ONE OF THE main reasons used to justify the high pay of public employees is that good wages make them much less vulnerable to bribery and corruption. It is probably true that there is more corruption in poorer countries where civil servants are paid low wages and try to supplement their income through corrupt actions.

This theory, sadly, does not apply to Cyprus in which high pay and corruption go hand in hand. Here, despite the fact public employees are by far the best paid group of workers, enjoying benefits and perks that people in the private sector could not even dream of, corruption is endemic. And we are not talking about petty corruption, but the large-scale type that costs the taxpayer many millions every year and is a contributing factor to the constantly rising cost of living.

The culture of backhanders and commission payments are deeply-rooted in public life and suppliers know they have to play the game in order land government contracts. They have nothing to lose as they pass the cost on to the taxpayer, who ends up paying premium rates for everything purchased by the state and every project it contracts out. The late president Tassos Papadopoulos described the construction of Nicosia General Hospital that went ridiculously over-budget as the ‘scandal of the century’ and he had a point, even though going over-budget on every public project has become routine.

This sick state of affairs was highlighted once again this week after new Auditor-General Odysseas Michaelides appeared before the House watchdog committee and spoke about three cases of dubious dealings at hospitals and the health ministry that the authorities had covered up. Nothing surprising or new as the state health sector has always been a nest of corruption and dishonesty, but it is good to remind people.

He spoke about the authorities’ refusal to take any action against doctors who were abusing over-time pay, the failure to take action against officials that had protected the interests of a supplier of hospital equipment at the expense of the taxpayer. He also mentioned that the drug pricing committee had not adjusted its pricing policy when price conditions had changed, with the result that we were paying top prices; the health minister said the total cost of the overpricing was between €20 and €30 million.

These are just a few examples of the waste. For instance, state hospitals pay much higher prices for consumables than private clinics and it is not difficult to guess the reason why. Former health minister Stavros Malas, who decided to join the debate on Thursday, demanded credit for amending the procedures for sending patients abroad and saving the taxpayer millions. But why did he not investigate the reasons so many patients were being sent abroad for treatment and at extortionate prices? Why was there no investigation into this scam to establish who was benefiting?

Malas was minister when the abuse of over-time by Limassol doctors was covered up, both the proposed criminal and disciplinary investigations were called off. The state doctors’ union probably had a word with then president Christofias and the theft was forgotten. There was never an investigation into the hospital equipment scam, nor into high drug prices. The drugs companies association on Thursday asked why there had been no investigation into the extortionate prices the state paid for medicines between 2004 and ’08 (allegedly five times higher). Prices remain much higher than they are in Greece and in the north, but companies gave no explanation about this.

The politicians might express outrage about these scandals when they hit the news but, at best, do nothing and, at worst, cover them up. The thieving public servants are almost never brought to account because they have the backing of an ultra-powerful union and are protected by collective agreements and laws that make it extremely difficult to prosecute them. The case of the head of the state pharmaceutical services was indicative of these problems – he was prosecuted in 2008 but acquitted and returned to his job. The government was not even able to move him to another department or ministry because PASYDY does not allow transfers of top civil servants.

The collective agreements also help corruption as do the public service rules that make it so difficult to take disciplinary action against a state employee. All the agreements, laws and regulations would have to change if we are ever to tackle the corruption in the state sector that costs the taxpayer tens, if not hundreds, of millions every year. Politicians must focus on changing the legal framework – make it possible to prosecute and punish the thieves – because expressing outrage whenever allegations hit the news will not end corruption.

By Constantinos Psillides

A CONTAINER ship carrying a number of hazardous goods is anchored outside Limassol port awaiting permission to unload, after it was damaged by fire while crossing the Suez Canal.

The Hanjin Athens, 6,6278 gross tonnage container ship caught fire while south of the Suez Canal on May 6, according to a report by Dolphin Maritime & Aviation Services Limited, a cargo claims company.

According to the report, the fire was in the second hold and caused substantial damage to the cargo in that hold.

Around 200 containers were loaded onto the ship.

The fire was put out by specialists on board but according to Limassol Port deputy head Georgios Pouros the ship’s captain requested to unload some of the damaged cargo, judging that otherwise it would be dangerous to stay on course to the original destination.

Since last Sunday the ship has been anchored outside the port of Limassol. But “everything is under control,” Pouros said, adding there was no need for the public to be alarmed.

“We sprung into action immediately. A task team was formed to assess the dangers of allowing the ship to enter Limassol port and unload its cargo on Cyprus soil. We sent experts onboard, verified the ship’s manifest, inspected the cargo and ordered all the tests required, as per standard procedure. We are expecting the final results within the next days and if everything checks out OK we will unload the cargo come Tuesday or Wednesday,” Pouros said.

He also played down how dangerous the cargo is. “The manifest does classify some of the ship’s cargo as hazardous but this is the case with almost 40 per cent of the cargo on any ship. We have verified that no class 1 and class 7 material were on board, which are the really dangerous ones”.

Class 1 substances are explosives and ammunition, while class 7 are radioactive material.

Pouros said the cargo classified as “hazardous” mostly had to with paint, refrigerant gas (freon) and cars.
“The gas inside the cars is a flammable liquid therefore classified as hazardous,” explained Pouros.

The Hanjin Athens docked at several ports in eastern Asia during its journey. Its last port of call was Singapore and its destination port is Naples, Italy.

By Ahmed Rasheed

A suicide bomber blew himself up at the headquarters of a Kurdish political party in Iraq’s ethnically mixed province of Diyala on Sunday, killing at least 18 people, local officials and medics said.

Most of the victims were members of the Kurdish security forces who were guarding the office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party in the town of Jalawla, 115 km (70 miles) northeast of Baghdad.

A further 67 people were wounded in the blasts, the latest in a surge of attacks by militants who in recent days have overrun parts of two major cities, occupied a university campus in western Iraq and set off a dozen car bombs in Baghdad.

“A suicide bomber parked a car packed with explosives near the PUK headquarters and after it went off, he managed to sneak into the building and detonate his vest,” said Khorsheed Ahmed, chairman of Jalawla city council.

Jalawla lies in disputed territory, and is one of several towns where Iraqi troops and Kurdish peshmerga regional guards have previously faced off against each other, asserting their competing claims over the area.

Both are a target for Sunni Islamist insurgents who have been regaining ground and momentum in Iraq over the past year.

The Sunni militant Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack in a statement posted on its “Diyala Emirate” Twitter account, and said it was in revenge for the arrest of Muslim women in Kurdistan.

FIGHTING FOR CONTROL

ISIL gave a slightly different version of the attack, which it said had been carried out by two suicide bombers, the first of whom drove a car packed with explosives into the PUK’s compound and blew himself and the vehicle up.

The second, whose name indicated he was a Kurd, then entered a crowd of people that had gathered to help those wounded in the first blast and detonated his explosives belt amongst them.

In April, a suicide bomber struck a Kurdish political rally in the town of Khaniqin, also in Diyala, killing 30 people.

Nearly 800 people were killed across the country in May alone – the highest monthly toll this year so far – and last year was Iraq’s deadliest since violence began to ease from a peak in 2006-07.

Police and security sources said Iraqi special forces were still fighting on Sunday to regain control over several districts on the left bank of the river that cuts through the northern city of Mosul, which militants moved into on Friday.

Two members of the Iraqi elite forces were killed in clashes there on Sunday, the sources said.

In the western province of Anbar, militants withdrew from a university they occupied on Saturday and took up positions in the surrounding area, shooting at the army as they tried to enter the campus, according to police, security officials and witnesses.

By Shadia Nasralla and Maggie Fick

Former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in as president of Egypt on Sunday in a ceremony with low-key attendance by Western allies concerned by a crackdown on dissent since he ousted Islamist leader Mohamed Mursi last year.

Last month’s election, which officials said Sisi won with 97 percent of the vote, followed three years of upheaval since a popular uprising ended 30 years of rule by former air force commander Hosni Mubarak.

Security in Cairo was extra tight, with armoured personnel carriers and tanks positioned in strategic locations as Sisi spoke to foreign dignitaries after a 21-gun salute at Cairo’s main presidential palace.

He called for hard work and the development of freedom “in a responsible framework away from chaos” but did not mention human rights or democracy.

“The time has come to build a more stable future,” said Sisi, the sixth Egyptian leader with a military background. “Let us work to establish the values of rightness and peace.”

Near Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the revolt against Mubarak where protesters now rarely tread, young men sold t-shirts with the image of Sisi in his trademark dark sunglasses.

Commentators on state and private media heaped praise on him, turning a blind eye to what human rights groups say are widespread abuses, in the hope that he can deliver stability and rescue the economy.

Many Egyptians share that hope, but they have limited patience, staging street protests that toppled two leaders in the past three years, and the election turnout of just 47 percent shows Sisi is not as popular as when he toppled Mursi.

“Sisi has to do something in his first 100 days, people will watch closely and there might be another revolution. That’s what people are like in this country,” said theology student Israa Youssef, 21.

Western countries, who hoped the overthrow of Mubarak in 2011 would usher in a new era of democracy, have watched Egypt’s political transition stumble.

Mursi was the country’s first freely elected president, but his year in power was tarnished by accusations that he usurped power, imposed the Brotherhood’s views on Islam and mismanaged the economy, allegations he denied.

After Sisi deposed him and became Egypt’s de facto ruler, security forces mounted one of the toughest crackdowns on the Brotherhood in its 86-year history. Hundreds were killed in street protests and thousands of others jailed.

Secular activists were eventually thrown into jail too, even those who supported Mursi’s fall, because they violated a new law that severely restricts protests.

GULF LIFELINE

Mursi’s ouster was applauded by Egypt’s Gulf Arab allies, who were alarmed by the rise of the Brotherhood, the international standard-bearer of mainstream Sunni political Islam.

The movement, which won nearly every election in Egypt since Mubarak’s fall, is seen as a threat to Gulf dynasties.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait pumped billions of dollars of aid into Egypt after Sisi appeared on television and announced that the Brotherhood was finished.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia urged Egyptians this week to back Sisi and said they should disown “the strange chaos” of the Arab uprisings.

Kuwait’s Emir, the King of Bahrain, the Crown Princes of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi are attending Sisi’s inauguration, according to a list provided by the Egyptian presidency.

In contrast, the United States only sent a senior advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry and most European countries only planned to send ambassadors.

“Just having ambassadors shows very clearly that while the governments are recognising the new transfer of power they are certainly not doing so with a huge amount of enthusiasm,” said H.A. Hellyer, nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

“It won’t mean much in terms of trade and cooperation, but it leaves a bit of a foul taste in people’s mouths.”

Diplomatic manoeuvring’s pale as a problem for Sisi compared with an urgent need to fix state finances and tackle an Islamist insurgency to lure back tourists and investors.

Officials forecast economic growth at just 3.2 percent in the fiscal year that begins July 1, well below levels needed to create enough jobs for a rapidly growing population and ease widespread poverty.

Child nursery employee Kamal Mahmoud, 25, said he was optimistic but would give Sisi only two years to bring change.

If he doesn’t succeed “he has no right to hold that position and he should join the others sitting in prison”, he said.

Sisi, the chief of military intelligence under Mubarak, has Egypt’s barren landscape on his side.

Parliamentary elections are expected later this year, but government opponents have been crushed and political parties weakened. Only one other candidate contested the presidential election. The military is unlikely to turn against Sisi unless mass street protests erupt.

“Sisi was the best option we had, so even if I still have worries about his stand on freedoms and even if he lets Mubarak’s people come back, he is still the best candidate for now,” said Mohamed Ahmed, a 26-year-old employee in a private firm.

“So I hope he will consider my concerns and act well for the sake of the country.”

The world knew little of Sisi before he appeared on television on July 3 to announce the removal of Mursi after vast crowds demanded he resign, and to promise democracy.

Sisi had kept a low profile as Mubarak’s head of military intelligence. That approach dates back to his childhood in the run-down Cairo neighbourhood of Gamaliya.

While most boys played along alleys, Sisi kept to himself, focusing on his studies, working in his father’s shop after school and weightlifting, people who knew him say.

But Sisi will need more than iron discipline to come up with solutions for Egyptians like Fathi Bayoumi, 60, who had hoped the 2011 revolt would ease hardships in his slum, where there are puddles of open sewage.

“He will do his best but it is not in his hands because the country has fallen. He does not have a magic wand May God be with him,” said Bayoumi.

Poverty is just one of the challenges facing Sisi. He is likely to face the same protracted challenge from Islamists as his predecessors.

The Brotherhood has been declared a terrorist group and has been driven underground but it has survived repression in the past and made a strong comeback.

Radical Islamist groups, who have threatened to bomb their way into power, have proven resilient despite army offensives.

Militants based in the Sinai Peninsula have stepped up attacks on police and soldiers since Mursi’s ouster, killing hundreds. Other militants operating along the border with chaotic Libya are now seen by Sisi as a major threat.

World number one Rafa Nadal won a record extending ninth French Open title when he beat Serbian second seed Novak Djokovic 3-6 7-5 6-2 6-4 in Sunday’s final.

The Spaniard became the first man to win five successive titles at Roland Garros to take his overall grand slam tally to 14.

Djokovic, who was looking to become the eighth man to complete a career grand slam, made a great start but appeared to suffer from the heat and humidity after losing the second set.

Nadal, who has only lost one of his 67 matches on the Paris clay, fell on his knees when Djokovic double-faulted on the first match point.

By Alexia Shurmur

An armed man and woman shouting about a “revolution” opened fire and killed two Las Vegas policemen who were eating lunch in a pizza parlor on Sunday, then fatally shot a civilian in a nearby Wal-Mart store before killing themselves, police said.

The two uniformed patrol officers, later identified as Alyn Beck, 41, and Igor Soldo, 31 – both family men – were ambushed without provocation shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time inside a CiCi’s Pizza shop, authorities said.

One of the two officers managed to return gunfire before the suspects fled to an adjacent Wal-Mart, where they killed a bystander inside the front door, then exchanged gunfire with police who pursued them further into the store, Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie said.

Moments later, the female suspect shot her accomplice to death, then took her own life, Gillespie told reporters at a late-afternoon news conference.

A city police spokeswoman, Laura Meltzer, earlier told Reuters the two suspects died after they “engaged in what is being described as a suicide pact.”

She also said the suspects had grabbed the fallen officers’ weapons before fleeing to the Wal-Mart, which Gillespie confirmed.

Meltzer said preliminary information received by police at the scene, showed one or both of the suspects had yelled a statement, “This is a revolution” as they carried out the initial attack. Gillespie said in the statement this was unconfirmed.

He said investigators were also at a loss to explain the attack.

“What precipitated this event we do not know. My officers were simply having lunch when the shooting started,” he said.

He added: “It’s a tragic day, a very difficult day. But we still have a community to police, and we still have a community to protect. We will be out there doing it with our heads held high but an emptiness in our hearts.”

He said no information was being released about the identity of the slain bystander, though the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the victim was a woman.

Gillespie said the two slain officers had been on routine patrol in the East Las Vegas area when they stopped for lunch.

The Review-Journal, citing an unnamed law enforcement official briefed on the incident, reported that the female suspect approached one policeman from behind and shot him in the head as he was refilling his soft drink, then shot the second several times as tried to draw his pistol.

Beck had been with the police department since August 2001 and was married, with three children. Soldo had been on the force since April 2006 and was married, with a baby.

By Syed Raza Hassan

Taliban militants disguised as security forces stormed Pakistan’s busiest airport on Sunday and at least 27 people were killed in a night-long battle at one of the country’s most high-profile targets.

The assault on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan’s sprawling commercial hub of 18 million people, all but destroys prospects for peace talks between the Taliban and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who came to power last year promising to find a negotiated solution to years of violence.

It also deals a heavy blow to Sharif’s efforts to attract more foreign investors to revive economic growth and raises questions about security at the country’s key installations.

The attack began just before midnight when 10 gunmen wearing military uniforms shot their way into the airport’s old terminal used mainly for charter and executive flights.

Gun battles raged through the night until security forces regained control of the airport at dawn. Passengers were evacuated and all flights were diverted.

The Pakistani Taliban, an alliance of insurgent groups fighting to topple the government and set up a sharia state, claimed responsibility, saying it was in response to army attacks on their strongholds along the Afghan border.

“It is a message to the Pakistan government that we are still alive to react over the killings of innocent people in bomb attacks on their villages,” said Shahidullah Shahid, a Taliban spokesman.

Pakistan’s paramilitary force said that the attackers were ethnic Uzbeks. Pakistani officials often blame foreign militants holed up in lawless areas on the Afghan border for staging attacks alongside the Pakistani Taliban around the country.

“Three militants blew themselves up and seven were killed by security forces,” Rizwan Akhtar, the regional head of the paramilitary Rangers, said in televised remarks. “The militants appear to be Uzbek.”

GUN BATTLE

Karachi is Pakistan’s biggest city and a key hub of business activity, home to a vibrant stock exchange and companies. But it is also a violent and chaotic place where Taliban militants and criminal gangs operate freely underground.

At the airport, gun battles went on for five hours and television pictures showed fire raging as ambulances ferried casualties away.

At least three loud explosions were heard as militants wearing suicide vests blew themselves up.

By dawn on Monday, the army said the airport had been secured but heavy smoke rose above the building.

“Ten militants aged between 20 and 25 have been killed by security forces,” said a spokesman for the paramilitary Rangers force. “A large cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered from the militants.”

“A sweep operation is being carried out at the airport which is expected to be completed by midday (0700 GMT).”

The civil aviation authority said it expected operations to resume at the airport by 0900 GMT.

Officials said no aircraft had been damaged.

Peace talks between the government and the Pakistani Taliban had failed in recent months, already dampening hopes of reaching a negotiated settlement with the insurgents, who continue attacks against government and security targets.

Pakistan’s Taliban are allied with but separate from the Afghan Taliban.

By Steve Keating

For weeks the Formula One world has been riveted on a feud between championship contenders Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton but after the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday the Mercedes team mates have another rivalry to worry about.

After a difficult start to the season, Red Bull returned to the top of the podium when Australian Daniel Ricciardo claimed his maiden F1 win, bringing Mercedes perfect start to the season to an end after six consecutive victories and five straight one-two finishes.

While the buildup to the Canadian Grand Prix was dominated by talk of a spat between the Mercedes drivers, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was warning that his team was not yet ready to throw in the towel and backed up the bravado on Sunday with Ricciardo’s win and third place finish from quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel.

For the first time this campaign Mercedes faced real adversity as Hamilton was forced out after 46 laps with brake problems while Rosberg struggled with power problems half way through the race, then holding on for second place.

“Now we will stick together as a team, analyse and understand what happened and come out of this situation even stronger,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “First of all, I must say I feel very sorry for Lewis.

“His retirement was not his fault in any way and it is something the team has to take on the chin.

“Both drivers were doing a great job.

“Nico did a sensational job to get the car home, and it was a fantastic piece of damage limitation given how much power he was giving away to the other cars.”

Certainly the weekend was not an entire write off for Mercedes.

The team heads back to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix on Red Bull’s home track in two weeks with Rosberg perched firmly atop the drivers’ standings on 140 points followed by Hamilton with 118 and Ricciardo a distant 61 points back in third.

Mercedes also remains in firm command of the constructor’s standings leading with 258 points, almost double of Red Bull on 139.

“I did the best that I could out there today and felt like I was having a strong race but unfortunately it just wasn’t our day,” said Hamilton, a three-time winner on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. “Montreal has been a good track for me so to come here and not finish is disappointing but there are plenty more races ahead of us this season so let’s hope for better fortune.

“There was nothing I could do about our issues really.

“It’s great for the team that Nico was able to hold on and get second place today but it’s tough for me. That’s two DNFs (did not finish) now this season and now I have to try and recover the points gap again.

“But these are learning experiences: we’ll learn as a team and get stronger.”

President Nicos Anasatasiades will hold a public consultation with members of the public on Tuesday June 17 at 6.30pm at the presidential palace, the government announced on Tuesday.

The public consultation aims to give citizens the opportunity to express their opinions and suggestions on specific topics and measures.

Anastasiades would like particularly to meet non-party aligned citizens and young people, the palace said.

Those interested in attending can register through the website of the Office of the Commissioner of Volunteering and Non-Governmental Organisations: www. volunteercommissioner. gov. CY / (Announcements)

In their first week of operation, speed cameras on Grivas Dighenis Avenue in Nicosia recorded over 5,000 speeding drivers, police said on Tuesday.

Police traffic chief Demetris Demetriou told CyBC that around 620 offences a day were recorded since the cameras officially went on line on June 2.

“In one week of operation over 5,000 offences were recorded,” he said.

He added that this was a huge number and a cause for concern in the sense that offenders carried on regardless of the media information, police warnings and the grace period that was given during the pilot scheme.

The speed limit in the area is 50 km/h.

The cameras were installed in early May but didn’t start working until last week. During a first-weekend test run, cameras reported almost 2,000 speed violations.

Anyone caught speeding within 30 per cent over the speed limit will be fined €1 per kilometre. Those speeding within 30-50 per cent over the speed limit will be fined €2 per km and issued 2 traffic penalty points, those caught speeding 50-75 per cent over the speed limit will be fined €3 per km plus 3 traffic penalty points.

Anyone caught driving over 75 per cent beyond the speed limit will be sent to court.

A new islandwide camera network that is slated to be operational by early 2015.
 

Cyprus has mandated Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs International, HSBC, UBS Investment Bank and VTB Capital to arrange road shows for possible bond issue, the finance ministry said on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Harris Georgiades has said the government would decide in the coming weeks on Cyprus` return to international markets. This would come more than a year earlier than originally anticipated. Cyprus is under an EU/IMF programme that covers the island`s financial needs until the first quarter of 2016.

“The Republic of Cyprus, rated B (positive) by Standard and Poor`s, Caa3 (positive) by Moody`s and B- (stable) by Fitch, has mandated Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs International, HSBC, UBS Investment Bank and VTB Capital to arrange a series of fixed income investor meetings in Europe,” the ministry’s release said.

It adds that “a EUR-denominated Reg S Registered only transaction may follow subject to market conditions.” (CNA)

By Jamie Spencer

In 84 years of history the World Cup has seen the very best players ever to grace a football pitch. Individuals like Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane are legends of the sport for their brilliance on the biggest stage, but what of the players who captured our imagination for different reasons?

Various characteristics make up cult heroes in the sport of football. They’re not necessarily the best players, but whether it be an eccentric nature, an unrivalled passion, a penchant for controversy, a one hit wonder, or a combination of everything, they’re all legends in the eyes of the fans.

Here’s an XI selected from the World Cup’s greatest ever cult heroes.

1 – Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita is one of football’s most colourful characters. He scored nearly 50 goals throughout his career, including seven at international level and is known for his eccentric nature which often involved rushing out of his goal, dribbling and generally taking unnecessary risks. Higuita gained international notoriety at the 1990 World Cup for his antics dribbling the ball, most notably when he was dispossessed by Cameroon player Roger Milla and could only frantically chase back as the forward put the ball into an empty net.

2 – Whilst hardly a household name in his own country, Josimar was a complete unknown outside Brazil when he arrived in Mexico for the World Cup in 1986. The Botafogo defender was previously uncapped for the Selecao, only receiving a call-up when first choice right-back Leandro was injured prior to the tournament. Still only a back-up for Brazil’s first two games, Josimar got his chance to play when usual stand-in Edson also got injured.

Making his international debut against Northern Ireland, Josimar became an instant celebrity when he unleashed a scorching drive past legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings in one of the iconic moments at that World Cup. However, the goal proved to be the pinnacle of Josimar’s career as his celebrity status took over and he wound up an unwanted journeyman of Brazilian football within a few years.

3 – Mwepu Ilunga is not a name that many may remember, but the actions of the player one day in 1974 remain one of the most infamous and amusing memories in World Cup history. Zaire made their bow at the World Cup in 1974.

Losses against Scotland and Yugoslavia had already confirmed Zaire’s elimination by the time they faced Brazil. The South Americans won 3-0, but it was Ilunga’s involvement in a free-kick which remains the abiding memory from the game. Whilst several Brazilian players were deliberating over who would take the free-kick on the edge of the Zaire penalty area Ilunga suddenly decided he would break out of the wall and kick the ball away, an act widely derided as clownish by the footballing world.

The player later explained that his actions were not out of ignorance, but a protest that he was hoping to get sent off for because he no longer wanted to play without being paid whilst wealthy people watched from the stands.

4 – A member of the victorious Italian team of 1982, Claudio Gentile was one of the toughest and most brutal defenders anywhere in the world in the 1970s and 1980s. Ahead of their second round clash with Argentina the Italians knew they had to stop Diego Maradona and the only way to stop him was to prevent him from getting on the ball. It was a task that was easier said than done, but it was vital if Italy were to have any chance of winning and the job of man-marking the dangerous forward fell to Gentile.

It has become known one of the most infamous individual battles in World Cup history and from the tie’s opening moments it was clear there was only going to be one victor. Gentile played a cynical game and mercilessly kicked lumps out of Maradona for 90 minutes. The Italian committed 23 fouls, but his tactics worked and Maradona, who cut a frustrated and physically battered figure, had no impact. Gentile later cruelly commented “football is not for ballerinas”.

5 – Full-back Alberto Tarantini played in two World Cups for Argentina, but is mainly remembered for his big hair and fiery temper. Nicknamed ‘Rabbit’ for his large front teeth, Tarantini first came to international prominence as a member of his country’s World Cup winning side in 1978.

Following the World Cup Tarantini moved to Birmingham City, but he didn’t enjoy the same success his international colleagues Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa had at Tottenham. Criticised for having no positional sense of discipline the defender lasted just 23 games in England, ending his spell by punching a heckler.
He returned to Argentina and in 1982 was part of the Albiceleste team attempting to defend its title. However, the reigning champions were knocked out in the second round group stage.

Nobby Stiles won the hearts of England fans in 1966 for his infectious personality and on-field tenacity

6 – Nobby Stiles won the hearts of England fans in 1966 for his infectious personality and on-field tenacity, while his celebratory dancing remains a lasting memory of England’s sole World Cup triumph. His never-say-die attitude rubbed off on those around him and was a great asset to have in a squad of players at an international tournament.

But beyond just his personality Stiles was vital to England’s success in 1966. The Manchester United player had only made his international debut a year earlier but he was an established starter by the time of the World Cup and manager Alf Ramsey referred to him as one of just five world class players in the victorious squad. In the semi-final against Portugal he did an excellent job of keeping superstar Eusebio quiet, while in general he was a much better footballer than he is often given credit for.

7 – Another of Italy’s heroes from 1982, Marco Tardelli is responsible for producing one of the most iconic moments in the history of the World Cup. The midfielder’s wild celebration when he scored his country’s second goal in the final against West Germany epitomised the emotion of the occasion and stripped away all the surroundings bringing football back to its purest roots.
Tardelli returned to the World Cup in 1986, but didn’t play as Italy failed to defend their title.

8 – There are arguably few more recognisable individuals in world football than Carlos Valderrama. The Colombian legend is famed for his unmistakable blonde afro and moustache, but he was also an extremely technically gifted creative midfielder and captained his country at three World Cups.

9 – North Korea shocked the world with their exploits on the very biggest of stages in 1966 and one name is synonymous with their success, Pak Doo-Ik.
North Korea were only the third Asian country to play in the World Cup and little was expected of the team. In the opening game against the Soviet Union they were comfortably beaten, but a subsequent 1-1 draw with Chile kept hopes of progressing alive and a win against the mighty Italians, however unlikely, would be enough for a place in the next round.

But the unthinkable did happen. Pak’s solitary goal shortly before half-time stunned Italy who, down to 10 men having lost the influential Giacomo Bulgarelli to injury, couldn’t find a response. It was one of the great upsets in World Cup history.

10 – In 1990 host nation Italy could boast a front line containing world class players like Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini and a young Roberto Baggio. But despite such talent the Azzurri found the unlikeliest of goal-scoring heroes in the form of the relatively unknown Toto Schillaci.
Schillaci started Italy’s first game against Austria from the bench, but came on to score the decisive goal in a 1-0 win, his first for his country. He was a substitute once more against the USA, but started the third game against Czechoslovakia, scoring after just 9 minutes. Given his chance, it was as though the player couldn’t stop scoring and he added further strikes in the second round, quarter final and semi-final to bring his total to five.
He scored his sixth and final goal in the Third Place Playoff against England and walked away with the Golden Boot.

11 – Roger Milla was a big name in African football years before the World Cup in 1990. Having already enjoyed a long and distinguished career the forward had been named African Footballer of the Year in 1976, finishing as runner up in 1975 and 1988. He played for Cameroon at the 1982 World Cup, but by 1990 Milla was ready to enjoy his retirement having moved to the Indian Ocean island of Réunion a year earlier.

However following a late plea from Cameroon president Paul Biya, Milla was drafted into the squad for the World Cup in Italy. Even at 38 years of age, Milla became one of the tournament’s stars.

The corner flag dance following each strike became world famous and made Milla a fan favourite. He scored two more goals as the Indomitable Lions pushed past Colombia in the second round, capitalising on a calamitous mistake by goalkeeper Rene Higuita to seal the win.

Cameroon lost out in the quarter-finals to England, but unbelievably a 42-year-old Milla was back again four years later. The team couldn’t replicate their Italia ’90 heroics, but Milla was still on the score sheet, dancing at the corner flag as ever.

For more articles and the latest football news, check out FTBpro.com

By Staff Reporter

Almost half the trucks on Cyprus’ roads have at least one worn tyre, according to figures released on Tuesday by the non-profit REACTION Youth for Prevention.

In addition one in every five cars is circulating with worn tyres, showing, an increase of 9 per cent compared to last year.

According to REACTION, the percentage of worn tyres on trucks over the island is at 46.7 per cent, while in Nicosia the figure jumps to 69.3 per cent and in Paphos 63.6 per cent.

The survey was centered on a random sample of 670 vehicles islandwide during the period June 2 to 9.

The head of REACTION Marios Stavrou told journalists that many of the tyres were in such bad shape, they could explode at any minute with dangerous consequences.

“Road crashes are a daily occurrence on Cypriot roads and many are caused by worn tyres,” he said.

According to the survey, around 14 per cent of passenger vehicles circulating in Cyprus have incorrect pressure in at least one tyre.

In first place in this category was Limassol with 20.4 per cent, followed by 12.8 per cent in Nicosia.

In vans – 15.9 per cent islandwide – at least one tyre per vehicle had the wrong pressure. Larnaca and Paphos, with 20 per cent each, came second to Limassol.

One fifth, or one in five cars circulating in Cyprus, have at least one damaged tyre each.

Larnaca, which had 27.2 per cent in this category was highest, followed by Nicosia with 21.7 per cent.

Referring to the consequences of incorrect tyre pressure Stavrou said it increased risk of being unable to brake in time, and resulted in increased fuel consumption.

Stavrou said tyres can generally run for between 40,000 to 80,000 miles, depending on driving style and road conditions.

He also said air pressure should be checked at least once a month.

By Kylie MacLellan and Simon Johnson

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed her support on Tuesday for Jean-Claude Juncker becoming the next president of the European Commission after meeting EU leaders critical of the Luxembourger.

Merkel made her statement after talks in Sweden hosted by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and also attended by British Prime Minister David Cameron and Dutch premier Mark Rutte.

The informal meeting was held amid a campaign by Cameron, who has promised a referendum on Britain’s continued membership of the European Union, to prevent the federalist former Luxembourg prime minister being nominated to head the bloc’s executive arm.

“I have said that for me Jean-Claude Juncker is the candidate for the office of Commission president and that I want to have him as the Commission president,” Merkel told a news conference under an unusually hot Swedish sun at the government’s country mansion of Harpsund.

Who becomes the next Commission head has generated heated debate since May’s EU parliamentary elections, with the risk Britain could be pushed closer to leaving the EU if its opposition to Juncker is not heeded.

The four leaders talked until around 1am on Tuesday over coffee in Harpsund’s piano room, with Merkel’s position unchanged in private, a source at Cameron’s office said.

Cameron had hoped the meeting could give more impetus to an alliance to block Juncker but the source said discussions were “constructive but not resolved”.

Britain regards Juncker as an old-style European federalist and says someone more open to reforming the EU and reducing the powers of Brussels should be picked, reflecting a widespread protest vote against the bloc last month.

With Cameron promising Britons an in-out EU membership referendum in 2017 if re-elected next year, Juncker’s appointment may see a political backlash in the UK.

“Obviously the approach that the European Union takes between now and then will be very important,” Cameron said, saying Europe had to be more open and needed leaders “capable of taking the European Union forward in that direction.”

“Obviously if the European Union doesn’t go in that direction that would be unhelpful,” he said.

“NO THREATS”

One of the British leader’s problems is that he cannot afford to alienate Merkel if he is to succeed in renegotiating his country’s relationship with Europe prior to holding a referendum.

Merkel, criticised by German media for her initial reticence in giving Juncker full-hearted support, has indicated she does not want to isolate Britain and would prefer a broad consensus if possible.

But asked about how the debate should be conducted, she said: “Threats are not a part of it. It’s not part of the way we act.”

Reinfeldt and Rutte took no clear public position for or against Juncker, saying that the policy agenda – like reforms to the EU budget and labour markets – for the next Commission had to be agreed first.

“We have agreed that the future policy priorities of the EU must be decided before we can decide on appointments of different top jobs,” Reinfeldt said.

But Reinfeldt has made it clear that he has concerns with Junker’s appointment.

“We don’t think that you should choose party candidates a long way in advance. That disqualifies a large number of people from being candidates for these top jobs,” Reinfeldt told Reuters after the meeting.

Juncker has the support of the European People’s Party, the largest centre-right political grouping in the European Parliament, which named him as its candidate before last month’s European elections.

He may be the front runner for the job, but other possible candidates have also been suggested.

While IMF head Christine Lagarde has ruled herself out of the running for the job of European Commission president, British officials have made clear centre-left Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt would also be acceptable.

Other names include outgoing Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen while Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny is another potential compromise.

Cameron has said EU leaders and not the European Parliament should nominate the candidate for Commission president, arguably the most powerful job in the bloc’s institutions with major influence over policy affecting 500 million Europeans.

Leaders of the EU legislature have argued that the assembly should play a defining role in choosing the next Commission president, citing the bloc’s governing Lisbon treaty which says the nominee should be chosen taking the elections into account.

EU leaders have mandated European Council President Herman Van Rompuy to propose a package of appointments for several top EU jobs, including the Commission presidency, if possible in time for a summit at the end of this month.

Under the Lisbon treaty, the decision is subject to qualified majority rule. Cameron appears to be short of a blocking minority unless Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who has said Juncker has no automatic right to the job, is willing to block the veteran Luxembourger.

A 27-year-old Russian tourist was arrested by Paphos police on Tuesday, after allegedly attacking police officers while being intoxicated, police said.

According to the police report, the 27-year-old was drinking with his wife and four more couples in a bar in downtown Paphos when he allegedly provoked and attacked a tourist from England. The 27-year-old then turned on some taxi drivers,

The taxi drivers called the police but according to the report the police officers were also attacked. When they decided to arrest him the 27-year-old tried to run but was cut off by police officers and driven to the Paphos police station.

By Jeffrey Heller

Reuven Rivlin, a right-wing legislator opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state, was elected Israel’s president on Tuesday to replace the dovish Shimon Peres in the largely ceremonial post.

Rivlin, 74, is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. He has a reputation for political independence and has had a frosty personal relationship with the Israeli premier.

A former speaker of parliament, Rivlin defeated Meir Sheetrit of the moderate Hatnuah party by a vote of 63-53 in a run-off in the legislature, after none of the original five candidates won an outright victory in a first-round ballot.

Although Israeli heads of state are not directly involved in political decision-making, Peres, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, used the presidency as a pulpit for advocating peace with the Palestinians, often taking a more conciliatory stance than Netanyahu.

Peres, 90, ends his seven-year presidential term in July.

Unlike Peres, Rivlin has called for a confederation with the Palestinians rather than negotiating an independent state for them – something Palestinian leaders have long rejected.

U.S.-shepherded peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians seeking statehood in Israeli-occupied territories collapsed in April amid bitter mutual recrimination.

Despite his opposition to a Palestinian state, Rivlin won the endorsement of Israel’s left-wing Haaretz newspaper, which noted in an editorial on the eve of the ballot that he had long advocated Jewish-Arab cooperation.

In an interview last month with The Times of Israel website, Rivlin promised that, if he became president, he would not seek to intervene in the decisions of the country’s elected politicians on peacemaking or other issues.

Choking back tears at a ceremony in the Knesset after the vote, Rivlin echoed that pledge, saying: “The faith you have shown in me today, in all corners of this house, obliges me to shed, from this moment on, my political role.”

PRESIDENT IMPORTANT IN COALITION-BUILDING

Last month, Netanyahu floated a trial balloon on the future of the presidency, ordering his advisers to sound out cabinet colleagues on suspending the vote and evaluating the need for the position, political sources said.

Some political analysts suggested that Netanyahu was concerned that a victory by Rivlin, who once publicly accused the prime minister of showing disrespect to parliament, could make him more vulnerable in a future general election.

No single party has ever won an outright majority in a national vote. That makes the president – whose duties otherwise carry little power – a key player in coalition-building.

Congratulating Rivlin at the Knesset ceremony, Netanyahu cited their common history in right-wing politics.

“I know you will do your utmost as president to meet the two-fold mission of unifying the nation and showing unity in the face of external challenges,” Netanyahu said. “I promise, as a prime minister from a similar background, to work with you.”

Born in Jerusalem, Rivlin, a former communications minister, is married and a father of four. A lawyer by profession, he is an avid soccer fan and a vegetarian.

The campaign for the election of Israel’s 10th president was marred by rumours of foul play and mudslinging.

One leading candidate, veteran Labour politician Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, pulled out of the race on Saturday after police questioned him about alleged financial malpractice.

Ben-Eliezer denied any wrongdoing and said he had been “deliberately targeted” by enemies out to sabotage his bid.

Peres, an internationally respected statesman, restored prestige to the post after he was elected in 2007 to replace Moshe Katsav, who was convicted of rape in 2010 and is serving a seven-year prison term.

CYPRUS is on the verge of being slammed for human rights violations when it comes to the Menoyia immigrant detention centre, according to Ombudswoman Eliza Savvidou.
Savvidou appeared before the House Watchdog Committee yesterday, warning MPs that the multitude of problems originating from Menoyia constitute a clear and present danger.
“We have turned the detention centre into a maximum security prison,” said Savvidou, adding that there were reported cases of abuse, housing and feeding issues as well as other human rights violations.
House committee chairman Phidias Sarikas applauded Savvidou for her actions, saying the Committee would examine in detail what was taking place behind the walls of the detention centre. “Treating detainees decently until the time they are deported back to their country of origin is a basic human right,” Sarikas said, adding that the number of complaints seems to be very high.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou claimed that the rights of immigrants were being violated on a daily basis, leaving Cyprus exposed to sanctions. “The interior ministry has to realise that it’s time to act so that any human rights violations are terminated,” he said.

By Constantinos Psillides
THE appalling disregard civil servants have for the public was highlighted yesterday at the House Watchdog Committee as deputies heard that around 187,000 missed calls were clocked in the space of one month.
Given that the public service works on average 20 days a month that means over 9,000 calls a day from the public go unheeded, and the report only covered nine of the island’s 11 ministries and even excluded the busy welfare offices in all main towns.
Almost half of the total missed calls – around 90,000 – were to the immigration department while 10,000 ignored calls were made to the social insurance office in Limassol and 27,000 to the Registrar of Companies office.
The report was part of a pilot monitoring programme installed by the government to measure employee productivity in the public sector. The results were also leaked to Politis at the weekend prior to being presented to MPs yesterday.
House Watchdog Committee chairman, EDEK deputy Phidias Sarikas told reporters yesterday the problem existed across the board, from the land registry to immigration, all of which affected the quality of life of the public.
“As MPs we have the obligation of ensuring that institutions work properly and efficiently in service of the common good,” he said.
DISY deputy Andreas Kyprianou blamed the “labyrinthine procedures” within the public service, adding that bureaucracy needed to be dealt with.
“The interior ministry has shown us today that they are deeply concerned and are taking this matter seriously into consideration. They are trying to come up with ways to simplify the procedures so as citizens don’t have to call all the time to get something done,” he said.
Asked about the nature of most calls, the DISY MP said they mainly had to do with benefits, power being cut, and bank related issues.
Main opposition AKEL deputy Aristos Damianou said the public sector mentality needed to be changed to become more effective.
“If the way of thinking isn’t changed, if the public sector doesn’t improve on the way it handles the public citizens then I’m afraid that any study ordered will just remain a study. Citizens are not the enemy of the public sector,” he said.

By Ghazwan Hassan

Sunni rebels from an al Qaeda splinter group overran the Iraqi city of Tikrit on Wednesday and closed in on the biggest oil refinery in the country, making further gains in their rapid military advance against the Shi’ite-led government.

The threat to the Baiji refinery comes after militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized the northern city of Mosul, advancing their aim of creating Sunni Caliphate straddling the border between Iraq and Syria.

The fall of Mosul, Iraq’s second biggest city, is a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s attempts to defeat the Sunni militants, who have regained territory in Iraq over the past year following the withdrawal of US forces, seizing Falluja and parts of Ramadi west of Baghdad at the start of the year.

An estimated 500,000 Iraqis have fled Mosul, home to 2 million people, and the surrounding province, many seeking safety in the autonomous Kurdistan region.

Security sources said ISIL militants on Wednesday drove more than 60 vehicles into Tikrit, the Sunni home town of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, occupying local government buildings and raising ISIL’s black flag overhead.

“I was in a security station in Tikrit. There were three policemen with me and we were taken by surprise when militants started shooting machine guns and speaking on loudspeakers, telling us to leave,” said police captain Saleh Al-Jubbouri.

“The three policemen changed their clothes and vanished.”

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iraq’s leaders must unite to face a “mortal” threat. “There has to be a quick response to what has happened,” he said during a trip to Greece.

Zebari said Baghdad would work with forces from Kurdistan in the north to drive the fighters out of Mosul after they put Iraqi security forces to flight on Tuesday.

CONSPIRACY

Maliki described the fall of Mosul as a “conspiracy” and said those who had abandoned their posts would be punished. He also said Iraqis were volunteering in several provinces to join army brigades to fight ISIL.

“In every province a whole brigade has been formed and there are hundreds of thousands of requests to volunteer and confront the danger facing Iraq,” he said.

In a statement on its Twitter account, ISIL said it had taken Mosul as part of a plan “to conquer the entire state and cleanse it from the apostates”, referring to the state of Nineveh of which the city is the capital.

ISIL, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, broke with al Qaeda’s international leader, Osama bin Laden’s former lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri, and has clashed with al Qaeda fighters in Syria.

ISIL’s rapid advances show that Iraq’s security forces – trained and equipped by Washington at a cost of nearly $25 billion and numbering more than a million strong – are outmatched against foes who once took on the full might of the United States.

Overnight on Tuesday, ISIL militants moved on Baiji, home to Iraq’s largest refinery, which can process 300,000 barrels per day and supplies oil products to most of Iraq’s provinces and as well as Baghdad.

Security sources said the fighters drove into the town of Baiji in armed vehicles, torching the court house and police station before freeing prisoners.

Local officials and residents said they withdrew on Wednesday into the surrounding villages after local tribal leaders persuaded ISIL not to take over the energy installations in Baiji, including the refinery and power stations.

DOMINANT PLAYER

ISIL has become a dominant player in Iraq and Syria, where it has seized a string of cities over the past year, often fighting other Sunni groups.

The United States, which pulled its troops out from Iraq two and half years ago, pledged to help Iraqi leaders “push back against this aggression”.

It said Washington would support “a strong, coordinated response”, adding that “ISIL is not only a threat to the stability of Iraq, but a threat to the entire region”.

ISIL control in the Sunni Anbar province as well as around Mosul would help the Islamist group consolidate its grip along the frontier with Syria, where it is fighting President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Shi’ite Iran.

Members of Iraq’s Shi’ite majority have also been crossing the border to fight in Syria alongside Assad’s forces.

In Sadr city, a Shi’ite slum in Baghdad, men were stockpiling weapons in anticipation of a battle against ISIL.

“The army has proven to be a big failure. People have begun to depend on themselves because ISIL may enter Baghdad any minute,” said Muhannad al Darraji from Sadr City.

“I know 70 young men who are awaiting orders. They all think this is a battle for survival, with an enemy that will be here to kill the Shi’ites. It is an enemy without mercy.”

At about the same time as they were speaking, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Sadr City, killing at least 16 people.

DISPLACEMENT

The governor of Mosul blamed Maliki for failing to act upon his warnings about the threat of ISIL.

“The entry of ISIL to Mosul was through the desert from Syria,” Atheel al-Nujaifi said. “There are camps in the desert and we have repeatedly asked the government to bomb these camps instead of luring ISIL into the cities to fight it.”

At a checkpoint on the road between Mosul and Arbil, residents who fled with little more than the clothes on their backs were stunned by the turn of events and did not know what to make of their city’s new occupants.

A 40-year-old man who fled the city with his family said: “We are frightened because we don’t know who they are. They call themselves revolutionaries. They told us not to be scared and that they came to liberate and free us from oppression.”

Critics say the failure of Maliki, a Shi’ite Muslim who has been in power for eight years, to address grievances among the once dominant Sunni minority led to a rise in Sunni militancy and pushed Sunni groups and tribes to rally behind ISIL.

Many Sunnis feel disenfranchised and some have made common cause with foreign Islamist radicals, first against the U.S. troops that overthrew Saddam in 2003 and now against Shi’ite-led Iraqi forces.

Maliki also has also antagonised the Kurds, who run their own region in the north of the country and have their own large and disciplined military force, the Peshmerga. Some officials in Baghdad spoke of seeking help from the Peshmerga.

By Douglas Busvine and Frank Jack Daniel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India should respect and protect its women, breaking his silence on a crime wave that included the rape and hanging of two young girls two weeks ago.

In his first speech to parliament since a dramatic election victory last month, Modi promised to govern for the poor, to train India’s bulging youth population to be an effective labour force and to shed the country’s tawdry reputation for graft.

The Hindu nationalist leader, who critics accuse of bias toward other religions, also struck an inclusive note, telling lawmakers that economic development needed to focus on India’s minority Muslim population, which is largely poor.

Modi, backed by the strongest electoral mandate in three decades, has acted to re-establish India as a regional leader and to restore investor optimism towards Asia’s third largest economy.

But until now, he had been notably silent about the spate of violence and sex crimes in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

“Respecting and protecting women should be a priority of the 1.25 billion people in this country,” the 63-year-old Modi said.

“All these incidents should make us introspect. The government will have to act. The country won’t wait and people won’t forget,” Modi told lawmakers, urging politicians not to speculate publicly on why rapes are committed.

The double killing was the most shocking in a series of crimes that has highlighted a breakdown of law and order in Uttar Pradesh, and triggered criticism of the political leadership in the state, home to more people than Brazil.

Relatives refused to allow the bodies of the girls, aged 12 and 14, to be cut down from a village mango tree until police took up the case. Three suspects have been arrested and two policemen held on suspicion of attempting to cover up the crime.

On Wednesday another woman was found hanged from a tree near the Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh. Police have opened a murder investigation and await the findings of a post mortem to determine whether the 45-year-old victim was raped before her death, local police chief Happy Guptan said.