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April 14, 2013

COFFEESHOP: UNIONS PROVIDE A GIGGLE AMID THE TRAGEDY - PAGE 17 INSIDE Cyprus Return to the Cyprus pound no easy option 7

World Frustration as re-trial of Mubarak aborted 9

Education How much will you have to pay to study in the UK? centre

Lifestyle Dark side inspires Nordic film renaissance 20

Sport Last-gasp double rescues Gunners back

Helios orphans haircut victims Orphans stand to lose payouts made after parents’ deaths

By Alexia Saoulli

O

N AUGUST 14, 2005, 33 children were orphaned overnight, their lives irrevocably changed.

These children are the living victims of the fateful Helios Airways crash that killed all 121 passengers onboard the Boeing 737 aircraft, including their parents and, in many cases, their siblings.

On March 16, 2013, the majority of these same children became victims once again. This time, instead of being robbed of their parents, they stand to lose the compensation awarded to them following their parents’ death as part of the brutal haircut on bank deposits.

George Nicolaou and his wife are both 60 years old. For the past seven and a half years they have been the sole carers of their nineyear-old grandson, George, who lost both his parents and sister, in the crash.

Nicolaou has been unemployed for two years.

His wife stopped working when their grandson was born, to help look after him, because the couple’s son and daughter-in-law worked full time. Although the couple don’t have much money, they have managed to get by. They have also felt secure in the knowledge that they had around €1 million in a fixed deposit account with the Bank of Cyprus.

“This was the compensation he got for losing his mother and father and sister,” said Nicolaou.

The figure is in fact the total sum of money that Nicolaou, his wife, their grandson and other family members all received as compensation for their loss. Instead of keeping their

Vassilis Koutsoftas lost his sister, Chryso, and both parents in the Helios plane crash in 2005 portion of compensation money themselves, however, the grandparents and other family members preferred to give it all to the orphaned boy.

Today, given the terms of the bailout, his grandson could lose 60 per cent or more of that money and there was nothing Nicolaou could do to stop it.

The bitter irony is that he had tried desperately to keep his grandson’s money out of the clutches of the EU and IMF lenders but was prevented from doing so by red tape.

“In the first few weeks of March I wanted to move his money. I felt things weren’t right with the Bank of Cyprus (BoC). I contacted a lawyer and he told me that because the money was in

my grandson’s name I had to file an application with the court to take over the management of the child’s money. He said this process would take at least three months.”

Nicolaou said he feared his grandson could also lose the remainder of his money given the present state of affairs at the BoC. “I want to move it to another bank or to split the money up into four accounts. I don’t know what to do. I just know that I need to protect what is left so that when he’s 18 he’ll have at least something to help him have a start in life,” he said.

“We have nothing to give him. If something

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Newtown mum makes heart-wrenching plea on US gun laws FRANCINE Wheeler blinked past her tears, looked straight into the camera and asked Americans to push for tougher gun laws, drawing on courage she said comes from the memory of her six-year-old son, Ben, murdered in his first-grade classroom in Newtown, Connecticut.

“His boundless energy kept him

running across the soccer field long after the game was over,” said Wheeler, describing her son during what is usually President Barack Obama’s weekly Saturday address to the nation yesterday.

“He couldn’t wait to get to school every morning,” she said, her voice breaking, her husband David beside her, sighing and swallowing

hard.

The address was the culmination of a week of emotional pleas in Washington from families of the 26 people killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14.

“To us, it feels as if it happened just yesterday,” Wheeler said, recounting the horror of waiting

at the firehouse after the shooting “for the boy who would never come home.”

The massacre has spurred Obama to propose new restrictions on guns - politically difficult measures in a country where constitutional rights to own guns are defended by powerful lobby groups like the National Rifle Association.

2 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Home Weather

Nicosia

29

Troodos d 20

27 2 LLarnaca

Limassol Paphos oss

Government supports CB independence

27

25

CB chief urged to ‘correct’ critical media comments

By Stefanos Evripidou

TODAY: Generally fine with some patchy cloud. Temperatures will reach 29C inland, 27C to the south, 25C to the west and 20C over higher ground.

OUTLOOK: Showers and a drop in temperatures ahead for Monday and Tuesday. Conditions improve on Wednesday.

YESTERDAY

Nicosia Larnaca Limassol Paphos Paralimni Prodromos

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Humidity 25% 43% 45% 73% 35% 47%

SUNSET: 19.18 pm

SUNRISE: 06.16 am

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THE GOVERNMENT expects Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades to “correct� reports in the international press which quoted him as saying his independence was under attack, said government spokesman Christos Stylianides yesterday.

In an interview with Bloomberg from Dublin, Demetriades accused the government of attacking his institution’s independence.

At the same time, his ability to manage the situation was being made more difďŹ cult by “death threats not only to myself, but toward my children and my wife,â€? he said.

The under ďŹ re governor further claimed the government appeared to have committed to a sale of state gold without consulting the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC).

Demetriades added there has been “constant interference in relation to the management of the banks under resolution�.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Stylianides said he expected the governor’s comments about coming under attack by the government to have been misinterpreted by the authors of the news article. “We expect and hope for a corrective statement,� he said.

At the time of going to print, no such statement was issued by the CB governor.

The spokesman maintained that despite differences over

Panicos Demetriades says he has received death threats issues like capital controls and delays in appointing a chairman and board for the Bank of Cyprus, the government “continues to show full respect to the independence of the institutions�.

Regarding a provision for the sale of state gold to raise â‚Ź400 million as part of the government’s need to raise up to â‚Ź13.5 billion to meet ďŹ nancing needs and banks’ recapitalisation needs, Stylianides insisted this came under the sole responsibility of the CBC.

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However, the ďŹ nance ministry did discuss the issue with the European Commission as one of the options for raising much-needed funds to repay debts.

He added that the ďŹ nal decision ultimately rests with the supervisory authority.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi appeared to give a nod towards the possible sale of gold on Friday, despite Demetriades’ protestations.

He noted that as long as the proceeds from the gold sale went towards repaying the â‚Ź9 billion-plus in emergency liquidity assistance provided by the ECB to Laiki, then the independence of the CBC would be considered respected.

CYPRUS TODAY Arrest after burglary chase A 27-YEAR-OLD MAN was remanded in custody for six days by the Nicosia district court yesterday for carrying a knife and threatening to use it against a police ofďŹ cer.

According to police, at around midday on Friday, a 49-year-old woman returned to her at in Nicosia only to ďŹ nd the door broken and three people walking out of her at.

She called for help, triggering an escape from the three burglars who got into a rented car where a fourth person was waiting for them.

An off-duty police ofďŹ cer responded to the 49-yearold’s call for help and followed the car to the car park of another block of ats. On arrival, the four suspects ed in different directions, but the off-duty ofďŹ cer had already informed police who rushed to the scene.

Police were able to arrest one of the four, the 27-year-old, who allegedly pulled out a knife against an ofďŹ cer before he was disarmed. His associates escaped.

Kouklia seeks medical centre KOUKLIA local council has requested the creation of a community medical centre to carry out basic medical checks on pensioners and prescribe them medication.

Local community leader Michalakis Solonos sent a letter to Health Minister Petros Petrides stating that the local council is prepared to organise the collection of medication from the Paphos general hospital and distribute it to the area’s pensioners.

He added that the Kouklia council could provide the building and equipment.

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3 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

CYPRUS TODAY Stricter food aid controls OVER 2,000 applications for food aid have been submitted to the community market set up by the Larnaca municipality to help the poor, resulting in the need for a stricter screening process.

Larnaca mayor Andreas Louroudjiadis told Cyprus News Agency that the large number of people needing help has forced the local authority to enforce a stricter application process.

Only those who have filled in the relevant application form will have access to the free food supplies, said Louroudjiadis.

Forms can be found at the community market while a special committee is responsible for evaluating each application.

Those who are approved will receive a card to be presented when picking up food every Friday, said the mayor.

Firecracker haul A 56-YEAR-OLD MAN was remanded in custody for six days yesterday by the Limassol district court in connection with charges of possessing a large quantity of firecrackers and fireworks.

Police spokesman Andreas Angelides said, acting on a tipoff, police checked a storage room kept by the 56-yearold where they found 2,147 firecrackers, 47 fireworks and another 20 firecrackers on his person.

Police suspect the man, who has allegedly troubled police in the past on similar offences, was planning to sell the banned items ahead of Easter celebrations.

Angelides said this was the biggest haul of firecrackers found since police launched an antifirecrackers campaign on March 26. The firecrackers confiscated appear to originate from the north, he added.

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Deloitte officially named for dirty money probe DELOITTE Financial Advisory has been selected by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) as the independent firm to evaluate the implementation of Cyprus’ Anti-Money Laundering (AML) framework, together with Moneyval of the Council of Europe.

Preliminary key findings are expected by April 20, while reports from Moneyval and the private auditor will be delivered to the CBC, the finance minister and the troika by April 24, when the €10 billion Cyprus bailout is expected to be signed.

International lenders will then report to the Eurogroup on the level of implementation of preventive measures by financial institutions, based on the findings of the two parallel reports by Moneyval and Deloitte.

Moneyval already completed its visit to Cyprus from March 19 to 31, and is now in the process of

completing its report in accordance with its terms of reference. Deloitte is now in the process of carrying out their review.

According to a CBC announcement, Deloitte will carry out the review “in relation to the effective implementation of Customer Due Diligence (CDD) measures by a sample of major Cypriot banks with regards to deposits and loans”.

Deloitte Financial Advisory S.r.l. is an affiliate of Deloitte Italy S.p.A., the Italian member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.

The same announcement notes that Moneyval will focus on the effectiveness of anti-money laundering implementation while the independent auditor will look at the measures implemented by the credit institutions to prevent criminals from being the beneficial owners of customer deposits in, or

loans from, Cypriot credit institutions. It will also present a report containing comments and conclusions with regard to both the overall credit sector’s and individual institutions’ level of compliance with the Cypriot legislation.

All credit institutions in Cyprus with a threshold of over €2 billion of total deposits by the end of 2012 will be included in the exercise.

Due to time constraints, the audit will not cover the adequacy of the internal systems in place in credit institutions to detect Money Laundering/ Terrorist Financing (ML/TF), said the CBC. The findings of the two reviews will not contain any confidential information and will only be shared within Moneyval, the auditor, the CBC and program partners (European Commission/ European Central Bank (ECB)/ International Monetary Fund).

Relief but no celebrating over bailout EU approval EU structural funds could help kickstart economy

By Stefanos Evripidou THE EUROGROUP’s endorsement of the €10 billion bailout package for Cyprus provides “relief” but is no cause for celebration, said government spokesman Christos Stylianides yesterday.

Now is the time for responsibility and hard work by all, he added.

The spokesman welcomed messages of support from the European Commission regarding substantial EU structural funds - potentially up to one billion euro- that could be used to help Cyprus get out of the current stalemate.

“Approval of the loan agreement puts a definitive end to the uncertainty since 2011” when Cyprus was excluded from international markets, said Stylianides, adding that for the first time since 2011 Cyprus has secured its debt and financing needs.

Friday’s Eurogroup approval of the international bailout, which provides for a €10 billion troika loan and up to €13.5 billion ‘bail-in’

by Cyprus, has “rescued” the country “from the risk of bankruptcy and ensured its continued presence in the eurozone”.

“The approval of the loan agreement by the Eurogroup provides relief, but does not encourage celebration. The situation would have been very different if timely measures were taken,” said the spokesman.

“For the government, now is the time for responsibility and hard work by all without exception.”

This week, cabinet will hold two all-day meetings to decide on a package of measures to reorganise and kickstart the economy.

The government will call on all parties without exception to participate in the effort to return to growth, he said.

President Nicos Anastasiades has already written to top EU officials with regard to Cyprus’ urgent need for greater assistance from EU structural funds.

According to the spokesman, judging from initial EU responses, it appeared there was “fertile ground” for additional funds to flow towards Cyprus, noting however, this was completely separate to the €10 billion bailout procedure.

He welcomed recent comments by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on an increase in structural funds to Cyprus, as well as encouraging state-

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso: only ‘fair’ to consider an increase in structural funds for Cyprus ments from the EU’s economic commissioner Olli Rehn.

Talking to Bloomberg in New York on Friday, Barrroso said he believes it is “fair” to consider an increase of structural funds to Cyprus, adding that he has some ideas which he is going to present

very soon.

“I’m considering the best way to support Cyprus because of the realities and when the budget for the next seven years for the EU was designed we were not having the figures we have now for Cyprus,” he said. “Now we need more solidarity for

Cyprus because certainly it is difficult to estimate what can be the impact of the adjustments in Cyprus in terms of the real economy,” he added.

Stylianides explained that while Cyprus could not expect more than a €10 billion loan from the troika, it could, under the current circumstances, seek help - up to a billion euro- in EU structural funds assistance.

For example, countries that enter into a memorandum of understanding with the troika have a number of new options.

First, instead of the government providing 50-60 per cent of the total cost of projects co-funded by EU structural funds, it could apply to follow the example of Greece, Ireland and Portugal and seek a 20-80 per cent ration.

Second, there is a substantial amount of money in the EU’s social cohesion fund which can be utilised for emergencies like Cyprus’ overnight economic disaster.

And third, there is a lot of funding for cross-border projects.

“It is up to us to work in horizontal projects in the Middle East and Africa, but it requires a lot of preparation and work from us, and our ministries. This is where we should be judged in a year or two.

This is what we’ve got left, this and foreign investments,” said Stylianides.

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4 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Home Psychological helpline up and running to help those suffering from crisis blues

Helios orphans

By Maria Gregoriou

(Continued from front page) happens, there’s no one to help him,” he added.

The grandfather said he and his wife didn’t know how long they would live and they worried what would come of the boy. Although he had aunts and uncles, they had children of their own to provide for, and they had all been comforted in the knowledge that at least the child had some money to give him an education.

“We knew when he was 18 he would have some money to study. Now....,” said Nicolaou, his voice trailing off.

Continuing in a hollow voice, he added: “I feel anxious. Anxious about his future. A lot, a lot of anxiety.”

Nicolaou said had the first bailout package been agreed, his grandson would have lost only 10 per cent of the compensation money.

“That would not have been a problem. It [10 per cent haircut] would have been the interest he’d collected so far. He would have just had to start over again. Now though, he’s lost so much. It’s just so unjust. You hear about so many bigwigs getting tipped off and moving their money. It’s so unfair. Other people make mistakes and other people pay,” he said.

In the meantime, the 60year-old said he’d hired a lawyer to try to help him get access to the money to move it. He only hoped that he managed to do it before his grandson lost everything.

“The way the BoC is going I don’t know if anything will be left,” he said.

The government spokesman said yesterday that while George Nicolaou and the other orphans could not escape the haircut on their compensation, the government would do its best to reimburse them.

But the spokesman, Christos Stylianides, conceded there was no guarantee when this might happen or how much the children might receive towards cov-

THE HEALTH ministry has put one psychologist on-call for its round-theclock hotline for people suffering from depression due to the financial crisis until the effects of the crisis become more apparent.

“It is a known fact that when a crisis situation hits the public will go through psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. Such cases may lead to medical problems if not treated. This is why people affected by the crisis who ask for an appointment with the psychological services are prioritised on the waiting list,” senior clinical psychologist Pantelis Panteli said.

Immediate appointment services began on April 4.

A person, couple, family or group can be directly seen by an official without having to register on a waiting list.

“Each area has its own waiting list that is normally not very long.

People on the list may have to wait a week or two, depending on the circumstances. Patients influenced by the economic crisis will be seen immediately and this may mean that the waiting period for other patients on the list will be slightly extended,” Panteli said.

ON CALL The 24-hour support hotline began on Monday.

One psychologist will be on-call each day and will be able to transfer the hot-line to their mobile phones so no calls are missed.

“For the time being we have appointed one psychologist to be on-call but if we see that more people are in need of support, more professionals will be put oncall,” Panteli added.

The extent of the effects caused by the crisis will begin to show with time.

It is not like the Mari naval base tragedy where the consequences were instant and people needed psychological help as soon as the accident happened, Panteli said.

Callers may remain anonymous but the psychologists prefer to have a more personal approach with callers. If a caller shows suicidal signs the department will contact the police or social services and refer the case to them.

For the hotline call 22603263 if you are in Nicosia, Larnaca or Famagusta.

For Paphos and Limassol call 25-801107/106.

Government pledges to reimburse compensation for parents’ deaths but can’t say when or by how much

Chrystalla and Vassilis Koutsoftas (left and below) had put the compensation received for their son’s death into a fixed term deposit account with the Bank of Cyprus for the future needs of their grandson Vassilis (above)

‘Everyone says they feel for you, but the reality is so much worse’ ering their losses.

“Each individual case will be examined. They could be [reimbursed] the total amount [lost]. This issue will be the responsibility of the Labour Minister...

The government feels very compassionate [about this issue] and there is the political will,” he told the Sunday Mail.

Despite the government’s assurances, the orphans’ relatives have understandable doubts to what extent its promise will stand.

Neoclis Neocleous is another broken man. You can hear it in his voice when he speaks to you.

“What do you want me to say? What can I do? It’s a

mess.” The desolation the 61-year-old feels is almost tangible.

Neocleous is the guardian of his two granddaughters aged 11 and 9. His daughter, the girls’ mother, and sonin-law, their father, were killed in the Helios crash.

When the girls received compensation in the region of €1 million each for their parents’ death, he put all the money in Laiki bank for safekeeping. This sum was the total compensation received by all the relatives of the girls’ parents. The relatives kept none of the money themselves, preferring instead to give it to the orphaned girls. Some of the money was put in

high-yield securities and the other in fixed-term deposits. Like any grandparent, Neocleous was looking out for his grandchildren’s future. Today, that future looks extremely bleak.

“These are minors under the state’s protection until they are 18. How can they come and take their money?” he asked.

Like Nicolaou, Neocleous had tried to move his granddaughters’ money but his hands had been tied due to the lengthy court procedure to get access to it. Now, he doesn’t know if the two girls will see a penny of it.

The pensioner said he and his wife used to receive

€270 a month for both girls from the social services but that last August the attorney-general (AG) had ruled that the children were not really orphans and that they should be exempt from receiving state aid. Nicolaou said he had also stopped receiving the same aid for his grandson on the same grounds.

“The AG ruled they aren’t really orphans because they are living with me and I am now their father. As if that’s even possible! Me? Their father? How does that even make sense? How is it possible? And this ruling comes from an AG who covered for his son. Do you see what goes on in this

Freelancers site created for creative job hunters A NEW website has been set-up devoted to helping freelance professionals in creative industries on the island find employment. WebPlay CMS launched IndiGO, the Cyprus Freelancers Online Directory on Monday.

“It is a good opportunity to gather as many freelancers in one directory as possible,” Project Manager, Andreas said. “This will offer advantages to the freelancers who are going to be promoted for free and for the managers of companies who are going to save time when they are searching for a freelancer,” he added.

IndiGO is a free service, designed

for freelancers in Cyprus and will provide them with the opportunity to extend their networks and income. They will have the opportunity to create and edit their personal profile, including samples of their work.

“In these harsh times of our economy, IndiGO gives the opportunity to Cypriot freelancers to make a new beginning and extend their networks,” a statement from Webplay CMS said.

On the IndiGO website, visitors can find a brief fees guide and general advice guides which have been developed to help those searching for employment.

The name of the directory was inspired from the name of the colour indigo.

“Indigo or deep midnight blue is a powerful colour related to the right side of the brain. It resonates to the ‘New Age’ way of thinking,” a statement on the website said.

“So we have decided to label our directory with the word indigo, indicating our desire to change the world and strengthen the importance of the term in the difficult days of the recession (economic crisis),” it added.

According to IndiGO a large number of people are losing their jobs on a daily basis which is lead-

ing them down the freelance path.

“What are the creative industries?

Well by the term creative industries we mean anything that has to do with the term “creative”. For example, graphic designers, animators, web designers, web developers, musicians, photographers, programmers, web developers etc.”

IndiGO said.

It is the first time a directory dedicated to freelancers on the island has been created.

For more information: http://www. indigo-cy.com http://www.facebook. com/indigocy http://www.twitter. com/IndigoCyprus

5 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

Home

are haircut victims On August 14 2005, 33 children were orphaned in the Helios Airways plane crash

country?” he said.

Neocleous was referring to last week’s confirmed reports that the AG had suspended prosecution for his son’s driving violations.

Neocleous could not seem to get his head round the fact that his two granddaughters, two little girls who have suffered from the day they lost their parents, could be subjected to this from a state under whose care they were.

“They are protected by the state, by the court, how could this happen?” he said.

The 61-year-old pensioner said he had no intention of taking this lying down and that he would fight this to the end, including going to

the European Courts.

“They don’t need the money for at least another six or seven years but I will get it for them,” he said.

Asked to describe how he felt since March 16, the grandfather said “despair”.

“The children (his daughter and son-in-law) are being killed for a second time. This is Helios all over again. It is opening old wounds. These are two minors. Where is the justice now? This money is their parents’ lives. The pain of losing a child is indescribable. It is the ultimate pain.

Everyone says they feel for you, but the reality is so much worse,” he said.

“I get by with what I’ve got, but what about these

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granddaughter, Chryso, in 2005. To this day they have been raising their grandson, Vassilis, who is now 10 years old.

Like the other grandparents, this couple put the total sum of compensation money their family received for their loss, in their grandson’s name.

For safekeeping, they put the money in a fixed term deposit at the Bank of Cyprus. Although Koutsoftas is holding on to the hope

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that justice will prevail, and all the Helios orphans will be spared from the haircut, he doesn’t know for sure.

“The child’s future is at stake,” the 62-year-old car mechanic said. “He needs the money to give him a start in life.”

Koutsoftas said his grandson hadn’t made the money himself and that it had been an insurance payment from abroad so he shouldn’t be included in

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children? They live with deep insecurities and have been affected not only by the loss of their parents but now the loss of their money. They ask me about it. They ask me where will they go and who will look after them now,” he added, sighing deeply, like a man carrying the worries of the world on his shoulders.

Vassilis Koutsoftas, 62, and his wife Chrystalla lost their only son, daughterin-law and five-year-old

the haircut.

“I’m old and he doesn’t have any parents to help him, so this money is to give him that help in life.”

Koutsoftas said he and his wife had discussed how best to address the money issue with the state psychologist their grandson saw once a month.

“We try not to talk about it in front of him but he hears a lot and we have been very anxious. He’s a very clever boy and doesn’t miss a thing. He knows something is wrong and has been asking about his money and if he’ll get it. He has so much to deal with and has had so many losses in his short life. How do I tell him he’s also lost the money?”

The 62-year-old said he could not describe the sense of injustice he felt for his grandson.

“It’s just so unfair,” he said.

His wife, who said her life stopped in 2005 and visits her son’s grave daily, said this latest horror was a bitter pill to swallow.

“We lost our children. We got some money for the child. Now we’ve lost the money too.”

Sounding agitated and overcome with emotion, the grandmother said she had recently had to go through lots of paperwork to find her son’s, his wife’s and her granddaughter’s death certificates so that they could send it to the Central Bank. The idea behind these efforts is to try and secure exemption from the haircut for their grandson. The problem is, in doing this, all sorts of painful memories are relived anew.

“We’re living through a second tragedy,” she said, her voice wavering. “What else can I say? I don’t know what to say? God will help us.”

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6 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

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The signs were there, we just didn’t see them We shouldn’t really have been shocked by the deposit bank raid. It was planned all along. And it is likely to happen elsewhere

By Elias Hazou YPRUS has been making international headlines for all the wrong reasons, courtesy of the eurozone’s shock treatment: a raid on bank savings and an almost-overnight dramatic dip in GDP. The one-two punch - first the haircut on deposits proposed at the March 16 Eurogroup, followed by the decision to wind down Laiki Bankleft the nation reeling. Islanders still numb from the blow asked: “What the heck just happened?” Where did the bail-in, or deposits haircut, come from? And is the tiny island being used as a guinea pig? Yet for all the disbelief, we should probably have seen it coming. What took place here was neither improvised nor exceptional.

The dreaded ‘bail-in’ may have crossed into the mainstream over the last few weeks, but in reality its seeds were planted a while back. It’s just that most of us weren’t paying much attention, did not want to consider the unthinkable, or maybe we were just hoping it would go away.

Hours after the haircut decision of March 25, Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem, far from calming jittery investors across the euroarea, strongly hinted that Cyprus would serve as a pattern for future banks that run into trouble.

Soon after the Dutch politician scrambled to put a band-aid on his earlier remarks. “Cyprus is a specific case with exceptional challenges which required the bail-in measures we have agreed upon yesterday. Macro-economic adjustment programmes are tailor-made to the situation of the country concerned and no models or templates are used,” he said.

At the time most reporters assumed that Dijsselbloem, inexperienced in the ways of the media, had inadvertently spilled the beans and, realising his mistake, tried to take it back. In hindsight, however, there was more to it: initially Dijsselbloem had told a half-truth. Because the bail-in, at least as a concept, was nothing new.

In EU circles, the idea of a bail-in to avert financial meltdowns has been floating in the ether for almost a year now. Its blueprint was crafted in June 2012, dubbed ‘Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions and investment firms’.

If you’re Googling it, save yourself some time and scroll down to Article 4.4.10. Under the sub-heading ‘Resolution tools and powers’ the text reads: “When the trigger conditions for resolution are satisfied, resolution authorities will have the power to apply the following resolution tools: (a) sale of business; (b) bridge institution; (c) asset separation; (d) bail-in.

Sounds a lot like a script for what’s happening to Cyprus’ banks, doesn’t it?

C

Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s initial volte face on Cyprus as a template has been proved wrong as the EU moves towards a bail-in on depositors Moving on: “The bail-in tool will give resolution authorities the power to write down the claims of unsecured creditors of a failing institution and to convert debt claims to equity.

The tool can be used to recapitalise an institution that is failing or about to fail, allowing authorities to restructure it through the resolution process and restore its viability after reorganisation and restructuring.”

This proposal finally came out in the open this week in Dublin where EU finance ministers discussed how to shape a law on bank recovery and resolution that could take effect from 2015.

The European Parliament meanwhile has set July 2 as an indicative plenary sitting date to discuss the legislation.

Going back to Dijsselbloem’s attempt at damage control, it did little good: from now on, where necessary, depositors would participate in rescuing stricken eurozone banks.

Olli Rehn, the EU’s economic affairs chief, sought to patch things up in an interview with Finnish television, but even he ended up essentially confirming the new state of affairs.

The signs were there. Murmurs of a haircut began circling as far back as last summer.

And on February 10 of this year, the Financial Times, citing a confidential memo, reported on a proposal to ‘bail-in’ investors and depositors of Cypriot banks, a move that would reduce the amount of financial assistance required by Cyprus.

In the same month, Dijsselbloem declined to rule out a possible haircut, even though a reporter put it to him that his failure to provide a clear answer could trigger panic among Cypriot savers.

That the ‘bail-in’ option was dreamt up a year ago may or may not conjure up images of European technocrats and politicians scheming in dark corners. Some believe that a grand conspiracy was concocted against Cyprus; with the EU and IMF lurking in the shadows, waiting to spring the haircut trap on Cyprus.

Others have rationalised that, up to a point, there is a some sense behind the bail-in solution - put simply, there is no other way.

As the European Sting writes (March 31), “The economic and moral justification of this proposal cannot be easily repelled. The Commission notes that the European Union taxpayers have already spent €4.5 trillion to support the banking system. This cannot continue because governments/taxpayers have no more means to go on rescuing banks.”

That by no means justifies the raid on deposits: savings are sacrosanct, and touching them is tantamount to state-sanctioned theft, a confiscation of wealth. The insolvency of Laiki has seen retail depositors subordinated to other creditors, effectively forcing savers to rescue a bank for its own bad bets. In practical terms also, this formula is counter-intuitive: people put money in the bank for safekeeping, and in turn deposits are how banks make money. If savings are pilfered, is a bank still a bank?

Beyond that, there’s a case to be made for greater transparency. Certain quarters - here and on the continent - must have known what was brewing. One argument goes, even if the government delegation travelling to Brussels suspected a haircut was on the table, they had no choice but to keep it from the public in order to prevent a run on the banks.

Fair enough, but if the government did have prior misgivings, did they go to the Eurogroup with a Plan B? We may never know, and we should.

Also, the aforementioned draft EU directive has been public record for months now. Perhaps Cypriot MEPs ought to have been more alert. Journalists, too.

By mid-March, although most people were resigned to an impending bailout deal with harsh austerity terms, a haircut on deposits remained an unbelievable concept to most people.

On March 7, days before the first ‘crucial’ Eurogroup, then finance minister Michalis Sarris stated: “Any

Former finance minister Michalis Sarris famously declared: ‘any discussion about haircuts regarding bank deposits is off the table’

Financial analyst Max Keiser: Cyprus has lost its sovereignty discussion about haircuts or other demands regarding bank deposits is off the table; this is a very crucial issue.”

He added: “I personally believe that most of them (troika officials) know that such a move, even discussing a haircut, which has not taken place anywhere else, poses great dangers.”

With those remarks in mind, people breathed a little easier. But then on the morning of Saturday March 16, news of the initial proposal to impose a haircut on all deposits hit us like a freight train on steroids.

For the record, Cyprus is not a world first as far as raiding deposits is concerned. It’s a lesser-known fact that in July 1992 the Italian government passed a financial stability decree-law that included a shocking provision - a 0.6 per cent one-off levy on bank accounts.

And you’d be wrong to assume the ‘bail-in’ is Europe’s baby; American and British financial policymakers were not that far behind. As the blog Golem XIV reports, back in December 2012 the US’ Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Bank of England published a joint paper outlining their new approach for how to resolve any future collapse of one of the too-big-to-fail

banks.

It’s called “Resolving Globally Active, Systemically Important, Financial Institutions.” According to the blog (http://www.golemxiv. co.uk/2013/03/plunderball-the-neweuro-banking-game/), the paper is the blueprint for how collapses, at what it calls G-SIFIs (Globally Systemically Important Financial Institutions) will be dealt with in future.

Quoting from section 34 of the paper: “The UK has also given consideration to the recapitalisation process in a scenario in which a G-SIFI’s liabilities do not include much debt issuance at the holding company or parent bank level but instead comprise insured retail deposits held in the operating subsidiaries. Under such a scenario, deposit guarantee schemes may be required to contribute to the recapitalisation of the firm.”

The report, which can be found online, was recently cited on the financial news bulletin The Keiser Report that’s broadcast on the Russia Today network.

Show host and financial analyst Max Keiser blames the Cyprus debacle on speculating ‘banksters’ who wagered billions on toxic Greek government bonds.

In a telephone conversation with the Mail, Keiser said exiting the euro is no way out for Cyprus “You don’t have the option of leaving the euro,” he said. “It’s in Germany’s interest to keep Cyprus in, because the euro crisis benefits German exports. Just like Greece, Cyprus has lost its sovereignty to the troika...get used to it.”

Incidentally, Keiser will be starring in the upcoming Bailout 2, the first ever feature film to be fully funded by virtual money or bitcoins. The sequel to - you guessed it - Bailout which was released in 2012, the muckraking documentary this time shifts to the European theatre. Keiser et ales will be going after the bankers they hold responsible for leading one country after the next into financial ruination. Greece will definitely be a stop on their European tour, and perhaps Cyprus as well.

7 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

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A euro exit would be no easy option High inflation, spiralling energy costs and political vulnerability versus a more competitive tourist sector

By George Psyllides INCE - what is now widely acknowledged - Cyprus’ botched bailout, a debate has been raging over whether the island should stay in the eurozone or go back to its former national currency, the pound.

Naturally there are two schools of thought on the issue: those arguing that since the conditions of the bailout have all but destroyed the economy, Cyprus should abandon the common currency and the tough terms imposed by its lenders, and those who say the consequences of a socalled Cypexit would be much worse than the alternative.

It does appear however that there are also those who support a Cypexit because of the profits they stand to make.

Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman was adamant.

“Cyprus should leave the euro. Now,” he said.

To Krugman, the reason was clear. Staying in the euro meant “incredibly severe depression” that will last many years.

“Leaving the euro, and letting the new currency fall sharply, would greatly accelerate that rebuilding,” Krugman said.

With its banking sector wiped out, Cyprus was now left with tourism, he said.

“Cyprus needs to have a tourist boom, plus a rapid growth of other exports - my guess would be agriculture as a driver, although I don’t know much about it,” Krugman said. “The obvious way to get there is through a large devaluation; yes, in the end this probably does come down to cheap deals that attract lots of British package tours.”

Those in favour of Cyprus remaining in the euro say it is not as easy as supporters of Cypexit suggest.

They point out that Cyprus is heavily dependent on imports for just about everything and an inevitably heavily devaluated currency would make things very difficult.

S

“This changes the entire picture and makes one wonder about the level of inflation under a new currency, as well of the impact that this would have,” wrote economist and journalist at Kathimerini Michalis Persianis. “All of the obvious concerns about a nascent currency borne out of crisis are suddenly multiplied into a nightmare.”

On top of that, Cyprus’ dependency on energy imports would also mean a spike in already high fuel and electricity prices.

Not to mention that savings, salaries and pensions will be wiped out because of the devaluation.

And Persianis does not expect that tourism can pull Cy-

‘Cyprus should leave the euro.

Now’ prus out of the mess.

“After the glorious 1980s, can the industry be revived? One wonders, after the sun-seaand-sex tourist wave 30 years ago, what the prospects are for Cypriot tourism. With a few bright and special exceptions, the industry has been in a steady decline since the early 1990s,” he said.

Tourism’s contribution to GDP has declined significantly in recent years while lowerend hotels have been sitting idle for years.

“Upper-end hotels have been lingering between high debts on the one hand, and declining quality on the other,” Persianis said.

The problem is there is too much supply and quality was low.

“What it (Cyprus) needs is fewer and better hotels,” he said.

Megan Greene, chief economist at Maverick Intelligence and Bloomberg columnist, argued in favour of Cyprus leaving the euro, but not in a disorderly manner.

“The main challenge is that if Cyprus were to reissue the Cypriot pound, the new currency would devalue significantly and drive up the inflation rate. This is a huge problem for a country that has to buy most of its raw materials and all of its energy from abroad, and has only enough foreign reserves to pay for a few weeks of imports,” Greene said.

She said Cyprus would need a bridging loan to avoid facing power cuts and food shortages and that assistance could come from the IMF – a member of the troika that many, mainly populists, want to get rid of.

Greene said a negotiated exit was probably the lesser of two evils for Cyprus but will the eurozone agree considering the implications?

“If larger euro area countries were to seek the same treatment, it would be prohibitively expensive for the IMF, the European Commission and the ECB to cooperate,” Greene wrote. “Concern about opening that Pandora’s box might well prompt the three creditors to refuse to help Cyprus leave the currency area. In which case, Cypriots really are stuck.”

There also appears however to be a group of people advocating Cypexit for no other reason than personal gain.

Michalis Persianis recently wrote that a group of big businessmen “with strong and direct influence” in the mass media, flanked by others who operate abroad - mainly Greece - had attempted to put pressure on President Nicos Anastasiades to examine the option of abandoning the euro.

“These business circles stressed they were ready to help Cyprus if it decided to leave the euro,” Persianis said.

An important aspect of the matter was that these people expect their buying power in Cyprus to rise significantly as a result of an exit since most of their money was stashed abroad and would remain unaffected.

However, this group, accord-

ing to Persianis, had another common link: their obligations towards banks - mainly the Bank of Cyprus.

“In some of the cases at least, these obligations exceed €0.5 billion; for some the amount reached up to €600 million,” he said.

Fiona Mullen, director of Sapienta Economics, believes that geopolitics would decide which way Cyprus would go.

“A disorderly exit from the euro will almost certainly lead, via default on a lot of EU debt, to an exit from the EU. Cyprus would then be alone and vulnerable, with the Turkish army on one side and the British army on the other,” she said. “Cypriots have been there before and they will not want to go back there again. So unless there is such a thing as ‘leave the euro but stay in the EU’, Cyprus will probably remain stuck in the euro, with all the austerity and bitterness towards Europe that this entails.”

(SEE EDITORIAL PAGE 12) Topic of debate: the return to the Cyprus pound

8 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World WORLD TODAY Kidnapped reporters freed FOUR Italian journalists kidnapped and held in Syria since April 4 have been freed Italy’s interim Foreign Minister Mario Monti said in a statement yesterday.

Monti’s statement gave no details about who had taken the reporters hostage nor any regarding their release, but state news agency ANSA said they were now in Turkey and were set to return to Italy yesterday evening.

Monti thanked those involved in securing the reporters’ release “which was particularly complicated because of the dangerous context”, the statement said.

About 70,000 people have been killed in Syria’s twoyear-old civil war.

Monti said he had personally followed the situation since the reporters were taken hostage in northern Syria, and he thanked the media for having respected a blackout requested by RAI state television, who employs one of the four journalists.

Long-closed museum opens THOUSANDS of people gathered outside Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, home to Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Night Watch and other Dutch masterpieces, as Queen Beatrix declared the national museum open yesterday after a decadelong renovation.

There were cheers and fireworks as the 75-yearold Queen, making one of her last official appearances before her abdication, turned a golden key and officially opened the renovated building before a crowd estimated by the museum at 10,000.

All safe as Lion plane misses Bali runway, lands in the sea

By Andjarsari Paramaditha and Chris Nusatya ALL 108 passengers and crew miraculously survived when a Lion Air Boeing 737 missed the runway on the balmy Indonesian resort island of Bali yesterday and landed in the sea.

Forty people were treated for injuries including broken legs, head wounds and shock, though only four were admitted to hospital, hospital officials said.

The brand new aircraft had flown from Bandung, in West Java, and was about to land at Bali airport. “But it probably failed to reach the runway and fell into the sea,” said Lion Air spokesman Edward Sirait.

He said there were 101 passengers and seven crew on board but would not comment on the cause of the crash. An investigation is under way.

Bali’s police chief told local television that there were two foreign passengers.

“There was no sign at all it would fall, but then suddenly it dropped into the water,” passenger Tantri Widiastuti, 60, told Metro TV. “I saw holes in the floor of the plane ... we were evacuated quickly.” She

A vendor washes a stall in a poultry market in Hefei

Miraculous: a rescue worker stands at the door of a Lion Air plane that missed the runway in Denpasar, Bali in this picture provided by the Indonesian police yesterday

US looks to China to rein in defiant N. Korea

New bird flu reaches Beijing Li says rising tension will only hurt all sides THE Chinese capital reported its first case of a new strain of bird flu yesterday, state news agency Xinhua said, the first time it has been found in a human outside eastern China.

The infected seven-year-old girl was in stable condition in a Beijing hospital, the report said.

Two people who have had close contact with the child had shown no signs of being infected, Xinhua added. The girl’s parents worked in the live poultry trade, it said.

The website of China’s state radio showed a photo of the girl lying in bed, wearing a large blue face mask and with a stuffed doll next to her.

Beijing had closed all live poultry markets and banned the flying of racing pigeons, though it had not ordered a mass culling of birds since authorities had yet to find H7N9 in any animal samples, Xinhua said.

So far 11 people have died of the H7N9 bird flu strain since it was confirmed in humans for the first time last month, with 46 infections having been reported to date.

CHEMISTS NICOSIA SUNDAY 14/04/2013 A. Hadjichristodoulou, 56D Kennedy Ave. Tel: 22496994, 22358479 (H) M. E. Koula, 53C Kallipoleos Ave. Tel: 22377056, 22813435 (H) Ch. Tsangarides, 92 A. B Makedonitissis, Strovolos Tel: 22871954, 22319608 (H) T. Malloupa, 187 Gr. Afxentiou, Ayios Dometios. Tel: 22772653, 22337172 (H) Ch.. Christodoulidis, 4 Andrea Awraamidi Tel: 22879747, 22324357 LIMASSOL D. Papadopoulou 121 N. Pattichi Tel: 25387216, 25750820 (H) A. Asprou, 72 Thesallonikis str., Tel: 25339066, 25331831 V. Nicolaou 75B Charalambous Evagorou Ay. Athanasios Tel: 25728798, 99490773 LARNACA S. K. Eleni, 15. 17 Kilkis St. Tel: 24651035, 24621522 (H) A. Christoforou, 21 Larissa St, Kamares. Tel: 24364270, 24645787 PAPHOS L. Chrisostomou (P.E.O. No. 2), 31B Danais St, Kato Paphos. Tel: 26964837, 26221624 (H) PARALIMNI A. Mavroyiannou, 216 Gr. Dighenis St. Tel: 23828880, 23829202 (H)

said she had been treated for minor cuts.

Budget carrier Lion Air is Indonesia’s largest airline and is rapidly expanding.

The plane was delivered last month. The company has signed two record contracts with the world’s top plane makers, Boeing and Airbus. Last month, it signed a deal with Airbus for 234 passenger jets worth $24 billion. Two years ago, it signed a deal with Boeing for 230 planes.

Indonesia has been struggling to improve its civil air safety after a string of deadly accidents. In 2007, Lion Air was among a number of Indonesian airlines banned by the EU for lax safety standards. The ban was progressively lifted, starting in 2009.

The runway at Bali international airport starts next to the sea. The island is Indonesia’s main tourist destination, especially popular with Australians for its surfing.

TV footage showed the jet floating in shallow waters with a fractured fuselage and passengers in the water with life jackets.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, Lion Air planes have been involved in six accidents since 2002, four of them involving Boeing 737s.

Only one of them, according to the site, resulted in fatalities.

NICOSIA MONDAY 15/04/2013 Th. Nioulikos, 22 Them. Severis Ave. Tel: 22669664, 22661852(H) A. Nicolaou, 12 Ay. Andreou St, Pallouriotissa. Tel. 22430032, 22424078 (H) E. Hadjigeorgiou, 132C Kirinias Ave. Tel: 22338002, 22330761 E. Daskalakis, 24A, Elia Papakyriakou Egkomi, Tel: 22355955, 22357220 G. Konstantinou, Giannitson 8, Tel: 22107447, 22380736 LIMASSOL S. Nicolaou, 31 Georgiou A Germasoyia, Tel: 25325450, 25383877 (H) Gr. Gregoriou 37B Kosti Palama Tel: 25754111, 25566818 (H) E. Pitsiakou 26A+B Troodous & Apostolou Varnava Tel: 25662177, 25344887 (H) LARNACA L. Papadopoulou, 143 Faneromenis St. Tel: 24654380, 24624699 (H) M. Lambi, corner Makarios & Gr Afxentiou Ave. Tel: 24626447, 24361185(H) PAPHOS C. Papadopoullou,83 Ellados Ave. Tel: 26931339, 26653684 (H) PARALIMNI A. Kamilaris, 52 Korai, Tel: 23744160, 23743418

DOCTORS ON DUTY NICOSIA Pathologist: Silvia Lazaridou, Tel: 99917333 Ophthalmologist: Antonis Glikeriou, Tel: 70000171 Gynaecologist: Aphrodite Elisseou, Tel: 99421050 LIMASSOL Pathologist: Polikarpos Evripidou, Tel.: 99514910, 25251919 Surgeon: Tzeris Ioannides, Tel.: 25361580 Neuro-Surgeon: Michalakis Spirou, Tel.: 99624939 Paediatric: Niki Champi-Rotsa, Tel.: 25561890, 25564051, 99420630 Paediatric Surgeon: Georgios Hadjiconstantas, Tel.: 25730055, 25723914 Cardiologist: Constantinos N. Kyriacou, Tel.: 99511589, 25108850 Doctor: Christos Kipri, Tel.: 99543887, 70001170

By Arshad Mohammed and Ben Blanchard U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met China’s top leaders yesterday in a bid to persuade them to exert pressure on North Korea to scale back its belligerent rhetoric and, eventually, return to nuclear talks.

Travelling to Beijing for the first time as secretary of state, Kerry made no secret of his desire to see China take a more activist stance towards North Korea, which in recent weeks has threatened nuclear war against the United States and South Korea.

As the North’s main trading partner, financial backer and the closest thing it has to a diplomatic ally, China has a unique ability to use its leverage against the impoverished, isolated state, Kerry said in the South Korean capital, Seoul, on Friday before leaving for Beijing.

“Mr. President, this is obviously a critical time with some very challenging issues - issues on the Korean peninsula, the challenge of Iran and nuclear weapons, Syria and the Middle East and economies around the world that are in need of a boost,” Kerry told Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.

Kerry said after the meeting that his talks with Xi were “constructive and forwardleaning”, though he did not elaborate.

Chinese state television quoted Premier Li Keqiang as telling Kerry that rising tensions on the Korean peninsula were in nobody’s inter-

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing yesterday ests. Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for peace, dialogue and denuclearisation of the peninsula, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

“All sides must bear responsibility for maintaining regional peace and stability and be responsible for the consequences,” the television report paraphrased Li as saying.

“Disturbances and provocation on the peninsula and regionally will harm the interests of all sides, which is like lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s feet.”

China had a testy relationship with Kerry’s predecessor, Hillary Clinton, believing

her to be too abrasive in their disagreements over everything from human rights to territorial disputes like the South China Sea. “Clinton added fuel to the mistrust during her four-year term. We hope Kerry can pull it in the other direction,” China’s widely read and influential Global Times tabloid said in an editorial.

Kerry’s visit to Asia, which will include a stop in Tokyo today, takes place after weeks of shrill North Korean threats of war since the imposition of new UN sanctions in response to its third nuclear test in February.

North Korea has repeatedly said it will not abandon nuclear weapons which it said on Friday were its “treasured” guarantor of security.

North Korean television yesterday made no mention of Kerry’s visit and devoted most of its reports to preparations for tomorrow’s celebrations marking the birth date of state founder Kim Il-Sung.

These included a numerous floral tributes and grandiose flower show, foreign visitors seeing the sights of the capital ahead of the festivities and the unveiling of a monument in a provincial town.

Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers’ Party’s newspaper, did issue a fresh denunciation of joint US-South Korean military exercises, while South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, quoting a government source, said North Korea had not moved any of its mobile missile launchers for the past two days, after media reports that as many as five missiles had been moved into place on the country’s east coast.

9 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

World

imposes Frustration as re-trial Russia tit-for-tat bans of Mubarak aborted over US rights law Judge passes case to appeal court

By Yasmine Saleh and Maggie Fick THE retrial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was aborted yesterday when the presiding judge withdrew from the case and referred it to another court, causing an indefinite delay that sparked anger in the courtroom.

Lawyers said that while the transfer would give prosecutors more time to draw on new evidence in an unpublished fact-finding commission’s report into the repression, it could delay the case by months, increasing the risk that Mubarak, 84, may never be finally convicted and sentenced.

“Egypt cannot close the door on the former regime until there is justice for the martyrs of our revolution,” said Mohamed Rashwan, a prosecution attorney and member of the Egyptian Lawyers’ Union, which had petitioned to have the judge removed from the case. Two years had passed since Mubarak’s fall and justice was taking too long, Rashwan said.

“The people demand the execution of Mubarak!” frustrated relatives of demonstrators killed in the 2011 uprising that overthrew him chanted in court, after presiding Judge Mustafa Hassan Abdullah announced the decision at the opening session.

Indefinite delay: ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is wheeled out of an ambulance outside the Maadi military hospital following a hearing in Cairo yesterday (AFP) Outside the heavily guarded compound, pro-Mubarak demonstrators outnumbered opponents. The two small groups were kept well apart by a police cordon and there were no incidents.

Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for almost 30 years before being toppled by 18 days of Arab Spring pro-democracy unrest, waved and smiled to supporters from the defendants’ cage in the courtroom before the brief hearing began.

He was flown by helicopter from a military hospital where he has been detained to the police academy used as a courthouse, and wheeled from an ambulance into the building lying on a

hospital trolley wearing a white tracksuit.

Mubarak, former interior minister Habib al-Adli and four top aides face a retrial for complicity in the murder of more than 800 protesters after the highest appeals court accepted appeals by both the defence and the prosecution in January. Two other senior interior ministry officials face lesser charges.

The presiding judge was appointed under Mubarak and so were most of the current judiciary, a factor that has complicated transitional justice in Egypt. The judge said he had decided to refer the case to the Cairo appeals court as he felt “unease” in reviewing the case.

He did not explain his decision further.

He had previously acquitted top former Mubarak era officials of orchestrating violence when thugs riding camels attacked pro-democracy activists in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square.

“We ask for the harshest possible sentence on Mubarak due to the cruel crimes he committed against the protesters, but we are happy with the judge’s decision to withdraw, as we had worries about him given his ruling (on) the camel attack case,” said Mohamed Abdel Wahab, a lawyer for the victims. His comment reflected a widespread mixture of relief and frustration.

MOSCOW said yesterday Washington had dealt a severe blow to relations by barring 18 Russians from the United States over alleged human rights abuses, and in retaliation it banned 18 Americans from entering Russia.

US President Barack Obama’s administration had on Friday issued a list of 18 people subject to visa bans and asset freezes in the United States under the Magnitsky Act legislation passed by Congress late last year.

“Under pressure from Russophobic members of the US Congress, a powerful blow has been dealt to bilateral relations and mutual trust,” a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.

The mutual blacklisting could dim hopes voiced publicly by both sides of rehabilitating a relationship increasingly strained since President Vladimir Putin returned to the Kremlin last May. Obama’s national security adviser is to have talks tomorrow with senior officials in Moscow - the highest-level face-to-face contact since the US president began a second term in January.

The Foreign Ministry listed 18 Americans subject to visa bans and asset freezes under a retaliatory law Putin signed in December that allowed such steps against Americans deemed to have violated the human rights of Russians abroad. That law also banned the adoption of Russian children by Americans.

The Americans barred from Russia include two officials from President George W. Bush’s administration, who the ministry said were linked to the “legalisation and application of torture” - David Addington, a former chief of

Strained ties: Putin returned to the Kremlin in May staff of Vice President Dick Cheney, and John Choon Yoo, a former Justice Department lawyer.

The list also includes two ex-commanders of the US military detention centres at the Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base, whose detainees have included Russian citizens.

As counsel to Cheney, Addington pressed for more coercive interrogation tactics while Yoo issued a legal opinion that said federal laws on the use of torture did not apply to interrogations conducted overseas.

Geoffrey Miller, a commander at Guantanamo in the Bush era, was sent to Iraq to advise on interrogation tactics and was an adviser on interrogations at Abu Ghraib prison. Jeffrey Harbeson was a Guantanamo commander during Obama’s first term.

The US list includes 16 people linked to the case of Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky, whose death in jail in 2009 underscored the risks of challenging the Russian state and deepened US concern for civil rights and the rule of law in Russia.

Pope Francis names group to lead revamp of Church POPE Francis, in his first major decision yesterday set up an advisory board of cardinals from around the world to help him govern the Catholic Church and reform its troubled central administration.

The eight cardinals will help him put into place changes in an administration which has been held responsible for some of the mishaps and scandals that plagued the eightyear reign of Pope Benedict before he resigned in February.

A Vatican statement said the group would “advise him in the governing of the universal Church” as well as in making administrative changes, a sign that Francis wants to consult more widely than Benedict did before making decisions.

The eight prelates come from Italy, Chile, India, Germany, Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States, Australia and Honduras, indicating Francis intends to take seriously calls by bishops from around the world to have more say in Vatican decisions that affect their areas.

An Italian archbishop will act as secretary of the group, which will hold its first formal meeting in October in Rome. Francis, who was elected exactly one month ago, has already been in contact with each of them, the statement said.

The group will also study changes to a constitution by the late Pope John Paul II called “Pastor Bonus”, which gave the Curia, the name by which the various departments that run the Church is known, its current structure in 1988. The last major reform of the Curia was carried out by Pope Paul VI in 1967.

Francis inherited a Church struggling to deal with priests’ sexual abuse of children, the alleged corruption and infighting in the central administration and conflict over the running of the Vatican’s scandal-ridden bank.

CENTRAL BANK OF CYPRUS EUROSYSTEM

Restrictive Measures on Transactions In order that you may be better informed, the Central Bank of Cyprus has created Questions and Answer guides that will help you to understand the temporary guidelines and procedures that we will need to follow.

To help you understand the changes and how they affect you, a short guide is also available from your local branch and online. This should answer most of the questions you have.

The Central Bank of Cyprus is working with all the banks to ensure accurate information is available in the branches throughout Cyprus.

As new questions are received and modifications are made to the existing capital control requirements, we will update the Q&A material on our website www.centralbank.gov.cy

10 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World

Business rises from ruins of north’s mines But Margaret Thatcher remains hate figure

By Paul Sandle

I

N AN old-fashioned social club near what was once one of Britain’s richest coal seams, former miners played cards and toasted the death of their hated old foe, Margaret Thatcher.

The past looks down solemnly from the walls: a framed list of the names of men who died underground hangs near a flag of the shuttered colliery that once employed 6,000.

Thatcher, the most polarising prime minister in modern British history, is nowhere more thoroughly despised than here, in northern England’s coal belt, where her crackdown against striking miners is blamed for wiping out an entire industry that had sustained a community for generations.

“She should have lived another 180 years and suffered every day of them, like she made the country suffer,” said Gary Smith, who worked at the coal mine in the Yorkshire village of Grimethorpe for over 20 years.

After its mines were shut, Grimethorpe was named one of the most deprived villages in Europe, its despair immortalised in the 1997 Ewan McGregor film Brassed Off, in which one laid-off miner, forced to work as a children’s party clown, laments that his father lies dying yet “Margaret bloody Thatcher lives!”

Today, all that is left of the Grimethorpe colliery is its brass band, which was featured in the movie and still travels around England and abroad for concerts.

After all the area had been through came the 2008 economic crisis, driving local unemployment back above 10 per cent. Twenty-two per cent of the working age population relies on state benefits, now being cut by the new government in London led by Conservative heirs to Thatcher.

Linda Burgess, a local councillor from Thatcher’s old foes, the Labour Party, says the hardest part of restoring prosperity to the area has been undoing the psychological legacy of years of joblessness and despair.

“It is inevitable when you get the devastation of taking away the mines and the essence of communities and families, there is bound to be some depression, bound to be some lack of confidence and that takes

Unforgiven: Margaret Thatcher

Members of the Grimethorpe Working Men’s Club in Grimethorpe, near Barnsley

some building up,” she said.

Still, there are signs of a new economic future taking hold. Up the road from the social club, Richard Meads, 34, runs CrazyHorse Creative, a graphic design agency he co-founded last year, which sets up websites for nearby engineering firms.

“It’s a nice vibrant space to work in. It’s modern and inspiring,” he said of the Barnsley Digital Media Centre, an office building opened in 2007 by the local authorities to attract high-tech start-ups.

“It’s growing all the time, and there’s lots of other business to mingle with and a lot of opportunities for collaboration work.”

Victorian cottages, once home to generations of mining families, have been torn down. But new houses, ranging from starter homes to five bedroom properties, have been built.

At the shuttered mine where hundreds of men used to descend to the coalface for each shift, there are new industrial sites.

Symphony Group, a furniture company, built a factory and distribution hub in the area in 2008 making fitted kitchens and bathrooms. It says it employs 900 people and earns a turnover of 100 million pounds.

US firm Leggett & Platt makes bed springs. Internet retailer ASOS opened a distribution centre in 2011, taking advantage of transport links to create up to 1,000 new jobs.

A 125 million-pound new shopping centre is back on track, after being delayed because of the 2008 credit crunch.

Gareth Scargill, who runs the Digital Media Centre, says the office space has done well, even though Britain’s economy is still mired in the difficulty it hit since the financial crisis.

“We’ve really noticed an upturn since the start of this year, and we know that the CDI (creative digital industries) sector employs more than 120,000 people in Yorkshire alone and businesses are waking up to the fact they don’t have to be based in Leeds or London to get ahead,” he said.

The area’s tentative recovery from its bleakest days is not likely to soften the local hatred for Thatcher any time soon.

“When I heard the news she had died, I shouted out ‘rejoice’,” said former miner and union leader Stephen Brunt, echoing Thatcher’s own words following a victory in the Falklands War. “She absolutely decimated mining communities with her policies and we will never forgive her.”

The coal industry - foundation of British prosperity since the Industrial Revolution - had already been in decline for decades when Thatcher took power in 1979. Coal, like other big industries, was in the hands of the state and losing money.

Britain was emerging from the “Winter of Discontent”, when strikes caused rubbish to lie uncollected in the streets and bodies to go unburied. A coal miners’ strike in 1974 had led to a three-day working week to save electricity.

Thatcher denounced union leaders as “the enemy within”, and was determined to crush them when they took the miners out on strike in 1984 to prevent the closing of money-losing pits.

With the backing of the right-wing press, she shipped thousands of police from around the country to guard those miners who carried on working.

Former miner Paul Winter remembers the bloodiest battle, at Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire on June 18, 1984. He was 19

Miners’ bloodiest battle at Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire in June 1984

‘The loss of jobs, the loss of livelihood, the loss of a sense of community and family can’t be forgotten’ when he stood at the picket line, which was charged by baton-wielding police on horses.

“The full weight of the state was against us,” Winter said in the library of the college where he now works. “The whole heart and soul was ripped out of the union movement.”

His colleague Sean Philip Fitzpatrick, also present that day, recalls: “There was no holding back. Police lines opened up and horses were at full tilt when they went in to miners.”

After the strike collapsed, the coal industry was not merely cut back, it was wiped out.

When Thatcher took office Britain had nearly a quarter of a million coal miners. When she left, there were barely 50,000. Today only a few thousand remain.

In Barnsley alone, more than 16,000 mining jobs were lost in the decade following 1984, reducing mining from nearly a quarter of all jobs to zero. The number of people with any job remains below the level of nearly 30 years ago.

Like her constituents, local councillor Burgess has no kind words for Thatcher.

“I don’t think it’s possible to forget the devastation in Barnsley that was caused by Margaret Thatcher’s policies and how she put those in practice. The loss of jobs, the loss of livelihood, the loss of a sense of community and family can’t be forgotten. It cannot be forgotten.”

Still, when she talks of the local government’s efforts to lure in investment, Burgess puts her emphasis firmly on the private sector.

“What we have got now is an enormous focus on developing an enterprise culture in Barnsley, and a culture where people want to start up businesses, where we support existing businesses and where we encourage inward investment.”

Whatever the people of Grimethorpe and Barnsley may say about Margaret Thatcher, some of them are speaking her language.

11 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

News Review Exemptions

This mountain of tyres in Dali is causing concern to residents who see them as a fire hazard. The recycling company has until the end of the month to sort it (Christos Theodorides)

EXEMPTING additional groups from a haircut on Bank of Cyprus (BoC) deposits could mean higher losses for other depositors, Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) Governor Panicos Demetriades warned on Monday. The government has decided to exempt various entities from the scheme, such as municipalities, charities, schools, and insurance companies. Various groups have also demanded their provident funds be exempted.

Naughty list THE Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) on Tuesday handed lawmakers a list of 6,000 companies and individuals who withdrew money from Cyprus up to 15 days before a controversial Eurogroup decision to force losses on depositors as a condition for a €10 billion bailout.

However, the chairman of the House Ethics Committee, which was due to look into a list detailing transfers of more than €100,000 from the two major banks - Bank of Cyprus (BoC) and Laiki - said the list fell short of what he had requested.

Family ties ATTORNEY-general (AG) Petros Clerides used his position to suspend prosecution for his son, Christodoulos Clerides, 32, a lawyer, for a driving offence on the grounds that he had done it for other’s people’s children so why not his own.

But the AG has said he has done nothing wrong. Police filed a case against Christodoulos Clerides on June 11, 2011 and the AG informed Nicosia District Court in November 2011 that the Republic was suspending prosecution. He confirmed the information on Monday night during a television show.

Cornerstone DEBT-STRICKEN Cyprus is pinning its hopes for economic recovery on the potentially vast reserves of offshore natural gas, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Tuesday.

“Taking into consideration the difficulties that we now face due to the economic crisis, the prudent exploitation of the domestic hydrocarbon resources has been set as the cornerstone of our policy.

In fact, the energy sector of Cyprus shapes up today as the key towards the achievement of our goals for economic resurgence and growth and the creation of new jobs,” the President said.

From bad to worse The energy regulator (CERA) decided on Friday to cut electricity bill prices by 5.0 per cent because of the economic crisis

Drilling date NOBLE Energy will begin appraisal drilling in its Block 12 offshore license most likely in June, its CEO Charles Davidson said on Tuesday. It was the first time the Houston-based company committed to anything close to a firm date for followup prospecting after initial drilling back in late 2011. “Cyprus is very important to Noble Energy...we are committed to move forward with our Cyprus discovery,” the Noble boss said during a press briefing on the sidelines of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Conference held in Nicosia.

Gold sale CYPRUS has agreed to sell excess gold reserves to raise around €400 million and help finance its part of its bailout, according to an assessment of the island’s financing needs prepared by the Europe-

QUOTES OF THE WEEK “We are essentially paying the price for a course that led the Cypriot economy to the brink of disaster,” the minister said.

“Unfortunately it is the time we foot the bill for the mistakes, omissions and delays of the past” Finance Minister Harris Georgiades (right) “The contribution of uninsured depositors increases with every additional exemption,” Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades “I don’t feel shame or anything else for what I’ve done.

I’ve done it for many children and it would not be justifiable exempting my child simply because he was my own child” AG Petros Clerides “Out of the profits made out of the sales of gold should cover first and foremost any potential loss that the central bank might have from its ELA (emergency liquidity assistance)” ECB boss Mario Draghi

“Fiat currencies have zero intrinsic value. They hey are just pieces of green paper with dead criminals painted ainted on them” Bitcoin’s Jeff Berwick erwick “What you see before efore you is not the ghost of Christofias, but the same Christofias who not once leftt Cyprus, not even for a moment. oment. I am truly embarrassed d for those who are behind this mudslinging. Psychological logical war is worse than physical ysical assassination.”

Former President Demetris Christofias “Only an alliance of citizens can overthrow the troika’s designs and those of its local representatives” Failed presidential candidate Giorgos Lillikas

an Commission, revealed on Wednesday.

The draft assessment, referring to the gold sale, also said that Cyprus would raise €10.6 billion from the winding down of Laiki Bank and the losses imposed on junior bondholders and the deposit-forequity swap for uninsured deposits in the Bank of Cyprus. Nicosia would get a further €600 million over three years from raising the corporate income tax rate and the capital gains tax rate.

CBC chief’ THE HOUSE Ethics Committee will look into whether parliament was misled by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) governor over the terms of reference of an investigation he launched into the island’s banking debacle. House President Yiannakis Omirou said on Wednesday if the committee finds there is a case, it will draft a report and send it to the plenum for discussion behind closed doors.

If the plenum judges there is an issue of misconduct through disciplinary or criminal offences, the case will either be referred to the attorney-general, or a parliamentary investigating committee will be set up, Omirou said.

Rent freeze THE CABINET on Wednesday decided to freeze controlled rents for the next two years in light of the deteriorating economic situation in Cyprus. Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou said the decision to block rent increases from April 22, 2013 until April 21, 2015 for “controlled areas”, was taken as a result of the impact of the economic crisis, particularly on small and medium-sized businesses who rent property, shops or offices. Under Cypriot rent laws, landlords can increase rents by a maximum of 14 per cent every two years.

It’s worse THE government on Thursday put the blame squarely on the previous administration for the spectacular increase in the bailout cost for Cyprus within the space of a few months. In doing so, the DISY-led administration appeared to be confirming a draft assessment prepared by the European Commission, according to which Cyprus’ total financing needs now stand at €23bn. By contrast, the preliminary bailout agreement struck between international lenders and the

previous administration last November was thought to be worth €17.5bn to which international lenders would contribute €10 billion and Cyprus the remainder. Now Cyprus must stump up €13 billion.

A deal EUROZONE finance ministers on Friday backed a €10 billion bailout for Cyprus, after commending the Cypriot authorities for their “demonstrated resolve” and the “efforts” of Cypriot citizens the last few weeks. The ministerial support now opens the way for several eurozone countries, including Germany and Finland to seek approval for the three-year bailout in national parliaments, so that the loan agreement with Nicosia can be signed by April 24. The first tranche of the loan - €9 billion of which will come from the euro zone and €1 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)will flow to Nicosia in mid-May, following the conclusion of the independent antimoney laundering audit by Moneyval and Deloitte.

CBC board THREE Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) board members resigned on Friday, in what could only be interpreted as a motion of no confidence in the governor who has been under fire over his handling of the banking debacle. Demetriades claimed the CBC’s independence was being attacked by the government while at the same time his family was being threatened by people who lost money in the crisis. The three members, Haris Ahniotis, Andreas Matsis and Louis Christofides, quit the seven-member board, leaving Governor Panicos Demetriades alone with one remaining member.

CY saved LENGTHY NEGOTIATIONS on the future of the ailing national airline Cyprus Airways (CY) between the government, CY board and unions ended in agreement on Friday night, giving the airline a glimmer of hope for the future. Attempts to broker a deal on a government proposal to restructure the company resulted in a compromise agreement at the labour ministry, involving the unions, ministers of labour, commerce, and communication and the finance ministry’s permanent secretary.

12 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Opinion

Exiting the euro is a debate we must have EVERY DAY seems to bring another piece of bad news regarding the state of the economy, which has been in free-fall and has yet to hit the bottom. Since the first Eurogroup meeting of March 15, the situation has become worse by the day and there seems to be no end in sight. We may wake up one morning and find the country has completely shut down, crushed under the weight of its mounting, unserviceable debts with no banks, businesses or services able to operate.

We are not being alarmist, but pragmatic given the way things have veered completely out of control, the government powerless to stop the rut and our EU partners intent on revising their economic forecasts drastically downwards and making more demands of the bankrupt Cyprus state. On Wednesday night it was revealed that Cyprus would need to find another €6 billion to contribute to its bailout, after a ‘debt sustainability analysis’ showed that the financial situation is much worse

than originally estimated.

Will the Bank of Cyprus’ uninsured depositors take an even bigger hit to cover this amount because it can certainly not be raised through taxes? And how long will it be before we are told that the €13billion we had to contribute to our bailout was not enough and an even bigger amount was required? We still do not know what ‘recommendations’ the anti-money laundering audit being carried out by Moneyval and Deloitte will eventually come up with and how these could adversely impact on the economy. For all we know, a bank may have to seek ECB approval before it opens an account for a foreign company.

The truth is that even after the ESM board of governors formally approves the proposal for a financial assistance facility agreement on April 24, the uncertainty and instability will remain. Friday’s announcement that the “Eurogroup is confident that determined action in line with the reform measures spelled out in the MoU

SundayMail will allow the Cypriot economy to return to a sustainable path based on sound public finances, balanced growth and financial stability,” could at best be described as wishful thinking and, at worst, a joke.

As countless economic analysts have pointed out, the numbers do not add up and the chances of macroeconomic targets being met are almost non-existent. Even the official debt sustainability analysis warned, “there is a non-negligible risk of a cycle of household and corporate defaults propagating through the economy, leading to further banking sector losses, worsening of labour market conditions, stronger than expected fall in house prices and a prolonged loss of business and consumer confidence.”

It happened in other eurozone bailouts and Cyprus will be no

different, despite the Eurogroup’s confidence. This is why it is an imperative for the government to be prepared, exploring all options.

Perhaps the economy’s interests would be better served if Cyprus exited the eurozone, defaulted on its debts and re-adopted the Cyprus pound. The government has taken a dogmatic stand against such a move, citing all the obvious negative effects, but the option needs to be explored and studied in-depth by experts.

The government should either hire a top consultancy firm or put together a team of economists, market analysts, technocrats, etc to carry out studies of the short- and medium-term effects of leaving the euro. The effects of staying in the euro and agreeing to a second and third bailout must also be studied. If we returned to the Cyprus pound, we may have recovery and growth sooner, but we may also have rampant inflation and be unable to import essential goods from abroad. Staying in the euro may protect what is

left of people’s savings and ensure some economic stability but what good would that be in an economy expected to contract by more than 10 per cent this year?

Only once these options have been comprehensively investigated and reports prepared by experts can there be a proper debate on what must be done and an informed decision taken. The matter cannot be allowed to be resolved through slogans, rabblerousing and emotional outbursts by populist deputies more interested in their re-election than the good of the country. We are now paying the very high price of this amateurishness and superficiality, with which we have approached issues of vital importance to the country, over the years.

The government needs to be prepared for the debate on leaving the euro that is certain to start as the country sinks deeper and deeper into recession. After all, the experts could conclude Cyprus would be better off out of the eurozone.

Letters to the Editor Rent freeze does not go far enough I refer to your article ‘Rents frozen for two years’ published on Thursday April 11.

I am amazed that the DISY government cannot see the logic of cutting rents by 50 per cent as recommended by the shopkeepers association to encourage more shops to remain in operation, reduce unemployment and keep the economy ticking over- at least for the next 3-4 years of this crisis. Even AKEL recommended a 25 per cent reduction.

‘It is next to useless to merely freeze shop rents for the next two years. This freeze is already accepted by landlords and shopkeepers because of the serious crisis in the economy that we are all experiencing. This will do nothing to fill the thousands of empty shops

littering all our high streets.

I am a shopkeeper of 22 years duration in the same shop and I have experienced a reduction in sales in the order of 70 per cent. This started mainly since the introduction of the euro. Rents have been rising by up to 14 per cent by law every two years and have now reached unjustified/exorbitant levels.

Some landlords have reduced their rents but many are refusing to acknowledge the crisis and insist on making shopkeepers leave for other lower rented premises. That’s why around one third of shops are vacant and it would be a much higher figure if the new pawnbrokers/gold buyers were excluded.

Andy Georgiou, Paphos

Death threats should not be easily dismissed The assassination threats against those responsible for Cyprus’ economic woes should not be dismissed but be taken very seriously by both, authorities and citizens alike. Under no circumstance should private citizens be encouraged or allowed to take the law in their own hands. For, even if is proven that our economic and political authorities operated by the principles of a “Banana Republic” instead of the rule of law, acting against the better interest of the people, we must ensure that our judiciary system is sound and able to carry out its responsibilities to the electorate.

Although a crime of this magnitude should be deemed equivalent to national treason, perhaps a more appropriate punishment — for those proven guilty (in a court of law) of engineering, executing, or acting as accomplices— would be to confiscate all their assets, in Cyprus and around the world, and sentence them to life imprisonment.

Why? Because even citizens of a “Banana Republic” can rise to the occasion and demonstrate strength of character, fortitude, and the intelligence befitting a civilized society of the 21st century, instead of turning into a senseless mob.

I reiterate my suggestion of March 30, that the government of Cyprus takes ECB to the European Court of Human Rights.

Lilian Tsappa, California, USA

‘Jewel in the crown’ and not the ‘mule in the Med’ Your article “Tourism takes centre stage but it’s no magic bullet” (Sunday Mail April 7) makes interesting reading however there is always a ‘but’.

I am not a professional in this field, only an observer who has had some experience when dealing with the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) when I had my small food take-away in Limassol.

Yes you might well ask what the hell the CTO has got to do with a food take-away outlet. Well they authorise the licence after conducting numerous inspections, which I might add, the requirement always change on every visit. Not only that, there is the Health and Hygiene department, who come along and either undo or add more requirements.

Now I am one for good Health and Hygiene standards but the point that I am making here is that there is a cross-over of areas of responsibilities. Firstly the CTO (all I can say here is little Hitlers) who on their visits/inspections firstly make it very clear that they are the power

base and what they say goes. I have never found them to be informative/helpful just looking and writing reports which could end up with a fine. I for one did not receive any fines but did come close at one stage until I stood my ground.

Their visits/inspections, I assume are designed to ensure that you are operating within the law, I assumed because the reason for their visits was never explained to me. They look at Hygiene amongst other things, but hold on I have just recently had a Health and Hygiene inspection so why the cross-over?

Jobs for the boys and power base comes clearly to mind here and without the CTO on board no one but no one will get by. It is very clear in my mind that there needs to be a complete review of the responsibilities by all departments of Tourism in Cyprus if it’s to regain any credibility with the visitor and local business. The CTO should just concentrate on promoting Cyprus (they will need professional help here) and the Inspections/Visits, issuing

of licenses be the responsibility of the Local Municipality in conjunction with the Health and Hygiene standards department, therefore eliminating cross-over of responsibilities and unnecessary standards which eventually comes at a cost for the owner.

The bottom line here is CTO get off your butt, stop doing/interfering with other department’s responsibilities just so that you can be the Power King at play. This is 2013 not the 70/80/90. The financial sector good times are all but gone, meaning you had little to do because it (Financial Sector) kept Cyprus falsely afloat and that you appeared, amongst others, content to allow tourism to take a back seat whereas the worldwide tourism market has leapfrogged you by miles.

Investment in Greek bonds should have been investment in Cyprus Tourism. With that sort of investment Cyprus would now be the “Jewel in the Crown” and not the “Mule in the Med” A, Limassol

Sleight-of-hand sophistry Everyone is someone’s child The bold-as-brass revelation by the incumbent Attorney General that he intervened to stop the prosecution of his son for driving offences was compounded by his attempt to justify it on the grounds that he regularly does this sort of thing for others! Presumably, he means, for example, the notorious lawyer nicknamed variously as ‘La Stigette’.

Sorry, but such a self-justifying argument is nothing short of sleightof-hand sophistry designed to cast attention away from the fact that it is wrong.

As detectives know, if you want to hide something, hide it in plain sight. It is on the cards that the new government, which has al-

ready made public an anti-corruption agenda, will establish an Independent Commission Against Corruption to investigate and prosecute corrupt practices and individuals.

In most jurisdictions where ICACs have been established (e.g. Hong Kong), the first public service to be cleansed is the police force since the latter are instrumental in pursuing fully and impartially all criminal activity including allegations of fraud and corruption. Perhaps in Cyprus the Attorney General’s office will also need to be high on the ICAC’s list.

Dr Alan Waring, Larnaca

‘AG Pardons all drunk drivers’ ; You missed the chance of writing this striking headline. His comments, as you reported them on Wednesday April 10, show he “suspended prosecution” of his son and that “he would have done the same for someone else’s child”. Perhaps the Attorney General hasn’t realised that everyone is someone else’s child. Therefore every drunk driver may expect the same irresponsibly lethal (to other drivers, walkers, cyclists, mothers pushing prams etc.) leniency.

David Guest, Nicosia

Please cancel my wife’s ticket Dear Attorney General. Can you please tell me what information you require to cancel a speeding ticket my wife received yesterday as this is not a criminal offence and my wife is someone’s child.

Best regards Aglangiotis.

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13 SUNDAY MAIL •April 14, 2013

Opinion Photovoltaics mean investment, cheap electricity, increased competitiveness and jobs in these areas have amounted to tens of billions per year with an impressive growth rate.

Attracting 2.6 billion euros in these areas to Cyprus would not be difficult because such investments have quick recovery of initial capital and high profits.

The purchase cost per kilowatt hour of a 10MW solar farm is 7.4 cents, according to the latest quotes submitted to the government, while the cost of kWh production by EAC is double, almost 15 cents. So, the cost per kilowatt hour of solar panels for large parks will not exceed 6.8 cents. For every 400 MW PV that will go into the network, the cost to the consumer will be reduced by 10 per cent and at the end, with the completion of the “Green State” plan, we would end up paying 14 cents per kilowatt hour, instead of the 27 cents we do today.

The savings in fuel by the EAC at the end

As the biggest landowners, the church and the state can grant or rent land on favourable terms to energy investors

Green energy could save the economy W

E LIVE in very difficult times. It is a world marked by cut-throat competition, the pursuit of narrow, national interests, greater geopolitical rivalries and non-transparent financial dealings. This is the world we live in. To survive in such a world we need education, knowledge and sound judgement.

We live in very challenging times. We, therefore, must plan for tomorrow. Development will not come from selling homes to Russians and Chinese; that was the old economic model that has just collapsed. The green economy and creativity of young people, who have remained unutilised resources, must feature and society itself should be the heart of the new economic model.

At this time, apart from being intelligent, rational and prudent, we must be brave. We must not to be afraid of drastic change and confrontation, we must not shy away from exploring new alternatives for ourselves and our country.

What we need today, as a state, is a clear vision which we will be fully committed to.

The finance minister of Sweden made a sarcastic remark recently. He said: “What is Cyprus? Just a few beaches and some financial institutions”. But Cyprus is not only that. It is also its people who have proved to have many strengths, as well as the creativity and the talent of its youth. The people are in fact the most important wealth of Cyprus. The quality, thought, creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurship are all that constitute the wealth of Cyprus of today and tomorrow.

In these difficult times, where the problems are huge, we need bold, unconventional solutions.

I am of the view that Cyprus can quickly compensate for its losses, if it invests in three key areas: a green economy; a knowledge society focusing on research, innovation and development, and the development of medical education and medical services.

I will focus however on the first sector, which I consider to be the most significant one.

Looking at and analysing scientifically the

Comment Constantinos Christofides energy map of Cyprus through time, one can conclude that our energy planning today is simply a result of mainly political compromises made because of the unions. The existing energy map clearly reflects outdated objectives and past eras. So, we need a new energy map that meets current needs, but also the present economic circumstances which are pressing and urgent.

The new project will lead to the following seven developments: attraction of new energy investments; a drastic reduction in the price of electricity; a drastic reduction in fuel import for the electricity authority (EAC); an increased competitiveness of the economy; alignment with the priorities of Europe as far as the green economy is concerned; the creation of a substantial number of green jobs, and maximisation of windfall profits in transportation, tourism and agriculture. The government should proceed immediately to a new policy, aiming to transform Cyprus into a “Green State”, while gaining political advantages and the support of Northern Europe.

Simultaneously, this new policy will enhance the new branding of the island, as the Green State rather than as a financial centre.

The shift to green development is the key priority for Europe too. Thus, we will be able to take advantage of significant funding opportunities, which will help small and medium-size enterprises, agriculture, farming, rural communities, research centres and hospitals. The field of the Renewable Energy Resources is the easiest and most transparent sector, to which foreign investors could be attracted without difficulty.

We should, therefore, conduct and implement a five-year plan that will make Cyprus a “Green State”. The government and the church, the main core of large land owners,

should within this five-year programme grant or rent land on favourable terms to energy investors, who can install 20 solar parks, of 100MW power each.

The total capacity of those parks could reach a 400MW. However, those parks should be built immediately in order to be integrated directly with the existing electrical network and strengthen it.

The benefit of inter-connecting 400MW to the grid for the EAC will be direct and active, since the EAC will save 150 million euros per year from importing fuel and the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) will be automatically reduced by 10 per cent.

The parks of 400MW power, like all solar power plants will be awarded through transparent international competitions. In parallel with the first parks we should begin to design their extensions with the prospect of reaching a 2000MW power, so we cover 80 per cent of the country’s energy needs by 2017.

In order to be able, however, to expand to such large sizes of photovoltaic power, we should also proceed with creating hydroelectric pumped storage dams, which will give us full coverage during the 12 night-hours.

DESALINATED WATER With an infrastructure of 200 million euros, we will be able to produce 70 million cubic metres (m³) of desalinated water per year. We will, therefore, secure the water needs of Cyprus forever, as well as the smooth operation of hydraulic power storage.

The total cost for the photovoltaic parks, the pumped storage and the desalination system is estimated to reach the amount of 2.6 billion euros, without having the government to invest one euro! The money can come from private and foreign investment.

Let me analyse in more depth the seven key points of the “green state” project of Cyprus.

International funds, related to the renewable energy resources and the green economy, are by far the fastest growing ones. Investments

‘The creation of a Green State must become the national objective’ of the five year period, when we will have achieved savings of 80 per cent, will be close to 600 to 700 million euros per year at current oil prices. Simultaneously, there will be large savings in operating costs.

The drastic reduction in the price of electricity will have an impressive impact on the economy´s competitiveness The reduction in the price of electricity will positively affect tourism, production, agriculture and households.

All major European Union actions for the next seven years deal directly or indirectly with alternative green economy initiatives.

Presently, these funds are mainly attracted by northern European countries. If our country decides to get in line with these European priorities, the necessary infrastructure can be created in order to successfully attract these huge European funds.

The investment of 2.6 billion euros in green economy companies, will create around 3,000 new jobs -for engineers, technicians, and other workers - in a five-year period.

Our country has the major advantage of long lasting sunshine. We have been committed by the European Union to increase the percentage of solar power usage in our energy mix before 2020. If my proposals were implemented, we can meet this target by the end of the year.

It will make our economy more competitive in all fields.

Namely, it will affect positively our tourist product. Cheap energy will also drop substantially the price of water and increase its quantity. The cost of electricity will drop to the minimum. The price of water per cubic metre, which now is over 70 cents with the kWh at 25 cents, will drop to half with a cheaper photovoltaic kWh. Additionally, we will have abundant quantities of water, which will enable the agriculture sector to become independent from the weather conditions.

Please note that Germany exports bio products that amount to over 15 billion Euros per year! The livestock farming sector will modernise and people will move to the countryside in big numbers.

The development of alternative agriculture will also give us new possibilities of biomass energy production. This is how a green circle is created.

Cheap electricity will set the foundations for the design of a new modern urban transport system, with an emphasis on electric transport. External funding for this field will become finally viable and worthwhile.

Under these conditions, our tourist product will change dramatically. Our tourists will not choose Cyprus just for its wonderful beaches, its antiquities and its weather and natural beauty, but also for the quality of services, its green energy and its bio and organic products.

The creation of the Green State must become the national objective, as it will give direction to our struggling economy, open new windows of opportunity for the young generation, create jobs, drastically improve our competitiveness and allow us to live in a cleaner, safer environment.

Constantinos Christofides is the rector of the University of Cyprus

14 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Opinion

Stop dreaming standing up They are after everything, insured deposits or not Comment Hermes Solomon

I

F YOU were the warehouse manager of a Saudi Arabian food importer, would you risk losing a hand if caught stealing food from warehouse stock to feed your starving family?

Fortunately, Cyprus courts do not cut off the hands of those caught stealing or stone to death those convicted of adultery.

Here, we permit drunken drivers related to ‘the presidents’ men’ to run amok. We imprison cannabis growers, dealers and ‘some’ rapists and murderers of Cypriot nationals only. Those ‘foreigners’ without direct access to the ‘elite’, found guilty of committing petty misdemeanours outside pubs, betting shops, but not at football stadiums, may well receive stiffer jail sentences than known Cypriot arsonists and pimps, who are fully paid up members of any of our political parties.

Those ‘president’s men’ responsible for the disappearance or misappropriation of billions of euros from our banks and treasury will never be brought to justice, so stop dreaming standing up!

And do hear me now; this ‘elite and classy’ theft and destruction of our economy is far from over. Get this into your stubborn heads; gas is not, and will never be our saviour given past performance

by our government in all matters to do with the running of a state!

The final percentage ‘haircut’ figure, expected last Monday from the Central Bank, has been postponed until September say officials.

But we all know, or at least suspect that the Central Bank wants a lot more than the initially stated 25 then 40 and now 60 per cent. In fact, they want the lot and are in the process of manufacturing laws to protect themselves against the thousands of lawsuits that are certain to ensue from what is basically downright theft directed by the troika (the real victims being middle class families and small business owners).

This fiscal rape of depositors’ savings will occur only in the Republic of Cyprus say ‘die gnädige Frau und Comrade Putin’. ECHR, my arse!

And those so called ‘protected’ depositors should stop sighing with relief and realise that their 100,000 euros or less is as much at threat as are the unprotected depositors’ millions.

Why so? Well, let me explain.

If the present monetary restrictions/controls are not lifted, it will take you ten years to acquire the first 50,000 euros and a further ten to receive just 60 per cent of the balance. In other words, by being forced to reinvest the 90 per cent balance in a similar untouchable deposit account means virtual imprisonment of the majority of your savings no matter how many names are on the account. You might be dead in 20 years’ time and still have money forcibly on deposit. This manner of extortion is commonly prac-

Chart indicates 2006 – 2012 movement of monetary financial institutions (MFI) deposits in Cyprus of German and French banks (black), Cyprus depositors and businesses (red), Cyprus banks (blue), banks outside Eurozone (green), and Russian ‘mobsters’ and Brits (yellow/orange). Source: www.mdbriefing.com tised by gangsters and called protection money. But who’s protecting who?

Thieves may enter your house, beat you around the head then rob you of your jewels and cash. When they have departed you will pick yourself up (if you can), brush yourself off and go to your local bank to replenish your losses only to discover that 50 euros has become the maximum daily take-away.

Which is worse, a one-off break-in at your home, or permanent filching of your finances by a Central Bank forever manipulating directives?

Many will be forced by ever worsening circumstances to

steal to survive. The bankers are far from starving although they are, in reality, compulsive kleptomaniacs.

And just why should ‘certain groups’ be protected from haircuts; provident and pension funds, trade union funds, insurance companies, private schools and institutional funds, while the ordinary and vulnerable savers’ accounts are mercilessly ravaged by insatiable scavengers? Surely, a one off haircut rather than this ‘slow and progressive destruction’ of our economy would have been preferable.

All account holders should share out losses equally - po-

tato farmers and professions alike. There should be no exceptions for whatever reason lest exceptions become the rule rather than the exception.

And just who are the genuinely deserving? Surely, we are all in the same boat? If you are raiding the safe of a bank you don’t leave cash on shelves one, three and five and take only from shelves two and four. A thief, even if colour blind, will load the five hundreds first then follow on in descending order until his rucksack is full.

We are all vulnerable. We should not have to wait interminably to be told which of us

is not.

If our Central Bank continues to conduct business in this disorderly fashion, the Republic of Cyprus will descend into the Wild West of the Near East! The ‘black’ economy will prosper, nobody will pay bills and we might need to install safes, renew our shotgun licences, suddenly show a keen interest in the use of small firearms and take lessons in target practice rather than the guitar or bouzouki double lock newly fitted secondary doors, iron grill windows, imprison ourselves in our homes in the same way as banks have imprisoned our savings. Our tourist towns will soon become ghost towns awaiting windswept tumbleweed. Checkmate!

But our Central Bank governor and Attorney-general’s consistent misconduct is nothing compared to the way the eurozone banks crushed our banks by investing up to 60 billion euros here at high interest rates, only to remove 50 billion of it weeks before our government was given that infamous ultimatum bail-in or we’ll starve you out!

Who are the real thieves in this story - the Russian oligarchs, the naïve Cypriot bankers and AG or the eurozone banks, who created an eleven billion hole in our banking sector then threatened us with that guillotine cut off?

It appears that the key preliminary step of the Cyprus bail-in is that money-centre banks in Germany and other “core” Eurozone nations pulled their money out of the soon-to-implode Cyprus banks just before the crisis was announced (money laundering, misch!).

The real thieves are the prison wardens, not the prison guards! I’d cut more than their hands off if they gave me half a chance.

Recovery must focus on speedy gas extraction Comment Max Gevers A GENERAL feeling of despair reigns in Cyprus, doom and gloom everywhere, a belief that it will take more than 10 years to rebuild the economy.

Yes, Cyprus faces problems; yes, it is in crisis; yes unemployment will rise to record levels. But is Cyprus down and out? No! Cyprus has absorbed an uppercut, but the referee has only counted to five; there is time until the 10. Will it last more than 10 years to get out of the mess? No! A recession can be swiftly avoided, recovery achieved in under three years, plus a much earlier very substantial reduction in unemployment. Years of austerity need not lie ahead!

The government has to take hard decisions now, impose them forcefully and weather social unrest. The solution is draconian but necessary and must be imposed top down, with the following elements: First, the economy has to be fully geared towards the exploration and production of hydrocarbons at an

accelerated pace. Exploration and evaluative drilling should be dramatically intensified. Negotiations with the operators to this end should start forthwith. There should be as few operators as possible for the entire process of exploration, evaluation, production and transportation of gas to Europe. It must be geared to getting net financial results fast.

Later, this could be reviewed, taking into account the complexity of the operations.

Second, there should be a confidential approach to Turkey, either through Greece, a discreet third party or the UN. The purpose is initiating negotiations with Turkey and northern Cyprus to reach an agreement on sharing hydrocarbon proceeds with northern Cyprus, without prejudice to the position of the parties on the Cyprus problem. The express proviso is that it should not imply interstate recognition of northern Cyprus, UN involvement therefore being essential. Financial incentives and benefits to all parties could mitigate the political pressure of recognition. Involvement of Turkey is important as it would be the most economical way to exploit and export gas to Europe. There are signs

that Turkey would be amenable to this. There is also a financial incentive for Turkey to engage in this process. Costs of sharing proceeds with northern Cyprus would be partly offset by savings to the Cyprus government of exporting directly or indirectly through Turkey.

Other options would substantially increase the complexity of operations, costs and the time factor to reach financial benefits.

There is another element to this.

There would not be any profitable production of hydrocarbons at all without some form of sharing agreement with northern Cyprus. Turkey will see to that. The sight of a single Turkish gunboat in the vicinity of a production platform will halt any operation. There is nothing Israel will do about that. Why? Because Turkey hosts the American Incirlik military Base, that provides protection against any missiles targeting Israel and the area.

Third, agreements should be reached with the hydrocarbon operators and universities, in Cyprus and abroad, on intensified training of Cypriot personnel in the industry of gas exploration, evaluation, production and transportation. The process of exploiting natural resources in

the Cyprus exclusive economic zone should eventually be Cyprus owned and that includes northern Cyprus.

Government oversight is essential, but private industry involvement should be maximised with Cypriot companies to join in the process gradually, as staff acquire training and experience. The educational system should accelerate a shift towards study and training in the required disciplines related to the hydrocarbon industry.

Fourth, Cypriot banks must be re-energised maybe with some foreign expert management, and start concentrating more on commercial banking, thus becoming increasingly involved in the financial arrangements necessary for the new hydrocarbon related industrial focus. They would thus regain their strength. The days of easy money are over for good. Hard work is required, incidentally, also in the tourist sector.

Fifth, government involvement should be minimal for this process to operate smoothly and efficiently.

The bloated public sector should stay out of it. Five years of outdated communism have destroyed the economy. A fortiori, if the disabused government is serious about cutting

costs, it should start by introducing legislation to cut the bloated civil service in half, increase working hours without corresponding pay rises, abolish most overtime pay, reduce allowances and perks, recalculate pensions, even for some years retroactively, and speed up and increase the scope of the sale of the SGOs. Cyprus has lived far too long on easy money, mostly from others.

There will no doubt be an outcry from the trade unions. They should be crushed. They have been one of the main factors which has led Cyprus to become the lazy fat cat of the Eastern Mediterranean.

In conclusion, the new Cypriot economy would get a huge boost, possibly also more assistance in various forms from the EU and become really competitive in Europe. There is an added benefit. The process of recovery described above, redemptive on its own, would also create a platform for positive and intensified cooperation with the north and with Turkey. This could lead to a far more productive atmosphere and process for attempts at solving the Cyprus problem.

Max Gevers is a former ambassador of the Netherlands to Cyprus

15 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

Opinion uotes of the week “After 60, a woman is like Africa. Everyone knows where it is, but nobody wants to go there”.

Joan Collins on the sorry plight of the older actress Ballet classes for children have suddenly become unaffordable luxuries

The real problem is, we just don’t know how bad it will get T HIS Is less a Letter from London and more a Letter from Cyprus.

I came back on Monday past because I wanted to be close to my friends and family during these difficult times and I also wanted to do my bit for a newspaper I think of as family.

All anyone talks about is what is going on and how bad things are. Then you hear that there is hope and there are opportunities for growth. Then you hear everything is on the brink of destruction. Then the conversation ends with: “I don’t know.”

In fact “I don’t know” is something I’ve heard a lot since being back. No one seems to know anything about anything. The only other thing people do keep saying is that “it’s still too early”.

“It’s still too early for people to feel the impact of what’s happened.”

“It’s still too early to know if people will have their homes repossessed.”

“It’s still too early to tell precisely how this will impact the economy.”

“It’s still too early to know how many people will lose their jobs.”

“It’s still too early to tell how many pay cuts there will be and by how much.”

“It’s still too early to tell if people will start relocating abroad.”

“It’s still too early to tell if charities will receive state funding.”

People have all these questions and nobody has any of the answers. The media is rife with mixed messages and that’s because the powers that be can’t seem to decide which way is up.

There’s also something else I’ve noticed: the shame. People seem to be ashamed about losing money. About losing their job. About not losing money. About not losing their job. Nobody wants to talk about it. Nobody wants to go on the record about what they’ve suffered or not suffered.

I have spoken to at least half a dozen individuals who have been wiped out in this disaster. Not one would go on the record. There are also people who feel ashamed because “I’ve got it good”.

They think that because they still have a job, even one that just about makes

A letter from London Alexia Saoulli

ends meet, and that because they are still managing to make their mortgage payments that they have no right to complain. OK they are not jobless or homeless or penniless, but they are still making sacrifices. Some have told me their children won’t be going to private school next year. Others have told me they can’t afford to send them to extracurricular activities anymore.

“Those are just luxuries,” one embarrassed mother told me. “I mean it’s only ballet or tennis.”

Tell that to her eight-year-old daughter, who doesn’t understand what is going on; who doesn’t understand that although mummy and daddy work really, really hard, things are really, really bad right now. And besides, why shouldn’t parents send their children to ballet or tennis lessons? Why should they feel ashamed about wanting to give them opportunities that perhaps they didn’t have?

“I don’t want people to hear about me worrying about taking my son out of private school,” another parent told me. “In the grand scheme of things it’s not a big deal.”

But to that child, it is a big deal. I changed schools as a kid and, although you survive, it’s hard.

And then there’s the guilt and selfreproach.

“Why didn’t I move my money? Why did I believe the bankers at Laiki that everything would be all right? Why did I believe the president when he’d promised no haircut? How could I have been so stupid? How could I have let my family down?”

Others feel violated.

“It was daylight robbery. Do you understand that I went to bed and woke up and all my money was gone?”

Pensioners have lost everything. They

worked hard their entire lives and now they have nothing to live on.

Refugees have lost everything. These are people who lost everything once, struggled to make a nest egg, and now have lost it again.

Orphans who have not only lost their parents but have now lost the savings intended to give them a helping start in life.

People in their prime, at the pinnacle of their careers, cut off at the knees.

“I’m going to have to file bankruptcy.

I’ve worked so hard and now my business is ruined. My suppliers are demanding payments upfront and I don’t have the money to make the payments anymore.”

And do you know what? It’s not even the money that’s the shocker. It’s the fact that all these people have had no control over what has happened to them.

Our critics will say that our greed and intransigence over the years allowed this to happen and that we Cypriots had it coming. I think that’s harsh. I think when you look at the people who have really suffered; you don’t see bad people or greedy people. Instead, you see the faces of people you know. Good, hardworking people who didn’t have aspirations of grandeur but instead thought if they worked hard and honestly they would make enough to get by.

People like George, the bank clerk, who greeted you with a warm smile when you went to make a deposit but is now facing the axe; like Maria, who used to teach ballet but now has no income because her students’ parents can’t afford the luxury; like Maroulla who cleans houses to put her children through university and now has been laid off; like Panicos, the car mechanic, whose boss has told him he has to learn to live on €600 a month.

I can’t quite grasp anything concrete or draw any conclusions. All I know is I leave on Wednesday and I don’t feel like I’ve really understood what is going on. Maybe it is after all “still too early to tell”.

“Believe me, having a teenage daughter is like living with the Taliban”.

Best-selling author Kathy Lette “When it comes to how many vodka martinis you should drink in one sitting, I say they are like broken marriages: one is utterly understandable, two really is quite enough, and once you start getting to three and beyond, people will start talking about you”.

Actress Cleo Rocos “I feel that I think like a girl. If you live in a house with just women when your brain is forming, well, I think my thought process became more similar to a woman’s”.

Actor Ryan Gosling

“If someone wants to debate political questions, then it is better to do it clothed rather than getting undressed. You should undress in other places, such as on nudist beaches”.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who was confronted by topless protesters

on a visit to Germany “In addition to the bedroom tax, how about a shopping trolley, trampoline, broken fridge and cooker, jet-ski, speedboat and caravan in the front garden tax?”

Martin Heard, of Greasby, Wirral, in a letter to the Daily Mail “English humour, Swedish music, Italian gastronomy, Spanish intoxicants and French champagne”.

Arts Council chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette describes the “ingredients” for a “Euro meltdown” party he is co-hosting next month “I think pregnant women are radiant and beautiful and the idea of lactation is an interesting one”.

Comedian Russell Brand

“Few figures can have had such a divisive effect on society. The ultimate Marmite politician: she was either loved or hated. There was no middle ground”.

Giles Fraser, former Canon at St Paul’s Cathedral, questions the rightness of holding Thatcher’s funeral service in St Paul’s “Let’s not beat about the bush. Ed Miliband is not a leader. Your average voter wouldn’t follow him to the chip shop, never mind the New Jerusalem”.

Don Hodges, would-be Labour MP and son of Labour MP and ex-actress Glenda Jackson “Fascinating”.

Former Cabinet Minister Chris Huhne’s view of prison life

16 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

World in pictures

A girl sits by Buddhist monks during a public meeting of the Tibetan spiitual leader, the Dalai Lama, after he was awarded the award of Minorities in Trento (AFP)

A competitor runs on a dune during the “Marathon des Sables”, 300 kms south of Ouarzazate. The 223,8 kms Desert Marathon is considered as the hardest in the world (AFP)

British police look on as a little girl holds a rose amid floral tributes at the home of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in central London. Thatcher died on Monday and her funeral will be on Wednesday (AFP)

A motocross rider shows his skills during a training session outside Burj Khalifa on the eve of the 2013 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour in Dubai (AFP)

A supporter of Venezuelan acting President and presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro at his closing campaign rally in Caracas ahead of the April 14 election (AFP)

Durremy Stravius competes in the men’s 100m backstroke semi-final during the swimming championships of France in the city of Rennes (AFP)

17 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

Coffeeshop

Unions provide a slight giggle in our tragic times PEOPLE must be mightily depressed with the news they have been reading and hearing the last month or so. Apart from the odd, outrageous sound-bite from the Archbishop there has been absolutely nothing to make us smile, let alone laugh. It has been justified anger, misery and tears for weeks.

It might seem in bad taste to raise the matter, but there have been a few pluses to the catastrophe that hit our Kyproulla. One of them has been watching the self-important union bosses lose their swagger and militancy and sounding like mental cases whenever they do try to use the outdated rhetoric of the good old days in our post-apocalyptic times.

On Thursday, the biggest Cyprus Airway union Synika, rejected the government’s proposal for keeping the bankrupt airline afloat for a few extra months, announcing that the issues at stake were too important to be the subject of an ultimatum.

The Synika leadership wanted dialogue while an AKEL-controlled union said the government was blackmailing the workers and its rescue plan was unacceptable. It also wanted dialogue in order to bash out a better deal.

The unions had their dialogue requests satisfied and Friday night a deal was reached that was not very different from the one they had called unacceptable on Thursday.

Union bosses who secured their members’ conquests, over the decades, by resorting to blackmail and ultimatums should have known, better than anyone, that an ultimatum is a take it or leave it choice that precludes dialogue.

IT MAY sound mean, but it is difficult to feel a hint of sympathy for these overpaid, underworked, parasitic Cyprus Airways employees who have been sucking our blood for decades and want another gallon as compensation.

The main dispute with the government is over the redundancy compensation that should be paid to the 560 (later cut to 490) employees who would be laid off as part of the so-called rescue plan. Unions want compensations over and above what employees that are made redundant are entitled to by law.

It was not enough that staff plundering of the company had driven it to bankruptcy, its workers want to be paid a ‘bonus’ compensation to accept redundancy which is the main reason the ‘rescue plan’ that was prepared seven months ago was never implemented - greedy CY staff were holding out for higher compensation packages.

As finance minister, Vasos Shiarly, had offered them 20 per cent more than they were entitled to but his colleague at the labour ministry, the clueless, big-spending commie, Sotiroulla promised the CY bloodsuckers pay-offs 50 per cent higher than their legal entitlement. The village idiot’s cabinet approved her insane proposal just before leaving office, but had no time to send it to the legislature.

The deal agreed Friday will keep the airline going for a few more

months, after which anything is possible.

SPEAKING of greed and selfishness, our judges would give the Cyprus Airways employees a run for their money. I would have thought that after the meltdown the country has suffered our wise and learned judges would have withdrawn their appeal from the Supreme Court against the pay cuts imposed on them.

I had credited them with too much public spirit and common sense.

The case continued on Thursday, with the lawyers representing the penny-pinching judges union putting the case against the pay cuts on the grounds that they were in violation of the constitution.

One of the main arguments of the judges’ lawyers was that the pay cuts would destroy the independence of the judicial authority, permitting the legislature and the executive to interfere in the independence of the courts. And as the super-sharp lawyer Polys Polyviou argued, it was wrong to treat judges as public employees, because they were independent state officials.

But all other independent state officials had their wage cut in the austerity drive, without their independence being affected. How would a judge’s independence be destroyed if he gets paid a few hundred euro less a month? I have been racking my brain for an answer but cannot think of one.

I hope Polyviou, who is much brainier, will offer me a rational explanation as to why judges would cease being independent if they get less money? Surely they would be more independent, when they would have no reason to keep their paymaster the government - happy.

There would have been a real risk of them losing their independence if the government offered them 20 per cent pay rises, but I am sure they would not have appealed to the Supreme Court against such a decision.

THE MEDIA did not make anything of the Attorney-general Petros Clerides’ admission on Sigma TV on Monday night that in some instances he chose not to uphold the rule of law. It was quite an astonishing admission by the top state official responsible for law enforcement and bringing criminals before justice.

In November 2011 Clerides suspended prosecution against his son Christodoulos who had been caught driving over the alcohol limit. His boy’s car had no MOT and the road tax was unpaid. The story was hushed up until it appeared in Greek newspaper To Ethnos last Sunday, but even then it was not picked by Cyprus’ media.

Reports were everywhere in social media but none of the papers deemed it newsworthy enough to cover. Is it because the AG had not prosecuted hacks driving over the limit in the past or because he was a good source of stories for them?

ON MONDAY night, Sigma TV presenter Chrysanthos Tsouroullis asked Clerides to comment. He

confirmed the story and boasted that he had not swept the case under the carpet, but allowed it to go to court before suspending prosecution. And as if to confirm his suspect intellectual powers he said: “I don’t feel shame or anything else for what I’ve done. I’ve done it for many children and it would not be justifiable exempting my child simply because he was my own child,” Clerides said. At the time of the offence his child was 32 and a practising lawyer.

We certainly did not want the attorney general to discriminate against his own flesh and blood, when he was letting off all youngsters driving under the influence of alcohol.

Having an AG who does not believe in enforcing the law is a novelty even by Kyproulla standards. But, to his credit, he treats everyone equally - he does not prosecute anyone’s child (even if the child is 50 years old) who is caught driving over the limit. Orphans, on the other hand, feel the full force of the law because the AG cannot make exceptions for drunk drivers who are nobody’s child.

EVERYONE laughed when they heard the once mighty ETYK boss Loizos Hadjicostis declaring that he would not allow a single bank job to be lost. “And all refugees will return to their homes,” retorted a cynical bank employee.

Hadjicostis, one of the biggest fans of Andreas Vgenopoulos, has earned his members a stay of execution by arranging for all Laiki staff to be taken on by the B of C, until the high-achieving nerds of Alvarez and Marsal, who are currently running the bank, decide how many employees will be kept on, at drastically reduced wages and benefits.

It goes without saying that Hadjicostis will not allow any reduction in bank employees’ wages either and will bring back Vgen to save the B of C. IF YOU had no deposits over 100 grand at the B of C, were not a shareholder and did not bank with it, you would feel some sympathy for the way it has been turned into the dumping ground for all the economy’s toxic problems.

First it was lumbered with Laiki’s €9.2 billion debt to the European Central bank (ECB). Why the ECB was not bailed in like everyone else, for unwisely lending billions to an

Attorney-general Petros Clerides is understanding of the foibles of the young. Drunk driving is not to be punished but excused instead insolvent bank for inadequate collateral, only the fascists of the troika can tell us. In addition, the B of C was told that Laiki’s collateral was inadequate and it would have to up the security for the debt that had nothing to do with it.

Second, as some kind of compensation it was given all Laiki’s operations in Kyproulla - the good and bad banks. Third, it was forced by the troika fascists to sell its operations in Greece for peanuts and the ruthless buyer, Piraeus Bank, is now - quite disgustingly - demanding it pays an even lower price, on some lame grounds.

Fourth, it was forced to take on all Laiki’s staff, which it will have to pay until a redundancy programme is put in place by A&M and then compensate them to leave. And fifth, our government also added to the B of C’s problems by exempting a range of deposits from a hair-cut, which means the haircut on the remaining uninsured depositors would be even bigger.

The only thing the government and the troika have not yet thought of doing is to give the B of C ownership of Cyprus Airways as well. It is as toxic as Laiki, so I would not rule it out.

DEPUTIES unable to engage in any form of populism these days have been persisting with their farcical witch-hunt aimed against people who had the sense to move their money out of Laiki and B of C before March 15 Eurogroup meeting.

The House ethics committee which has initiated this ridiculous campaign was informed this week that 6,000 people had moved money out of the two banks in the first 15 days of March. Had they all been tipped off by President Nik? But 6,000 names were not enough for the ethical deputies. Now they want the names of the people who withdrew money from the beginning of the year. And what would they do once they have 10,000 names, considering these people/ companies had done nothing ille-

gal, unlawful or irregular?

They would serve society better if they demanded the names of all the children that were caught driving over the limit, but were not prosecuted because the AG does not like enforcing the law.

IF ANYONE wants to have a laugh during these depressing times I suggest they go to YouTube and type in ‘Bank of Cyprus adverts’. You will get an entertaining account, as long as you are a Greek speaker of how the once mighty bank was encouraging people to give it their money.

A classic is of a man at work and the solemn voiceover saying poetically, “For things you have worked hard for; for the late nights and stress; for those that support you (picture of family); for what will come. Safeguard your dreams with the deposit schemes of the Bank of Cyprus. The sure choice.”

A more appropriate ad for today, which could be described as prophetic when it was made in 2011, has a man arriving with a crate of olives to an olive press, telling the person in charge, “I came to deposit my olives.

And when do I get my oil?” He is told he could have his oil in advance, in monthly instalments, at the end of the year ... “Deposit schemes from the Bank of Cyprus. We give value to your choices.”

The bank could re-run this ad soon, as payment in olives is certain to catch on.

HOWEVER, the advert that perfectly illustrates the folly and recklessness dates back to 2007 and features a sexy woman dancing ecstatically in the wilderness, in front of a standard lamp. The reason for the B of C customer’s joy was that she had just been given a housing loan plus “almost free insurance” plus money on her credit card to “spend on her house”. The gifts the bank was offering with housing loans amounted to €1300. Watch it and weep on http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=FyzXKa03kdA.

18 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

EducationUK

The cost of studying in the UK for 2013/2014 Education UK exhibition to offer information about places to study and what are likely to be top careers in the coming years STUDYING in the UK can cost less than you think. EU students can benefit from paying no tuition fees in Scotland and applying for a Tuition Fee Grant in Wales or applying for tuition fee loan in England and Northern Ireland. A UK education is a unique experience that you can’t put a price on. Better English, work experience, developing career-relevant skills, living in a culturally diverse society and making new friends and contacts are all part of studying in the UK. Full time students from the EU won’t have to pay any tuition fees up front and will be able to apply for a Tuition Fee loan from Student Finance England to cover the full cost of their tuition fees.

If you are a full time student at a private university or college you can apply for a loan to cover up to £6,000.

Tuition fee loan is also available for distance learning students. The loan is paid directly to your university or college. You have to pay it back. Your repayments are linked to your income. You only make repayments when your income is over £21,000 a year. More information can be found at www.gov.uk/studentfinance

Education UK Exhibition April 2013 April 18 & 19, Ajax Hotel Limassol, 3:00 – 8:30pm, free entrance

A wide variety of financial help is available to study in the UK Studying at a University in Northern Ireland EU applicants who wish to study in Northern Ireland will pay course fees of up to £3,575. For further information regarding student finance in Northern Ireland and loan application form, visit the www.studentfinanceni.co.uk Studying at a Scottish University EU applicants who wish to study in Scotland, do not have to pay for their own tuition. Eligible applicants can apply for financial support through the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. Further information can be found on the www.

saas.gov.uk Studying at a Welsh University The Welsh Government gives EU students a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £3,575 plus a Tuition Fee Grant of up to £5,425 (which doesn’t have to be paid back), to make up the balance of the actual fee charged (up to £9,000). The subsidy will vary depending on what the university or college charges, for example if they charge £7,000 the Tuition Fee Grant will be £3,425. For more information on student finance in Wales, go to www.studentfinancewales.co.uk SCHOLARSHIPS

Over 3,000 scholarships are available at UK universities at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Find more information at www. educationuk.org.

Following the successful exhibition of November 2012 with over 4,500 visitors, the British Council is organis-

ing one more exhibition with 22 British universities, where interested people can get face to face information about undergraduate, postgraduate, full-time, parttime and distance learning courses, fees and finances and entry requirements for 2013/2014.

It is worth mentioning that during both days of the exhibition the seminar/workshop ‘Forget the traditional professions of today; become successful professionals of tomorrow’ will take place.

Through this seminar the 20 future professions that will be considered as common in 2020 or 2030 will be presented, such as body part makers, nano-medics and time bank traders/time brokers.

British Council advisors will be available on both days to provide both students and

parents suggestions and options for their career choices. The British Council’s Education UK team supports potential students to choose what is best for them and to secure a place at a university by offering services such as personal counseling, UCAS, postgraduate applications and follow up, accommodation and loan application services, translation and certification services.

Finally, visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to win fantastic prizes by entering the British Council’s Social Competition. More information at 22 585000 and at the British Council Cyprus Facebook page.

The exhibition is sponsored by UNITE Group, CYTA UK and IELTS

Maximum annual tuition fees for 2013 entry Table 1: Based on current knowledge Residence of student

Cypriots and other EU Other international students

Location of institution England Up to £9k Variable

Scotland No fee Variable

Wales Up to £9k Variable

Northern Ireland Up to £3,575 Variable

The transformative power of a girl’s education UK Child rights ambassador Sarah Brown will present a UK preview in London of a film narrated by a host of Hollywood stars on the transformative power of girls’ education.

Sarah, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, presented Girl Rising at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) on April 11.

The film tells the stories of nine girls from nine countries, written by nine celebrated writers and narrated by nine renowned actresses.

Oscar-winning actresses Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep are among the A-list stars who have lent their voices to the film.

The film, part of social action campaign 10x10, will be screened as part of an event hosted by global children’s charity Plan UK and technology firm Intel.

Education and Sarah’s life choices and challenges will be among the topics discussed in the talk devised

by Plan UK as part of its Because I am a Girl campaign.

Supporting Sarah on the panel was Shelly Esque,

president of the Intel Foundation, who will share the firm’s programme for improving technology education among women and girls.

Girl Rising is central to a new global campaign

Oscar-winning actresses Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep are among the A-list stars who have lent their voices to the film Sarah said: “We live in an era in which a girl can be shot for daring to go to school with her friends, or mocked by a government official for not choosing teenage marriage over her own schooling.

“This is why it is so powerful to have compelling films that pay tribute to the courage of girls attempting to overcome inequality and poverty.”

Holly Gordon, executive di-

rector of the 10x10 Campaign, said: “Girl Rising is central to the global campaign we’ve built to educate girls - and change the world.”

Tanya Barron, chief execu-

tive of Plan UK said: “It’s a travesty that so many girls are out-of-school and issues including child marriage and sex discrimination are keeping them out of the

classroom.

“These problems do not always receive the public attention they truly deserve, which is what makes this film so special.”

19 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

EducationUK

‘Gulf widens’ among poorer students

By Alison Kershaw THE gulf between the proportion of working class boys and girls attending UK universities widened in the first year of the tuition fee hike, according to new research.

It suggests that male students from the most disadvantaged areas of England appear to be increasingly less likely to study for a degree.

Will Hutton, chair of the Independent Commission on Fees, which conducted the study, said that there has been a “worrying” widening of the gender gap.

The study analysed UCAS data on the numbers of students accepted on to university courses between 2009 and 2012.

Tuition fees were trebled in 2012 with English universities allowed to charge up to a maximum of £9,000.

The findings show that in the 40 per cent of English neighbourhoods where teenagers are the least likely to go to university, around 1,700 fewer boys aged 19 and

under were accepted on to degree courses in 2012 than in 2011.

The fall is partly down to changes in the population, the report says, but adds that the drop represents a 5.4 per cent decline in the numbers of young male students from these areas going to university.

There was a smaller drop, around 3.7 per cent, in the number of female students aged 19 and under from these neighbourhoods being accepted on to university courses, it adds.

The study says that the decline in boys from all backgrounds going on to higher education is “notable”. Between 2010 and 2012, there was a 6.2 per cent drop in boys from the richest neighbourhoods going to university, and a 1.4 per cent drop in boys from the poorest.

It adds that while the decline was bigger among boys from the richest areas, there are still 20,000 more male students from these areas going to university each year than those from the poorest backgrounds.

WHO WILL BE THERE

Fewer boys from all backgrounds are attending university Hutton said: “Today’s report shows that the first year of fees produced a worrying widening in the university gender gap. In working class areas, there has been a decline over two years in the number of boys accepted for university, while the number of girls accepted has risen.

“This is particularly worrying, because women are al-

ready a third more likely to go to university than men, and the danger is that the higher fees may be having a disproportionate impact on men, who are already underrepresented at university.”

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said: “Application figures for 2013 from UCAS show that

the proportion of 18-yearolds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds is the highest on record.

“Last summer the acceptance rates for applicants from disadvantaged areas also increased as did the proportion of people from disadvantaged areas accepted at more selective universities.”

The University of Bolton Middlesex University University of Bradford Newcastle University Canterbury Christ Church University Northumbria University Cardiff Business School Nottingham Trent University University of Central Lancashire Oxford Brookes University City University Royal Holloway (UOL Federal) University of Derby University of Salford University of Greenwich (London) The University of Sheffield University of Kent Teeside University Le Cordon Bleu London University of West England London South Bank University University of Wolverhampton

20 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Lifestyle

City of London’s Roman remains ‘rival Pompeii’

By Louise Jury AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL dig in the City has been hailed as “the Pompeii of the north” for the treasures that have revealed new details about life in London during Roman times.

More than 10,000 artefacts and an entire streetscape have been found at the site in Bank, where waterlogging by the long-lost Walbrook river created perfect conditions for their preservation for nearly 2,000 years.

The finds include 100 wax tablets, which are written records and which experts hope will reveal the names of Roman Londoners and the streets they lived on.

The discoveries have been all the more surprising because the site has already been heavily investigated. Archaeologists were brought in as part of the planning process for the new European headquarters of Bloomberg, the news organisation, because the site

on Queen Victoria Street was already home to the most important excavation in London of the 20th century.

The Roman temple of Mithras - dating from the 3rd century AD - was discovered in 1954 and experts from the Museum of London Archaeology believed that the surviving parts of the temple had already been fully excavated and dismantled, and that no other remains would have survived the extensive building work of the Fifties and Sixties.

However, they were astonished to discover even more of the temple, including walls to the vestry and other finds which will help to put it into context.

“All the 50 archaeologists who are working on site at the moment know they are unlikely to see one like it again,” said project manager Sophie Jackson. “Why the site is so incredibly important is the quality of the preservation of the archaeological finds that are normally lost or decayed

on otherr sites.”

Finds include nd Rothe second man doorr to be d in discovered ital, the capital, ete a complete a m b e r gladiator amulet, st the largest olever collection of ck good luck charms in e of the shape d phalluses and fists, and a giant decorated piece of leather that is believed to be part of an item of soft furnishing, and which is without parallel in the known Roman world.

Experts will now analyse the relics which were uncovered after the excavation of nearly 3,500 tons of soil. It is the largest collection of small finds recovered in a single excavation in London.

The remains of the temple that were found in 1954 were

for many years shown in a poor display near the site.

They will now be put back near to where they lay.

By the time the Bloomberg building is completed in 2016, a public exhibition of the latest key finds will be able to explain more of the Roman way of life that existed around the site.

View of the excavations at Bloomberg Place. Artefacts clockwise from top left: amber amulet in the shape of a gladiator’s helmet, lead or tin plaque depicting a bull and copper alloy plate brooch with blue enamelling

Dark drives Nordic film boom Crime and vampires put traditional art house movies in the shade

By Simon Johnson GONE ARE the days of Greta Garbo and Ingmar Bergman, but from arty documentaries to brooding crime stories, Nordic movies and television shows are enjoying an international boom.

Swedish documentary Searching for Sugar Man won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, Features. Two Swedish sound engineers also won Oscars and movies from Norway and Denmark were both nominated for best Foreign Language Film.

“Right now, here in Hollywood, we are talking about the Nordic trend because we have seen so much great stuff coming from there recently,” said Fredrik Malmberg, CEO of Paradox Entertainment, a production company based in Los Angeles and Stockholm.

Scandinavia has in the past mainly been associated with arty, intellectual films. Searching for Sugar Man, the story of two die-hard fans seeking a missing- and-assumed-dead musician with a cult following in South Africa, fits well in that genre.

“In Sweden, we have had Ingmar Bergman, but also oth-

ers that have given Sweden a kind of aura you can think of Garbo and Ingrid Bergman,” said Anna Serner, Head of Sweden’s Film Institute.

“In Denmark, you have Lars von Trier who is one of the world’s biggest directors. Finland has (Aki) Kaurismaki.”

But it is the darker side of Scandinavian culture which has been the building block of recent success.

That has included the crime novels of Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo and Sweden’s Henning Mankell, as well as the blockbuster Millennium trilogy of Stieg Larsson, of which The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was made into a Hollywood film with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara.

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been a big influence,” said Serner.

“When such a film breaks through - and the interest started with Let the Right One In then eyes are turned to us and since then there has been a lot of interest in Swedish film.”

Malmberg, who was executive producer on Let Me In, which was a 2010 Hollywood remake of moody S Swedish vampire flick Let the Right One In, said the success of Nordic crime novels had opened doors in Hollyw Hollywood.

Tomas Alfred Alfredson, the director of Let the Right O One In went on to direct Gary Oldm Oldman and Colin Firth in Cold War thrille thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in 2 2011.

“An “Any book that gets pu published in the genre is optioned the day it is produced,” he said, describing how Hollywood studios pay for the rights to turn novels into movies.

“Hollywood is very observant, and picks up on trends, that’s what we do,” he said.

Crime and horror are odd specialities for nations that are wealthy, healthy, whe where murder levels are rela relatively low and child wel well-being tops the in-

Crime series like The Killing have attracted millions of viewers abroad. Simon Chinn (left) and Malik Bendjelloul celebrate winning Best Documentary award for Searching for Sugar Man at the BAFTAS in London in February ternational rankings.

But it is the contrast between light and dark that inspires fascination, said Peter Aalbaek Jensen, who founded film company Zentropa with award-winning Danish director Lars von Trier.

“We are living in darkness up here most of the year and the mentality is dark,” said Aalbaek Jensen, whose collaboration with von Trier included Melancholia in 2011, Dogville in 2003 and executive producer credits for both men on Denmark’s 2013, Oscar-nominated drama A Royal Affair.

“We are these extremely rich and spoiled nations that like to be moody. That’s exotic,” Aalbaek Jensen said.

A small domestic market has also forced Scandinavians to adapt to the tastes of a wider audience to make their films pay.

“We make 90 per cent of our income abroad and most of the financing also comes from outside Denmark,” Aalbaek Jensen said. “So we are forced to be international because we don’t have any money. Maybe that is an advantage.”

TV shows like Denmark’s The Killing have attracted millions of viewers in countries like Britain and spawned a copy-cat series in the

United States.

Scandinavian directors also punch above their weight.

The 2011 smash movie Drive, starring Ryan Gosling, was directed by Dane Nicolas Winding Refn, while Norway’s Morten Tyldum, who made Headhunters, based on a Nesbo crime novel, has signed up to direct The Imitation Game about English mathematician Alan Turing.

“When we are discussing projects right now, we are saying ‘can we get a hot Nordic director for this’, said Paradox’s Malmberg.

Success has dragged along the region’s acting talent, with Sweden’s Alexander Skarsgard from TV-vampire series True Blood, Dane Mads Mikkelsen - a recent Bond villain - and Sweden’s Noomi Rapace, who has starred in both Bond and Sherlock Holmes - among the hottest international properties currently.

Malmberg, however, was cautious about whether the region could build on its success.

“Hollywood is so trendy, rest assured the trend will move on,” he said.

“A couple of years ago it was Korea, Korean movies, then it was Nordic movies. Who knows what the next thing will be.”

21 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

Business & Jobs

In 1974 we had the freedom to grow

82 per cent of tourist accommodation was lost in 1974

Economic conditions and choices are very different now ANY people have stated that this is the worst economic crisis the Republic of Cyprus has faced. This is absolute nonsense. Likewise, there can be no comparison between the enormous economic and social problems that we were able to tackle after the Turkish invasion of 1974 and now.

The main difference in 1974 was that Cyprus was united in dealing with the situation.

There was excellent cooperation between government, trade unions and business.

Everyone pulled together, the planning mechanism was intact and Cyprus had considerable freedom of movement.

The Cyprus pound was strong and maintained its strength, and innovative policies were introduced to get the economy going.

In 1974 there was no Friedmanite dogma dominating policy and pure Keynesianism was used. Despite a very conservative ďŹ nance minister, who however understood that crisis situations are not a time for economic dogma, it was decided that the situation necessitated implementation of an expansionary

M

Comment Costas Apostolides policy that could bring quick results. None of the above is in place in Cyprus today, because we are strangled by the eurozone and the dominant dogma, and there is no political unity. Further, more, liberal economists have dismantled the planning system, and the new government has come in trapped by its own philosophy and has agreed to things that they could never have accepted from any other government.

The current economic model which has been so criticised by the Germans and other Europeans was in fact one of the innovative policies introduced in1975 to build up Cyprus as a business and ďŹ nancial sector. The success of that model contributed considerably to growth and was a direct result of the Turkish invasion.

Though this model has come under attack, I do not believe that it has been destroyed by the Eurogroup and the Troi-

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ka (European Commission, European Central Bank and IMF), but will lose one of its legs, the banking sector. The other, more signiďŹ cant ones could well survive and prosper as long as we manage to organise the recovery well.

The economy of Cyprus in 1974 had the following characteristics (note that the key years for comparison are 1973 and 1975 because the data for 1974 cannot be used because they relate to both before and after the invasion): (1) GDP at current prices was â‚Ź564 mln (three per cent of 2012 or 24 per cent at constant prices).

(2) 36 per cent of the territory was under occupation.

(3) 180,000 Greek Cypriots were displaced and 44,000 Turkish Cypriots.

(4) The wealth loss of Greek Cypriot property north of the Green Line was estimated at 1974 values at â‚Ź3,233 mln (almost seven times GDP) and at 2012 values over â‚Ź60 billion.

(5) The infrastructure costs were huge (loss of only airport and deep water port, disruption of communications, loss of water supplies, and 82 per cent of tourist accommodation and about half of all industries etc).

(6) Unemployment was 17 per cent (compared to 13 per cent today).

(7) All the banks were bankrupt since loans in the north were cancelled, but all deposits were respected.

The social fabric was prevented from falling apart by the family connections with about half the displaced living with relatives and friends for a considerable period after August 1974. By 1978 there was a return to full employ-

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ment and the economy was booming.

How was it accomplished?

The most important factors in the recovery were as follows: (1) The Cyprus government was free to implement the measures it felt necessary including printing money and implementing exchange controls, managing the foreign exchange well and maintaining the value of the currency.

(2) The liquidity and reserve requirements of the banks were reduced, and innovative loan schemes introduced, such as the Fund for Priority Investment projects, as well as penalties for banks holding excess liquidity and not issuing loans.

(3) Agreement between government, trade unions and business to reduce wages (by up to 25 per cent) and to increase taxation for businesses.

(4) Tax concessions were introduced for businesses investing and creating jobs.

(5) Government land and loans for manufacturing and hotel development.

(6) The emigration of Cypriots to get jobs and send remittances.

(7) The attainment of projects in the Middle East

by Cyprus construction companies.

(8) The expansion of labour intensive industry which absorbed the unemployed and increased exports substantially.

(9) Favourable conditions for trade in the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf States with the development of the oil rich states of the region and the civil war in Lebanon which attracted migration and investment to Cyprus (10) The re-establishment of the tourism industry in Ayia Napa, Larnaca and Limass-

sol.

(11) The massive infrastructure and housing projects undertaken by the state.

Contrary to popular belief during the crucial period up to 1978 foreign ďŹ nancial assistance was a useful factor (mainly US Aid for humanitarian relief and housing) but not a major factor in the reconstruction and development of the country. In the 1980s and 1990s World Bank loans were signiďŹ cant in developing major infrastructural works (i.e. irrigation projects, roads, sewerage etc) but that came in after the miracle.

The crucial factors in all this however were the willingness of society and the political parties to work together and proper planning with innovative, practical schemes.

The Cyprus pound enabled projects to be ďŹ nanced and the re-emergence of the banking system resulted in the Cyprus banks buying up the foreign banks (Chartered, Grindlays, Barclays) which had fallen behind because, unlike the local banks, they had not invested in the Cypriot recovery.

It should be clear that the problem today is the imposition of the troika’s illogical and unreasonable conditions and the restrictions of being an EU member state in the eurozone, which prevents the freedom of movement to create the type of policies that will bring about growth. Without growth the present agree-

ments on Cyprus will fail.

In view of this, a strategy should be developed that meets the requirements of the Memorandum agreed yet at the same time implements policies for growth, while also developing fall back Plans “B� and “C�. These alternatives are necessary because if the effects of the memorandum calculated by foreign think tanks are correct (which I am not sure is the case) the economy is envisaged as losing 20 per cent of GDP over the next two years. If that occurs it will be impossible for the government to meet the requirements of the memorandum, and therefore it must have alternative plans ready just in case. Plan “B� could be a plan to shift government debt repayment to the future. Plan �C� should be for an agreed and managed withdrawal of Cyprus from the eurozone and return to the Cyprus pound.

Just in case we have problems 18 months from now, and again face troika blackmail we should be prepared with Plans “Bâ€? and “Câ€?. In the meantime when we have the ďŹ nal details of the Memorandum and the bank haircut we should try to estimate the effects and consider realistic measures for encouraging economic growth.

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

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22 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Business & Jobs

New UK tax residence test now in effect Investment Bill Blevins Bill Blevins is financial correspondent for Blevins Franks International.

THE UK finally has a statutory residence test, which came into effect at the beginning of the new UK tax year on April 6.

If you are UK resident, you are liable to pay income and capital gains tax in the UK on your worldwide income and capital gains.

Until now, ‘residence’ was not defined within UK legislation.

Taxpayers had to rely on previ-

ous case law and HM Revenue & Customs guidance (the latest version being HMRC6) to determine their residence position. The rules contained many grey areas and some taxpayers inadvertently fell foul of them.

The new statutory residence test provides much more certainty, but is not simple.

HRMC’s guidance notes run to 55 pages and are more complex than originally appears.

You also need to take the local Cyprus residence rules into account, so for certainty on your position speak to a firm like Blevins Franks which is based in both countries and fully understands how the two regimes interact.

To assess your residence status, you now need to work through the following tests in the order shown. The first is absolute, so if you are non-UK

resident under this test, the other two will not apply. If the second applies, the third is ignored.

1. The automatic overseas test 2. The automatic residence test 3. The sufficient ties test All references to “years” are a UK tax year, and a day in the UK is counted if you are there at midnight.

Automatic overseas test If you meet any of the following conditions, you will automatically be treated as not resident in the UK: You were not resident in the UK in any of the previous three UK tax years, and are present in the UK for fewer than 46 days in the current year.

You were resident in one

or more of the previous three years, and present for fewer than 16 days in the current year.

You work overseas full time and spend no more than 30 days working in the UK (work day = three or more hours), and spend no more than 90 days in the UK in the relevant year.

Automatic residence test You will be automatically treated as resident in the UK if you meet any of the following conditions: You spend at least 183 days in the UK in the current tax year.

Your only or main home is in the UK. You work full time in the UK for at least 365 days without a significant break from work of

31 days or more, subject to certain conditions.

Sufficient ties test If your residence position is not determined by the above two tests, the number of days you can spend in the UK in the relevant tax year without being UK resident depends on if you are an arriver or leaver, and the number of connecting ties you have with the UK. These are: Family - spouse and/or minor children live in the UK Accessible accommodation if available to you for at least 91 days and you spend just one night there Work - 40 days or more 90 days - if you spent 90 days or more in the UK in either of the two previous tax years Country - if you spend more days in the UK than any other

single country (‘leavers’ only).

This test operates on a sliding scale, so the more ties you have with the UK, the less time you can spend onshore without becoming UK resident.

For peace of mind about your tax residency status, and which taxes you should be paying and where, speak to an experienced advisory firm to British expatriates like Blevins Franks. They will also be able to guide you on the solutions for improving your tax position.

The tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual should take personalised advice.

To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www. blevinsfranks.com

Wealth list to expose France’s ‘caviar left’

By Catherine Bremer AN INVENTORY of French ministers’ assets could set off a storm when it goes public tomrrow, exposing a handful of millionaires in the Socialist government as the nation endures spending cuts and rampant unemployment.

For the first time in France, President Francois Hollande is publishing a list of bank deposits and property held by all 38 ministers as he scrambles to stem public fury over his ex-budget minister’s disclosure he lied about a secret Swiss bank account.

While the register will exclude their stakes in companies, it could still reveal enough riches to trigger re-

sentment of the “caviar left” in a country with a cultural distaste of ostentatious wealth.

Topping the list could be Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, the oldest and most experienced of Hollande’s ministers, but also the richest, with a fortune estimated in the millions of euros, much of it in the form of inherited works of art.

“We’re taking a risk. It’s the risk of transparency,” acknowledged a senior government official, adding with a sigh: “This country has a very particular relationship with money.”

Whereas public officials in dozens of countries including the United States routinely publish their tax returns, politicians’ finances are considered a private matter in

France.

Hollande, who pleased the grass-roots left by declaring in 2007 that he disliked rich people, wants to pass a law later in April forcing parliamentarians to also declare their wealth.

The gamble is that rather than calm the scandal over Jerome Cahuzac, the budget minister who quit in disgrace last month and is now under investigation for tax fraud, the asset inventory could trigger calls for more heads to roll.

“There will be a before and an after,” Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday after meeting lawmakers opposed to publishing their assets.

Opposition conservatives scoffed at the plan.

Jean Francois Cope, head of

the UMP party that Hollande ousted from power last May, said it smacked of voyeurism.

Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppe, a well-heeled former foreign minister, called it “grotesque” as he posted a statement of his property and bank accounts online, despite not being required to.

Hollande has always made clear his dislike of money, marking his difference from Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the onetime presidential hopeful whose ex-wife is a millionaire heiress.

He declared a decade ago that anybody earning more than 4,000 euros a month counted as rich and is pushing to impose a 75 per cent “super tax” on income over a million euros.

While Fabius is a respected

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius is the richest minister Socialist Party veteran, he is also the son of a rich antique dealer father, an art collector himself, and owns a chunk of French auction house, Piasa.

A dinosaur in Hollande’s

youthful government, the 67year-old has a valuable gravitas and breadth of experience as a former prime minister, finance, budget and industry minister.

23 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Property

Cubans on the move as new real estate market grows Sales rising under reformed real estate rules, prices range from $25,000-$40,000

By Jeff Franks

A

t an informal housing market on Havana’s historic Paseo del Prado, Renaldo Belen puts the hard sell on a prospective buyer under a tree hung with handlettered signs advertising homes for sale.

A house near Boyeros, the avenue to the city’s airport, is being offered for the equivalent of $120,000, with all the amenities.

“The house is beautiful, it has four bedrooms, a pool with a bar and a fountain with a lion’s head on top. Look,” says Belen, pointing to photos on the sign, “water comes out of the lion’s mouth.”

Pausing for dramatic effect, Belen, one of the many touts, or “runners” working at the market, delivers what he hopes will be the coup de grace. “This place needs no work. It is of capitalist construction,” he says, using a now frequently invoked commendation meaning it was built before Cuba’s 1959 revolution and is therefore of superior quality.

Given that “capitalist” has been a dirty word in communist-run Cuba for the last half century, the description perhaps grates on the nerves of Cuban leaders.

But its widespread usage is a sign of the times on the Caribbean island, where President Raul Castro has loosened things up as he tries to modernize the country’s economy in the name of preserving the socialist system put in place by his older brother Fidel Castro.

In November 2011, the government decreed that Cubans could buy and sell homes for the first time since the early days of the revolution, paving the way for a real estate market that has become an exercise in bare-knuckled capitalism. Previously, Cubans could only do swaps - or “permutas,” in Spanish - with their houses.

“For Sale” signs are now a common sight on homes and apartments across the country, more than 100,000 properties are posted for sale on Internet sites and even state television has gotten in on the act, devoting part of a daily show to sales announcements sent in by viewers.

The government last released figures on the market in September 2012 when

it said 45,000 dwellings had changed hands in the first eight months of the year, partly through sales, but mostly through “donations.”

Cubans say many sales are disguised as donations to avoid paying sales fees and taxes.

The new market, despite its apparent vibrancy, is still sorting itself out and still faces hurdles. The main one is that many people are trying to sell and few Cubans, who receive various social benefits but earn on average the equivalent of $19 a month, have the money to buy.

“With the new law, you can sell your house, but there’s no money, nobody to buy.

There’s more being offered than there is demand,” said retired economist and math professor Raul Cruz, who has had his apartment in the Vedado district on the market for five months.

Havana was once considered an architectural jewel with an eclectic mix of colonial homes and modern Art Deco construction, but much of the city outside the touristy Old Havana district is in a dilapidated state after

with Cuban connections buying the more expensive properties.

Sixty-year-old graphic designer Pepin, who did not want to give his full name, has been trying for six months to sell his nearly century-old Vedado home, two stories and painted blue, for $130,000.

So far almost everyone taking a look has been a foreigner or a Cuban with family abroad providing the money, he said, and all have tried to bargain for a lower price.

“One Chinese man, for example, offered me 80,000, but I’m not desperate or anything. If they give me what I want, fine. If not, I’ll stay here,” he said, relaxing in a chair on his plant-enshrouded front porch.

By law, the market is open only to Cubans on the island or those living temporarily abroad. But foreigners, including Cubans living in the United States or other countries, are buying properties in the names of Cuban spouses, family members or friends.

Companies with offices abroad have sprung up to cater to foreign buyers, post-

‘By law, the market is open only to Cubans on the island or those living temporarily abroad. But foreigners ... are buying properties in the names of Cuban spouses, family members or friends’ decades of neglect and corrosion from humidity and salty sea air.

A study by a Miami-based group found that asking prices range from the equivalent of $5,000 to $1 million, with a median price range between $25,000 and $40,000. Cuba has two currencies, the peso and the convertible peso, the latter of which is used in most housing transactions and is pegged one-to-one with the US dollar.

What has developed is a two-tier market, the runners at Paseo del Prado say, with Cubans mostly buying small places for between $5,000 and $10,000 and foreigners

ing photographs and descriptions of properties across the country on the Internet. Attempts to speak with one of them, Point2Cuba, went unanswered.

The reasons foreigners buy are varied, said Emilio Morales, president of the Havana Consulting Group in Miami.

“I have heard of people who are buying homes and turning them into businesses,” he said. “Some are looking for an investment, others doing it for their family (in Cuba).”

The Cuban government has laid the groundwork for allowing foreigners to buy property on the island, but

Hard sell: Havana was once considered an architectural jewel with an eclectic mix of colonial homes and modern Art Deco construction, but much of the city outside the touristy Old Havana district is in a dilapidated state after decades of neglect and corrosion from humidity and salty sea air only in resort developments for which approval has been pending for years.

It could inject billions of dollars into the cash-strapped economy by opening the real estate market to all in a new foreign investment law, said Morales.

Information on pricing in the real estate market is sketchy, but the general sense among Cubans is that asking prices began high and have come down somewhat.

Most blame the drop on the supply and demand problems, while others point the finger at another Raul Castro reform - a newly liberalised migration law, which took effect on January 14 and makes it easier for Cubans to go abroad.

“Prices have dropped now because there’s a greater incentive after January 14 to sell and abandon the country. Which is to say that people hurry up and want to sell quickly,” said Roberto Perez, who is trying to sell his twostory home near the sea in Havana’s Playa district for $200,000.

The prices depend on the necessity of the seller. “Someone who has a visa (to go to another country) and has a house worth 60,000 may sell it for 30,000,” said Belen, the Paseo del Prado runner.

Selling is being driven by Cubans wanting to cash in on the sole major asset most of them have. One of the quirks of Cuban communism is that while most things are property of the state, the vast majority of the country’s 3.2 million homes are owned by the people living in them.

“This is one of the things that gave longevity to the Revolution. They have some-

thing that most people in Latin America don’t have and wish for,” said Miami lawyer Antonio Zamora, a Cuban American who visits the island frequently.

While some sellers want to sell so they can leave, many simply want the money so they can live better in Cuba.

Most said they would use part of the money to buy a smaller house, then live off the rest or use it to open a business.

Need and the low economic standards on the island have created some incredible bargains for people accustomed to paying high housing prices in other countries.

One woman, who did not want to give her name or the location of her residence, said she had recently sold the sixbedroom penthouse with a sweeping sea view she shared with several family members for the equivalent of $130,000.

The buyer was a European with a Cuban spouse.

“I know it’s going to be worth a lot more in 10 years but everybody in the family wanted the money now. When we were moving out, a man came running up and told me he would give me 50,000 more than whatever the sale price was, but we had already signed the contract,” she said with a sigh.

Zamora, the Miami lawyer, predicted that Cuba would one day be a big market for Cuban Americas retirees.

“This is going to be huge,” he said, noting that Cuba has low crime and health costs, as well as good airport connections to the United States and a well developed money transfer industry for remittances. “$750 in social security in the US is nothing here in Miami but it can go a long way in Cuba,” he said.

24 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

Property

Is Cyprus now ready for joint ventures? Claiming property rights LEGAL ISSUES WITH GEORGE COUCOUNIS

Technical professionals well served by pooling efforts

By Antonis Loizou FRICS BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron declared during the G20 summit that “the crisis will teach us to work together”.

At this point in time and with particular reference to the technical professional offices in Cyprus (engineers, architects, valuers, planners Q.S. etc.) all agree that it is time to start considering the joining of offices and the creation of joint ventures – partnerships - reaping economies of scale and providing diversity of work, in order to meet this unprecedented crisis in Cyprus.

Each professional in Cyprus wants to have his own office. He starts with a small office with one assistant and one secretary and is helped by his family in terms of typing, administration etc. The profit of this one-man office is around 20-25 per cent on the turnover.

At the second stage, if successful, the office increases its staff to 10-20 people, and at this stage, although his turnover is larger, there are increased overheads and the profit falls to 15-20 per cent on the turnover.

If it manages to reach over 80 people, then the office becomes more profitable due to economies of scale, reaching a profit margin of around 30 per cent on the turnover. This can only be done successfully, however, if there is a number of partners.

We note that, other than some legal and accounting firms (and more recently also private hospitals), the technical profession has not managed to sustain a single partnership of substance for more than three to five years. We suspect the reason is more of a matter of education for this class of professionals. This has caused such offices to be of a very small scale, not capable to tender for big jobs – both locally and abroad, whereas when the main partner goes, his goodwill also goes away, with no hope of selling the business to others. In addition, due to the small scale, the single partner must work very hard, cannot attract newcomers due to the lack of a pyramid structure, and so forth.

For this reason and in order for such firms not only to survive but also to expand and increase employment, bearing in mind nowadays the hundreds of unem-

Each technical professional in Cyprus wants to have his own office ployed professionals, we suggest the promotion of the idea of joint offices, with the undertaking of some sort of initiative by the Ministry of Commerce and the Technical Chamber.

Thus, in order to become attractive, the following parameters must firstly be met: -the provision of Governmental loans at low cost (or commercial loans through Governmental guarantees) for technical professionals who join up to the above arrangement – subject to various parameters (personal guarantees etc.).

-funding of approximately 50 per cent of the cost of the venture, up to €200,000/ venture spread over three years, to be repaid within a period of 10 years, with interest of 3-4 per cent p.a.

-strict six-monthly reporting to the Government for the first two to three years.

-a tax break for the first three years.

-the new ventures to be required to provide health insurance, provident fund and pension, etc., for their members of staff.

One appreciates that a technical office of 80-plus people with diverse activity has the manpower to tender for large jobs, both in Cyprus as well as abroad.

With the small offices we have at the moment, many local large-scale jobs are undertaken by foreign firms. In addition, enlarged local offices can seek corresponding offices from abroad who have the technical expertise, whereas with lower local costs in Cyprus, work may be un-

WHAT YOU GET FOR

dertaken locally for jobs outside Cyprus.

There are opportunities for this idea to grow and now is the time to start considering it. During 1990–2000, we, as an office, lost the opportunity to expand in Greece due to our small size. Similarly in Bulgaria and Russia which then came under the communist system and needed modernisation in real estate matters. At that time, international firms were not interested in taking an increased risk in such countries, whereas for us it was more feasible.

More recently we were asked to prepare a property tax system for a certain exSoviet country, while another job was for us to value the assets of a certain emirate.

There was no chance to secure such jobs and we passed on the enquiries to our associate British firms.

It is a matter of attitude and, potential partners apart, we have, as Cypriots, all sorts of people becoming involved in the running of a business. Hence, even when firms start out with the best omens, somewhere down the line, personal relationships spoil the path.

What a shame that when other professions seem to be thriving on such ventures, in our own technical fields we are struggling to survive.

Antonis Loizou & Associates Ltd - Property Valuers & Property Consultants, www.aloizou.com.cy, ala-HQ@aloizou.com.cy

A CLAIM of a property right over an immovable property requires the presence of all the necessary parties in order for the Court to decide and adjudicate finally the matters in dispute. Failure to include a necessary party deprives him of the right to be informed of the procedure and to be heard, making the judicial measure ineffective.

The Court in such a case has no other alternative but to note this as a fact, to state the absence of a necessary litigant and dismiss the action or any other legal proceeding without getting into the essence of the dispute.

Even when a necessary litigant joins in the action but the writ of summons is not served to him and it expires, he is considered absent, a fact which affects the procedure although no remedy is sought against him. The matter is not procedural but is fundamental, since it is impossible for the Court to order the cancellation of the registration of an immovable property without the previous owners, original and subsequent owner, being informed of the legal proceedings.

The issue is relevant to a number of cases especially between relatives who transfer properties to each other and afterwards claim the cancellation of the registration of a property due to fraud, mistake or false pretences.

As long as the transfers made are connected, the one is consequential to the other, and thus, the parties involved are considered necessary litigants.

The same applies regarding the procedure of obtaining a right of access where the new purchaser is absent; the application is considered shortfall and cannot proceed.

Recently the District Court of Paphos examined the aforesaid issue in an action whereby the priority right of a co-owner (first option) was violated contrary to the provisions of article 25 of the Immovable Property Law, Cap.224.

In particular, the original co-owner, although she was joined in the action as defendant 1, the action was not served to her since she lives abroad, the property was

not registered in her name anymore and the writ of summons expired.

The Court underlined the fact that the original co-owner was a necessary litigant and her absence affected the procedure of the action. It referred to case law relating to a dispute of property rights whereby it was held that the presence of all parties involved was necessary.

It was stated that it was not possible for the Court to issue an order for the cancellation of a subsequent registration in the name of 36 defendants without issuing firstly an order for the cancellation of the presumable legal registration of the previous owners.

It was emphasised that where the ownership and the property status of an owner is in dispute, he cannot be deprived of his property rights without being heard or without being informed of the existing litigation against him. The action could not proceed without the presence of the previous owners, since the registrations were alleged to have been made based on fraud, mistake and false pretences.

The District Court of Paphos having referred to the above decided that the absence of defendant 1 from the action did not allow the Court to decide whether a verbal agreement was made with the plaintiff for the purchase of the property or whether the donation made to defendant 2, making her a co-owner, was genuine and legal.

The issue of whether the owner or co-owners acted fraudulently or illegally are consequent actions to the original one. Even if the Court decides that the subsequent transfers were fraudulent and illegal, it could not give the plaintiff the remedies claimed.

Therefore, the presence of defendant 1 was considered necessary and the failure of the plaintiff to serve the action to her made the action ineffective. Consequently, the Court dismissed the action with costs.

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

€235,000 compiled by Peter Stevenson

How much: €235,000 What you get: This two-bedroom apartment in Limassol has an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, covered parking and storage.

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

How much: €235,000 What you get: This two-bedroom villa in Kamares in the Paphos district comes with a swimming pool and unobstructed views of the sea.

From: www.propertyincyprus.com Tel: 70003211

How much: €235,000 What you get: This fully-renovated four-bedroom townhouse is located in Larnaca town centre. Close to all amenities, and two minutes drive from the beach and shops.

From: www.buysellcyprus.com Tel: 80000222

25 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

ADVERTISER helps you find what you’re looking for

Advertiser Only

€14 (plus VAT)

a week for classifieds (up to 40 words)

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

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

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ***************************** WANTED; EXPERIENCED SHIPWRIGHT to work on classic wooden yacht in Larnaca.Must have experience in caulking, carpentry, and woodworking. Please send resume and references in English by email to pfcnevin13@ gmail.com ****************************

JOB WANTED

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

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

Ayia Napa Monday 97798043 Larnaca Tuesday (Polish spk) 96616589 Thursday 24645523 / 99259264 Limassol Tuesday / Wednesday / Friday / Saturday 25368265 / 99559322 Nicosia Sunday 99013596 Paphos Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday 99916331 / 99399240 Details of meetings are available on www.aa-europe.net

*************************** **************************** COUPLE FROM SRI LANKA (29 25 years old) are looking for a job. Any job especially in Nicosia. They have release papers. Living in or out call 99953012 99485358 ****************************

MISCELLANEOUS

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

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

**************************** HELP WANTED and commission paid for advice regarding purchase of surplus Russian military items from Cypriot military. Please send your details to info@rme-ltd.eu **************************** STAGE ONE THEATRE, PAPHOS AUDITIONS at 7pm on 16 & 23 April for STEEL MAGNOLIAS. Director Cathy Aseter, performances October.

Also THE VICAR OF DIBLEY, Director Peter Sandwith, in June. Performances December. Call Peter 99984035 for information. Auditionees must advise intention to audition in advance. **************************** WANTED: COUPLES OF EU CITIZENS LIVING IN CYPRUS We are currently conducting research as regards European families living in Cyprus. If both you and your spouse come from the same or a different country of the EU (except Cyprus and Greece, e.g. both from Germany, or Germany and France), if you have children over 6, and if you are interested in taking part in some research financed by the University of Cyprus please contact us 96530033.

Participants will complete a questionnaire and participate in a face-to-face interview.

They will also receive a symbolic amount of money. **************************** ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS -

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

Special offers now available.

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

We also do repairs. For a FREE QUOTE please contact Phone: 99119582 Website: www.kdflyscreens.com **************************** SWIFT SERVICE AND REPAIRS air-cons, commercial and domestic fridges and freezers, ice machines, cool rooms, supply and fit air-cons VRV S. Call Nik on 99579602 Limassol **************************** DO YOU WANT A SHINY LOOKING FLOOR? Full repair & restoration of chipped, scratched, dull and stained, Marble, Terrazzo, Stone & Ceramic tiled floors and surfaces.

Professional cleaning, repair & sealing of internal/external ceramic tiles & grout lines. For

Nicosia - tel: 22 818583 fax: 22 676385 a free professional consultation & demonstration contact Mark at Premier on 70006766 All areas ****************************

PETS **************************** RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK Quality pedigree puppies for sale, Kennels club registered.

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

She will remain small sized so she is ideal for a family with an apartment! For adoptions call 99 520 511 Monday-Friday between hours 10-2 or email ndsadoptions@gmail.com ****************************

FOR SALE MISCELLANEOUS ***************************** FOR SALE: British ex-pat leaving Cyprus. Excellent quality goods for sale. Solid wood patio furniture; modern dining room furniture; glass/ metal office table; beds and mattreses, solid wood bookcases; standard lamps, oak arm chairs and cabinet etc.

Contact: 99678180 **************************** FOR SALE:

Electric Cooker, Bosch 4 ceramic hotplates and oven, used 1 1/2 year, €300 For further information contact phone 99757511 **************************** FOR SALE – PAPHOS CATERING EQUIPMENT 1. Industrial freezer – CORECO Height 200cm, width 68cm, depth 58cm 2. Electrolux Freezer, model EUC3109X, width-595mm, height-1800mm, depth623mm, freezing capacity-24kg/24hours, energy class A 3.

CONVOTHERM OVEN model-OBG 6.10Combi OvenSteamer with Gas Steam Generator Extra: Stand with stainless steel shelving, extractor fan, water supply system and gas installation connections, PLUS CHAFING TRAYS & THERMO BOXES, ALL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AT REDUCED PRICES. PLEASE CALL: 99622678 *****************************

Limassol - tel: 25 761117 fax: 25 761141

FOR SALE BUSINESS/ PROPERTY/LAND FOR SALE plot of land with sea view. In Chlorakas area. Very quiet and private location. Title deed. Tel. 99519370. ***************************** LIMASSOL 1) GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY PLOT OF LAND FOR SALE 1,789 sq.m, IN THE AREA OF AGIA ZONI BUILDING FACTOR 140% WITH TITLE DEED. The land is located at a central point in the city, very close to various amenities and has excellent accessibility.

Tel: 96885030 owner 2) RESIDENTIAL LAND FOR SALE GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY The plot of land is located in the area of Foinikaria Total area 5,686 with a 20% Building Factor Tel: 96885030 owner ***************************** PAFOS 1) PLOTS OF LAND FOR SALE ANAVARGOS AREA GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY The plots can be sold as a single unit or individually.

From 626 sq.m up to 776 sq.m with building factor 60% and title deeds. Mountain and sea view with nice villas developing around the area. Tel: 96885030 owner 2) COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR SALE IN KATO PAFOS 96sq.m The shop is within the ‘’Limnaria Complex’’ and faces the main road Melina Mercouri Avenue It’s in good condition with suspended ceiling, recessed lighting, VRV AC, fitted carpet, motorised shutters, CCTV and more. Tel: 96885030 owner ***************************** LAND FOR SALE MITSERO. 7 skalas. 10% build. South facing, unobstructed views. Access road, water, electricity. Fenced compound with 48sq.meter timber framed 2 bedroom unit, septic tank, grey water system, storage, workshop. €135,000 mobile 99594205 pumpitch@ hotmail.com PLOT FOR SALE IN KATO PLATRES in a pine tree area. It comes with title deeds, 1095 square feet. Tel. 99881051.

FOR SALE LAND in Anthoupoli (half plot) 288 sq.metres. for information 99621554.

Paphos - tel: 26 911383 fax: 26221049 Επενδύσεις σε ακίνητα στη Γερμανία, εγγυημένη ετήσια απόδοση 2%-4% Ασφαλής επένδυση χωρίς κίνδυνο. Τηλ: 004915233833850

PROPERTY TO LET NICOSIA

GERMANY INVESTMENT

3 BEDROOM ground floor apartment for rent in blind school area, Nicosia, with c/h, a/c and front and back garden. €550 p/m. References required. Call 97852977.

4 BEDROOM ground floor apartment for rent in blind school area, Nicosia with c/h, a/c and front and back garden. €650 p/m. References required. Call 97852977.

HOUSE FOR RENT 1st floor, 2 levels, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, spacious open plan sitting room, dining room, veranda and Italian kitchen. Fully a/c, c/h. Place: Ayios Dometios. For information mobile no.

99510244 FLATS/HOUSES FOR RENT studio Makarios Av. €300, Kennedy furnished €300, 1 bdrm Str/ los €400, Hilton €400, 2 bdrm Lycavitos €480 fully equipped, Ag. Dometios ground floor + garden €450, Ag. Paylos rear house newly built €390, Acropolis furnished €450, 3 bdrm Ag. Omologites garden €700, Nikis Av. Furnished €500, Archangelos detached with pool €1,200, Acropolis independent ideal for office/residence €750, 4 bdrm Kwsta Theodorou new house €1,100, Mosfiloti unique villa with pool/landscaping €2,500.

99474839, 99646822.

21 PROPERTY FINDER LTD. Licenced & Registered Estate Agents A.M.627 A.A.108/E FOR RENT a spacious two bedroom apartment, near Hilton and Central Bank. Living/dining room, sitting room, large veranda, kitchen, c/h, s/h, covered parking. Title deeds. Tel. 99519370.

HOUSES/FLATS 2 bedr. lux. flat, Ayioi Omoloyites, wooden floors €800, 3 bedr. Acropolis c/h a/c wooden floors €650, Mak/ssa 3 bedr., modern, open plan €1000 f/f €1200, Nicosia 3 bedr., f/f, luxury €1000 f/f, Latsia 2 bedr., pool €430, Strovolos f/f house 4 bedr €1300, Mak/ssa ground floor house detached €850 Photos www.markidesestates. com Markides 22- 378898 / 99464764 Reg.No. 487 E 16

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT in Germany. Guaranteed Annual return 2%-4%.

Safe investment without risk. Tel: +4915233833850.

TO LET 1 bedroom upper floor house, large veranda near restaurant Periyiali in Acropolis 5 Aeantos Street €300 call 99680208 ***************************** LUXURY HOUSES:

Larnaca - tel: 99 634725

classified contents Employment Opportunities pg 25 Employment Miscellaneous 25 Pets 25 Lessons 25 Health & Fitness 25 Personal 25 Services 25 For Sale Miscellaneous 25 For Sale Land/ Property Business 25 For Sale Motor vehicles 25 Properties Wanted -To Let Nicosia 25 To Let Limassol 28 To Let Larnaca 28 To Let Paphos 28 To Let Protaras, Ayia Napa, Paralimni -For Sale Nicosia 30 For Sale Limassol -For Sale Larnaca -For Sale Paphos 30 For Sale Ayia Napa -For Sale Famagusta Protaras 30 For Sale Athens -Property& Home Services display ads -Churches 30

abbreviations bdrm c/h a/c s/pool f/f apt pm pw sw nw st rd p/s c/l swb r/cass e/w

bedroom central heating air conditioning swimming pool fully furnished apartment per month per week south west north west street road power steering central locking short wheel base radio cassette electric windows

Please note tel nos. that begin with: 22 = Nicosia 23 = Paralimni/Protaras 24 = Larnaca 25 = Limassol 26 = Paphos

26 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA 1. 4 bedr luxury detached house built in 3/4 of a plot, office space, central heating, full a/c, big sitting and dining area, separate big kitchen with family room and all the electrical appliances, blinds and curtains on all windows, aluminium shutters, big garden with grass, 3 wc, covered parking, in a quiet area – Strovolos €1000 (H4ST10051-R), (photos in the website) 2. 3 bedr luxury terraced house, 210sq.m,central heating, full a/c, marble floor in the sitting areas and solid parquet floor on stairs and bedrooms,4 wc,3 bathrooms, 2 en suite, big verandas, electrical appliances in the kitchen, 3 covered parking spaces, roof garden access, in a quiet neighbourhood on Mon Parnas hill – Engomi €800 (photos in the website).

3. 3 bedr detached house with extra room for office, 250sq.m, central heating independent, 4 a/c, big renovated kitchen with cooker and oven, big sitting and dining room with parquet floor and fireplace, 1 bathroom, 2 shower, 3 wc, 2 covered parking, double glazed windows and shutters

TO LET NICOSIA in bedrooms, big verandas surrounded by trees and bushes off 28th October street IN the central part of Makedonitissa – €1100 (H3MAK0004-R) (photos on the website)

TO LET NICOSIA

5. 3 bedr luxury house, office space, attic room, with central heating, full a/c, separate kitchen, NICELY MODERN FURNISHED, 2 verandas, in a quiet area – Lakatamia €680 (H4LAK009-R), (photos in the website).

cal appliances, blinds, garden with grass, over flow swimming pool, covered parking in a quiet area. – Makedonitissa €1600 (H4MAK0023-R), (photos on the website).

7. 4 bedr luxury detached house with big sitting and dining room with parquet floor, separate big kitchen with family room and all the electrical appliances, small garden with grass and bbq area,3wc, central heating, full a/c, covered parking, in a very quiet neighbourhood – Archangelos €1200 (H4AR0017-R), (photos in the website).

8. 3 bedr +office space partially renovated detached ground floor house, 280sq.m, central heating with oil, full a/c, 3wc, separate TV room, big sitting and dining area, big verandas around the house, bbq area, covered parking, private yard near the parking.– Strovolos €1200 (H4ST10048-R), (photos in the website).

6. 3 bedr + attic room with shower and wc luxury detached house with central heating, a/c, fireplace, modern kitchen open plan with expensive electri-

9. New modern luxury very good quality finished semi detached house built in 3 levels. Upstairs 1st level 3 bedrs all en suite+ laundry room, 2nd level big

4. 3 bedr luxury semi-detached house with character, 200sq.m, central heating, full ac, sitting and dining room with fireplace, 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 neighbourhood. Available middle of January. Agios Andreas €1200 - H3AAD0001-R (photos on website).

TO LET NICOSIA attic room which can be used for office space or bedroom.

Ground floor with 2 sitting areas ,dining area and breakfast area, kitchen with all the electrical appliances, central heating, full a/c units. Basement with kitchen with cooker and oven, dishwasher, microwave and 2 refrigerators, sitting room with fireplace, and 2 bedrooms with one bathroom. Outside private fenced garden with artificial grass, bbq area and covered veranda. The house has blinds and shutters on all windows, false ceiling with spot lights throughout house, pressure system, covered parking, satellite dish, central music and network system, storage room, very good double glazed windows. Behind General flooring in the centre of Makedonitissa - €2000 (H4MAK0001-R), (photos on 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

TO LET NICOSIA

TO LET NICOSIA

website).

11. 4 bedr new luxury finished detached house with central heating independent, full a/c, 3wc, 2 bathrooms, big kitchen with cooker oven, dishwasher and big family room, aluminium shutters in all the house, separate big sitting and dining room with parquet floor, 2 covered parking, alarm system, big covered patio, SWIMMING POOL, in a newly built area near Falcon school – Strovolos €2000 (photos in the website).

12. 3 bedrs luxury 2 storey, FULLY RENOVATED LISTED HOUSE with high ceilings in the centre of Nicosia, 260sq.m, 2 small attic rooms, big sitting room upstairs, big sitting room and dining area downstairs, wooden floor, kitchen with all the electrical appliances, 2 bathrooms (one en suite),3wc,CH independent, A/C, big garden – Nicosia Centre €1400 (H4NIC0002-R), (photos in the website).

tre – Platy Aglantzias €3500 (H5PAG0002-R).

14. 4 bedr very big luxury semi detached house 350sq.m, with big separate basement 80sq.m with 2 rooms, sitting room, kitchen and bathroom. Consists of big sitting and dining areas upstairs, big kitchen with big family room and breakfast area, big bedrooms, 3 showers, 1 bathroom, central heating, full a/c, black out blinds on all windows, cooker and oven in the kitchen, covered parking and patio with bbq in a very quiet neighbourhood close to Makarios football stadium.

CAN BE RENTED FURNISHED, PARTIALLY FURNISHED OR UNFURNISHED - Makedonitissa €1500 (H4MAK0032-R), (photos in the website) 15. 4 bedrs new luxury detached house, all the bedrooms very big and all with big bathroom/ shower, sitting room upstairs, attic room with shower and wc, office space/maid’s room with shower and wc, central heating, full AC,450sq.m, big sitting and dining areas, big kitchen with sitting area and fitted cooker and oven, 6wc, 2 covered parking, yard with tiles and SWIMMING POOL, bbq area in a very quiet neighbourhood near CYBC (RIK) station and near a neighbourhood park – Platy Aglantzias €2500 (H4AGZ0005-R), (photos in the website) For many more properties with photos visit our website at www.landtouristestates.com which is updated daily. LANDTOURIST ESTATES LTD 22422225/96-422225/96422226, www.landtouristestates.com

13. 3 bedr upstairs and 2 separate bedrooms in the basement luxury detached house (all the bedrooms with en suite bathrooms/shower), also separate kitchen and sitting room in the basement which also has separate entrance from the house, central heating, full a/c, solid parquet floor throughout house, big sitting and dining room with fireplace, big fully equipped kitchen with breakfast area and family room, big over flow, swimming pool with covered patio area with fully equipped bar (bbq, fridge, freezer, cooker), mature garden around the house,2 parking places, alarm system near the Cyprus Conference Cen-

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27 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

Advertiser

TO LET NICOSIA

TO LET NICOSIA

***************************** LUXURY FLATS:

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. 2 bedr luxury ground floor apartment with central heatingindependent, full a/c, structure cabling internet and satellite network, FULLY MODERN EXPENSIVE FURNISHED, with 46”LCD TV, covered parking, double glazed windows, aluminium shutters, on Pericleous street near Klimataria traffic lights – Strovolos €650 (A2ST10054-R) (photos in the website) 5. 4 bedr new spacious luxury finished floor apartment with floor heating independent, full a/c, 3wc, electrical appliances in the kitchen, blinds on all windows, very big 50sq.m covered veranda, fireplace, covered parking and big over

FOR RENT

English-Painter & Decorator

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 through, central heating independent, full a/c, all the bedrooms with en suite shower/bathroom, 4wc, big kitchen with all the electrical appliances, blinds on all windows, big covered veranda, covered parking, big storage room, on a small 3 storey building in a quiet neighbourhood – Agios Andreas€1300 – A3AAD0005-R (photos on website).

2. 1 bedr spacious fully luxury renovated apartment,60sq.m, big sitting and dining room, big bedroom, fully newly modern furnished with LCD TV 32’, covered veranda, covered parking, storage heaters, full a/c, near Cyta, Laiki and Hellenic Bank headquarters – Dasoupolis €550 (photos in the website).

2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment in Larnaca near new hospital. €400 per month including service charge and refuse collection Call 99358916

Fully Qualified 30 years’ Experience SUMMER OFFER 30% OFF ALL AREAS • External & Internal painting • Damp Damage Repairs • Spritez Repairs • Free Estimates + very clean work • All areas. All types of woodwork stained and preserved • All work guaranteed

Tel. Tony on 99176557

TO LET NICOSIA floor heated covered swimming pool on the ground floor, on a small 3 storey building in a quiet neighbourhood near a playground and near Ippokration private hospital – Engomi €1500 (A4ENG0003-R) (photos in the website) 6. 1 bedr new luxury apartment in a modern building (TSENTAS), with central heating ind, 2 a/c, cooker and oven, refrigerator and washing machine in the kitchen, parquet floor, NICELY FURNISHED big covered veranda, big sitting room off Kyriakou Matsi street, 1 km from the centre €460 (A1AOM0002-R), (photos in the website).

7.

1 bedr cozy luxury apartment,60sq.m,parquet floor, nicely furnished ,all fitted electrical appliances (cooker, oven, microwave, washing machine, dishwasher, fridge), roman blinds, provisions for home cinema, big covered verandah, storage heaters, 2 a/c ,covered parking in Dasoupolis near Alpha Mega supermarket

TO LET NICOSIA

TO LET NICOSIA

and Areteion hospital. – Dasoupoli €470 (A1DAS0009-R) (photos in the website) 8. 2 bedr spacious renovated apartment 100sq.m with separate big kitchen, air condition for hot and cold in all the rooms, covered veranda, nicely newly fully furnished , off Kyriakou Matsi street very close to the centre on foot– Agioi Omologites €500 (A2AOM0003-R) (photos in the website) 9. New top quality 2 bedr apartment, 93sq.m+20sq.m veranda, on a small modern building with 6 flats only. Central heating independent, full a/c, 2 bathrooms, 2wc, fully fitted kitchen with all the electrical appliances, water pressure system roller blinds and shutters on windows, big sitting and dining room, big bedrooms, covered parking and storage room, in a quiet neighbourhood near Akropolis park. AVAILABLE end of March – Acropolis €800 A2ACS0002-R (photos in the website) .

10. New luxury finished 1 bedr penthouse apartment with big verandah with nice view, in a small modern building,55sq.m,storage heaters,2 a/c, blinds on the windows, expensive electrical appliances (cooker, oven, extractor, refrigerator, washing machine, dryer), covered parking and storage room, off Kalippoleos street opposite Dessange Day Spa near the University – Lykavitos €420 (A1LYK0002-R), (photos in the website).

SELECT Fencing & Decking Specialist For all your Garden and Security Fencing ♦ Quality approved workmanship ♦ 15 years experience + guaranteed work ♦ English workers ♦ also garden gates ♦ sheds ♦ chain link fencing ♦ free estimates ♦ all types of fencing & decking

Roofing flat & tired roofing repairs and construction Tel. SELECT fencing 99176557

11. 3 bedrs luxury penthouse one floor apartment in a small building with 3 apartments,250sq.m plus big covered verandas, fire place, solid parquet floor,2 bathrooms, 3 wc, cooker, oven, fridge, washing machine

TO LET NICOSIA and dishwasher in the kitchen, CH independent, full a/c, big reception areas opening to the verandas, pressure system and 2 covered with remote control entrance, walking distance to the centre very close to Debenhams €1300 (A3NIC0028-R), (photos in the website) 12. 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 neighbourhood off Kallipoleos Street - Lykavitos €700 (A2LYK0024-R) (photos on the website) 13. 3 bedr luxury penthouse

CityCell WiFi

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Installation At € 99 & Only € 25/Month WIRELESS INTERNET NO PHONE LINE , NO DEPOSIT, NO CONTRACT . UNLIMITED USE , 25-100 999

SKY HD WATCH NOW SKY SPORTS & FULL PACKAGE IN HD. Call: 25-341444 www.citycell.tv BBC ITV CH4 CH5 & 100 UK FREE CHANNELS ,NO DISH REQUIRED.HAVE A DIRECT VIEW ON YOUR TV WITH REPLAY - / +12HRS

28 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET NICOSIA

TO LET NICOSIA

apartment with central heating independent, full a/c, 2wc, big sitting and dining room with ďŹ replace, separate kitchen, NICELY MODERN FURNISHED, big covered and uncovered veranda, covered parking, in Strovolos near the Municipal building - â‚Ź650 (A3ST10014-R) (photos on the website) 14. 3 bedr spacious luxury ďŹ nished apartment 150sq.m+30sq.m covered veranda, central heating independent with petrol, full wall a/c units, solid parquet oor, expensive electrical appliances in the kitchen, 3wc, curtains and blinds on windows, 3 COVERED PARKING, storage room, near Pizza Hut in Strovolos â‚Ź1100 (photos in the website).

16. New luxury ďŹ nished 4 bed PENTHOUSE apartment in a small modern building, 186sq. m+90sq.m big veranda with nice view, separate oor heating, fully air conditioned, 4wc, 2 en suite bedrooms with shower,1 bathroom, solid parquet oor all through, big sitting and dining areas with electric modern shutters opening to the veranda, fully equipped kitchen with expensive electrical appliances, 2 parking places (1 covered), in a very quiet neighbourhood ,near the Russian Embassy. AVAILABLE END OF MARCH –Engomi â‚Ź1900 (A4ENG0005-R) (photos in the website)

15.

3 bedrs luxury penthouse,165sq.m+80sq.m verandah with bbq, central heating ind, full AC, 3 wc, 2 bathrooms, solid parquet oor all the at, big kitchen with dining area, fully MODERN FURNISHED, covered parking off Athalassa Avenue near Stephanis Electrinics and English school – Strovolos ₏800 (A3ST10013-R) (photos in the website)

Fun

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 ***************************** 2 BDRM at in the centre of Nicosia. Rent ₏450. For information call 99453663, 99663927. *****************************

Fashion E

R

FAY

NICOSIA DOG SHELTER

Toys

OUR LOV EL WILL BE Y DOGS THERE FOR ADO PT 11:30 - 14 ION :30

Books and more

Childrens art competition Face Painting Snacks and bake sale

1 14th April Sunday 11:00 - 16:00 11:

Childrens games

NEW (Fashion samples from London) and Nearly new clothes

10% of our proceeds will be donated to CANS FOR KIDS 99868512 - 22357005

ESOGBA - Steliou Mavromatti 4 (behind Junior School)

7JTJUJOH "UIFOT

Family, friends? Why stay in a hotel? A new, comfortable, modern and fully-furnished apartment, giving you greater leisure and at a lower price, sounds much better. And with the added bonus of being located in one of the most vibrant areas in Athens.

t (B[J "SFB OFYU UP UIF .FUSP 4UBUJPO XJUI GSFF 8J 'J t 'SPN FVSPT QFS QFSTPO Tel 22819742 - www.menogazi.com

TO LET LIMASSOL LIMASSOL ***************************** THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO RENT AN OFFICE! The Rent package includes: fully furnished ofďŹ ce, receptionist, internet connection, conference room, electricity, aicondition, cleaning, all utilities. Call 25365046

FOR RENT ofďŹ ce of around 85m2, with partitions, kitchenette and parking in a peaceful, green yet central area at Helladion House (off. 302; 3rd oor), 5 Andrea Kalvou Str. For viewing, please call Ms. Jenny on 25-340987(3rd oor of building; ofďŹ ce hours). For further details, please call 25-521873 after 8:00pm. ***************************** UN-DETACHED HOUSE for rent in Apshiou village, 2 bedrooms, kitchen, sitting room, bathroom with solar water heater. A/C, satellite, 15mins to roundabout. â‚Ź350. Tel 25369219, work 10.30-17.30 25542968 home 99773151 TO LET Large 4 bedroom unfurnished house in the village of Asomatos nr Akrotiri Limassol.

Fully A/C & Heating (storage heaters). 5 wc’s, large kitchen/ diner, lounge and sitting room.

Large loft with own shower/wc (suitable for ofďŹ ce/playroom/

TO LET LIMASSOL gym). Carport - prominent position in cul-de-sac - lots of parking. â‚Ź850 pcm (negotiable).

Available from April 2013. Tel. 99831431 TRADITIONAL VILLAGE STONE HOUSE IN APESHIA. Very quiet village, 20mins from Limassol. Road to heritage school/ Troodos. 2 bedrooms, ofďŹ ce available top oor with veranda great view of mountains. Small courtyard with trees. Electric solar water. A/C-toilet in main bedroom. Semi/full furnished.

Fitted kitchen with electrical appliances, ďŹ replace. Toilet/ shower. â‚Ź550pm negotiable.

Tel 96891800.

GROUND FLOOR HOUSE, furnished renovated this year.

Laminated parke oor, and big wardrobes in the 3 bedrooms.

Rent â‚Ź590.00 Tel 99497576 99886775

LARNACA TO LET 3 bedroom house, 100m from beach, Dekelia road Oroklini area. 1 bed at Makenzie near sea and Petros supermarket. tel: 96693375 ***************************** FOR RENT fully furnished 1 bedroom at near Larco hotel Larnaca. Price ₏370. Tel 99202543

TO LET LARNACA

TO LET PAPHOS

1 BEDROOM at in Ermou Square area Larnaca - 2 bedroom at in Phaneromenis area Larnaca. Call 96693375 ***************************** 1. Superior Real Estate Larnaca. 3 bedroom detached unfurnished property set on a fantastic development in the village of Tersefanou. Available for immediate occupation. Ref. TLL973. Tel 24815926 2. Superior Real Estate Larnaca. 2 bedroom fully furnished apartment, nr the Metro/American Academy Larnaca. Ref. TLL1654 Please call to arrange a viewing Tel. 24815926

2. Secret Valley, 3 bed un/furnished villa with private pool on a big plot. Spacious living space, good sized bedrooms.

Pool and garden maintenance included in rent. Lovely sea and country side views. â‚Ź700

3.

www.superiorrealestatelarnaca.com – LARGE RANGE OF RENTAL PROPERTIES. From studio apartments to 5 bedroom villa’s for rent, all properties have detailed descriptions, professional photographs. Interactive Virtual/ Video Tours. Please visit our website. www.superiorrealestatelarnaca.com 4. www.superiorrealestatelarnaca.com - License No. 419.

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

PAPHOS ***************************** 1. Sea Caves Paphos, luxury 3 bed unfurnished villa with private pool on a big plot. One bed downstairs, kitchen white goods include dish washer.

Spacious bedrooms, dressing room, balconies, separate outdoor storeroom, enclosed garden. â‚Ź1000

3. Peyia, Beautiful 3 bed un/furnished villa with amazing sea views. Private pool, lovely garden, double bedrooms, master en suite. â‚Ź500 4. Koili, brand new 4 bed unfurnished villa. Finished to a very high quality in a very quiet location. Italian kitchen, ďŹ re place, under oor heating, shutters, y screens, pool, one bed downstairs. â‚Ź850 PAPHOS TO RENT Tel: 99389198. For listings and many other properties please visit our web www.paphotorent.com and give us a call. ***************************** PEYIA, luxury villa, 3 double bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fully or part furnished, private pool, quiet location, paved garden area, sea and mountain views.

Sky satellite, ₏550 ono, please call: 99771532 – no agents FOR RENT a selection of 1 to 5 bedroom houses & apartments F/F & U/F Universal, Peyia, Tomb of the Kings, Tsada, Timi, Kato Paphos & Kissonerga Landlord & Owners please call 99329357 Or please view at our website www.cyprussands.com Fully Registered Company in Cyprus CHLORAKAS: 3 Bedroom unfurnished villa private swimming pool, utility room, walking wardrobes, en suite shower 180 m2 covered area fenced garden fully a/c, ₏ 575 p/m For more information’s phone 99400697 ***************************** TREMITHOUSA- Modern 2 Double Bedroom Townhouse with

SPECIAL OFFER In Kokkinotrimithia, 15km from Nicosia in a good area (in the centre, opposite Maragos bakery), 41/2 acres or 7 plot with 90% building factor.

For more information please call 99673286, 99918830.

29 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

TO LET PAPHOS Stunning Sea views, Large Secluded Terrace with Open Views, Roof Garden, Fitted Kitchen, A/C, U/F 350 Euros or F/F 400 Euros TREMITHOUSA- Superb Detached 3 Bedroom Villa with Large Pool, F/F to a very High Standard, Mater En-Suite, Family Bathroom with Jacuzzi, Beautifully Fitted Kitchen, Utility, Separate Shower room, Spectacular Mountain and Sea views, Quite Cul-De-Sac location 700 Euros

EMBA

KISSONERGA- Beautiful Detached U/F 3 Bedroomed Villa, Large Pool,2 Bedrooms Upstairs Master En-suite, Family Bathroom, modern Fitted Kitchen, Downstairs Bedroom with En-suite Shower room, Low maintenance Garden, Large Terraces and Separate Storage Room 600 Euros TREMITHOUSA- Purpose Built Ground and First Floor 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments U/F and F/F, A/C, Parking From Only 150 Euros URGENTLY WANTED – 3 Bedroom U/F Detached Villas 600/700 MORE PROPERTIES AVAILABLE FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 99862922 ***************************** LOW COST, long term 3 bedroom bungalow, Polis area, Gialia village, on 3 acres of property, large variety of fruit trees, extremely private with panoramic mountain and sea views, unfurnished, swimming pool, a/c and fireplace, fence around the property €550 per month ono – available from 1st of April For more info call: 99 442485 ***************************** 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. PEYIA €500 PRICE REDUCED FOR QUICK RENTAL. Modern detached 3 bedroom villa situated in a quiet residential area offering stunning sea views.

Low maintenance garden with private pool and off street parking. Available unfurnished.

Photos to be added to the website shortly.

2. SECRET VALLEY €750 spacious modern detached 3 bedroom villa situated on a corner plot in a peaceful residential area. Offering large private

Advertiser TO LET PAPHOS pool with a low maintenance lovely garden with sea views.

Off street parking. Fully furnished with modern furniture and includes gas central heating throughout. Modern fitted kitchen with granite worktops.

One bedroom on ground floor with bathroom. Pets allowed at owners discretion. Viewings highly recommended. website reference number: RTL_561

3. UNIVERSAL AREA €750 spacious 4 bedroom detached villa situated on a quiet complex offering well kept gardens & communal pool. Spacious living accommodation with one bedroom on ground floor plus bathroom. Available fully furnished. Allocated parking at side of property. A great central location close to all amenities. website reference number: RTL_663 4. LOWER CHLORAKA €750 spacious detached 3 bedroom modern villa offering stunning unobstructed views of the sea.

Situated in a quiet residential area, opposite orange groves.

Gated entrance, a good size enclosed low maintenance mature garden with shrubs & fruit trees. a private pool with sea views. Spacious living area with real fireplace.

Downstairs guest wc. Master bedroom with ensuite. Available fully furnished. Viewings highly recommended. website reference number: RTL_550 5. KAMARES TALA €850 a stunning detached villa offer-

TO LET PAPHOS ing 4 bedrooms plus office in a quiet & private residential area with large parking bay for numerous cars and covered off street parking. Offering spacious living accommodation and breathtaking views of the sea. This property includes a lift to all 4 floors. Luxury modern fitted kitchen with appliances. Lovely garden with spacious veranda & private pool. Available unfurnished. website reference number: RTL_669 6. KAMARES TALA €900 a unique property combining modern and traditional. Situated in the sought after area of Kamares on a large plot with mature gardens & stunning private pool, offering total privacy and breathtaking sea views. Separate annex with modern shower room & separate kitchen. Guest room offering bedroom & shower room at pool level. Large modern office. Main house offering 2 further bedrooms plus a number of sitting rooms. Perfect for those who require something completely different from the norm. Available furnished or part furnished. website reference number: RTL_673 7. PEYIA €950 we are delighted to offer this ultra modern 4 bedroom villa with luxury furnishings & fittings. Offering spacious accommodation with breathtaking sea views.

Furnishings & fittings are of a very high quality. Spacious living area with modern fit-

UK House Offered in Exchange for Apartment or House in Cyprus A 100 sq. m. four bedroom Semi Detached house in the East Midlands, with a market value of £120,000, is offered in exchange for a 2 bedroom (minimum) apartment or house anywhere in Cyprus.

My house has been recently renovated at a cost of over £25,000 and is situated within less than three miles from Clumber Park.

If interested, please email Natalia at nzah50@hotmail.com for a detailed description of my property and please include the internal size in square metres and photos of what you are offering in exchange.

INDOOR MARKET & CAR BOOT SALE FRIDAY – SATURDAY – SUNDAY FRI 8:00AM – 2:00PM FRESH VILLAGE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES WATCH REPAIRS & JEWELLERY POTTED FLOWERS NEW & USED HANDBAGS & CLOTHES SECOND HAND BOOKS COMPUTERS & TELEPHONE ACCESSORIES SECOND HAND FURNITURE & ANTIQUES INDIAN TAKE AWAY HOME MADE FRESH CAKES & PIES

STALLHOLDERS & CAR-BOOTERS WELCOME ALL ENQUIRIES CALL: 96533839/99771532

TO LET PAPHOS ted kitchen & utility area. One bedroom on ground floor with ensuite & kitchenette. Guest wc. Private infinity pool & enclosed low maintenance garden. A must to see! website reference number: RTL_670 8. CHLORAKA €2000 substantial luxury 4 bedroom villa, spacious (350 sq metres), beautifully designed with unique detail.

Conservatory with views of landscaped gardens.

Large modern fitted kitchen, living room with working fireplace. Circular dining room with vaulted dome ceiling.

Stunning private pool area.

Available unfurnished. website reference number: RTL_579 Tel: 97790883 Tel: 99133422 office: 26271858 visit our website for many more properties www.mrrent-paphos. net email: info@mrrent-paphos.net **************************** FLOWRON PROPERTY RENTALS : Offering a full range of property services, the company you can TRUST.

KONIA PAFOS 4 bedroom villa in Konia on 3 floors. Four spacious bedrooms with nice veranda views of mountains.

Middle floor has sitting/dining area all with classic furniture and fireplace and lovely big kitchen. Downstairs is a selfcontained annex with bedroom and kitchen area/bathroom wc. Private pool BBQ area and outside sink. REF 1232 €1300 AYIA MARINOUDA PAFOS 2 bedroom furnished bungalow in lovely quiet complex with communal pool. Property has fire place, off street parking,

TO LET PAPHOS nice stone features, character property. REF 1224 €500 KOLETRIA PAFOS 4 bedroom house with 3 bathrooms offered unfurnished, central heating and flyscreens throughout 3 bedrooms upstairs, master bedroom has ensuite. Large shower room.

Fourth bedroom downstairs with shower room. Lovely large kitchen and sitting room.

Covered area for car and back garden REF 1234 €500 SEA CAVES PAFOS Modern Bungalow offered furnished or unfurnished, 3 bedrooms, master en suite shower, family bathroom, kitchen, sitting area, flyscreens. Private pool, roof garden, outside showertoilet, nice location with great sea views. REF 1213 €750 PANO PAFOS Large 3 bedroom

TO LET PAPHOS house on ground floor on large plot with lovely garden and private pool with BBQ area with outside utility room and shower in a residential area that is within walking distance to shops government offices, school, pharmacy and near to bus stop. REF 1231 €700 SECRET VALLEY A 3 bedroom bungalow in a peaceful location, fully furnished with central heating, airconditioning private pool and beaufiful sea views. Offstreet parking. REF 1228 €800 ANARITA 3 bedroom villa in Anarita in a nice quiet location with outside fenced area with gates, private pool, great seaviews. Unfurnished, airconditioning, fireplace in living room. Modern kitchen with granite worktops, guest WC. Nice garden and offstreet

30 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Advertiser TO LET PAPHOS parking. REF 1229 €700 CORAL BAY 3 bedroom villa offered furnished or unfurnished in a lovely private and peaceful location. Property is cosy with a small kitchen, sitting room and dining area with a fireplace, airconditioning, guest WC, 3 bedrooms master ensuite, family bathroom. Nice views. Ref 842 €750 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 stunning sea and mountain views €700 per month, call: 99389426 BRAND NEW APT, opposite Poseidonio Gym, near Carrefour, F/F, a/c, great quality, 1 bdrm, from €340 p.m. Tel 99403261

PROPERTY FOR SALE NICOSIA ***************************** FOR SALE BEAUTIFUL VILLA, Nicosia, Strovolos 550sqm

FOR SALE NICOSIA build in two lots 1250sqm. 6 bds, 6 bath, under floor heating, A/C, basement, two car garage, beautiful landscape, well, pool, quiet area, great for families. Motivated seller.

Price reduced 1.500000.Call 99432074 mpapadmd@gmail. com FOR SALE a very nice, large, two bedroom apartment near Hilton and Central Bank. Living, dining room, sitting room, large veranda. Spacious kitchen, c/h, s/h, covered parking. Title deed. Tel. 99519370. ***************************** FOR SALE OFFICES, ground floor space, suitable for offices or any other business. Centrally located, off Arch. Makarios Avenue, in the Commercial Centre of Nicosia, near Hilton.

Also mezzanine, basement, small kitchen, a/c, parking. Title deeds. Tel. 99519370. ***************************** STROVOLOS, Symi street, Tseriou new one bedroom apartment, 55 sqm, large sunny balcony, air-conditioned, private parking, lift, title deeds, reduced price €95.000 (including VAT) (no offers) tel: 99266282 (no agents) ***************************** FOR SALE upper floor house 210 sq.m built on 301 sq. m land, Lapatsa area, Pereous 1a. 4 bedrooms with attic room (not finished), c/h ,4 a/c, aluminium doors& window, covered parking and storage room. Price €310.000 pm call 22431095 99330632.

FOR SALE PAPHOS PAPHOS FOR SALE large, beautiful, nice designed, sea view house. In Chlorakas area, very quiet and private location. 4 en-suite bedrooms. Spacious living - dining room, sitting room, kitchen with all electrical appliances, breakfast room, two fireplaces, built-in bookcases, electrical shutters, a/c, swimming pool, garden, patio, garage, store room. Option for second floor.

Title deed. Adjacent to above.

Sold separately plot of land, with sea view. Title deed. Tel. 99519370.

2 BEDROOM top floor apartment built in 2006, 75 sqm, large sunny balcony with sea views, 2 bathrooms (en-suite), communal pool, air conditioning.

Small block of 9 apartments, located behind Darmart store, near the Debenhams roundabout, underground private parking, storage room and lift, reduced price: €98.000 (including VAT) with title deeds (no agents) please call: 99266282

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

3nt Easter Breaks in Cyprus!

All Inclusive Protaras 4* hotel ONLY ¤365 PER COUPLE PER STAY! UPGRADE TO SEA VIEW FOR ONLY ¤30 EXTRA!! www.centurycyprus.com

info@centurycyprus.com

Tel: 70 000 970

31 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Compiled by Rosie Ogden

Motoring

ALL-ELECTRIC CAR ‘BRINGS TOGETHER THE WORLD OF FURNITURE AND THAT OF THE AUTOMOBILE’

Renault approached renowned British industrial designer Ross Lovegrove for their latest offering, which they call the ‘play’ petal of Renault Design’s life-cycle ‘flower’

Renault takes the wraps off latest Twin’Z concept CAR-MAKERS keen to stay ahead of the game come up with all sorts of ideas, many of which reach us in the form of ‘concept cars’. While almost always fun to look at, most concepts never see a production line, though they do give an idea of possible future features on production vehicles.

New ideas, however, are sometimes hard to come by if you stay within the confines of the motor industry, which is why manufacturers are increasingly turning to other areas of expertise to generate novelty.

Collaborations with artists, sculptors and architects have been seen before, but Renault approached renowned British industrial designer Ross Lovegrove for their latest offering, which they call “the ‘play’ petal of Renault Design’s life-cycle ‘flower’ and this week took the wraps off Twin’Z, a concept car that “brings together two worlds where design plays an important role: the world of furniture and that of the automobile”.

Twin’Z is the latest concept car in Renault’s programme which sets out to illustrate the company’s new design strategy through ‘parallels with threshold phases of human existence’ - whatever that means! The car draws its inspiration from the heritage of some of the brand’s most emblematic models, like the Renault 5 and Renault Twingo; it’s an all-electric car with rear-wheel drive and a rearmounted motor.

Lovegrove was given a free hand to imagine a cabin that is ‘truly occupant-friendly’ and (as he does with his furniture) he took his inspiration from the world of nature, combining a play on light and organic forms.

Renault chose not to reveal the new concept car at a motor show: instead, it chose the Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano, with the aim of breaking down the boundaries between the world of the car and that of furniture.

Twin’Z is an electric supermini. Its design, which features a rear-mounted motor and batteries located beneath the floor, frees up ‘exceptional’ cabin space and Renault says it also delivers ‘high quality handling that makes it a delight to drive’.

Lovegrove, a celebrated expert in contemporary design, was given a free hand to express his vision of the automobile, “a vision which draws its inspiration from the world of nature and which is guided by a quest for a harmonious encounter between the automobile and its environment”.

Says Laurens van den Acker, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Design, “Ross turns things inside out, upside down, challenges and inspires. He makes a hard car soft, a small car spacious, creates simplicity despite complexity, and turns a lifeless object into something that is alive.”

Twin’Z takes its inspiration as much from the heritage of the first-generation Twingo

Futuristic: passengers are hooded in a technological envelope that bathes them in a light which responds to the energy and pulse of the Twin’Z as it does from that of the Renault 5, two small cars which broke new ground in ways that truly marked their time.

Although only 3.62 metres in length, Twin’Z’s proportions, high waistline and the way it sits squarely on its 18” wheels, suggest robustness, as well as “reassuring protection and quality”.

Its all-electric, rear-wheel drive architecture enabled the wheels to be pushed out to the car’s extreme corners to provide it with a solid grounding and large platform. This also gave the car outstanding cabin space in relation to its compact footprint.

Twin’Z’s striking blue livery pays tribute to the 20th century French painter Yves Klein. The satin finish makes

the body appear to be coated, almost anodised, rather than painted, suggesting that the pigmentation is inside the body, and not applied. The grille design creates a vortex effect which channels air flow and minimises turbulence to optimise Twin’Z’s aerodynamic performance.

The front and rear doors are hinged at the front and rear respectively and open electrically. The resulting absence of a central pillar allows the entire cabin to be revealed to the eye and frees up space to facilitate ingress. Touchsensitive buttons are used to open the electric doors.

The wheels and tyres have been designed as a single entity. The wheels themselves feature a glowing green fin-

ish and the solid central core splits into slender branches which strike out towards the rim. The tyres, which were specially developed by Michelin, continue this pattern, so the wheel is perceived as a whole rather than a juxtaposition of two distinct elements.

A sequence of LEDs extends from the grille to the rear bumper via the roof and a pattern of light starting from the Renault badge flows towards the headlights before climbing up over the windscreen pillars, along the roofline and then back down to the rear bumper.

The glass roof is designed in layers and incorporates an array of LEDs which form ‘animated patterns’. “Passengers are hooded in a technological envelope that bathes them in a light which responds to the energy and pulse of Twin’Z,” says Lovegrove, adding “This roofscape heightens the sensation of space and blends seamlessly into the rear window.

The rear clusters have made way for LED lighting incorporated into the glass. This concept permits a host of new ideas. For example, when the driver presses the brake pedal, the brake lights climb gradually towards the roof, for enhanced visibility and safety.

A double floorpan makes for a high-up driving position, and both driver and passengers get an excellent view of the road and surroundings.

The rear seat backs have

been integrated into the floor-pan to create space and what Lovegrove dubs “a new, informal aesthetic.”

With no B-pillar, there’s a panoramic view of the interior, which has milled bi-colour lines circulating round the entire cabin.

There is no dashboard, which means that front occupants have exceptional room, and the use of HMIs (Human Machine Interfaces) has been minimised, too, with the conventional dashboard making way for a single tablet with a touchscreen display that is mounted on a centrallypositioned post. Much like a home automation system, the tablet takes care of everything, from the vehicle’s systems (heater, seat adjustment, lights activation, control of the roof) to the GPS guidance system and in-car connectivity. A smartphone located in the driver’s line of sight display’s the vehicle’s speed, range-related information and the principal warning lights.

Says Lovegrove: “the car has become a symbol of our progress and civilization; designing a car no longer consists merely in improving the look and feel of the drive experience. It involves harnessing a new attitude towards how we integrate vehicles into everyday life by reducing harmful emissions, dematerialising the car’s physicality to achieve lightness, and maximising not only its footprint but also, and above all, its efficiency and intelligence”.

32 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport Black Caviar claims 25th straight victory AUSTRALIAN champion thoroughbred Black Caviar banished any remaining doubts of her place as the world’s top female sprinter with a storming finish to claim her 25th win in as many races in the TJ Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick yesterday.

Roared on by a sell-out crowd of 25,000 Sydneysiders, the six-year-old mare also confirmed her status as one of Australia’s greatest horses alongside 1930 Melbourne Cup winner Phar Lap and triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva.

The victory yesterday gave Black Caviar the Australian record for Group One race wins with 15, eclipsing the mark held by Kingston Town since his last outing in 1982.

“She’s a marvellous horse, what can you say?” trainer Peter Moody told reporters at trackside. “Twenty-five straight, 15 Group Ones.

“I’m just really proud of her, putting on a great show for Sydney. Sydney hasn’t seen her as much as other places.

“Let’s hope we see her run again a few more times.”

This was Australian Derby day at Royal Randwick but there was no doubting who was the star of the show.

Black Caviar’s colours of salmon pink with black spots were ubiquitous on everything from baseball caps to ties, expensive millinery to miniature flags.

IN BRIEF

Star of the show: Black Caviar’s streak continued

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton grabbed his first pole position for the team yesterday since joining them at the start of the year

Hamilton on pole in China

By Ian Parkes LEWIS Hamilton lit up the Mercedes garage by grabbing his first pole position for the team since joining them at the start of the year.

For the 27th time in his Formula One career, Hamilton will lead away the field come the start of today’s Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Joining the 27-year-old on the front row will be Kimi Raikkonen in his Lotus ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes.

With Alonso ahead of Felipe Massa, who starts from fifth on the grid, it meant the double world champion avoided being out-qualified by a teammate five times in succession for what would have been the first time in his 200-race career.

Lotus’ Romain Grosjean joins Massa on row three, with Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo a superb seventh, his second best qualifying place of his career.

Behind the Australian will be McLaren’s Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull, who had started on pole in the opening two races.

However, both men made a strategy call by running in Q3 on the harder

Raikkonen puts Lotus on front row, Webber suffers fuel problem medium compound compared to the faster, but more highly degradable soft Pirelli tyre as used by those ahead of them. It means the frontrunners will have to pit early, whereas Button and Vettel can run longer on the medium and wait until very late in the race to run the soft rubber.

In the top 10 for the first time this season with new team Sauber is Nico Hulkenberg who starts from 10th.

Given the machinations post-race in Malaysia and over the past few days regarding the Red Bull team orders controversy, it is likely conspiracy theorists will be looking closely at Mark Webber’s demise in qualifying.

The Australian, the victim in Malaysia of Vettel’s decision to ignore team principal Christian Horner’s instruction to hold station and who instead attacked for the win, was knocked out in Q2 with an apparent technical problem.

“We had a lack of fuel pressure so I couldn’t get back. My qualifying was over before it started,” explained Webber.

After stopping in the final sector, Webber will line up a lowly 14th, ahead of Williams’ Pastor Maldonado and JeanEric Vergne in his Toro Rosso, his 16th a total contrast to that of Ricciardo.

Also out in Q2, but starting ahead of Webber, will surprisingly be the Force India pair of Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil, both of whom had looked strong in practice for a top-10 place, and McLaren’s Sergio Perez.

Di Resta missed out by 0.026secs to Hulkenberg, whilst Perez failed to reach Q3 for the first time by 0.053secs.

In the opening 20-minute Q1, fans and viewers had to wait for eight and a half minutes before the first car took to the circuit.

Come the conclusion, Williams’ Valtteri Bottas again failed to make it into the second session for the second consecutive race, with the Finn due to line up 17th.

Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez also slipped into the bottom six for the second time this year and will start 18th, as he did in Australia.

Marussia again out-performed Caterham, with Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton - separated by 0.657secs - 19th and 20th ahead of Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde who occupy the back row.

Hamilton, the only driver to win this race twice in its nine-year history, described himself as “ecstatic”. He added: “It’s an incredible feeling, I’m so happy to have first place.

“The lap was great, but then the team have performed well all weekend and I obviously now hope we can carry that through to tomorrow.”

Hamilton, however, appreciates the tyre situation will be tricky, adding: “Making the option (soft) last has been impossible, so it will mean an early stop.

“But we’ve shown great race pace on the medium, and although it will be a really tough race, I’m hoping we can maintain our position.”

Asked as to why Mercedes did not follow the strategy adopted by McLaren and Red Bull for Button and Vettel, Hamilton said: “We have great strategists and I trust them.

“They make the decision and we stick by them, but whatever strategy you are on, you are going to struggle on the option tyre whether you are on high or low fuel.”

Kubica retires on World Championship debut

All Blacks skipper McCaw will continue his sabbatical

Durant fined $25,000 for ‘menacing’ throat gesture

POLAND’S former Formula One driver Robert Kubica retired from the opening day of the Rally of Portugal, his world championship debut, after damaging his Citroen’s radiator and then running out of tyres.

Kubica, who had a near-fatal accident in a minor rally in Italy in 2011, was running strongly but had a puncture and damaged two more tyres in Friday’s opening four gravel stages with only one spare in his car. He had been quick through the second stage despite sliding the car sideways into a ditch, where a branch penetrated the radiator.

“For me he did a great performance today,” said Citroen racing head Yves Matton.

ALL Blacks captain Richie McCaw is set to miss the entire Super Rugby season as he continues his sabbatical from the sport.

The 32-year-old is taking a break in order to extend his career and had originally planned to return at the tailend of the Crusaders’ Super Rugby campaign.

However, following discussions with the seven-time champions, the 116-Test veteran will now come back to the sport with his local Christchurch club before potentially leading the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship opener against Australia in Sydney on August 17.

OKLAHOMA City Thunder forward Kevin Durant has been fined $25,000 by the National Basketball Association after making a hostile throat slashing gesture during Thursday’s win over the Golden State Warriors.

In a statement, the league said the fine was for a “menacing gesture”, which occurred in the second quarter of Oklahoma City’s 116-97 win.

It is the first time Durant has been fined in his NBA career and the player said after the game that the gesture reflected his philosophy of “kill them and pray for them after the game”.

33 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

Sport Rockies down Padres

Tiger escapes disqualification Woods given two-shot Masters penalty

By Phil Casey TIGER Woods’ bid for a fifth Masters title remained alive yesterday after he was given a two-shot penalty, rather than disqualification, according to reports.

The Golf Channel reported that Woods was penalised under rule 33-7, which covers a competitor unaware of a penalty returning a wrong score.

Woods took an incorrect drop on the 15th hole on Friday after his approach had hit the pin and bounced back into the water, leading to speculation he would be disqualified for therefore signing for an incorrect scorecard.

After deciding not to play from the designated drop zone, Woods opted to play from the same area after a penalty drop.

Under rule 26-1a, a player must take their drop “as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played”, but Woods said in a postround interview that he opted to go “two yards further back”.

Woods then pitched onto the green and holed out for what he thought was “a good six”, eventually signing for a round of 71 which left him three under par

and three off the lead held

by Australian Jason Day. That appeared to mean the 14-time major winner should have incurred a further penalty, leading to disqualification for signing for an incorrect score.

However, in 2011 golf’s governing bodies changed the ruling which had caused Padraig Harrington to be disqualified after an opening 65 in Abu Dhabi in January of that year.

Harrington had already signed his scorecard when a television viewer raised the issue of his ball moving as he marked it on a green and because of that, the punishment could not just be a two-stroke penalty.

INTERPRETATION The Royal and Ancient Club and the United States Golf Association then announced a new interpretation to apply “in limited circumstances not previously contemplated” where disqualifications have been caused by scorecard errors identified as the result of recent advances in video technologies.

It covers the situation where a player is not aware he has breached a rule because of facts that he did not know and could not reasonably have discovered

before returning his scorecard.

Under this revised decision and at the discretion of the (rules) committee, the player still receives the penalty associated with the breach of the underlying rule, but is not disqualified.

Coincidentally, the new ruling started to be applied in The Masters in 2011.

The two organisations did confirm that the disqualification penalty still applied for scorecard breaches that arise from ignorance of the rules of golf.

Three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo felt Woods should disqualify himself from the tournament.

“I think Tiger would gain massive brownie points if he stood up and said ‘You are right, I have broken the rules, I’ll see you next week’,” Faldo said on the Golf Channel.

“I think he got confused.

His head was spinning, he was angry. He made a mistake, simple as that.

“He is judge and jury. He gained an advantage. He said so himself.”

Former player Brandel Chamblee added: “This is a flagrant, obvious violation. If Tiger has read the rule it is incumbent on him to say he is in violation and disqualify himself. Anything else is unacceptable.”

Woods took an incorrect drop on the 15th hole on Friday after his approach had hit the pin and bounced back into the water, leading to speculation he would be disqualified for therefore signing for an incorrect score card

Bryant injury sours Lakers’ win

Bryant netted his two free throws for a 34-point haul for the Lakers, but then hobbled off court and did not return

THE Los Angeles Lakers grabbed a crucial win in the battle for the final NBA play-off spot - but it may have come at a cost as star man Kobe Bryant was forced off by injury.

The Lakers, battling with the Utah Jazz for the eighth seed in the Western Conference, edged out the Golden State Warriors 118-116 in a dramatic clash at the Staples Centre.

But their number 24 jarred both knees in separate incidents in the third quarter, with the real damage coming with three minutes remaining in the fourth when he went down clutching at his left ankle or Achilles tendon.

Bryant netted his two free throws for a 34point haul but then hobbled off court with assistance and did not return.

Steve Blake’s pair of free throws took the Lakers ahead with 42 seconds remaining and Carl Landry missed a crucial shot before Stephen Curry hit the rim from inside his own half on the buzzer.

Pau Gasol had a triple-double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Lakers, while Curry led all scorers with 47 points.

It was a vital response to Utah’s victory, the Jazz pulling clear in the fourth quarter to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-100.

Al Jefferson led the way as he equalled his career-best match total of 40 points.

Elsewhere, the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated their North-West Division title with a 106-90 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Thunder knew back-to-back division titles were secure once the Dallas Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets 108-105 in overtime, with 22 points each from Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter and 20 from OJ Mayo.

And Russell Westbrook duly piled up 33 points in a comfortable win for Oklahoma.

Pacific Division winners the Los Angeles Clip-

pers were made to work hard for a 96-93 win over the New Orleans Hornets in Louisiana, coming from six behind at the start of the last quarter. Chris Paul scored 10 of their 39 points in the fourth to finish with a doubledouble of 17 points and 14 assists, while Eric Gordon poured in 25 for the Hornets.

The San Antonio Spurs have wrapped up the South-West Division and kept up their battle with the Thunder for the number one seed by beating the Sacramento Kings 108-101, Tony Parker with 22 points and 10 assists.

The Memphis Grizzlies, currently holding the fifth seed, beat the seventh-ranked Houston Rockets 82-78.

In the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks moved three games clear of the Indiana Pacers in the battle for the second seed with a 101-91 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith scored 31 points apiece, Anthony adding 14 rebounds.

Indiana were sunk by Deron Williams’ 33 points and 14 assists as they lost 117-109 to the Brooklyn Nets, who are assured of at least the fourth seed.

Runaway top seeds the Miami Heat marched on with a 109-101 win over the Boston Celtics, LeBron James’ 20 points leading a team effort that saw six players in double figures.

The fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks beat the number eight Milwaukee Bucks 109-104 with double-doubles from Jeff Teague (24 points, 10 assists) and Al Horford (18 points, 17 rebounds). Josh Smith also scored 24 points.

The sixth-ranked Chicago Bulls lost 97-88 to the Toronto Raptors, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 97-86 and the Detroit Pistons enjoyed a 113-93 rout of the Charlotte Bobcats.

THE San Diego Padres, complete with controversial leftfielder Carlos Quentin, were beaten 7-5 following a late comeback by the Colorado Rockies in Friday’s Major League clash.

Quentin started the game after appealing his eightmatch ban for his part in previous night’s bench-clearing brawl against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Quentin was ejected along with three Dodgers players after he was hit by Zack Greinke’s pitch and charged at the mound, sparking a fracas in which Greinke suffered a fractured collarbone.

He caught a Carlos Gonzalez fly-ball in the third inning but contributed little with the bat as the Padres opened up a 5-3 lead only to give up two runs in each of the last two innings, including Dexter Fowler’s second home run of the night.

Higher up the NL West standings, the Arizona Diamondbacks continued their strong start with a 3-0 win over fellow divisional pace-setters the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The San Francisco Giants were beaten 4-3 by the Chicago Cubs after a dramatic ninth inning. The Giants came from 2-0 down to lead 3-0, Brandon Belt’s two-run double edging them ahead, but pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro’s home run levelled the scores and Starlin Castro’s walk-off double scored David DeJesus.

The Cubs remain third in the NL Central though both they and the Pittsburgh Penguins closed on the Cincinnati Reds, who were beaten 6-5 at PNC Park.

Division leaders the St Louis Cardinals won 2-0 against the Milwaukee Brewers, Shelby Miller pitching seven innings of one-hit ball.

The Atlanta Braves won for the ninth time in 10 games to remain clear at the top of the NL East. Ramiro Pena’s two-run shot in the first extra inning earned them a 6-4 win over the Washington Nationals.

The New York Mets are third in the division and hammered the Minnesota Twins 16-5. The in-form John Buck hit a grand slam and David Wright and Daniel Murphy also drove in four runs apiece.

In the American League, the New York Yankees returned to action after being rained off the last two nights - and it was worth the wait.

A 5-2 win was set up by a three-run double from Vernon Wells in the seventh, aided by Adam Jones’ drop, and sealed by a bizarre triple-play in the eighth which saw Alexi Casilla dismissed at third base and both Nick Markakis and Manny Machado at second.

AL Central leaders the Kansas City Royals suffered a first defeat in five games as the Toronto Blue Jays won 8-4 but lost shortstop Jose Reyes to an ankle injury.

The Detroit Tigers, second in the Angels’ division, suffered a 12-inning defeat to the Oakland Athletics after Josh Donaldson’s homer made it 4-3 to the A’s, who lead the AL West.

34 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport Ferguson trusts his resilient Red Devils SIR Alex Ferguson retains total trust in his Manchester United squad to complete their Barclays Premier League mission.

United’s 18-match unbeaten run ended against Manchester City at Old Trafford on Monday, cutting their lead at the top of the table to 12 points.

Following on from defeats in the Champions League and FA Cup to Real Madrid and Chelsea, it has not been the greatest of months for United, even if the chances of them throwing away a 20th championship over the final seven games are slim at best.

Ferguson does not give the impression of someone who thinks it will happen anyway.

“I’m looking forward to these games,” he said. “It’s a good time of the season for us.

“The most important thing is having confidence and trust in my players, and that’s absolute - 100 per cent.

“I’ve got a good group. They always want to do their best and have shown great resilience throughout the season.”

They have shown enough fighting spirit for Ferguson to denounce Roberto Mancini’s claim that the Red Devils have had it easy, with the Italian last week arguing

that many of their opponents live in fear.

“That’s absolute nonsense,” he said. “He was maybe looking for a bit of self-sympathy or something like that.

“We all recognise the English game is the most honest in the world and has been for many years.

“At Norwich this season the energy their two wide players expended was phenomenal.

They ran 100 miles. That’s an example of the Premier League.

“And the Reading game, when it went to 3-2, I thought we were going to lose 3-0.

“These teams have 3,000 fans following them away from home. There is no way they could come to Old Trafford and not do their best. That also applies itself to the Etihad, Stamford Bridge, the Emirates or Anfield.”

United have other targets, including amassing the 18 additional points required to match Chelsea’s record haul of 95 from 2005.

More immediately, they need one more goal to reach a century in all competitions, which, no doubt, Robin van Persie would like to get, given his barren streak now extends to 10 games.

City ended United’s 18-match streak on Monday

Today’s clash against a City side who have not conceded a goal in this season’s FA Cup will be Chelsea’s sixth game in 16 days

‘I know how to beat City’ Benitez believes he knows key to today’s FA Cup semi-final

By Frank Malley RAFAEL Benitez believes he knows how to beat Manchester City in today’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Chelsea’s interim boss has studied how his side played against City at Eastlands in February when they lost 2-0 in a match in which Frank Lampard missed a penalty.

Benitez will rotate his squad to bring in fresh legs from the side which progressed to the Europa League semi-finals in midweek and insists he knows the key to reaching what would be his first FA Cup final at Wembley after winning the trophy at the Millennium Stadium with Liverpool in 2006.

Benitez, whose side lie in third place in the Barclays Premier League, seven points behind secondplaced City, said: “They’re a good team, in a good position in the table and did well against Manchester United the other day.

“We know it’ll be difficult, but it’s a semi-final in a massive competition.

“We know what we did wrong against them in the league and we’ll make sure we don’t make the same mistakes.

“They’re a good team, a strong squad. They have a manager (Roberto Mancini) with experience and they have confidence at the moment. We know we’ll have to do our best if we want to progress.”

Today’s match against a City side who have not conceded a goal in this season’s FA Cup will be Chelsea’s sixth game in 16 days.

Striker Demba Ba, recovered from an ankle injury, is likely to come in and defender Ryan Bertrand is also fit again after illness. Ashley Cole (hamstring) and Gary Cahill (knee), however, remain unavailable.

Benitez said: “We’ve tried to manage our squad and we have players with some fresh legs. Hopefully we will be fine. We have too many games and we have to use the squad. Everyone has to be on their toes but they are doing really well.”

If Chelsea can beat City it means a cup double remains up for grabs for Benitez after his side edged shakily past Rubin Kazan

5-4 on aggregate in the Europa League quarter-final following a 3-2 defeat in Moscow.

They are now the last British side left in Europe and Benitez was confident after being drawn against Swiss champions and Tottenham conquerors Basle in the semi-final, thus avoiding a long journey to Fenerbahce or a tricky tie against Benfica.

Benitez said: “Basle is not too far away, so maybe it’s not a bad option, only because of that. They’re a good team, an offensive team, and will be dangerous as well. We saw what they did to Tottenham.

“We know there’s a great atmosphere in their stadium and they play with intensity. I think it will be interesting.”

Simpson relishing prospect of Tyne-Wear derby glory NEWCASTLE full-back Danny Simpson has prescribed a dose of derby day glory as the perfect antidote to their Europa League heartache.

The 26-year-old and his team-mates came agonisingly close to clawing their way past Benfica and into the semi-finals on Thursday evening before a last-gasp Eduardo Salvio goal halted their late charge.

However, despite their disappointment, the Magpies have been able to take positives from their near miss - they came within two minutes of being the first team to beat the Portuguese league leaders in any competition since October - and will head into today’s clash with Sunderland gunning for their relegation-threatened neighbours.

Simpson said: “That’s just going to give us a big lift for Sunday, in all honesty. We have got a couple of days to recover now, but our performance and the fans and the energy and the effort we put in, it’s just got us ready.

“We are champing at the bit for Sunday now. They are probably the best games I have been involved in. It just means so much to everyone. You can feel it. They are very special and I have been fortunate to have won a couple and drawn a couple.

“We have had a good week - we beat Fulham and had a good performance on Thursday night and were unfortunate not to go through.

“We have set ourselves up nicely for Sunday now to give it a right go and I am sure the fans will be up for it as well.”

Simpson spent half a season on loan at the Stadium of Light from Manchester United earlier in his career, so he knows all about the strength of feeling on both Tyneside and Wearside ahead of a derby which has added importance this time around.

35 SUNDAY MAIL • April 14, 2013

Sport

Rangers ever closer to the drop after Everton home win Gibson and Anichebe net each side of the interval Everton 2 QPR 0

By Carl Markham IF their display at Goodison Park is anything to go by, then QPR’s return to the npower Championship appears a mere formality as a performance lacking in attitude, endeavour and invention got its just desserts.

A deflected strike from Darron Gibson - Everton’s 50th goal in the Premier League this season - and a smart finish from Victor Anichebe five minutes either side of halftime secured a victory the hosts were just not made to work hard enough for.

With five matches remaining the Londoners are seven points from safety and they simply have to win their next two games against Stoke and Reading - the clubs closest to them in their remaining fixtures - to even stand a chance of surviving.

But it will take performances significantly improved from this one as they failed to put up a fight against the European football-chasing Toffees, who were themselves far from at their best.

QPR’s future looked bleak even before kick-off with just two wins in their last 11 matches but what made their performance strange was that, despite their obvious

A deflected strike from Darron Gibson and a smart finish from Victor Anichebe (right) secured a victory that Everton were just not made to work hard enough for predicament, there appeared no real heart for the battle within the team.

That will be a concern for manager Harry Redknapp whose apparent ability to applying the magic touch appears to have deserted him.

Junior Hoilett’s curling effort in the fourth minute after Andros Townsend’s 40yard run at the centre of the defence was bettered in the first half only by Loic Remy’s

powerful effort which Tim Howard parried for a corner.

Everton were also not their usual busy selves, although the tempo of the match may have changed had referee Lee Mason felt Clint Hill’s challenge on Seamus Coleman warranted a penalty.

He did not and it was to the hosts’ detriment as they toiled for 40 minutes without really opening up a side second-bottom of the table.

Anichebe was inches away from connecting with Leighton Baines’ cross while Phil Jagielka failed to get his head onto the England left-back’s inswinging corner.

Baines, who prior to this match had created more chances for his team-mates than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues, again provided an opportunity when he cut back a right-sided free-kick to Gibson out-

Reading hold Liverpool to goalless tie Reading 0 Liverpool 0 BRENDAN Rodgers endured a highly-frustrating return to Reading as a remarkable performance from keeper Alex McCarthy saw Liverpool held to a goalless draw.

Time and again McCarthy came to the Royals’ rescue by producing a succession of world-class saves to deny Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge.

The academy product, who recently recovered from shoulder surgery, only started the match after Adam Federici was ruled out with an ankle problem.

Liverpool dominated most of the Barclays Premier League clash at the Madejski Stadium and could have

Frustration: Suarez was thwarted twice in quick succession by McCarthy finished clear winners but for McCarthy’s brilliance.

Chance after chance went begging before the interval and apart from a bright spell from Reading midway

through the second half, when Noel Hunt and Jobi McAnuff could have scored, Liverpool were in full control.

The final 10 minutes saw Liverpool lay siege to the home goal and while Sturridge was guilty of butchering a match-winning opportunity, Suarez could only stare in disbelief as he was foiled by the terrific McCarthy twice in quick succession.

The draw halted Reading’s run of seven successive Premier League defeats, and while it may not prevent them from being relegated, the spirit on display will have been appreciated by manager Nigel Adkins.

A minute’s silence was immaculately observed before the match in memory of the 96 victims of Hillsborough, with the disaster’s 24th anniversary falling tomorrow.

side the box.

The Republic of Ireland international rolled a pass intended for Marouane Fellaini, Everton’s top scorer returning after suspension, only for Sylvain Distin to get there first but bundle his shot hopelessly wide from eight yards out.

When the home side eventually took the lead it was through a stroke of luck as Gibson’s long-range strike took a significant deflection off Hill to leave goalkeeper Julio Cesar helpless.

If Redknapp expected a response from his players after the break he would have been disappointed as it was Everton who came out more determined.

Anichebe’s close-range shot rebounded off the post and along the goalline where Jose Bosingwa managed to clear despite his awkward position before Distin had a header palmed away by Cesar and Jagielka a shot blocked by crowd of bodies.

But with not the slightest attacking intent or invention visible it was no surprise when QPR conceded again.

Distin headed goalwards and Anichebe neatly hooked home a close-range shot in the 56th minute.

The introduction of the mercurial Adel Taarabt injected some life into the visitors lacklustre approach but even then they tested Howard just once in the final half-hour when full-back Nedum Onuoha forced the American into a save.

Everton, almost unnoticed, have crept to within three points of Champions League qualification.

Manager David Moyes, who would be happy to secure any European football, has played down their chances, but with a trip to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Tuesday, they can put themselves firmly back in the race.

Premier League standings Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Manchester United Manchester City Chelsea Arsenal Chelsea Manchester City Tottenham Liverpool Hotspur Everton Tottenham Hotspur Liverpool Everton West StokeBrom City Swansea Bolton Wanderers Fulham West Brom Southampton Fulham West Ham Utd Newcastle United Newcastle SunderlandUnited Norwich City Aston Villa Stoke City Rovers Blackburn Aston WolvesVilla Sunderland Birmingham Wigan Athletic Blackpool QPR Wigan Athletic Reading West Ham United

P

W

D

L

F

31 37 31 36 32 36 31 36 32 36 32 36 33 37 32 36 32 37 32 37 33 36 32 36 32 37 33 36 32 37 33 37 32 36 31 37 33 36 33 36

25 22 19 21 17 19 17 19 17 14 13 12 13 10 12 10 12 9 10 10 11 10 11 7 10 7 10 8 11 7 8 8 10 4 7 5 7

2 11 8 7 8 10 7 8 7 13 14 11 15 5 7 11 10 10 11 15 8 11 6 11 14 12 13 10 10 7 10 15 7 9 12 15 9 12

4 4 8 7 7 9 8 12 5 8 9 10 14 16 11 15 12 15 13 11 14 16 15 12 14 12 17 15 19 15 13 16 18 17 14 19 17

71 74 57 67 64 69 61 55 55 59 51 59 50 42 46 43 52 44 53 47 45 36 51 42 31 45 28 43 36 44 34 36 37 53 29 36 36 41

A Pts 33 35 27 30 35 39 33 40 41 37 45 40 45 43 44 42 54 48 68 54 41 45 52 56 52 58 39 57 60 63 45 54 57 74 54 59 63 64

77 65 70 59 67 58 65 58 55 56 50 51 44 46 41 46 40 46 38 45 38 44 36 44 35 42 34 40 34 40 31 39 31 39 24 36 24 33

Adebayor answers penalty critics EMMANUEL Adebayor has hit back at the critics who lambasted him for his poor penalty which cost Tottenham a place in the Europa League.

Tottenham crashed out of the competition on penalties in Basle last night after the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate after extra-time.

Yann Sommer saved from Tom Huddlestone and Gylfi Sigurdsson then scored, but any hope 10-man Tottenham had of advancing to the semifinals was blown by Adebayor’s poor attempt from 12 yards.

The Togolese took a strange, slow, stuttering run up and then cleared Sommer’s goal by a foot, before Marco Diaz went on to secure an easy 4-1 shootout win for Basle.

Adebayor’s miss drew derision from all quarters, and yesterday Adebayor, who scored four penalties for Spurs last season, defended himself, blaming his missed attempt partly on fatigue and the boggy sodden pitch in north-west Switzerland.

“It’s tough,” the Tottenham striker said. “You run around for 120 minutes, you give everything you have in your stomach, you are tired, you play with 10 men for 30 minutes and at the end of the day you have to take a penalty.

“The pressure is there when you take the ball. It’s not the reason why we missed. We had to score, but it’s not easy for us.

“I have taken penalties for Arsenal and Real Madrid. It’s a gamble.

“You miss or you score. I missed against Basle. I am very disappointed, but that’s football. You just have to keep focused and keep going.”

Tottenham’s squad will now have a four-day break before their vital Barclays Premier League clash against City a week today.

Premier League Results Arsenal Norwich

3 1

Aston Villa Fulham

1 1

Everton QPR

2 0

Reading Liverpool

0 0

Southampton West Ham

1 1

Playing Today Newcastle v Sunderland, 2pm Stoke v Man United, 4.05pm FA Cup Semi-Final Chelsea v Man City, 6pm Cyprus Championship APOEL Anorthosis

0 0

AEK Omonia

0 2

AEL Apollon

2 1

Doxa E.N Paralimni

1 0

36 April 14, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL

Sport

Hamilton takes pole in Shanghai for Mercedes 32

QPR ever closer to drop after Everton home victory 35

APOEL maintain six-point lead after Anorthosis tie

By Nemanja Bjedov APOEL and Anorthosis played out a goalless stalemate yesterday afternoon at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia - a result that definitely suits APOEL more, as they maintained a six-point lead atop the championship playoffs group with four matches remaining.

The match started at a high pace but that did not last long as both teams quickly settled to defend their own goal and look for an opportunity to score on the counter attacks. APOEL produced two quality chances throughout the entire half, both after corner kicks, but Anorthosis’ goalkeeper Christos Mastrou showed his class on each of the two occasions.

Nothing changed after the interval as the league leaders had more ball possession, but failed to create anything

significant in front of Mastrou’s goal apart from two penalty claims which were waved away by the referee.

Anorthosis themselves also had a penalty claim when Giannis Okkas was brought down in the penalty area with 20 minutes to go, but once again the referee waved appeals aside. However, nine minutes from time he sent off Anorthosis’ defender Rui Duarte for a second bookable offence, but until the final whistle the hosts failed to capitalise on their player advantage.

APOEL now top the championship playoff group with 67 points, while Anorthosis remain in second position, trailing the leaders by six points. Omonia are third with 59 points after defeating AEK 2-0 yesterday afternoon at the GSZ Stadium, to gain a solitary-point advantage over the Larnaca outfit.

Maltese midfielder Andre Schembri put Omonia ahead 10 minutes into the

match, while Andre Alves set up the final score in the 37th minute. Both Nicosia teams visit Larnaca in the next round, with APOEL taking on AEK and Omonia facing Anorthosis at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium.

Elsewhere in Group 2, AEL topped Apollon 2-1 in the Limassol derby, while Doxa Katokopia narrowly defeated Enosis Neon Paralimni 1-0.

AEL’s midfielder Rui Miguel broke the deadlock at the Tsirion Stadium in Limassol at the 11th minute, while Maykon doubled the official hosts’ lead just after half an hour mark. Argentinean striker Emmanuel Serra scored a consolation goal for Apollon in the last minute of the first half.

Gaossou Fofana converted a penalty kick 16 minutes from time to provide Doxa with a new victory, in what has been a very successful season for the Katokopia side.

APOEL now top the championship playoff group with 67 points, while Anorthosis remain in second place

Late double rescues Gunners Arsenal defeat Canaries to move third in League Arsenal 3 Norwich 1

By Jim van Wijk

A

rsenal struck three late goals to move back into the top four of the Barclays Premier League and deny Norwich a famous victory at the Emirates Stadium.

With Chelsea and Tottenham not in action this weekend because of the FA Cup semi-finals, the Gunners had the chance to put Champions League qualification back in their own hands.

However, the Canaries who still need a couple of wins to secure top-flight status - produced a resolute battling display and took the lead on 56 minutes through Michael Turner’s close-range header.

With the clock ticking, Arsenal were handed a way back into the match when the assistant referee spotted a shirt pull on Olivier Giroud by Kei Kamara.

Mikel Arteta kept his cool from the spot to level, before Giroud’s close-range effort turned the match around and substitute Lukas Podolski wrapped things up in stoppage time.

Arsenal host Everton here on Tuesday night and then head to Fulham before

With Chelsea and Tottenham not in action this weekend because of the FA Cup semi-finals, the Gunners made the most of the chance to put Champions League qualification back in their own hands Spurs play against Manchester City next weekend, and so could open up a significant gap on their northLondon rivals.

Chris Hughton’s men, meanwhile, must now regroup for the visit of Reading and games with Stoke and Aston Villa, which will ultimately define the end to their season.

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere returned from an ankle injury, and although fellow England international Theo Walcott was also fit again, he was named on the bench while captain Thomas Vermaelen returned to defence in place of sus-

pended Per Mertesacker.

Norwich beat Arsenal at home in October which started a 10-match undefeated run, but have since stalled in 2013.

The visitors, though, started with some intent as on-loan forward Kamara offered support to captain Grant Holt and Robert Snodgrass in attack.

Arsenal, however, were soon on the offensive, as a flowing move down the left saw Gervinho cut the ball back across the face of goal.

On 20 minutes, a clever flick from Wilshere at the edge of the Norwich penalty area sent Aaron Ramsey

clear, but the ball bounced just too far ahead of the Wales international, which allowed Mark Bunn to come off his line and collect.

Giroud was then unfortunate to see his backward header loop onto the top of the crossbar.

As the half-hour mark approached, Norwich were opened up again as Gervinho dashed onto a through ball and rounded Bunn as he dashed out of the area - but the Ivory Coast forward had been pushed too far wide on the right and his cutback from a tight angle rolled across the face of goal and behind.

Following a positive spell

by Norwich, Santi Cazorla tried out his luck from range, but Bunn was right behind it.

In stoppage-time, Giroud’s bullet header from a corner was deflected behind by Scotland defender Steven Whittaker.

There was more purpose from Arsenal following the restart, if again without much penetration in the final third.

It was the visiting supporters who were in full voice just before the hour as Turner headed Norwich into the lead.

Kieran Gibbs, preferred

to Nacho Monreal, tripped Kamara on the right edge of the Arsenal penalty area.

Snodgrass floated the free-kick towards the back post, where Turner rose unmarked to power a header into the bottom left corner after 56 minutes.

Wenger’s response was immediate as he made a double change to bring on Walcott and Podolski, replacing Wilshere and Gervinho.

It could, though, have got worse for the hosts when defender Sebastien Bassong broke clear before releasing Russell Martin into the right side of the area, but the full-back’s angled shot was straight at Lukasz Fabianski.

Podolski drilled in Giroud’s clever chestdown some six yards out, but Bunn got just enough on the ball to tip it up onto the crossbar.

Arsenal were level with just two minutes left from the penalty spot.

Following a corner, the assistant on the far side spotted a shirt pull by Kamara on Giroud - which Norwich protested, and Bunn was shown a yellow card.

When calm was eventually restored, Arteta kept his nerve to guide the ball into the bottom-right corner just past Bunn’s dive.

Arsenal turned things around when substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain darted to the left and cut the ball back, where Giroud stabbed it home just ahead of Bassong’s challenge.

After Jonny Howson’s snapshot was saved by Fabianski, it finished 3-1 to flatter the Gunners when Podolski turned to drill home from 18 yards.