. Serious as the problem is, one cannot but laugh when watching Jon Stewart’s Daily Show (January 9) entitled “Disgraced Financial Institution” and referring to HSBC’s acknowledgment of their money-laundering activities.

The minister of finance speaking on the radio this week stated that Monday’s Eurogroup meeting was difficult and the money-laundering issues were brought up, including the idea that there would be an inspection. But he stated that the inspection is the work of the International Monetary Fund, which looked at the issue during a September mission, found that the legal framework was in place, and made recommendations for improvements which were immediately adopted by the government.

He added that the memorandum for assistance for Cyprus will include a section on money laundering which will set out measures that Cyprus must examine on the issue and that this will be monitored. He gave no indication that this would derail the Cyprus bailout, and if any issues do arise, the strategy is that it should continue to be the role of IMF. It is clear to me that Minister Vassos Shiarly is showing great responsibility for his actions under difficult circumstances. In effect Shiarly and Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades have taken the reins of government in their hands during this period of a lame duck presidency.

Money laundering, however, is a worldwide problem that takes place in all countries, and it is difficult to identify and to control in practice.

But before proceeding to show how widespread money laundering is it is important to understand the ulterior motives of Germany and other countries in raising the issue at this time.

The conservative economies of the northern block of eurozone states have a long term agenda.

First, they want taxes in the EU to be brought into line upwards so they are closer to their own levels. This includes VAT, where some harmonisation is in place through the mandatory minimum level, but their real focus is on corporation and personal

T

The Vatican has been cut off from credit card transactions because of ‘lingering questions about the Vatican’s involvement in a 2010 money laundering case’ income tax. They are afraid that lower taxes in Luxembourg, Ireland and Cyprus attract northern companies and act as sources of tax evasion.

The British Channel Islands and Gibraltar are not in the EU but are competing centres.

Second they are seeking closer EU co-operation on tax evasion and intend to squeeze those countries requesting financial assistance to realise their objectives and reduce legal loop holes to tax evasion.

TAX DATA The main point here is that they class tax evasion, whether legal or illegal, as money laundering. They illegally use legislation for countering terrorism and the financial resources of terrorist organisations, as well as associated laws on gathering information on terrorism, to get data on tax evasion. It should be noted that the articles on money laundering in Cyprus in the German press were based on German intelligence reports (EuropeanVoice.Com January 24).This poses a challenge to individual freedoms and a free society, fundamental principles of European society.

The aim of the northern block is to force all EU states to come into line with their own policies, something Luxemburg, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta have resisted to date. They are now using the economic crisis in Ireland and the South to push forward their policies, through implicit and explicit blackmail (concede or no bailout), and by pushing moneylaundering issues which opens up the spectre of dealings with organised crime, terrorist affiliates , rogue states and other undesirable holders of funds. The result is that tax evasion is now considered a crime irrespective of whether it is actually legal or not.

I believe Cyprus should open up a European wide debate as the problem of money laundering is a world-

Antwerp builds gateway to EU: world’s biggest lock

SHORT TERM wide issue and, Caribbean and Pacific tax havens apart, money laundering is mainly focused in the world’s major financial centres.

The following examples illustrate the problem: The Vatican has been cut off from credit card transactions important for its tourism earnings because of “lingering questions about the Vatican’s involvement in a 2010 money laundering case” that is being investigated by the Italian monetary authorities (Catholic World News January 8).

HSBC, the biggest bank in Europe, conceded that it was involved in money laundering through its New York operations and agreed to pay $1.9billion to the New York regulators, to settle a probe involving Mexican and Columbian drug barons and prostitution earnings. No criminal actions were pursued against the staff or officials of the bank though $200 trillion were involved in transactions (TrustLaw-Reuters). Since it is a British bank and its worldwide network was used, it seems odd that there are no news reports of investigations by the British or European authorities (The Daily Show is recommended on YouTube).

In December, the German police raided Deutsche Bank and held leading officials as part of a probe involving alleged tax fraud, and money laundering that is considered to have been undertaken through the EU carbon emissions trading system. Deutsche bank was also investigated in a US money-laundering probe (Bloomberg, January 23) and is seeking $557 mln on a defaulted loan linked to money laundering indirectly associated with the disgraced Chinese communist leader BO Xilia (www.wantchinatimes January 9).

Furthermore Standard and Chartered, Barclays, Credit Suisse, Lloyds and ING have been investigated in relation to money laundering from Iran, Cuba and North Korea.

In Malta there is a case fit for a Hol-

lywood thriller where a former diplomat from Kazakhstan has been tried in his homeland for two murders of bankers, and the Austrian authorities are investigating his involvement in money laundering in his new place of residence on the island.

One of the most upsetting cases, however, is that of the 2008 GermanLiechtenstein affair, where the German intelligence paid over €4.2 mln to a computer technician for the names of Germans avoiding taxes in Liechtenstein (Wikipedia quoting Suddeneutsche Zeitung). The Germans then pressured the small country to co-operate with them. But this raises issues of data protection law, co-operating with a data thief, and the illegal use of intelligence services for investigations for private actions.

LEGAL ENVIRONMENT With respect to Cyprus it is clear that the country is trying to cope with the frequent changes in moneylaundering and taxation law, and the situation is improving all the time.

The legal environment here is actually stronger than in Germany and surprisingly Luxemburg. But with thousands of companies registered in Cyprus and the registry of companies in unsuitable buildings, understaffed and still behind in digital records and access to information, we have to invest more in building up the capabilities of the registrar. At the same time the private sector has to wake up and organise itself so as to get more information on applications for company formation before they proceed. They have an obligation to investigate their clients before creating new companies The lesson from all this is the old proverb “people who live in glasshouses should not throw stones”.

Costas Apostolides is Chairman of EMS Economic management Ltd (costas.a@highwaycommunications.com).

“Infrastructure like this isn’t built for the short term,” said Freddy Aerts, a senior official for the Flanders region of northern Belgium which is overseeing the works. “Scale is constantly increasing.”

The investment on the banks of the River Scheldt highlights the European Union’s hunt for economic growth through global trade following the collapse of the 10-year Doha round of global trade talks. The EU hopes to start negotiations in 2013 towards free-trade accords with the United States and Japan.

In all, if the EU completes all its trade negotiations, the 27-nation bloc will add about two per cent to its economic output, or €275 billion. That is equivalent to a country as big as Austria or Denmark joining the EU’s economy.

As in Panama, Antwerp wants to be able to handle a new breed of container vessels, known as post-Panamax, that can carry almost three times the current number of cargo containers, or some 12,600 boxes, as well as large commodities ships.

With three times as much steel as the Eiffel Tower, 500m long and 68m wide, the lock will be one of the gates to the port and is costing €340 million. Begun last year, it will be completed and begin operating in 2016.

Shipping remains essential to international trade with 90 per cent of world trade volumes carried by sea, according to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development.

22 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Business & Jobs

Private banking tries a new play Schmoozing with a dynasty

By Katharina Bart OW do you impress someone who can afford almost anything?

Last March, about 20 wealthy guests gathered at Au Jardin Les Amis, an award-winning French restaurant in Singapore’s Botanic Gardens to meet Baron Eric de Rothschild and representatives of the Zurich-based private bank that bears his name.

Over a five-course dinner of smoked lobster and Wagyu striploin steak accompanied by fine wines from Rothschild’s vineyards in Bordeaux, potential clients discussed investment strategies.

In the battle for private banking clients, the Rothschild family brand is a powerful weapon.

“The whole thing is very personal. We want to spend time with our clients, otherwise there’s no point for us in doing it,” says Veit de Maddalena, Chief Executive of Rothschild’s private banking arm.

Under pressure over tax evasion in the United States and Europe, Switzerland’s private banks are wooing clients in Asia, where the appetite for luxury brands is strong.

Tapping in to that culture, Rothschild’s private bank organised a series of fine dining events in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur last year.

“In emerging markets, the opportunity to put a face to the name of the family behind one of the most prestigious brands in winemaking means something to many of the very wealthy,” said Sebastian Dovey, managing partner of London-based wealth consultancy Scorpio Partnership.

“The Rothschilds are clearly one of the few families today with the very rare combination of significant specialist businesses in finance and fine wine, which they leverage.”

Switzerland has been rocked by several painful and high-profile probes since 2008, when UBS settled a US tax evasion investigation by turning over the names of 4,450 clients and embroiled a dozen of its rivals.

The country is eager to remove the taint from its financial industry with a clean-money strategy and is at pains to play up other strengths besides offshore accounts, including political stability and its own currency, the Swiss franc.

“Private banking is in a phase of fundamental repositioning and is at the same

Alexandre de Rothschild is tipped to eventually take over heading the family holding, Paris Orleans, when his father David steps down

Investment Bill Blevins

H

Currencies USD GBP CHF JPY AUD CAD SEK

25-Jan-2013

1,3313 0,8444 1,2358 120,33 1,2633 1,3244 8,5693

1,3420 0,8512 1,2507 121,78 1,2953 1,3579 8,7862

Returning to Blighty? Make sure you plan

Bill Blevins is Financial Correspondent at Blevins Franks International

time struggling with declining income and rising costs,” Ernst & Young partner Patrick Schwaller said at a Zurich press conference earlier this month.

“For this reason, the effect on competitive pressure is increasing.”

While Credit Suisse and a host of other banks remain mired in the tax dispute with the United States, small private banks are focusing on their niche appeal.

In Rothschild’s case, that niche is built around exclusive access to descendants of the bank’s famous founding family.

Among them are Baron Eric, who was instrumental in bringing the Rothschild family bank back to France after some assets were nationalised under Francois Mitterand, and Charlotte Rothschild, a lyric soprano who specialises in oratorio such as chanson, folk, and kakyoku, or Japanese classical Western-style songs.

“Bringing the full breadth of the family interests to a private banking relationship appears to make a clear difference with their network of clients and prospects,” says Scorpio’s Dovey.

Rothschild made 19.6 million Swiss francs in full-year net profit for the financial year ending in March 2012 and manages assets of 18.5 billion francs compared to 1.823 trillion francs for UBS and 803.3 billion francs for Credit

18-Jan-2013

1,3335 0,8343 1,2467 119,82 1,2565 1,3045 8,5855

1,3442 0,8410 1,2618 121,27 1,2883 1,3376 8,8029

Suisse.

While winning new clients by word-ofmouth is one reason for Rothschild to stage lavish events, another is to keep existing, foot-loose clients happy.

“It’s a huge risk,” says Herbert Hensle, banking expert at Capgemini Consulting. “Roughly two-thirds of offspring who inherit wealth consider leaving their wealth manager.”

In addition to giving clients access to their inner circle, private banks are also enlisting academics to beef up their research.

Rothschild’s rival Sarasin sponsors W.I.R.E., a Swiss-based think tank on trade, industry, society and life sciences.

UBS said last year it would spend 150 million francs to create five economics chairs at the University of Zurich.

Rothschild is increasingly seeking to link up business between the larger group’s other arms, which include a merchant bank and a corporate advisory.

Rothschild family members outside the bank include Bumi Plc co-founder Nat Rothschild, who is currently battling the coalmining group’s board members and chief executive.

Within the banking group, Alexandre de Rothschild is the most visible and is tipped to eventually take over heading the family holding, Paris Orleans, when his father David steps down.

11-Jan-2013

1,3208 0,8180 1,2070 117,43 1,2375 1,2882 8,5010

1,3315 0,8246 1,2216 118,85 1,2689 1,3208 8,7162

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

USD 0,17 0,20 0,25 0,30 0,48 0,80

EUR 0,02 0,05 0,10 0,14 0,25 0,46

THERE ARE various reasons why people return “home”.

You too may find yourself returning to the UK one day, even if you do not expect to right now. Perhaps you are already considering or planning to move back. The most important tax tip I can give you is that you need do careful planning in advance of your return.

To make sure you do not miss out on any tax saving opportunities, you should complete any necessary arrangements in the UK tax year (April 6 to April 5) before you return. This is a complex area and you need to seek expert advice from a tax planning and wealth management firm which specialises in both UK and Cyprus tax planning and how the two regimes interact.

Once you are resident in the UK, you would normally be liable to UK taxes on your worldwide income and gains.

This includes any income or gains in offshore trusts in which you have an interest.

Trusts are a complex area so you need to seek specific advice for your circumstances.

If you carry out the appropriate planning while still non-UK resident, you may be able to benefit from tax advantages when you return which are not ordinarily available to UK residents. It is often possible to arrange your investible assets in a manner where you can enjoy tax free growth and income as a UK resident, irrespective of how much money you invest, but you need to start your planning early enough.

When it comes to capital gains tax, the five year trap often catches returning ex-

GBP 0,48 0,49 0,50 0,51 0,65 0,99

CHF 0,00 0,00 0,01 0,02 0,09 0,27

patriates out. If you had sold any UK assets after you left the UK, or made any other gains (including gains on non-UK assets which you purchased before leaving the UK) while you were resident overseas, these gains escape UK capital gains tax if you remain non-UK resident for five complete and consecutive UK tax years. If you return before the five years are up, you will have to pay tax in the UK on the gain you made. It is not proportionate to the time you spent outside the UK, so you would pay the same tax rate, and on the same amount of gains, if you returned after four and a half years as you would if you returned after one (or even if you are away for over five years, but this period does not span five complete and consecutive tax years).

There may be a window of opportunity for you to take steps to avoid being faced with the tax when you return to the UK, but since this would depend on your circumstances you need to take personalised advice.

If you are selling your current property, you also need to consider what your local tax liabilities are on any gain made.

If you are also liable to tax in the UK because you are returning within five years, you will get a tax credit in the UK for the tax paid in the other country.

Under proposals due to be introduced from April 2013, besides capital gains tax, if you have not been non-UK resident for at least five consecutive UK tax years, you could also be liable to UK income tax on large dividends received from a closed company while you were non-UK resident, or large chargeable gains from an encashment of a life assurance policy, so timing is of the essence if you are only leaving the UK for tax reasons.

If you are planning on returning to the UK, you should seek advice from an adviser like Blevins Franks who are experienced in this area and keep fully up to date on both UK and international tax laws. Website www.blevinsfranks.com

JPY 0,10 0,13 0,15 0,17 0,27 0,47

LIBOR RATES (London Interbank Borrowing Rates) AS AT 28/01/2013

CAD 1,00 1,05 1,14 1,22 1,49 1,89

AUD 3,04 3,14 3,16 3,20 3,31 3,62

23 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

Property The comfortable, casual elegance of middle-class home life in the France of the 1860s is captured on canvas at a new London show, says Philippa Stockley

Snapshot of Paris interiors as Manet opens in London E UROPE changed with incredible speed in the Victorian era, particularly the great cities such as London and Paris.

Swathes of the French capital were rebuilt by “Baron” Haussmann in the 1860s.

Whole new quarters of fine housing and wide boulevards were born, along with bridges for the new steam trains, and there were other developments, such as cycling, gas lighting and photography.

All these things turn up in the work of the Impressionist painter Edouard Manet, in his quite short career (he died at 51).

Few painters could conjure stories on canvas the way Manet did, giving a real, breathing snapshot of middle-class Parisian life in the 1860s and 1870s, indoors and out, as leisure became a serious affair for those who could afford it. From lunching to playing music, reading, or just lounging, Manet recorded it all, including the often comfortably furnished interiors. He painted outdoor pursuits, from picnics to croquet and boating. More than 50 of his 430 known works are on display at the Royal Academy in London in a new exhibition called Portraying Life, including his ‘Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe.’

Because Manet was born well off (his father a civil servant, his mother a diplomat’s

daughter and talented pianist), he didn’t need to earn a living. He first wanted to be a sailor but after studying painting, he set up a studio.

Though he could paint whatever he liked, what interested him were attractive people in settings that were sometimes real and sometimes fictional.

Many of the paintings seem a bit like a page of a novel, where you want to know what happens next.

Manet’s wife, Suzanne, turns up in Madame Manet at the Piano, one of many domestic interiors. Though rich society beauties and courtesans sat for him, Manet painted Suzanne more often than any other woman. She sat for him in a room of their home, a costly house, with its elegant off-white panelling and mouldings picked out in gold leaf in classic French style.

Two chairs in the picture are covered in linen dust covers - implying this might be the reception room in which the Manets held weekly soirées.

In another picture, Manet uses Suzanne’s young son, Léon, for one of two figures lounging dreamily in front of a French window open to the spectacular summer view of a bay. Interior at Arcachon (1871), is based on a real place; the Manets stayed there during the Siege of Paris. On the south-west coast, Arcachon, christened in 1857

by Napoleon III, became one

Looking to the future: Edouard Manet’s The Luncheon (1868). The central figure is Mrs Manet’s son, Léon. Below: The Railway (1873, left) suggests how quickly the dazzling technologies of the 1860s became the everyday, and Interior at Arcachon (1871)

of the first bathing resorts.

The picture shows the new leisured class relaxing in a villa. The woman is comfortable in a cane-backed bergère chair, one slippered foot casually resting on a footstool, sketching the lovely view. The young man on a little French chair, informally dressed, dreams over his novel, leaning on the sturdy round mahogany table. Everything from a fashionable little balloon-backed chair to the gilded mirror, ormolu clock, turkey rug and dovegrey silk damask wallpaper proclaims comfortable, casu-

al elegance.

There is another view of this easy life in The Luncheon (1868), painted at the end of a fine meal. The maid waits in the background with a hot silver coffee pot. Léon was roped in again to pose as a young man in straw hat and whites, looking idly out, to the future perhaps, or just wondering what to do next. All around him are signs of comfortable living, from a fine, squared damask tablecloth to the gilded coffee cups, the plate of oysters, and a valuable porcelain jardinière on a bamboo table. A framed map

on the far wall hints that the world is the boy’s oyster.

But it is in The Railway, painted in 1873 out of a friend’s studio window, that Manet shows how Paris is changing, in a view of the railway cutting near Gare St Lazare (built in 1835). The little girl clutching the railings is so entranced by watching a big steam train power along the track that she’s put down her costly bunch of grapes untouched. To the right is a stone pier that supports a recent engineering marvel, the star-shaped Pont de l’Europe, a huge, six-armed cast-iron

bridge. It had a plaza at its elevated centre, where fashionable Parisians loved to stroll. On the other side of the tracks, Haussmann’s new Quartier de l’Europe is just visible; a new neighbourhood of middle-class housing into which Manet and his family moved.

To show how quickly these technological marvels had been embraced, Manet paints the young woman reading, a puppy fast asleep in her lap, both completely unimpressed by the racket of innovation and change behind them.

British government boosts office-to-homes switches

By Tom Bill THE BRITISH government will make it easier for developers to convert offices into apartments, the latest in a string of initiatives to kick-start economic growth through housing.

Planning minister Nick Boles is due to announce the changes to the planning system this week to help meet the country’s huge demand for housing and revamp rundown areas where office schemes are not viable, a government source said.

“We are currently looking to make it easier to convert empty

and under-used commercial space into residential use. This will provide new homes, help regenerate urban areas and boost local town centres,” a spokeswoman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said. “We will announce more details shortly.”

Other housing initiatives in the government’s battle for growth include Funding for Lending and NewBuy, both of which are unlikely to make a significant dent in the target of 240,000 new homes every year by 2016 to meet population needs, Peel Hunt analyst Robin Hardy said.

“If the planning barriers to con-

version are effectively removed, this could have a significant impact,” Hardy said of the new scheme. “The whole country is littered with masses of underoccupied low-value office buildings that would make fabulous residential (property).”

Residential values are about double office values across much of the UK, making housing schemes more viable, said Mat Oakley, director of commercial research at real estate consultant Savills.

“You have to ask whether some office sites have any value at all if they are empty and unlettable,” he said. “The big question

is whether developers can borrow the money to do it. It’s still speculative development.”

The price difference can reach four to five times for the best London sites. This has led to a flurry of deals by developers, including British Land and Land Securities, to meet the insatiable demand from wealthy overseas buyers looking to park their cash.

The predominance of such schemes has led to a backlash from local residents priced out of the market and the city’s best apartments are often used only a handful of times a year by buyers from Russia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

24 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Property Last days: Debenhams closing down sale this week

LEGAL ISSUES WITH GEORGE COUCOUNIS

Compliance by tenant with tenancy agreement

Downfall of Nicosia’s main shopping streets

By Antonis Loizou FRICS NICOSIA’S Makarios Avenue is going through a lot of difficulties. This top priced high street which commanded rents of €70/m² until 2008, is now becoming deserted with vacancies increasing from 20 per cent a few months ago to 27 per cent this month and the closing down this weekend of the central Debenhams. Of the remaining occupied shops approximately 50 per cent have secured 20 per cent rental reductions, whereas others just do not pay. What is more worrying are other moves: the huge multi level Avenue store has given a notice/warning to its owners to renegotiate the rent or leave, Mondos café/restaurant has closed down by 50 per cent, Marks & Spencer coffee shop/ restaurant seems to be moving/changing use, whereas other long standing cafés are on the move. A similar situation is developing now on Stasikratous (the Bond Street of the capital) and for the first time there are evident vacancies with a similar situation in terms of reduction of or non payment of rents.

Themistoklis Dervis street, another central high street, has just started to show similar signs with the last attempt by Nicosia Municipality for a revival over Xmas unsuccessful.

It is evident that the economic crisis and the reduction of the spending power of consumers, the development of the peripheral areas (such as Engomi, G. Dhigenis Avenue, Stavrou high street, Strovolos avenue and the other high streets) have taken a share of the central visitors, whereas the Mall of Cyprus is the only place showing signs of improvement and an increasing flow

of visitors. The mall(s) have caused a change in shopping habits, whereas the new Lakatamia Mall now under construction and approximately three times the size of the Mall of Cyprus is another negative development for the centre (and for both malls we add).

The Limassol My Mall has retained a constant customer flow and we expect visitor numbers to increase with the opening of the new road linking the port to the Limassol-Paphos highway in one to two years time. Whatever happens, Cyprus has three times the European average in terms of shops per head of population. Even more worrying is the Paphos Mall (now under development) which, we assume, targets the locals more than tourists and which will have (although we hope not) a disastrous affect on the Paphos central commercial area.

For those who study this sort of development (a most interesting subject for masters degree students), another odd example is the revival of the walled city of Nicosia. Cafés and restaurants are moving from the traditional areas within the centre and whereas the initial beneficiary was Ledra street, now Onasagorou is on the up. The walled city accommodates mainly lower priced shops, but it attracts considerable pedestrian traffic comprising mainly of foreign workers as well as Turkish Cypriot visitors with locals making up 50 per cent of the total. Similarly the old Limassol town due to the establishment of the Technical University has halted its run down shops trend, which to an extent have been converted into fashionable bars/places of entertainment with good success. The leader of this is the 7 Seas multi enter-

WHAT YOU GET FOR

tainment centre on St. Andrew Street, which showed the example for others to follow. Of course Limassol hosts the majority of foreign residents who seem not to have been affected by our own local crisis (the tourists in addition).

Going back to the supermarket chains, the end of Orphanides – the largest supermarket in terms of size – is also very worrying since again it showed that: The very large supermarkets are not necessarily profitable with the amount of space they take up.

Shoppers aim at units of 1,5002,000m² max set on one ground floor level surrounded by ample ground parking (and maybe some in the basement).

Low cost/easy to build stores as opposed to the traditional construction is another cost saving – see Lidl example.

Mixing all sorts of consumers goods, including clothing with a food supermarket seems not to be on any more.

Food nearing its expiry date seems to attract an increasing number of hard up shoppers.

Things are changing and we have no experience on how consumer behaviour will respond during these difficult times. Certainly consumption will fall, profit levels will fall and cheaper market products of all sorts will be on the up. An opportunity for local academics and students to study a change in shopping behaviour based on so far unknown circumstances.

Antonis Loizou & Associates Ltd – Real Estate Valuers & Estate Agents, www.aloizou.com.cy, ala-HQ@ aloizou.com.cy

PREMISES used as shops are rented every day through an oral or written tenancy agreement. The period and the terms of the tenancy are stated in the agreement signed by the owner and the tenant.

Where the premises were completed before December 31, 1999 and are within areas covered by the Rent Control Law and the tenant remains in possession after the expiration of the first tenancy he becomes a statutory tenant.

The tenancy becomes statutory from month to month otherwise the rent is payable and any increase in it must be ordered by a court. The tenancy agreement though is considered to have expired and its other terms, except the period of the tenancy and the rent, remain valid and in force, binding the parties and in particular the tenant.

Terms in the tenancy agreement which impose obligations on the tenant to keep the premises in good order at his own expense or put restrictions on him that he is not allowed to make any alterations, changes or additions without the written consent of the owner, continue to bind the statutory tenant. If the tenant contravenes any term of the tenancy, the owner has the right to claim from the court to issue an order against the tenant.

The court has the discretion to issue mandatory orders against any statutory tenant who acts against the owner’s rights and to comply with the terms of the tenancy. In the event the tenancy is not statutory but contractual, the owner has the right to terminate the tenancy and to claim the eviction of the tenant from the premises.

The Supreme Court decided the issue of such an order against a statutory tenant is within the discretionary power of the Rent Control Law which is exercised judicially and based on certain criteria not being arbitrary.

In particular, the criteria are: (a) where the owner indicates there is a strong likelihood to suffer serious damage if the court does not intervene, (b) where the

damage caused by the refusal to issue the order is such that cannot be compensated, (c) the court will refuse a remedy where compliance by the tenant with the order will be illegal. It must also be taken into account the expense the owner will sustain for compliance purposes, (d) if the court leans towards issuing the order, then it must be examined whether the tenant is aware of what he has to do. Where the tenant expedited the construction of any building, despite the owner’s protest, there is no general rule that the order must be issued. This fact can be simply taken into account in a proper case in favour of the issue of an order.

ALTERATIONS The facts related to an owner of premises who rented it out as a restaurant under the terms of a tenancy agreement whereby the tenants became statutory. The tenants made certain alterations to the premises in violation of the agreement and without the owner’s permission. The court of the first instance issued an order for part of the changes to be reversed and for the tenants to pay a certain amount of money by way of nominal damages.

The Supreme Court went further and justified the owner who was complaining for the non issuance of an order for the demolition of other additions which were constructed illegally. It stated that the tenants made the aforesaid alterations arbitrarily without the owner’s permission and without a permit from the town planning authority. The demolition would not prevent the tenants from using the premises for the purpose they had rented it as a restaurant. Therefore, it issued an order for their demolition.

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

€300,000 compiled by Peter Stevenson

How much: €300,000 What you get: This luxurious four-bedroom house 10 minutes from Protaras in Konnos Bay area has a fully fitted kitchen, covered parking area, veranda and garden.

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

How much: €300,000 What you get: This three-bedroom, stone-built bungalow with a private pool on the outskirts of Droushia with unobstructed views of the Chrysochou bay.

From: www.buysellcyprus.com Tel: 26 200000

How much: €300,000 What you get: This spacious three-bedroom house in Ayia Thekla in the Famagusta district comes with a private swimming pool and BBQ area.

From: www.propertyincyprus.com Tel: 70003211

25 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

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on 99819137. Also available for weddings. www.paphosluckychimneysweep.com SWIFT SERVICE AND REPAIRS air-cons, commercial and domestic fridges and freezers, ice machines, cool rooms, supply and fit air-cons VRV S. Call Nik on 99579602 Limassol PROFESSIONAL UPHOLSTERY 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 from 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 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

PETS

Nicosia - tel: 22 818583 fax: 22 676385 cross around 2-3 years old. Now in shelter. 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 monfrid 10-2pm.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THE ARTISAN RESORT SEEKS to employ lady who speaks fluent Russian and English, aged between 30-40 with experience in housekeeping/ hospitality, friendly, non smoking, computer literate, close to the area of Cavo Greco, valid driving licence a plus. Call 22451056, 99660041 THE ARTISAN RESORT SEEKS an individual who speaks very well German and English, age 30, to provide maintenance services for residences, friendly, non smoking, computer literate, close to the area of Cavo Greco, valid driving licence a plus. Call 22451056, 99660041 START YOUR OWN SLIMMING BUSINESS FROM €99. Distributors and outlets wanted for fantastic new products from UK - BOOSSH. Full support given.

31 flavours at great prices. Call now 70005123 and log on www. boossh-cyprus.com EXPERIENCED TUTOR WANTED FOR THE BIOMEDICAL ADMISSIONS TEST (BMAT) I seek an experienced tutor for private instruction in Nicosia, on Part A of the BMAT test (Aptitude and Skills). Please email at: georgebmat@gmail.com or call at: 99657768.

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

LESSONS RUSSIAN-ENGLISH / ENGLISHRUSSIAN / PRIVATE TUITION Beginners to advanced, individual or small groups. Experienced tutor, flexible timing, competitive rates, for further information please call Mikael 96484035 – Paphos area PRIVATE TUITION Experienced, UK-qualified teacher offers fulltime or part-time private home tuition in Maths, English, the Sciences, I.C.T., Geography, History, Business Studies and Economics, from KS3 to iGCSE, AS and A2 levels. 9 years experience in Cyprus; references available. Telephone 99318796

***************************** SWEET YORKSHIRE TERRIER, JESSIE, female, short grey fur, no collar, lost on 16/1 midday in Germasogeia, near Pizza Express. Family pet,chipped. REWARD. Please contact 99622782 ASAP with any information.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DOGS were thrown out in the cold, a young mother with her 7 puppies around 2 months old. Cross between terrier & German Spitz, medium size, we found them under a tree in the snow with no food or shelter, ready to die. If you are interested to adopt any of them please call 99398073 or 25333356. *****************************

LEGAL lady looking for work part time, domestic work, ironing. Has own transport, in Limassol Tel 94 014112

PERSONAL YOUNG LADY from Sri Lanka 30 years old, seeks a good man for marriage 40-50 years old. Tel: 99157396

***************************** GERMAN MAN, 50 years, searching for a nice woman.Mobile: 00491736590562

SERVICES CHIMNEY SWEEP, when did you last have your chimney swept or log burner cleaned? Build-up of soot can cause respiratory problems and fires. All areas, call Dave, a professional sweep, now

JOB WANTED

CINNAMON is a male pinscher

***************************** SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS Divorced lady, chartered account, 46 yrs CY. Divorced lady company director 54 yrs Ukr. Divorced lady 55 yrs Author. CY. Divorced lady 45 yrs Teacher USA. Widowed Gent. 61 yrs Gov. CY. Divorced Gent. 39 yrs Company director CY. Divorced Gent.50 yrs Company director CY. Divorced Gent 63 yrs doctor CY. Widowed Gent. 65 yrs Civil Engineer CY. With us you will not be hurt again.

Limassol - tel: 25 761117 fax: 25 761141

Call. 99314108 email. singles@ kronos2.net

***************************** SMART GERMAN BUSINESSWOMAN, 43, living in Cyprus, seeks a nice, intelligent man for marriage. Pls write with picture to: salieris@ymail.com.

HEALTH & FITNESS CLINICAL PILATES. Personalised Clinical Pilates by Physiotherapists in Nicosia. Individual assessment and supervision of exercises. “Clinical pilates” is a modified form of therapeutic exercise used by physiotherapists to assist in the rehabilitation and prevention of musculoskeletal injury especially lower back pain, sacro-iliac pain and neck pain.

More info on 22446988.

FOR SALE BUSINESS/ PROPERTY/LAND *****************************

Paphos - tel: 26 911383 fax: 26221049 a/c, cd player, electric windows, remote ultrasonic alarm system, alloy wheels, new 2 year MOT, excellent condition throughout, euro 5995, call: 99166532 – Paphos, see our stock, www.mikejohnsoncars.com

BMW 320CI Convertible. 2001 E46 Model. MOT’d/Taxed Service History.Gold metalic paint with black roof. Cream interior, half leather seats and oak Dash. Electrics pack, Cruise Control, Memory seats, Alloy Wheels, CD Player, stunning car. Pictures available on request.Price €8.500 Call 99219583 NISSAN JUKE for sale. Owner emigrating, 1 year old, metallic grey,7 yr guarantee from Nissan.

Automatic,15.000km. €14.800 ono Contact: Maria 99 371874 or 99 461625 – Paphos Area FOR SALE TOYOTA LAND CRUISER/PRADO white 1998, exceptional condition inside and out. Many extras. Any inspection welcome. €8850 ono. Tel: 99096902 – PAPHOS AREA BLACK HONDA CBR1100XX SUPERBLACKBIRD registered new in June 2011 as new condition with 12000 km. Any inspection welcome. €8950. Call Philip 99680747 2005 RED MINI, 1 1.6 taxed MOT one owner good all round, 33.000 kms €6000 ono.

Tel: 99096902 – PAPHOS AREA

PROPERTIES WANTED ‘PROPERTY BUSINESS FOR SALE’ ‘Unique Opportunity to purchase FREEHOLD stonebuilt village property currently operating as a Cafe, with fully equipped kitchen. Seating for 40. Potential for further expansion. Easily converted to residential dwelling.

Viewing highly recommended.

Greatly Reduced. Details ring Tel: 99864097’ – Paphos Area

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

FOR SALE MOTOR VEHICLES PERODUA KAMBARA, 1.3 AUTOMATIC, 5 door, (similar to Daihatsu Terios), 2005, in silver, 44,000 kms (only 27,000 miles),

“WWW.CYPRUS101.COM” We have many clients asking for properties up to 200,000 euros. If you have a property to sell in the Paphos area with title deeds (or AX umber) please contact us via our website www.cyprus101.com or telephone Diane on 99455068.

For automatic updates on new listings and price changes use our Listings Notifier or join us on www.facebook.com/cyprus101”

PROPERTY TO LET NICOSIA STUDIO TO LET completely renovated. Omiru Ave. Nicosia, opposite the Statue of Solomou. Rent: €300 monthly. Tel: 22773044, 99407353 3 BEDROOM FLAT with fireplace, huge veranda with extra room on it, in central Nicosia 5 min from Makariou 580 euro, 2 bedroom furnished flat in Ayios Andreas in very quiet neighbourhood close to American Embassy, 430 Euro. hadjidas@yahoo.com, 0049 17670769271, 99067198 ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT, in small quiet building. Excellent condition, very spacious, furnished and air conditioned. Very good location between Strovolos and Engomi. Close to The European University, super markets and all amenities. Covered parking. Rent Euros 485/m. Please

Larnaca - tel: 24 652243 fax: 24 659982

classified contents Employment Opportunities pg 25 Employment Miscellaneous 25 Pets 25 Lessons 25 Health & Fitness 25 Personal 25 Services 25 For Sale Miscellaneous 25 For Sale Land/ Property Business 25 For Sale Motor vehicles 25 Wanted -To Let Nicosia 25 To Let Limassol 28 To Let Larnaca 28 To Let Paphos 28 To Let Protaras, Ayia Napa, Paralimni -For Sale Nicosia 29 For Sale Limassol 29 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 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA call 99695382

***************************** LUXURIOUS APARTMENT FOR RENT a luxurious one floor apartment situated in central Nicosia in a area of exceptional Beauty at 3 Museum Street, is available to let. It has been recently renovated and consists of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, big dining and sitting rooms, kitchen and a huge veranda. Approximate covered area 250 sq m. Tel: 99622370. ******************************

TO LET NICOSIA Markides 22378898, 99464764, Reg. No. 487, E16

ing. Excellent condition. Information: Tel. 99621554

FLATS/HOUSES FOR RENT studio Acropolis €300, 1bdrm P/ ssa €450, Aglantzia €350, Str/ los €350, Acropolis €350 2bdrm Lycavito furnished €530, Acropolis €550, Ag. Dometios €500, 3bdrm Nikis av. €550 Str/los G/F €660, Tymbos independent €800, Ag. Omologites colonial listed building swimming pool maids room €2,500. PROPERTY FINDER LTD. 99474839 99646822 A.M.627 A.A.108/E

3 BEDROOMS flat on second floor in a block of six flats, in a nice position at Strovolos area, fully a/c, c/h, covered parking place for one car, recently painted. Rent €650pm. (furnished if required).

Tel: 97773358.

STUDIO flat in Pallouriotissa (next to McDonald) furnished €280. For info call 99606984.

LUXURY 6 BEDROOM HOUSE IN A QUIET AREA IN LATSIA. The house has been constructed with the most modern building materials and one can enjoy all comforts of modern life. The house has 3 storage rooms 3 kitchens, 2 covered garage, housekeeper’s room, study room, en-suite bathroom – master bedroom, walk in closet, Jacuzzi, c/h, a/c, and fireplace. Rent €5.000pm. Call 99609239 or 99424106.

****************************** 2 BEDROOM flat, fully furnished.

Fully A/C, small block, 3rd floor.

Covered parking. Central heating. Near Hilton hotel off Makarios Avenue. €480pm. Tel 99444336 STROVOLOS 4 bdrm., house, c/h, a/c from €1000 now €800, Mak/ ssa f/f house, pool, 4 bdrm., 4wc, 2 shower €1700, Kornos villa, pool, mature garden €4000 (2) penthouse luxury Acropolis 1 bdrm, f/f, centre €450. For info www.markidesestates.com

TO LET NICOSIA

***************************** 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 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. ****************************** 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 park-

****************************** LUXURY HOUSES: 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 bed-

TO LET NICOSIA rooms and extra shower in the 5th bedroom - Strovolos €2500 (H5ST10001-R), (photos in the website).

2.

3 bedrs luxury terraced house,210sq.m,central heating, full a/c, marble floor in the sitting areas and solid parquet floor the stairs and bedrooms,4 wc,3 bathrooms the 2 en suite ,big verandas, electrical appliances in the kitchen,3 covered parking, roof garden access, in a quiet neighbourhood on Mon Parnas hill – Engomi €800 (photos in the 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 aluminum shutters, in a quiet area off Nikis behind Burger King - ACROPOLIS €600 (H2ACS0001-R), (photos in the website).

TO LET NICOSIA 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).

5. 3 bedr luxury detached house, 200sq.m, central heating, full a/c, 3wc, blinds and curtains, open plan kitchen with cooker, oven and dishwasher, veranda with bbq, good size garden, covered parking, storage room, alarm system, in a quiet area – Archangellos €1100 (photos in the 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, cook-

TO LET NICOSIA er 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 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. 4 bedr very big luxury semi detached house 350sq.m, with big separate basement 80sq.m with 2 rooms, sitting room, kitchen and bathroom. Consists of big sitting and dining areas upstairs, big kitchen with big family room and breakfast area, big bedrooms, 3 showers, 1 bathroom, central

27 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

TO LET NICOSIA heating, full a/c, black out blinds on all windows, cooker and oven in the kitchen, covered parking and patio with bbq in a very quiet neighbourhood close to Makarios foorball stadium. Available END of February - Makedonitissa €1500.

9. 4 bedr new luxury detached house build in a big plot of land, central heating, full a/c, 2 bedrs with en suite shower, 4 wc, bathroom with jacuzzi, big open space sitting and dining areas, 330sq.m, big swimming pool 5x10, big garden with grass, big covered patio with bbq area, roller blinds and curtains on all the windows, electrical appliances in kitchen, covered parking, in a quiet neighbourhood off Tseriou avenue. AVAILABLE end of February –Strovolos €1800 (photos in the website).

10. 4 bedr semi detached house with central heating, 4 a/c, 3 wc, 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 new luxury finished detached house with central heat-

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA

ing independent, full a/c, 3wc, 2 bathrooms, big kitchen with cooker oven, dishwasher and big family room, aluminum shutters in all the house, separate big sitting and dining room with parquet floor, 2 covered parking, alarm system, big covered patio, SWIMMING POOL, in a newly built area near Falcon school – Strovolos €2000 (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).

TO LET NICOSIA 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 the living room.

For enquiries tel 99660758

TO LET NICOSIA 14. 4 bedr new luxury finished top quality detached house, 290sq.m, central heating, full a/c, master bedroom with en suite shower/jacuzzi, guest bedroom with shower, main bathroom with jacuzzi, 4w , fully expensive furnished with LCD televisions (all furniture and appliances cost 100,000 EURO), kitchen with very expensive electrical appliances and family room, garden with grass, big covered patio with bbq area,2 covered parkings, alarm system, pressure system, in a nice quiet neighbourhood Strovolos €2000 (photos in the 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,

TO LET NICOSIA 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. 1 bedr spacious fully luxury renovated apartment,60sq.m, big sitting and dining room, big bedroom, fully newly modern furnished with LCD TV 32’, covered veranda, covered parking, storage heaters, full a/c, near Cyta, Laiki and Hellenic Bank headquarters – Dasoupolis €550 (photos in the website).

3.

2 bedr penthouse apartment,100sq.m + 80sq.m veranda with flowers and bbq, big sitting and dining room with big 60” TV, storage heaters, full a/v, 2 wc, en suite bathroom/jacuzzi, roman blinds, cooker, oven, microwave, washing machine and refrigerator in the kitchen, covered parking, near Metro supermarket – Aglantzia €600 (photos in the website).

4. A1DAS0010-R, 1 bedr luxury

TO LET NICOSIA 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 modern luxury finished apartment with parquet floor, central heating independent, 2 a/c, modern kitchen with all fitted expensive electrical appliances, blinds on the windows, big covered veranda, FULLY NICELY FURNISHED, covered parking in a quiet neighborhood off Kallipoleos street – Lykavitos €650 (photos in the website).

6. 2 bedr luxury finished apartment on a small building with 4 flats only, central heating with petrol independent, full a/c, 2 bedrooms with en suite bathroom/shower, separate guest wc, NICELY MODERN EXPENSIVE FURNISHED, big covered veranda, covered parking, storage room, in a very quiet neighbourhood very close to Junior school and the park – Agioi Omologites €800 (photos in the 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 in website).

8. A1ACS0007- R, 1 bedr luxury spacious apartment with 2 a/c for hot and cold, electrical applianc-

TO LET NICOSIA es 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. New top quality 2 bedr apartment, 93sq.m+20sq.m veranda, on a small modern building with 6 flats only. Central heating independent, full a/c, 2 bathrooms, 2wc, fully fitted kitchen with all the electrical appliances, water pressure system roller blinds and shutters on windows, big sitting and dining room, big bedrooms, covered parking and storage room, in a quiet neibourhood near Akropolis park. AVAILABLE middle of February – Acropolis €850 (photos in the 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).

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

28 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA

TO LET NICOSIA

building in a quiet area behind Tymvos – MAKEDONITISSA - € 500 – A2MAK0008-R (photos in website).

ior school and 50 metres from the park. FULLY NICELY FURNISHED – Agioi Omologites €1200 (photos in the website).

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 (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

14. 3 bedr spacious luxury finished apartment 150sq.m+30sq.m covered veranda, central heating independent with petrol,full wall a/c units, solid parquet floor, expensive electrical appliances in the kitchen, 3wc, curtains and blinds on windows, 3 COVERED PARKING,storage room, near Pizza Hut in Strovolos €1100 (photos in the website).

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. 3 bedr new luxury ground floor apartment, with separate big TV room or guest room, 225sq.m, big kitchen with all the electrical appliances and breakfast area, 4 bathrooms, 4 wc, 2 bedrs with en suite bathroom, floor heating independent, full a/c, blinds on all the windows, marble and parquet floor, big veranda with bbq, small garden, closed 2 covered parking with remote control, in a very quiet area very close to Jun-

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

LIMASSOL ***************************** PROPERTY TO LET - A 2 bdrm furnished flat in Yermasoyia (close to Miramare Hotel) and 20 yds from the beach. It consist of 55sq. mtrs of balcony, private access and swimming pool €550/month (ono) excluding water consumption, electricity and refuge collection. Mob: 96381524(cy) Mob (UK) 0044 7714400279. ***************************** GROUND FLOOR HOUSE, furnished renovated this year. Laminated parke floor, and big wardrobes in the 3 bedrooms. Rent €590.00 Tel 99497576 99886775 *****************************

LARNACA ***************************** 1. Superior Real Estate Larnaca.

Town centre, fully furnished one bedroom apartment available for immediate occupation. Ref. TLL341. Tel 24815926 2. Superior Real Estate Larnaca.

TO LET LARNACA Stunning two bedroom fully furnished apartment in Oroklini. Ref. TLL1574 Please call to arrange a viewing Tel. 24815926 3.

4.

www.SuperiorRealEstateLarnaca.com – LARGE RANGE OF RENTAL PROPERTIES. From studio apartments to 5 bedroom villas for rent, all properties have detailed descriptions, professional photographs. Interactive Virtual/Video Tours. Please visit our website. www.SuperiorRealEstateLarnaca.com www.SuperiorRealEstateLarnaca.com. License No. 419.

LANDLORDS AVERTISE YOUR PROPERTY WITH US FOR FREE. Tel. 24815926 Email. info@superiorrealestatelarnaca.com

***************************** FLAT IN CENTRAL LARNACA, Stasinou St, f/f, a/c, one bedroom, Off street car parking.

Foinikoudes, Zenonos Kiteos shops 200 metres. Rent €350 p/m. Tel: 24 815104/9939 5954 ***************************** 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 ***************************** UNIVERSAL – lovely 3 bed detached house – f/f 1 x ensuite, a/c, close to shops and all amenities, situated in quiet location –

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TO LET PAPHOS 400 euros. For more information call - 9977 4314

***************************** PEYIA, luxury villa, 3 double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fully or part furnished, private pool, quiet location, paved garden area, sea and mountain views. Sky satellite, euro 650 ono, please call: 99771532 – no agents ***************************** FOR LONG TERM RENT: 2 bedroom modern apartment, recently renovated-fully furnished, Chloraka- Melanos, quiet neighbourhood, communal pool, 2 covered parking space, security burglar bars throughout, 2 balcony. Sea view, central to shops. Communal fees included. 380.00eur/ month. Call Maria 99 371 874 ***************************** € 380 /MNTH UNIVERSAL AREA A 2-bed house, beautiful location, in cul-de-sac, 10 years old, 90 sq. mts, furnished. Open-plan lounge/kitchen, front car-port, garden, 2-floors, 2 W.CS/bath and part air-conditioned. Call 99632388.’ ***************************** PAPHOS RENTALS SECTION PAPHOS- 1 Bedroom Townhouse, Newly Fitted Kitchen, Downstairs Cloakroom, Enclosed Rear Garden, Bargain at only 200 Euros EMPA- Immaculate, Spacious 2 Bedroom, U/F, Corner House, Large kitchen, Patio, Quiet location, Must be seen, 300 Euros PAPHOS- Very large 3 Bedroom Apt, Fully Furnished to a very

TO LET PAPHOS high standard, Would suit 3 Professionals sharing, Within close proximity to Hospital and Court, Central Heating, 2 Bathrooms, Laundry, 350 Euros.

TALA- Luxurious 3/4 Bedroom Villas, F/F to a very high standard,2 bathrooms, 2 en-suites, own Swimming Pools, Landscaped Gardens with Spectacular Sea views, 700 Euros, URGENTLY WANTED –Bungalows 2/3 Bedrooms MORE PROPERTIES AVAILABLE FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 99862922

***************************** 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 €400 spacious 2 bedroom 2 bathroom ground floor apartment, master with ensuite. Situated on small, peaceful complex with communal pool. Fully furnished with modern furniture including plasma TV & satellite. Allocated off street parking. Good size enclosed patio with barbeque. Website reference number: RTL_645 2. TOMBS OF THE KINGS/MOUTTALLOS €400 spacious 3 bedroom ground floor apartment (120 sq metres) conveniently located close to bus stop. Less than 10 minutes walk to Tomb of

TO LET PAPHOS the Kings road & old town. Beautifully presented, fully furnished with flyscreens & a/c throughout.

Enclosed garden. Pets allowed at owners’ discretion. Website reference number: RTL_662 3. PEYIA €450 brand new modern 2 bedroom townhouse situated on a quiet complex. Master with ensuite, family bathroom & downstairs guest wc. Fully furnished with modern furniture including fly screens & plasma tv. Enclosed rear garden. Private undercover parking & storage space. Pets allowed at owners’ discretion. Website reference number: RTL_658 4. KISSONERGA €550 modern detached 3 bedroom villa situated in a quiet residential area. Master bedroom with ensuite, separate kitchen, downstairs guest wc.

PAPHOS LONDON TRAINED HAIRDRESSER **SPECIAL OFFERS** *Free Cut & Blowdry (worth €25) with any Colour Service* *Gents Cut & Style 8 euro* Claim your reward by simply quoting ‘Cyprus Mail’ (valid until 28th Feb ‛13) VENUS BEACH HAIR SALON Find us -1 Venus Beach Hotel, Tomb of Kings.

Call Michelle: 99760543 or 26949200 (ext 350) Visit: facebook.com/VenusBeach HotelHairSalon for more info.

29 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

TO LET PAPHOS 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 5. MESOGI €700 modern detached 4 bedroom villa, master with ensuite. One bedroom on ground floor. Plus separate office or play room. Available unfurnished with gas central heating. Enclosed garden with private pool. Covered verandah with garden furniture.

Pets allowed at owners discretion. Website reference number: RTL_618 6. TALA €725 modern 3 bedroom detached villa located in a peaceful residential area between Tala & Kamaras offering sea & mountain views. Separate kitchen with top brand appliances inc dishwasher. Includes central heating, flyscreens & sky satellite. Private pool & enclosed garden with storage. Available unfurnished or furnished. Website reference number: RTL_566 7. 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:

Advertiser TO LET PAPHOS

RTL_611 8. MESOGI €1250 luxury detached 4 bedroom 5 bathroom villa. One bedroom & ensuite on ground floor. Spacious kitchen with separate utility room. Available unfurnished though includes gas central heating plus real fireplace in living area. Enclosed garden & private pool offering stunning views. Gated entrance with undercover parking. Situated on a private road. Website reference number: RTL_628 TEL: 97790883 OFFICE: 26271858 VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MANY MORE PROPERTIES www.mrrent-paphos.net Email: info@mrrent-paphos.net

***************************** LONG TERM RENTALS 1. Geroskipou A large 2 bed apartment with large balcony facing the sea, fully furnished, covered parking, a/c €345 pcm 2. Tala 2 bed fully furnished apartment. Stunning sea views, large balcony, well kept gardens, communal pool, and quiet area. €350 pcm 3. Peyia Large 3 or 4 bed detached villas, secluded position, large private pool, a/c, and parking.

Unfurnished or furnished. Very nice, well worth seeing. €650pcm & €750pcm 4. Kato Paphos Furnished 1 bedroom apartment, a/c, private parking, well kept garden, com-

FOR SALE – PAPHOS CATERING EQUIPMENT: • 2 stand up freezers • industrial oven • chafing trays • thermo boxes • catering tables • tablecloths with frills • glassware, cutlery • All in excellent condition at reduced prices

please call : 99622678

U SEFUL PHONE NUMBERS 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) 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

TO LET PAPHOS

TO LET PAPHOS

munal swimming pool, large balcony with sea view. From €300 pcm REDUCED THIS IS JUST A SMALL SELECTION OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE AND MANY MORE PLEASE CALL EITHER 96 545 174 OR E-MAIL ON info@unique-consultancy.eu LANDLORDS; WE NEED YOUR PROPERTIES NOW. PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY IF YOU HAVE A PROPERTY FOR RENT.

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

AYIA MARINOUDA A 3 bedroom villa with an additional loft room conversion with en suite. Property has a downstairs bedroom, sitting/dining area, separate utility area with granite work tops, 2 bedrooms on the top level master en suite. Central heating, AC, fly screens, private pool, enclosed and fenced garden. Ref: 1199 950 Euros SECRET VALLEY 3 bed Bungalow furnished to a very modern standard, fully furnished, 3 bedrooms, master en-suite in 2 of the bedrooms, private pool, easy maintenance gardens, nice valley view’s. Ref: 1017 800 Euros CHLORAKA 4 bedroom large villa with quality fittings , furnished to a very high standard, downstairs bedroom, 3 upstairs, en suites, bathroom, private pool, decking, fantastic sea views , near to Tombs of the Kings Ref: 806 850 Euros

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 2013) ring 99178141. A chance not to be missed!

***************************** 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 PAPHOS / PEYIA VILLA, villa 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 ***************************** 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 ***************************** FLOWRON PROPERTY RENTALS: Offering a full range of property services, the company you can TRUST. KISSONERGRA 4 bed furnished villa in a lovely location of Emba.

Very private grounds, completely on its own , closed garage, kitchen, downstairs bedroom, 3 upstairs, private pool, garden. Ref: Kissonergra 825 Euros

SECRET VALLEY 2 bed villas furnished or unfurnished with private pool, downstairs bedroom, kitchen , sitting/dining area, guest wc, upstairs large master bedroom with en suite bath, large veranda.

Nice location with sea views and off street parking: Ref: 1198 450 Euros PEGEIA 4 bed villa unfurnished, 2 downstairs bedroom, large sitting/dining area, Italian kitchen with white goods, 2 bedrooms upstairs with outside large veranda. Property is of a high standard with central heating, full AC, off street parking, private pool, stunning views, quiet location. Ref: 765 900 Euros TSADA Large 5 bedroom villa furnished, top quality fixtures and furniture’s, fire place, central heating, AC, downstairs bedroom, kitchen, utility room, 4 bedrooms upstairs, large living areas, closed garage, private pool, peaceful location, near to the tsada golf area. Ref: 955 1400 Euros Upper Paphos 3 bedroom upper house offered furnished, large rooms, fire place, AC, in residential area, nice location, walking distance to shops. Ref: 1197 350 Euros Please call for a free viewing on Office 26600450 Mobile: 97614070 many more properties on our website at www.flowron.com Your Vision is our Mission LANDLORDS IF YOU HAVE A PROPERTY FOR RENT, PLEASE CALL US!!!!!!

***************************** PEYIA – 3 bedroom villa with modern quality furniture and finishes.

Central heating, sky, alarm, infinity pool and 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

TO LET PAPHOS €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 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 en-suite 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 ensuite, 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 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

SPRING SALE!!

AIDS Advisory Bureau ................................ 22-302826

Drug Info & Poison Control ............... 1401 Cyprus Samaritans ... 77777267 Police Duty Officer ......... 1499 (Confidential Information)

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

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.

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 LARNACA FOR SALE house 180 sq m, 3 bedrooms in Kornos village. €240,000.

Tel: 99651913, 99527094

LIMASSOL FOR SALE €250,000 3 bedroom bungalow for sale in Agios Silas, Ysponas. Large plot with swimming pool and parking for 3/4 cars. Two shower rooms and two kitchens. Contact owner on 25391235 or 99103624

PAPHOS

Narcotics Helpline ......... 1410 (Outside hours.............. 22304160)

Domestic Violence Centre .......................................... 1440 (Emergency Centre for Victims)

TO LET PAPHOS

5* Fly/Cruise package 16th April 18 nts Flights to/from Paphos Visiting Barcelona, Livorno (for Florence), Rome, Sardinia, Tunisia, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Granada, Gibraltar, Portimao (Algarve), Lisbon, Corunna & Dover

PRICES FROM ONLY ¤1899!!

www.centurycyprus.com

info@centurycyprus.com

70 000 970

FLAT FOR SALE 1 bdrm at Peyia village with title deeds, fully furnished. €65.000. For information call 99526562.

***************************** UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY IN LOFOS/ TALA, 2 three bedroom detached villas on large plot.

House 1 with studio flat & pool.

Both open plan with A/C, provision for C/H, BBQ, pergolas, gardens, private drives, sea/ mountain views, SEPARATE DEEDS. Available together or separately.

Tel: 96718163/ 96366419 Price: €399,000 & €299,000

PROTARAS FOR SALE special offer, €79, 000 first floor apartment in Protaras, fully furnished with 2 bedrooms and a swimming pool. Walking distance to the beach of Ayia Triada and all amenities. Tel: 97 608941.

30 January 27, 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 27/01/2013 N. Hadjicharalambous, 49C Prodromou Ave. Tel: 22451451, 22770444 (H) O. Solomou, corner Strovolos & Pythonos St, Strovolos. Tel: 22313123, 22375724 (H) A. Hadjiioannou & E. Antoniou, 14C Naxou St, Lycavitos. Tel: 22755999, 22429210, 22429429 (H) Ch. Savva, 146A Athalassa Ave, Strovolos. Tel: 22514131, 22354627 (H) G. Hatziapostolu, 75 Larnaca Ave., Tel: 22100029, 22779662 LIMASSOL G. Aggelopoulou 34A Griva Digheni Ave., Tel: 25581965, 25328511 (H) G. M. Prodromou, 74D Misiaouli & Kavazoglou St. Tel: 25568009, 25811208 (H) O. Agathocleous 269G Agias Phylaxeos Tel: 25386221, 25730209 (H) LARNACA A. Evlavis, 34 Gr. Afxentiou Ave. Tel: 24651317, 24662689 (H) V. Moyseos, PEO, Tel: 93 Ermou St., Tel: 24655312, 24626553 PAPHOS N. Christofi, 85 Poseidonos Ave, Kato Paphos. Tel: 26964526, 26222938 (H) PARALIMNI E. Michael, 175 Protara Ave, Tel: 23811031, 23824471

NICOSIA MONDAY 28/01/2013 A. Patatas, 33B Makarios III Ave. Tel: 22754644, 22311598 (H) K. Liasi, 79C. D Makarios Ave, Kato Lakatameia. Tel: 22384464, 22324314 E. Georgiou, 58 Ay Pavlos St, Ayios Pavlos. Tel: 22781766, 22773868 (H) M. Gregoriou, 65C D Prodromou St,Strovolos. Tel: 22664750, 22354282 (H) K. Aristodemou, 71E Stavrou Ave., Tel: 22427707, 22431301 LIMASSOL N. Kriticos 107 Pan. Evaggelistrias K. Polemithia Tel: 25397704, 25386455 (H) O. Drousiotis, Glastonos 131B Tel. 25379777, 25581928 L. Constantinou, 23 Georgiou Neofytou, Tel: 25585859, 99895992 LARNACA L. Georgiou, 77 S. Timayia Ave. Tel: 24631390, 24821388 (H) M. Kyritsis, 107 Dianelou Str., Tel: 24656514, 24625038 (H) PAPHOS A. Papoudas 25 Al. Ipsilanti Tel: 26811750, 26952138 (H) PARALIMNI P. Yiallourou, 173 1st April St. Tel: 23825979, 23744771 (H)

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: Demetres Sirigos, Tel: 99026239, 22270290 Ophthalmologist: Antonis Glikeriou, Tel: 70000171 Urologist: Achilleas Corellis, Tel: 70007773, 99562642 Gynaecologist: Aphrodite Elisseou, Tel: 99421050 Paediatric Surgeon: Panicos Theodorou, Tel: 22469000, 99612311 LIMASSOL Pathologist: Ioannis Eliadis, Tel.: 99112587, 25028232 Surgeon: Tzeris Ioannides, Tel.: 25361580 Neuro-Surgeon: Christos Kyriakides, Tel.: 99696706 Paediatric: Kyriacos Agathocleous, Tel.: 25399340, 25391575, 99627222 Paediatric Surgeon: Elka Christofi, Tel.: 25762586, 99306678 Doctor: Maro Hadjikyriacou, Tel.: 25341814, 25342003

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 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Compiled by Rosie Ogden

Motoring

BMW 316i: the joy is in the handling Acceleration is almost instant when you want it, and it hugs the tarmac BMW has expanded the 3 Series range with a new entrylevel model, the 316i, which was launched to the press in Cyprus last week on an exhilarating test drive in the Troodos foothills.

The sixth generation of one of the world’s best selling premium cars is powered by a 1.6-litre, four cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology, consisting of a twin-scroll turbocharger, High Precision Injection, VALVETRONIC and Double-VANOS. The forcedinduction system uses the twin-scroll principle, with separate ducts both in the exhaust manifold and the turbocharger itself, each serving one pair of two cylinders. Output is also boosted

by VALVETRONIC variable valve control, which is fully integrated into the cylinder head, and Double-VANOS variable camshaft control on the intake and exhaust sides.

Driving dynamics are significantly improved compared to its predecessor: maximum power output is 100 kW/136 hp at 4,350 rpm and maximum torque is 220 Nm at 1,350 rpm, which makes for an engaging drive.

Power transfer is effected by a six-speed manual transmission featured as standard, with an eight-speed automatic transmission being offered as an option – we tested the automatic, which will probably be the bigger seller in Cyprus, where many drivers seem to prefer the an automatic box, but you can override it with a flick of the lever to manual (although it has an irritating habit of switching back to auto if it doesn’t like the driver’s selection!)

Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 8.9 seconds (9.2 seconds on the automatic), and the top speed of both variants is 210 km/h. The car’s

sporty credentials don’t mean excessive fuel consumption, however: you can monitor just how frugal you are being as you drive, and set the journey recorder to tell you how much fuel you have used. With bestin-class fuel efficiency, the EU test returned an average fuel consumption of 5.8 to 5.9 litres/100 km and a CO2 emission level of 134 grams to 137 grams per km.

The use of lightweight materials plays a significant role in reducing weight and “delivering high passenger cell safety standards”, combined with a ‘significant’ increase in strength. Materials used include high and ultra-high tensile steels, a hot-stamped B-pillar, plastics and stateof-the-art composites. There is also increased usage of aluminium components in the engine and suspension systems to further reduce weight.

The success story of the most popular premium car in the world began 38 years ago, and BMW seem determined to stay ahead of the pack: the sixth generation of the 3 Series has grown in size compared to its predecessor: the wide track (front +37mm, rear + 48mm) is particularly prominent, and the car is also longer (by 93 mm) and has an augmented wheelbase (+50mm).

The interior – as with all BMWs – is pretty plush, and, though I would have liked the seat to be able to be raised a little more than it can be, it’s a very comfortable ride, with the suspension soaking up any bumps and (once you get used to the master control switch) everything close to hand.

The joy, though, is in the handling: it’s torquey, so the acceleration is almost instant when you want it, and it hugs the tarmac if you push it hard round corners – something we had the chance to do on the test drive along some twisty mountain roads. Unfortunate-

The Mail’s Rosie Ogden (third left) and other journalists take a break from testing the new BMW 316i ly I had to decamp before the ‘group’ run home, which was designed to prove the car’s frugality and fuel efficiency, but I made up for that by some spirited motoring which would not have won me the prize for best fuel economy, but was great fun!

BMW is the first car maker to offer an eight-speed automatic gearbox in the premium midsize segment. It links up with the Auto Start-Stop function that comes as standard (and helps those consumption figures). Compact and exceptionally efficient, it allows the new Series to match or outperform models fitted with the six-speed manual gearbox in terms of both fuel economy and emissions.

BMW points out that “the Auto Start-Stop function, Brake Energy Regeneration, and need-based operation of ancillary components also

play their part in reducing fuel consumption”. The new Driving Experience Control switch also offers Comfort, Sport and Sport + options, as well as ECO PRO mode, which gives all the models in the range the potential to further improve fuel economy.

Optional equipment includes the ConnectedDrive system with advanced Head-Up Display (which displays information in the windscreen so the driver doesn’t need to take his eyes off the road), cameras that give an overall picture of the car as if seen from above, Lane Change Warning System, forward collision avoidance technology (Collision Warning System).

For the first time, apart from the basic version, there’s a choice of three different lines: Sport, Luxury and Modern.

In Cyprus, it’ll set you back €27.100.

50 years of McLaren: life is measured in achievement, not in years alone WHEN a 27-year-old Bruce McLaren penned those words in 1964, his new company, Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd, was less than a year old.

In those days, Bruce’s vision was shared by fewer than half a dozen loyal souls, who slogged across the world to race his self-made cars. Nowadays, the McLaren Group employs more than 2000 people, all of whom still share Bruce’s ideals of combining sportsmanship with solid engineering practice and cuttingedge technical expertise.

On September 2, 2013, the McLaren Group will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Since McLaren’s arrival in the sport (at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix) they have won more races (182) than any other constructor, started from pole position 155 times and scored 151 fastest laps. In 2012, they achieved the fastest-ever time for a Formula 1 pitstop (2.31s at Hockenheim), recorded their 58th consecutive points-scoring finish, an all-time record, and have now led more than 10,000 racing laps.

The exploits of McLaren’s greatest world champions will always bring F1 to life: Emerson Fittipaldi ignited the passion of his native Brazil; James Hunt created as many headlines on the front pages as on the back; Niki Lauda

McLaren M7C (1969) sits alongside the 12C Spider and Alain Prost turned sport to science; the burning intensity of Ayrton Senna will live on for ever, while Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton will always be remembered for their raw speed and fearless aggression.

The company’s legacy in North American sportscar racing is writ equally large: in the heyday of the mighty CanAm series, they steamrollered the opposition, lifting five successive championship trophies (1967-1971) and winning an incredible 43 races in their iconic, thundering V8-engined sportscars.

McLaren went to the Indy 500 for the first

time in 1970, returning until they won the USA’s most famous motor race in 1974 with Johnny Rutherford, who repeated the feat in 1976. Today, every single car in Formula 1, the Indycar Series and NASCAR relies upon McLaren Electronics’ standardised ECUs to control their engines and feed data back to the garage.

Introduced back in 1993, the McLaren F1 road car has lost none of its unique appeal and is still considered by many to be automotive world’s definitive supercar. To this day, it remains the fastest naturally aspirated produc-

tion car in the world. In GTR racing guise, it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also scooping third, fourth and fifth places on its debut in 1995. The next roadcar project was with German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, and saw the successful build of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which became the best-selling carbon-based car ever.

Since its launch in 2010, McLaren Automotive has developed into a world-class road car manufacturer, successfully developing and building the 12C and the 12C Spider high performance sports cars.

Fittingly, this year, McLaren Automotive stands poised to open its 50th global dealership ahead of the worldwide launch of the P1™ – the company’s newest model and a machine that’s set to “rewrite the definition of the modern supercar”.

Ron Dennis CBE, executive chairman, McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive, said: “Bruce McLaren wrote the beginning of the story, and the legend is going to continue for many years to come. I’m only a chapter, not the book, and I want other people to come in and write their own chapters. This is a book that’s still being written, and that, perhaps, is the greatest legacy of McLaren.”

32 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport Hamilton wowed by Mercedes hunger

IN BRIEF Armstrong cooperation deadline set THE United States AntiDoping Agency (USADA) has set disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong a February 6 deadline to fully cooperate in the investigation into cycling’s darkest episode in return for a possible reduction of his life ban.

In excerpts of his interview with the CBS network scheduled for broadcast today, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said he had written a letter to Armstrong with the offer.

Armstrong, 41, admitted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey last week he had cheated his way to a record seven Tour de France titles with systematic use of banned, performanceenhancing drugs. Last year he was stripped of his titles after being labelled a “serial cheat” by the USADA. Tygart also disputed Armstrong’s claims of a clean comeback in 2009.

Dibaba set for London MULTI-world and Olympic 5,000- and 10,000-metres champion Tirunesh Dibaba, arguably the greatest women’s distance runner of all time, will make her marathon debut in London in April, race organisers have said.

Fellow Ethiopian and 2012 Olympic women’s marathon champion Tiki Gelana and runner up Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya will also return to the city alongside a men’s field that boasts no fewer than 11 athletes who have run under two hours, six minutes, but all eyes will be on Dibaba.

The 27-year-old boasts four world titles on the track at 5,000 and 10,000m, three Olympic golds and four world cross country titles.

Senators’ streak ended THE Ottawa Senators’ unbeaten start to the NHL season was ended Friday by a 6-4 defeat away to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning came from 3-1 and 4-2 down to win with three goals in the third period, two of them from Ryan Malone.

The result left the New Jersey Devils, the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks as the league’s only unbeaten teams, with the Devils the only one of the trio also in action on Friday night.

For all his enthusiasm, however, Hamilton may have to play the waiting game, given he has previously said he is unlikely to be challenging for victories this season

LEWIS Hamilton feels he has never seen a team as hungry for success as Mercedes.

Hamilton this week addressed the staff at the Brackley-based marque for the first time as he embarked on a new chapter in his Formula One career.

Despite questions hanging over Mercedes over the leadership of the team and Ross Brawn’s position as team principal, Hamilton’s arrival on a three-year deal worth £45million will prove an invigorating tonic.

With just one grand prix win in the last three years since Mercedes returned to the sport after taking over Brawn GP, Hamilton could at least sense the desire to address and reverse their fortunes.

“Everything feels really positive for me,” said Hamilton, bristling with enthusiasm and confidence at the task ahead.

“The guys are working really hard. It’s important they are always analysing and seeing what can be improved, what adjustments need to be made because they want to win.

“That’s a big positive for me, to see they are not scared of making changes, not scared of doing whatever they have to do to win.

“I believe in all the people in this team. There is a great spirit here, as with my previous team, and the guys seem hungrier than any

group of people I’ve seen before.

“They seem seriously hungry to win and excited they have another shot at it this year.”

That would appear detrimental to the desire Hamilton often spoke of within McLaren during his six years in F1 with the team.

Clarifying, he added: “Every year there was always a great atmosphere at McLaren.

“But it’s obviously a different environment to come to, a different kind of factory, a different feeling I have here because it’s new and fresh.

The guys seem to be just as on it, if not more.”

As for his personal message to the workforce, Hamilton said: “Just that I will be flat out all the way and working as hard as I can to drive them to success. It’s not a one-man band, it’s a team effort, and whilst they are putting in 100 per cent, I’ll be doing exactly the same.”

Hamilton, however, may have to play the waiting game given he has previously said he is unlikely to be challenging for victories this season.

“It’s important to be patient, and it’s important to be realistic,” said the 28-year-old.

“And I’m pretty sure I do have patience. You have to remember I had a couple of halfdodgy cars (at McLaren), one particular year in 2009. But it did improve, so perseverance is going to be key for all of us.”

Watson says that bowling still the priority for him His comeback a threat to incumbent Cowan RECOVERING Australia allrounder Shane Watson has marked his return to cricket by declaring his intention to be bowling again by the Ashes series in England.

After testing his injured left calf with a 50-ball innings of 30 for grade side Sutherland against Campbelltown in the Sydney grade competition yesterday, Watson revealed his desire to make it back to the Test side as a batsman for next month’s four-Test tour of India.

He then hopes to be bowling again by the time the first Test against England starts at Trent Bridge on July 10.

“In a perfect world I do play in India as a batsman with an eye to slowly build up my bowling to hopefully bowl some overs during the Ashes,” Watson said.

“That’s a perfect world (scenario) and the world’s not always perfect but we’ll see how we go.

“I’m definitely going to

bowl again - there’s no doubt about that - but for the next few months I’m just going to concentrate on staying fit and get some continuity with my batting.

“In the short term I’m going to try give myself the best chance of staying as fit as I can and not bowl for a period of time.”

RUSTY Watson seemed rusty in his first outing since going down injured in the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka, with Australian assistant coach Steve Rixon looking on.

Watson said: “It was disappointing I wasn’t able to get some more runs but to get out there and find a few in the middle was a lot of fun.

“It certainly makes a difference coming back just playing as a batsman.

“Normally I have to speed up my recovery to get back into bowling.

“This time I’m not putting

my body under as much pressure by coming out to bowl at this stage.

“It’s going very well.

“My calf is really good. I’m very confident that with continual management that it should be right.”

Watson’s successful comeback spells danger for incumbent Australia opener Ed Cowan.

The left-hander is the one likely to make way should Watson return in his preferred position at the top of the order.

“It’s what I do love, opening the batting,” Watson said.

“The opportunity to take the first ball and take on the quicks with the new ball is something I absolutely love.

“There is no doubt that if I’m not bowling - and I’m certainly going to be cutting back on the amount I’m bowling - I’d love to open.

“Hopefully I can get back in the team as soon as I can.”

Watson revealed his desire to make it back to the Test side as a batsman for next month’s four-Test India tour

Conquering Memphis Grizzlies put an end to Brooklyn Nets’ bright start to 2013 THE Memphis Grizzlies handed Brooklyn one of their heaviest defeats of the season on Friday, romping to a 101-77 victory over the Nets.

Spanish centre Marc Gasol led the

way with 20 points, all in the first half, and six of his team mates finished in double figures.

The game was as good as over by halftime with the Grizzlies leading 67-44. At one stage in the third

quarter, they led by 30 before cooling down.

The victory improved the Grizzlies to 28-14 and consolidated their position in the top four of the Western Conference.

Brooklyn remained in the top four in the East despite the big loss. The Nets (26-14) have won 10 of their 12 games since the New Year and are one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

33 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

Australian Open Kyrgios, Konjuh win junior Melbourne titles

Great start: Kyrgios and Konjuh were crowned junior champions at the Australian Open yesterday

AUSTRALIAN Nick Kyrgios and Ana Konjuh of Croatia followed in some famous footsteps yesterday when they were crowned junior champions at the Australian Open.

Kyrgios fended off another home player, Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-6 6-3, while 15year-old Konjuh was too good for Czech second seed Katerina Siniakova, taking the girls’ title with a 6-3 6-4 victory.

With two Australians in the final for the first time since 1994, the home crowd was guaranteed a double celebration for Australia Day. Kokkinakis had two set points in the first set, but 17-year-old Kyrgios eventually wore him down to claim his first grand slam title, all without losing a set, to become the second straight Australian winner after Luke Saville’s triumph last year.

“I’m pretty stoked with the last two

weeks I’ve had, winning the lead-up tournament and now the Australian Open,” Kyrgios told reporters. “It’s a great start on the year.

“I wasn’t actually that nervous knowing he had set points. I thought I played the big points well.”

The 16-year-old Kokkinakis suffered a blow on the eve of the match when an MRI scan showed he has a stress fracture in his back.

“I was pretty shattered, to be honest,” he said. “I woke up this morning and I was still a little bit annoyed but I thought I’d give it a crack.”

Kokkinakis had a similar injury in 2011 and had to stop playing for around six months, but said he had still had the best month of his career.

The girls’ final was a repeat of the title showdown at the Orange Bowl event from last December and again it was

Konjuh who came out on top.

Watched by her Fed Cup captain Iva Majoli, the 15-year-old came from 4-1 down in the second set to add the singles crown to the doubles title she won yesterday.

“It feels really great,” she said. “I won doubles and singles, in my first time here. Just the feeling is incredible.”

The victory means Konjuh will become the junior world number one tomorrow, but Konjuh said she was already thinking of bigger things.

“I’m going to play (only) the junior grand slams,” she said. I am going to play $10,000’s, $25,000s and $50,000s because I just want to go now for my WTA ranking.”

Konjuh said she was looking forward to playing for Croatia in the Fed Cup alongside 16-year-old Donna Vekic, who played in the main draw in Melbourne.

Djoker ready for equally fit Murray said he expected the final would not be as easy.

“I thought he absolutely deserved it because he’s been around as a top player for many years. He played in many finals of grand slams. He finally won his title.

“So I think that also gave him a lot of confidence for what was coming up after that. Obviously he’s showing again now why he’s one of the best players in the world.

“The fact that every time we played in last probably six, seven encounters, it was always a long matches, physically very demanding, going three sets and five sets in grand slams.

“So I guess we have to expect something similar to happen, long rallies, and I’m ready for that.”

Serb turns on the Australia charm ahead of final battle

By Greg Stutchbury NOVAK Djokovic’s love affair with Melbourne continued yesterday as he completed his preparations for his Australian Open final against Britain’s Andy Murray.

The Serbian world number one broke through for his first grand slam title in 2008 and has won three of his five major titles on the blue Plexicushion surface at Melbourne Park.

And a day before his potential entry into the record books as the first man to win three successive Australian Open titles in the professional era, he began the PR battle to win the hearts and minds of the Australian fans as well.

“Well, happy Australia Day, first of all, to everybody who is Australian in the house,” said Djokovic, who was wearing a small koala lapel badge before he went on to answer why he though he played so well at the year’s first grand slam.

“It’s my most successful grand slam (and) conditions in general I like, especially in Rod Laver Arena.

“I just think that also a big reason is it’s the first big tournament of the year.

“Now we had a little bit longer off season which gave us more time to recharge our batteries, to work on some things, to get ready, you come out here and you want to win the first big trophy of the year.

“I guess that’s a fresh start that

Fit for for the fight: Djokovic (above) is expected to be fresher than his increasingly familiar foe today, day, rray having had an extra day’s rest after he beat David Ferrer in straight sets on Thursday, while Murray (right) was forced into a five-set conquest of Roger Federer late into Friday everybody wants.”

Djokovic is expected to be fresher than his increasingly familiar foe today, having had an extra days’ rest after he beat David Ferrer in straight sets on Thursday, while Murray was forced into five sets against Roger Federer late into Friday.

The Serb, however, doubted that would have any effect on their match,

given Murray had spent less than nine hours on court in five matches prior to his battle against Federer.

“Andy, yes, he has played a five set match against Roger last night.

But aside that, he hasn’t been really tested the whole tournament,” Djokovic said.

“And also he’s considered as one of the physically strongest and fittest

guys around. So I’m sure re he’s going to be fit for the he finals.”

Murray beat Djokovic in n al last year’s US Open final d to claim his maiden grand rslam title and the 25-yeared old Serb, who demolished isfourth seed Ferrer in a disnis, play of near perfect tennis,

A LOOK BACK AT ANDY MURRAY’S RECORD AS HE PREPARES TO CONTEST HIS SIXTH GRAND SLAM FINAL US Open, 2008: Roger Federer bt Andy Murray 6-2 7-5 6-2 This was Murray’s grand slam breakthrough as he survived a two-day, rain-affected thriller to defeat Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. The odds were firmly against him as he returned the next day to face Federer, the four-time defending champion, and Federer’s dominance at Flushing Meadows never looked in any real danger as experience won the day.

Australian Open, 2010: Federer bt Murray 6-3 6-4 7-6 It took Murray another 18 months to reach a second slam final, and again it was Federer across the other side of the net. This match was certainly closer but once more Federer proved too strong, although Murray should have extended the match at least to four sets. The loss hit the British player a lot harder than his first final loss, and he broke down in his oncourt interview, saying: “I can cry like Roger, it’s just a shame I can’t play like him.”

Australian Open, 2011: Djokovic bt Murray 6-4 6-2 6-3 Twelve months later Murray was back in the final in Melbourne, and for the first time it was not Federer he was facing. However, Djokovic was at the start of a season in which he would win three grand slam titles and establish himself as the world’s best player.

The Serbian was far too strong but Murray put in a poor performance and was badly affected by the loss, failing to win a match for the next two and a half months.

Wimbledon, 2012: Federer bt Murray 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 Murray ended a 74-year wait for British tennis by reaching the men’s singles final and for the first time in a grand slam final he produced his best tennis. He won his first set and threatened to take a two-set lead but Federer turned things round and, helped by the shutting of the roof, won a seventh Wimbledon title. A choked up Murray was thereafter loudly cheered as he said: “I’m getting closer.” Four weeks later he thrashed Federer to win Olympic gold on Centre Court.

US Open, 2012: Murray bt Djokovic 7-6 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 Four years after he first reached a grand slam final and at his fifth attempt, Murray finally became a champion. It was fitting it should happen in such dramatic circumstances after his tortuous journey.

The Scot edged both the first two sets but Djokovic hit back to level and it seemed Murray might miss out again. But he seized his chance in the decider with Djokovic ailing and became Britain’s first male grand slam singles champion since Fred Perry in 1936.

34 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport Reds forward Borini learning from the best

By Carl Markham LIVERPOOL forward Fabio Borini believes he has become a better player from watching some of the game’s greats at close quarters.

During two years at Chelsea he trained alongside the likes of Didier Drogba and John Terry, then learned from Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi at Roma before moving to Liverpool where he has Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard.

Borini is still only 21 but having played for three of Europe’s top clubs he has already amassed plenty of experience from being alongside world-class players.

It meant when he arrived on Merseyside in a £10million move from the Serie A club in the summer he was not over-awed by the Reds’ two star players.

“The first couple of sessions you watch the likes of Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard because you want to learn,” he told Press Association Sport.

“But I’ve also trained with JT (John Terry), Didier Drogba, Totti, De

Dawson dreaming of Cup success MICHAEL Dawson hopes this will be the year that he finally ends his long wait to lead Tottenham to glory at Wembley.

Andre Villas-Boas relegated club captain Dawson to fifthchoice centre-back at the start of the season, but the Tottenham manager has regained his trust in the England international recently, and Dawson looks every inch the regular fixture in the side that he had become over the seven years he has been at the club.

During his time at Spurs, Dawson has been to Wembley three times but has never been on the winning side.

He tasted defeat at the semifinal stage of the FA Cup in 2010 and 2012 against Portsmouth and Chelsea respectively, while he was also in the team that lost on penalties to Manchester United in the League Cup final four years ago. The only time Spurs shone at Wembley of late was five years ago when they beat Chelsea in the League Cup final, but Dawson missed the game through injury.

But having been impressed by a pep talk by Villas-Boas at the start of the season, Dawson is convinced this could be the year he gets to lift a trophy with the north London club.

“Wembley is a special place.

To go up those steps and lift that cup would be special,” the Tottenham skipper told Spurs TV Online. “And every player will say the same as me - the FA Cup is massive for us.”

Spurs have one of the trickiest ties of the fourth round in a trip to Elland Road to face Leeds. Although today’s opponents have suffered a dramatic fall from grace since their recent glory days, Dawson has warned his team-mates they could be knocked out of the competition if they do not perform to their best today.

Rossi,” he pointed out.

“I am a person who looks at everything around me. I learn a bit from everyone.

“I learn a bit of movement from Drogba, a bit of calm on the ball from Totti - just a little bit from everyone is more than enough.”

What he will learn from Suarez this season can only be imagined as the Uruguay international is on his very best form.

‘AMAZING’ SUAREZ “Luis is very good and his performances this season are amazing, he has scored 20 goals and it is only January,” Borini added.

“He can score a lot more and help us go through difficult moments because he can win a game on his own and that makes a difference - that’s what top players do.”

Borini is in line for his first start since breaking his foot in early October in today’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Oldham.

He found those three months on the sidelines difficult as he was missing valuable playing time but such was the complexity of the problem he was

unable to return until a fortnight ago.

“It was not helpful but you don’t have to rush because the more you rush the more you waste your time thinking you have to do well,” said the Italian.

“You probably need to show people you are working well and that work always pays off.

“If I work well between now and the end of the season I think I can get good results for myself and the team.”

Borini admits to knowing nothing about the League One side, but despite just 22 minutes of previous FA Cup action in two substitute appearances for Chelsea in 2010 he has great respect for the competition.

“I am aware of the history because I am aware the FA Cup is not a trophy to give up easily because if you win it you get a place in the Europa League,” he said.

“It is very important and every team tries to be at their best and they don’t usually play the younger players, which is a demonstration of how they treat the FA Cup. “In Italy we don’t have anything like it. The Coppa Italia is not even close to this kind of competition.”

Borini (left) is in line for his first start since breaking his foot in early October in today’s FA Cup clash at Oldham

‘Qualification for Champions League trumps trophy wins’ But Blues boss says FA Cup the next target

Two trophies could vanish in the space of five days if Chelsea follow up Wednesday’s League Cup exit with an FA Cup fourth-round shock defeat at Brentford today

By Ben Rumsby RAFAEL Benitez insisted finishing in the Barclays Premier League top four was more important for Chelsea - and his own future - than trophies this season, as he attempts to avoid crashing out of yet another competition today.

Benitez arrived at Stamford Bridge in November determined to land some silverware during his spell as interim manager.

But he has instead watched one piece after another slip from his grasp in the midst of a campaign in which Chelsea have competed on an unprecedented number of fronts.

Two trophies could vanish in the space of five days if they follow up Wednesday’s Capital One Cup exit with an FA Cup fourth-round shock defeat at Brentford today.

But despite no Chelsea manager having survived the axe at the end of a barren season since Roman Abramovich bought the club, Benitez left little doubt what the Russian expected of him.

He said: “My idea is very clear. We have to be in the top four in terms of doing well and try to progress in the other competitions.

“But not just to get the job.

It’s just what we have to do.”

He added: “We want to win every game, we want to win every trophy available.

“The FA Cup is our next target, we will try to do it.

“The priority is very clear.

Finish in the top four and try to progress and try to go, as much as we can, to the final or to the semi-final.

“The most important thing, to be in the Champions

League next year.”

An FA Cup exit against npower League One opponents would certainly not be considered progress in a competition Chelsea have won an amazing four times in six years, including last season.

Benitez said: “As a top side, you have to win. And you play against a team in another di-

vision, so you have to win.”

Benitez knows all about cup shocks from his time at Liverpool, who suffered ignominious exits at the hands of Burnley, Barnsley and Reading during his six years in charge.

Almost invariably, they would occur when the Spaniard rested several key players, something he was also

considering doing today after admitting on Friday some of Chelsea’s slimline squad were running on empty.

Defending the rotation policy which will likely see recalls for Paulo Ferreira and Ryan Bertrand in addition to John Terry, Benitez said: “You can make one mistake in one game.

“It does not mean that the approach is not good enough.”

The last time Benitez made sweeping changes, Chelsea crashed to defeat in a west London derby, with QPR winning 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Benitez believes the Brentford game would be “totally different” on a pitch that was “not the best”.

He added: “But it’s a game that you will play against a team that is close and it will be a massive, massive motivation for them too.”

Like Chelsea, Brentford lie third in their own division.

Benitez said: “I have seen some games and I was talking with the scout.

“They can play in different ways. They can switch.

“They can play long, they can try to win second balls.

“So, quite an interesting team and they are doing well.”

Benitez also insisted Chelsea were heading in the right direction under his leadership, despite their succession of high-profile flops.

“I have analysed things we have done well and wrong and still I think we are on the right path,” he said.

“The question is obviously, as I say, one game can make a big difference.

“But in terms of preparation and improvement of the team, I think we are going in the right direction.”

35 SUNDAY MAIL • January 27, 2013

Sport

Gunners through to FA Cup fifth round with Brighton win Giroud, Walcott goals sink Seagulls Brighton 2 Arsenal 3

By Jim van Wijk THEO Walcott came off the bench to net a late winner and fire Arsenal into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a thrilling victory at Brighton.

Manager Arsene Wenger had made several changes from the side which thumped West Ham 5-1 in the Barclays Premier League on Wednesday night, but eventually the Gunners had enough to see off the npower Championship side, who had twice levelled.

In-form Olivier Giroud fired the visitors ahead on 16 minutes before Ashley Barnes equalised with a powerful header.

Giroud netted again on 56 minutes with another welltaken strike, but the Seagulls were level again through a diving header from Argentinian forward Leonardo Ulloa on his debut after joining from Almeria.

Arsenal finally made sure of a place in the last 16, though, when Walcott’s shot was deflected in following a corner with five minutes left.

Brighton, hoping to add to their third-round scalp of Newcastle here, started brightly with Will Buckley making some headway down the right channel.

On 15 minutes a floated ball in from the left over a static Arsenal defence saw Barnes

Flying high: Walcott’s winner added to an earlier brace by Giroud (No. 12) when his shot was deflected into the net, following a corner, in the last five minutes of play clear on goal with no offside flag.

However, Wojciech Szczesny was quickly off his line to narrow the angle and made a superb reaction save to push the ball past the post.

It proved decisive as Arsenal went up the other end and opened the scoring.

As he had been against West Ham, Lukas Podolski was again the provider, creating space on the edge of the penalty area before feeding Giroud, who curled the ball into

the bottom left corner for a third goal of the week.

The early goal settled any nerves as Arsenal now allowed themselves more time on the ball.

Brighton, though, refused to lie down and again created problems through the right channel, with a close-range flick from Ulloa booted away in a crowded six-yard box.

The Seagulls thought they had levelled when Inigo Calderon robbed Andre Santos 20 yards out and surged to

the goalline before cutting a pass back through the penalty area.

Szczesny palmed the ball away, which was slotted in by Ulloa, but the offside flag was up straight away.

Brighton, though, were level on 33 minutes. A short corner was whipped in from the right, and Barnes charged through a sea of red shirts to get to the ball before Szczesny and power a header into the back of the net. The home side were forced into a change when

captain Gordon Greer hobbled off with what looked like a thigh injury to be replaced

by Gary Dicker.

At the start of the second half, Arsenal full-back Carl Jenkinson got in on the overlap down the right after a surging run by Tomas Rosicky, but his snapshot was beaten away by Brighton goalkeeper Casper Ankergren.

On 52 minutes, OxladeChamberlain was fouled 20 yards out by Adam El-Abd. Podolski lined up the freekick, which he looped over the wall and crashed against the crossbar.

Arsenal were back in front on 56 minutes with another brilliant finish from Giroud.

Abon Diaby floated an angled pass into the left side of the penalty area, where Frenchman Giroud held off El-Abd, took the sting out of the ball with a lovely first touch and then lashed it into the net from six yards.

Giroud came close to chalking up a hat-trick soon after as Rosicky’s pass split the Brighton defence, but this time the keeper made a good save to beat away his angled drive from the edge of the penalty area.

Brighton, though, refused to lie down and were back on level terms after 62 minutes.

Arsenal again failed to deal with a cross from the right as Barnes’ ball in was dispatched past Szczesny with a diving header by Ulloa.

With 20 minutes left, Wenger sent on Walcott and Jack Wilshere, replacing Rosicky and Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Podolski got away down the left and cut the ball back for Giroud, but this time the France striker could only hack a half-volley wide.

An acrobatic effort from the Arsenal number 12 was then put behind, and from the resulting corner Walcott won it when his shot was deflected off El-Abd and into the net to send the Gunners through to today’s fifth-round draw.

Hatters are first non-League side to beat top-flight rivals in FA Cup for 24 years Norwich 0 Luton 1 SUBSTITUTE Scott Rendell’s strike 10 minutes from time earned Luton victory over Norwich as a non-League side beat top-flight opposition in the FA Cup for the first time in 24 years.

The lethargic Canaries were made to pay after spurning chances from Leon Barnett, who crashed a header off the post, and half-time substitute Grant Holt, who had a point-blank header saved by Mark Tyler.

The decisive moment came in the 80th minute when JJ O’Donnell crossed from the left to find Rendell, who slid in to find the net and earn Blue Square Premier Luton a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup - emulating Sutton, who beat Coventry in 1989.

Norwich were booed off and will be keen to forget their display, with immediate attentions turning to Wednesday’s Barclays Pre-

mier League meeting with Tottenham.

For Luton, who last beat top-flight opposition in 1994, the match will live long in the memory.

The 1959 finalists and 1994 semi-finalists were seeking to revive former glories in their first meeting with Norwich in six years - a match which came as the Hatters were tumbling down the divisions and the Canaries were preparing for a revival.

Six changes were made by Norwich, with Declan Rudd, Andrew Surman, David Fox, Elliott Bennett, Simeon Jackson and Harry Kane given a chance to impress.

Luton, 85 places lower in the football pyramid than their hosts, named 10 of the players which beat Wolves in the third round.

Rather than take the initiative, Norwich were drawn into a scrappy battle as Paul Buckle’s Luton set about their task well.

In the end Luton held firm after Rendell’s goal to cover themselves in glory and dramatically reach the fifth round of the knockout competition.

Substitute Scott Rendell’s strike 10 minutes from time earned Luton a deserved win over the lethargic Canaries

QPR crash out of Cup after shock loss to Dons QPR 2 MK Dons 4 QPR’s atrocious season took an embarrassing turn for the worse yesterday as MK Dons knocked the Premier League strugglers out of the FA Cup with alarming ease at Loftus Road.

Manager Harry Redknapp admitted in his programme notes that progressing from the fourth round was not high on his list of priorities, but he will have been shocked by his side’s inept display yesterday afternoon.

With Tuesday’s clash against Manchester City in mind, the Premier League’s bottom club made nine changes and went behind after four minutes through Armand Traore’s own goal.

QPR dominated the first half, but paid for wasteful finishing when Ryan Lowe raced clear to extend the npower League One side’s lead five minutes before the break.

Karl Robinson’s side did not stop there, though, making a mockery of their position 31 places lower than QPR in the standings to progress to the last 16 in style.

Substitute Ryan Harley netted from close range five minutes after the restart and Darren Potter extended the Dons’ lead even further to the disbelief of the 3,155 visiting fans, who even cheered when Jay Bothroyd pulled one back and saw Fabio net in stoppage time.

FA Cup Fourth Round Stoke Man City

0 1

Bolton Everton

1 2

Brighton Arsenal

2 3

Derby Blackburn

0 3

Huddersfield Leicester

1 1

Hull Barnsley

0 1

Macclesfield Wigan

0 1

Middlesbrough Aldershot

2 1

Norwich Luton

0 1

QPR MK Dons

2 4

Reading Sheff Utd

4 0

Man Utd Fulham

L L

Playing Today Brentford v Chelsea, 2pm Leeds Utd v Tottenham, 4pm Oldham v Liverpool, 6pm

36 January 27, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport Zabaleta strikes late as Manchester City edge past Potters Stoke 0 Man City 1 PABLO Zabaleta struck a late winner as Manchester City battled through to a place in the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of Stoke.

The Argentinian stabbed home from close range with five minutes of a tight contest remaining, securing a first win at the Britannia Stadium in seven visits.

Yet victory may still have come at a cost for Roberto Mancini’s men after captain Vincent Kompany limped off in the first half.

City are already short on defenders with Kolo Toure at the African Nations Cup, and Kompany’s absence saw the controversial three-man back line deployed again.

City had the better chances in the game with David Silva hitting a post and Stoke may have been lucky not to have Glenn Whelan sent off for a bad tackle on Javi Garcia.

The visitors made a bright start as Carlos Tevez found space and fired in a shot from a tight angle, but Thomas Sorensen saved at his near post.

City also made a goalkeeping change as Joe Hart was rested and Costel Pantilimon given a chance.

Stoke had their first opportunities when Whelan had a volley blocked and Robert Huth headed over from the resulting corner.

Then Tevez broke from deep and beat two challenges to set up Edin Dzeko, whose effort was brilliantly blocked

by Ryan Shawcross.

James Milner took a quick free-kick after Andy Wilkinson was penalised for handball and Silva curled a fine shot against the far post from the corner of the area.

Tevez sliced wide after another good City move but Mancini’s side did survive a scare when Shawcross struck from a free-kick only to be given offside.

Matthew Etherington’s cross had found its way to the defender in front of goal

Zabaleta (left) snatched the winner five minutes from time

but the flag had clearly been raised before he turned the ball past Pantilimon.

City suffered a serious blow just after the half-hour when Kompany signalled he could not continue with what appeared to be a leg injury.

Then Garcia temporarily dropped back into defence and it was around seven minutes before Mancini sent on Gael Clichy and reorganised his back line, which meant a return to the much-debated three-man defence.

The changes slowed City down and Stoke began to impose their physicality.

That appeared to go over the top early in the second half when Whelan jumped in twofooted on Garcia, who was left needing treatment, but referee Howard Webb felt no card necessary.

City went close when Gareth Barry headed over from a corner but the game became rather scrappy with chances few and far between.

Mancini sent on Sergio Aguero in the hope of giving his side more of a cutting edge and Barry did get behind the Stoke defence only to run into Sorensen.

Dzeko struck a good effort from the left but had it deflected wide before Aguero fired a powerful shot into the side-netting.

Stoke also freshened up as Cameron Jerome and Peter Crouch entered the fray in search of a late winner.

Crouch immediately made his presence felt as he stood above Joleon Lescott to reach a Ryan Shotton cross but headed narrowly over.

And Stoke were made to pay as Zabaleta found himself in the right place to snatch the winner five minutes from time.

Aguero and Silva combined outside the area and the ball was played in for Dzeko, whose touch may have been unintentional but proved a perfect pass for Zabaleta, who smashed home unchallenged six yards out.

Stoke pressed until the end, but Jerome skied a good opportunity just as the game went into five minutes of injury time.

Djoker ready for equally fit Murray 33

Walcott’s late winner fires Gunners into FA Cup fifth round 35

BELARUSIAN PRESERVES HER NUMBER ONE RANKING WITH WIN OVER LI Azarenka was able to hold things together long enough to earn her second grand-slam title

Azarenka retains Melbourne crown

By Greg Stutchbury

V

ictoria Azarenka retained her Australian Open title yesterday with a tense 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory over China’s Li Na, who suffered a sickening ankle injury in the second set and hit her head in the third when she twisted the joint for a second time.

Li (inset) dominated the first set, but Azarenka raced out to a 3-1 lead in the second before Li slipped and twisted her left ankle. She had it strapped but had problems pivoting and Azarenka won the set 6-4.

The Chinese sixth seed, who won the French Open title in 2011, took a 2-1 lead in the decider before an Australia Day fireworks display delayed play for some 10 minutes. She immediately went over on her ankle again when they returned and hit her head.

A smiling Li returned to court but Azarenka managed to break in the fifth game, then hold serve to jump to a 4-2 lead and she sealed the title, which ensured she retained the world number one ranking, when she broke Li in the ninth game.

Azarenka dropped her racket to the ground and, after shaking hands with Li and the umpire Alison Lang, went

tearfully to her players’ box where she was embraced by her support staff and friends who included American musician Redfoo.

“I think there was ... everything. Emotion, relief, joy. You never know how you’re going to react,” she told the host broadcaster Channel Seven.

“It comes from the bottom of the heart.

“It has been a really tough couple of weeks. It has been emotional,” she added of the criticism she was subjected to after she took an injury time out in her semi-final against Sloane Stephens.

Perhaps weighed down by expectation from the most populous nation in the world, Li had a shaky start, serving a double fault on the first point and having her serve broken.

The world number six, however, bounced back to the delight of the overwhelmingly pro-Li crowd in Rod Laver Arena and used her powerful forehand to break Azarenka twice to hold a 3-1 lead.

Azarenka battled back to break to reduce the deficit to 3-2, but was broken again

by Li. Azarenka was able to hold for the first time in the eighth game and break in the ninth, but Li broke again on her fourth set point when the Belarusian double faulted to take the first set 6-4.

Azarenka finally found her range with her ground strokes in the second set and moved a lot better to race out to a 3-0 lead.

Li broke back, but then badly hurt her ankle after she was

forced to change direction to try to reach an Azarenka backhand volley.

The Chinese took a medical timeout to have the ankle heavily strapped but held serve on her return and got three break points in the next game as both players were seemingly unable to hold serve.

Li was broken again in the ninth game to give Azarenka a 5-4 lead and she served out to love in the next game to send it into a decider when a Li forehand sailed wide.

Both had problems settling again after the interruptions to the third set but Azarenka achieved the crucial break and was able to hold things together long enough to earn her second grand-slam title when a Li forehand sailed long over the baseline.

“I have to congratulate Victoria, a fantastic result in two years,” Li said before she thanked her coaching team.

“So, I know I’m not young, I still have to say I’m looking forward to next year,” she added.