THE TWO sides – government and House of Representatives – yesterday presented their respective cases, with regard to the four bills the president had decided to refer to the Supreme Court, the full bench of which is expected to issue a decision on October 31.

It is an extremely important decision, with the Supreme Court judges having the power to derail the adjustment programme, shatter the fragile confidence in the banking sector and revive the prospect of state bankruptcy. In mitigation the judges could argue that their responsibility is to establish whether or not the legislature’s bill were constitutional and not to take a decision based on what the possible consequences of upholding the bills referred by the president would be.

The issue, however, is broader than the actual bills which the political parties passed on the pretext of protecting primary residences from bank repossessions that would be facilitated by the foreclosures law. It centres on the separation of powers which are safeguarded by the constitution. The attorney-general and his team, representing the government, argued that the bills passed by the House infringed on the powers of the executive while the lawyers of the House argued that the legislature had acted within their constitutional rights.

We are sure there are many technical, legal arguments supporting each side’s case, but in practical terms there have been many instances of the legislature acting as if this were a parliamentary rather than a presidential democracy. During the Christofias presidency, AKEL, often referred to the legislature as a ‘governing legislature’ for muscling in on the authorities of the executive. These accusations were justified, to an extent. There have also been many times in the past that the Supreme Court ruled laws unconstitutional because they infringed on the powers of the executive.

And there can be little doubt, in practical terms, that the legislature has usurped the powers of the executive. The executive signed the Memorandum of Understanding by which it agreed to implement a series of measures in exchange for receiving financial assistance worth €10 billion. However, the bills the legislature passed would prevent the executive honouring the agreement because they would block the implementation of the foreclosures law which the government was committed to putting in force by the end of August. One of the bills, ludicrously, would suspend implementation of the foreclosures law until the insolvency law was in force, while the other bills would place obstacles in its enforcement.

In other words, the legislative authority would be preventing the executive from honouring an agreement, only the executive had the constitutional power to make. If this is not ruled a blatant infringement on the constitutional powers of the executive, by the Supreme Court, we should stop considering the country a presidential democracy.

By Staff Reporter

THIS IS the fourth time in recent years that Turkey has trespassed into Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), with the seismic survey vessel Barbaros involved in three of these encroachments.

In September 2011 the seismic research ship Piri Reis entered well into Block 12, coming within approximately 40 nautical miles from the Aphrodite gas field where Noble Energy was conducting exploratory drilling.

At the time the Piri Reis cut a path through parts of blocks 10, 11 and 12. Although the then government reported the violations to the United Nations, publicly it downplayed the incident and had not threatened to break off peace talks.

In December 2013 Turkey reserved sea areas northeast of the island. The coordinates of that marine advisory showed the area reserved just about skirted offshore blocks 2 and 3, which Cyprus had licensed to the ENI-KOGAS consortium. It was apparently a tit-for-tat move, coming just a week after the government decided to put up for auction blocks 5 and 6 to the west of the island. At one point the Barbaros came close to within 12 nautical miles from the shore, staying just outside Cyprus’ territorial waters.

And in January of this year, the Barbaros again sailed into the EEZ after Turkey reserved a sea area that trespassed into parts of offshore blocks 4, 5 and 6, lying south-to-southwest off the coast of Cyprus. The three blocks fall within an area which Turkey claims as its own continental shelf.

Online vessel tracking tools then placed the Barbaros west of Paphos, at a latitude bordering offshore block 1, which is located above blocks 4, 5 and 6.
Despite staying out of block 1, the vessel had trespassed well into the EEZ, which encompasses a much larger area than the offshore blocks.

The Barbaros was purchased by the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) reportedly for $130m. It is capable of carrying out 3D surveys of the seabed, gathering geological data used to determine the presence of hydrocarbons.

The current marine advisory issued by Turkey reserves a swathe incorporating parts of blocks 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9. On Monday the Barbaros entered Block 3, but is also expected to come into block 9 where ENI is currently drilling for gas.

Although this is not the first time Turkey will be intruding into a “hot” offshore block, it’s understood the key difference lies in that, unlike past forays, the Barbaros is now conducting seismic surveys in earnest.

Despite repeatedly violating Cyprus’ EEZ and its offshore blocks, Turkey has been careful to never commit areas overlapping those reserved by Cyprus. Areas reserved for hydrocarbons activity are far smaller than the offshore blocks themselves.

Ankara does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, nor the latter’s jurisdiction over the Cyprus EEZ. Turkey – not a signatory to the 1982 Law of the Sea – has repeatedly warned Cyprus against “unilaterally” exploiting offshore hydrocarbons without including the Turkish Cypriots. Nicosia’s position is that joint exploitation of the natural resources is possible only after a comprehensive settlement and reunification.

The Governing Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday examined the report of the troika’s latest visit to Cyprus in July.

A statement was due to be issued later on Tuesday and the full report on Wednesday.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, three texts would be released. The first is expected to cover

basics and the conclusions of the visit. The second is said to focus on technical issues, and the third, the position of the representative of the IMF mission.

CNA said that according to sources the report will focus more on the risks that exist and what should be done rather than  on what has been achieved since the inception of the Cyprus programme.

It goes back to the period before the crisis and how it was created and makes ​​references to policies taken after the programme’s implementation.

During Monday’s discussion the issue of non-performing loans was on the table, and how they should be tackled to get the programme back on track. The troika is not expected back in Cyprus for its sixth review – probably in 2015 – until the issues surrounding foreclosures legislation is resolved.

However, a small technical team will visit Cyprus around November 10 to review pending or other matters related to prior actions.

The 6th programme tranche was not disbursed in September 2014 (€433m) due to non-compliance in introducing legislation on foreclosures.

Former IMFs mission chief for Cyprus Delia Velculescu, during Monday’s discussions, likened Cyprus to Icarus the mythological figure, who flew too close to the sun, burnt his wings, fell in the sea and drowned, sources told CNA.

Cyprus` Dutch representative to the board Menno Snel reportedly replied that contrary to Icarus Cyprus had managed to float. He also likened Icarus` father, Daedalus, to the IMF, noting that in Icarus` case he did not heed his father`s advice, while in Cyprus` case, the IMF did not do as much as it should to avert the crisis.
Velculescu is being replaced by American Mark Lewis who will  be in Nicosia on November 4, for the Economist conference.

By Martyn Herman

IF Anderlecht are to have any realistic chance of prolonging their involvement in the Champions League beyond the group stage, a home win over Arsenal on Wednesday night is paramount.

The Belgium side are joint bottom of Group D with one point from their opening two games, two points behind Arsenal and five behind leaders Borussia Dortmund.

Arsenal are not firing on all cylinders, however, and Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Hull City left Arsene Wenger’s side 11 points off the pace in the Premier League.

The London club are still formidable opponents, but if ever there was a good time to face the Gunners it might be when they are stretched with record signing Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Mathieu Debuchy injured and first-choice keeper Wojciech Szczesny suspended after his red card against Galatasaray.

Theo Walcott is on the verge of a return after a long-standing knee injury while Aaron Ramsey (hamstring) andJack Wilshere (knee) are slight doubts but should be available.

Reserve keeper David Ospina is also injured so third-choice Emiliano Martinez is expected to start for Arsenal.

Despite the injuries, midfielder Mathieu Flamini says there are no excuses for a moderate start to the season.
“We’re having injuries but we don’t want to hide behind any excuses,” said Flamini.
“We’re facing the truth – we didn’t win on Saturday and we’ll try to find a solution for the next games.”

While failure to reach the knockout rounds for the 12th consecutive season would represent failure for Arsenal, getting there would be a massive achievement for Anderlecht.

Since 2000-01 when they reached the now defunct second group stage, they have finished bottom of their group seven times, including last season when they managed a solitary point.

They also have failed to win any of their last 10 Champions League matches and were held 1-1 at Mechelen on Sunday, their fifth draw in 11 Belgium league matches this season.

Arsenal have also drawn five of their opening eight in the Premier League and Wenger was in a tetchy mood after two more points were dropped against Hull at the weekend.

Anderlecht manager Besnik Hasi believes both sides find themselves in a similar position.
“We find it difficult to win, and that worries me,” Hasi told Sporza website. “Wednesday against Arsenal expectations are high. They are doing the same as us but hopefully we can boost our level a bit.”

Steven Defour will be Anderlecht’s main attacking threat while the Belgian league leaders will hope that international defender Anthony Vanden Borre may be able to play some part after playing an hour for Belgium’s under-21s last week, having been sidelined with a calf injury.

By Mary Milliken and Curtis Skinner

Oscar de la Renta, one of the most sought-after fashion designers of the last half century, dressing American first ladies and Hollywood stars in his classic silhouettes, died on Monday at the age of 82.

An individual taking calls at the designer’s residence in Connecticut on Monday night confirmed his death, first reported by ABC News. The New York Times said de la Renta died of complications from cancer.

De la Renta was born to a prominent family in the Dominican Republic and went to Spain to study art, but was drawn to fashion and started working alongside Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga.

He made his name in the 1960s dressing one of the major fashion icons of the day, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and established his company in New York in 1965.

De la Renta was known as one of the industry’s classic creators, famous for elegantly feminine designs marked by flattering silhouettes with full skirts and cinched waists, often rendered in soft hues and floral patterns.

Most recently, de la Renta made the wedding dress for human rights lawyer Amal Clooney for her marriage in Venice, Italy, last month to Hollywood actor and director George Clooney.

“George and I wanted a wedding that was romantic and elegant, and I can’t imagine anyone more able than Oscar to capture this mood in a dress,” Amal Clooney told Vogue magazine.

The slim de la Renta cut an elegant figure himself in the New York fashion world, where he was a favorite of Vogue magazine’s powerful editor, Anna Wintour, and fashion-savvy actresses like Sarah Jessica Parker.

“So sad for the loss of this legend. Oscar de la Renta, thank you for all the beauty and inspiration you shared with us,” tweeted Nina Garcia, the Marie Claire creative director and judge on TV’s fashion designer competition Project Runway.

De la Renta’s classic looks were popular on Hollywood’s red carpets and particularly well-suited to the tastes of the first ladies at the White House, most of whom were repeat clients.

“My daughters and I have many fond memories of visits with Oscar, who designed our favorite clothes, including Jenna’s wedding dress,” Laura Bush, wife of former President George W. Bush, said in a statement. “We will always remember him as the man who made women look and feel beautiful.”

Earlier this month, de la Renta appointed Nina Ricci’s artistic director, Peter Copping, as creative director of his company, a new position that he was to assume in early November, working closely with de la Renta.

“Our industry has not always done the best job when it comes to changes in design leadership,” de la Renta said in a statement on Copping’s appointment. “My hope is that, in leading this selection, and actively participating in the transition, I can ensure the right design future for our company and brand.”

Beyond its signature ready-to-wear women’s collection, the company grew into a major luxury goods purveyor with lines of shoes, handbags, jewelry, home decor and fragrance.

De la Renta is survived by his wife, Annette.

By Michael Hann

Liverpool will expect their noisy fans to recreate the special Anfield atmosphere that has helped them become kings of Europe five times when they take on Champions League winners Real Madrid on Wednesday night.

Brendan Rodgers’ team, third in Group B with three points from two matches, have not yet shown the swagger that swept them to second place in the Premier League last season and they laboured to a 3-2 win at bottom club Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.

Liverpool, though, have won all three previous games against Real in Europe’s elite competition and manager Rodgers is confident his players will give the 10-times champions a run for their money in front of a typically raucous home crowd.

“Real are playing as well as they have played for the last five to 10 years,” he told the club website (www.liverpoolfc.com).
“What’s great for us is that we’re playing at home. We have a great crowd and this is a team that can rise to the level.
“Real Madrid, as the champions, are an exceptionally good side but we’ll be ready.”

Liverpool’s shortcomings were all too evident against QPR and with striker Daniel Sturridge missing with a calf injury and Mario Balotelli short of confidence, breaking down Carlo Ancelotti’s side could be a problem.

Real have no such issues up front and with Cristiano Ronaldo bagging 15 goals in eight La Liga matches, Rodgers is well aware of the challenges Liverpool face.

“He is an amazing player and his evolution over the past few years into becoming a goal-scorer has been incredible,” said the former Swansea City boss.

“Real have everything, a lot of experience, top players, speed and technique.”
Ancelotti’s men have hit form in La Liga with five straight victories but they look likely to be without forward Gareth Bale who has a buttock muscle strain.

Defender Alvaro Arbeloa, who spent two and a half seasons with Liverpool, is looking forward to returning to his former club.
“It will be a great experience for me but I have also told my team mates to enjoy the match at Anfield as much as possible,” the Spaniard told reporters.

“We will face a team that will go out and fight to the death and give everything because they need to win.”
Real top Group B having already beaten Swiss club Basel and Ludogorets of Bulgaria.

“We are doing very well and are on track,” Arbeloa said. “We know we have two games against Liverpool now which will be decisive in where we finish in the group.”

By Vladimir Soldatkin

The chief executive of French oil major Total, Christophe de Margerie, was killed when his private jet collided with a snow plough as it was taking off from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Monday night.

De Margerie’s death leaves a void at the top of one of the world’s biggest listed oil firms at a difficult time for the industry as oil prices fall and state-backed competitors keep them out of some of the best oil exploration territory.

The collision occurred minutes before midnight Moscow time as de Margerie’s Dassault Falcon jet was taking off for Paris.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said the driver of the snow plough had been drunk and that a criminal investigation had been launched. The plane’s three crew also died, said Total. The airport said visibility was 350 metres at the time of the crash.

Vnukovo is Moscow’s oldest and third biggest airport. Located southwest of the capital, it is used by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other government officials.

De Margerie, 63, had attended a Russian government meeting on foreign investment in Gorki near Moscow on Monday.

With his distinctive bushy moustache and outspoken manner, he was one of the most recognisable of the world’s top oil executives. Total is France’s second-biggest listed company, with a market value of 102 billion euros.

“France is losing an extraordinary business leader who turned Total into a world giant,” French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said in a statement. “France is losing a great industry captain and a patriot.”

De Margerie was also a personal friend of French President Francois Hollande, who said he was “stunned and saddened” by the news. Accolades poured in from other French business leaders.

POTENTIAL SUCCESSORS

De Margerie became Total’s CEO in 2007, taking on the additional role of chairman in May 2010, after previously running its exploration and production division.

He said in July that he should be judged on the new projects launched on his watch, including such as a string of African fields.

He also said then that Total would seek a successor from within the company. The company had not officially announced any succession plan, but said it would hold a board meeting as soon as possible.

Philippe Boisseau, head of Total’s new energy division, and Patrick Pouyanne, who was charged with reducing exposure to unprofitable European refining sectors, have long been seen as potential successors.

Total’s shares dipped as much as 2.3 percent on opening, but by 0740 GMT were barely changed at 42.88 euros. It was, however, still the weakest share price performance among the top European oil companies in early trading.

De Margerie was a staunch defender of Russia and its energy policies, as the conflict in Ukraine has raised tensions with the West to levels not seen since the Cold War, and triggered economic sanctions against Moscow.

He told Reuters in July that Europe should stop thinking about cutting its dependence on Russian gas and focus instead on making those deliveries safer.

He said tensions between the West and Russia were pushing Moscow closer to China, as illustrated by a $400 billion deal to supply Beijing with gas that was clinched in May.

“Are we going to build a new Berlin Wall?” he said. “Russia is a partner and we shouldn’t waste time protecting ourselves from a neighbour … What we are looking to do is not to be too dependent on any country, no matter which. Not from Russia, which has saved us on numerous occasions.”

Total is one of the top foreign investors in Russia and also one of the oil majors most exposed to Russia, where its output is due to double by 2020.

Putin sent condolences, praising de Margerie’s business skills and his commitment to “the cause of promoting bilateral Russian-French relations”.

YAMAL PROJECT

Total said last month that sanctions would not stop it working on the Yamal project, a $27 billion joint venture to tap vast natural gas reserves in northwest Siberia that aims to double Russia’s stake in the fast-growing market for liquefied natural gas. De Margerie said then that Europe could not live without Russian gas, adding there was no reason to do so.

Total is the fourth largest Western oil company by market value, behind Exxon, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron. Russia accounted for about 9 per cent of Total’s oil and gas output in 2013.

Total forecast in April that Russia would become its biggest source of oil and gas by 2020 due to its partnership with Russian energy company Novatek and the Yamal project.

Like other big oil companies, Total has been under pressure from shareholders to cut costs and raise dividends as rising costs and weaker oil prices squeeze profitability.

It last month said it would step up asset sales and overhaul exploration after cutting its oil output targets.

Total, which has struggled with production outages in Libya, Kazakhstan and Nigeria, launched a “high-risk, high-reward” drilling strategy two years ago. But the high investment has not yielded any large discoveries.

Russia’s air safety record is patchy at best.

In December 2012, a Russian airliner flying without passengers broke into pieces after it slid off the runway upon landing and crashed onto a highway outside Vnukovo Airport, killing four of the eight crew.

By Jean Christou

A letter sent by President Nicos Anastasiades to UN Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon on October 6 concerning Turkish encroachment of the island’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and its effects on the Cyprus talks, was circulated as an official document to the Security Council on Monday.

The letter was released early on Tuesday.

In it, Anastasiades, who pulled out the talks earlier this month, said the Turkish actions were not compatible with the smooth continuation of the negotiations on the Cyprus problem.

“They have the potential to destroy the efforts of creating a good and positive environment and to actually derail the whole negotiating process,” he said.

He said it was regrettable that the developments came at a time when Ban’s new Special Adviser on Cyprus was trying to set the necessary conditions and framework for the resumption of the talks and for substantial negotiations.

Referring to Turkey’s decision to reserve areas, including parts of Cyprus EEZ for seismic surveys, Anastasiades said the move had been the culmination of a continued provocative policy of disputing and interfering with the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus in its exclusive economic zone.

“This provocative policy included, apart from continued verbal threats and rhetoric, the harassment of vessels performing lawful activities authorised by the government of the Republic of Cyprus, by Turkish warships and military aircraft, and unlawful seismic surveys within the western exclusive economic zone of Cyprus by Turkish vessels,” he said.

However, he added, this was the first time Turkey decided to escalate its provocation and directly carry out a seismic survey in specific blocks, some of which have been assigned to international companies such as  blocks 2, 3 and 9, within the southern part of the EEZ.

Cyprus’ EEZ was delineated in 2004 in accordance with international law, he added.

“The foregoing Turkish intentions as well as their timing give rise to grave concerns,” said Anastasiades.

“They point to the increasingly aggressive nature of Turkey’s actions in areas in the eastern Mediterranean under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Cyprus.”

The timing, in the midst of a process aiming to reunify the island, served only to undermine the process and to raise more doubts as to Turkey’s commitment to it and contributed towards the increase of the overall tension in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Anastasiades told Ban of his own commitment to the talks but said that for them to be successful all sides needed to be on board.

“Negotiating under constant threat and blackmail that undermine all efforts to create the good environment necessary for a successful outcome of the negotiations for the settlement of the Cyprus problem is not just counterproductive. It also has a negative effect on public opinion,” he said in the letter.

Public opinion was necessary in efforts for a settlement because people needed to be convinced that confidence and trust between the sides could and should be restored.

“Unfortunately, these latest decisions and intentions of the Turkish Government do not contribute towards that aim; on the contrary, they run counter to it,” the president added.

Referring to his withdrawal from the talks,  Anastasiades said the  decision was taken so that the UN and friends of the Good Offices mission would have time to convince Ankara to reconsider.

He reminded Ban that during their last meeting in New York in September, that the Secretary-General had expressed his willingness to approach Turkey in order to convince Ankara to substantially contribute towards the settlement of the Cyprus problem.

He called on Ban to convince Turkey not to go ahead with its plans to carry out the surveys as it would “strike a heavy blow against the negotiations for the settlement of the Cyprus problem”.

Turkey began its surveys on Monday. The National Council was meeting on Tuesday to finalise its response to the move and to announce measures, it said on Monday.

By David Lewis and James Harding Giahyue

With the number of Ebola cases spiralling in West Africa and weeks remaining until treatment units promised by Western governments are built, health workers fighting one of the world’s deadliest diseases are being forced to improvise.

In the “hot zones” of Liberia, where Ebola patients are being turned away from overflowing clinics, aid agencies are distributing tens of thousands of protection kits, made up of buckets, chlorine, soap, gloves, a gown and instructions on how to look after the infected in their own homes.

In neighbouring Sierra Leone, authorities advise those waiting for an ambulance to isolate the patient in a room, designate someone to treat them and ensure this person uses gloves or a towel soaked in chlorine when they are in contact.

As experts ponder how nurses treating Ebola even in Western hospitals contracted the disease, such efforts in West Africa highlight the steps being taken to bridge the gap between the care available and what is needed in the epicentre of the crisis.

Aid organisations acknowledge that getting people with Ebola into a professionally-manned treatment units is the only way to halt the worst outbreak on record, which has already killed over 4,500 people and risks claiming thousands more lives.

But with ambulances overloaded and an insufficient number of beds in treatment centres, getting the sick quickly out of their homes to avoid infecting others is a major challenge.

“Sometimes that’s just not possible. When someone gets sick overnight, we have to ensure that they don’t infect others,” Sheldon Yett, the head of UN child agency UNICEF in Liberia, told Reuters.

“People really want to give help to people who are sick, but we need to ensure that when they give help to people who are sick, they don’t get sick too. These kits are designed to do just that – to break the circle of transmission.”

There is no known cure for Ebola and the limited stocks of experimental drugs have been exhausted. In treatment centres in West Africa, care involves preventing dehydration and helping treat other infections, with those who are diagnosed soonest faring the best.

UNICEF is supporting efforts to roll out 65 community care centres across Liberia. Units of 6-20 beds will be set up and manned by trained members of the community to look after people until they can be taken to an Ebola treatment unit.

Other organisations, like Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) and Samaritan’s Purse, are handing protection kits directly to families living in communities most at risk.

Yet the high toll the outbreak has taken on health staff – 236 dead from a total of 427 infected in West Africa – highlights how dangerous the disease is even for professionals with training and equipment.

“It’s a very fine balance to try to provide adequate and efficient protection without providing full safety,” said Jens Pedersen, a South African who led MSF teams in Monrovia.

“If you aren’t sufficiently trained, regardless of what protective gear you use, if you don’t know how to use it or know how to look after yourself and an infected patient, there’s very little that protective gear can do for you.”

MSF says 16 of its staff have contracted Ebola, of whom 9 have died.

Some, but not all Ebola patients evacuated to Europe and the United States for better care in western medical facilities have survived. Those evacuated were mainly aid workers.

Drug firms are fast-tracking vaccine research and GlaxoSmithKline says if current trials are successful frontline health workers in West Africa would be vaccinated early next year.

“ADAPTING”

First confirmed in Guinea’s remote southeast in March, Ebola spread across the country and into neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, where it has torn through ill-equipped health systems in nations recovering from years of conflict.

Medics in Liberia, home to the world’s largest natural rubber operation, lacked rubber gloves to treat patients.

The global response has accelerated as cases reached the West. Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid has been pledged, the US and British militaries are deploying and volunteers from across the globe are signing up to help.

Yet the effects on the ground have been slow to materialise. So far, Liberia has 620 of 2,930 planned beds for Ebola cases. In Sierra Leone, there are 346 of 1,198 planned beds.

UN officials say the turning point for rolling back Ebola will be when 70 per cent of cases are hospitalised and 70 percent of those Ebola kills are buried properly.

Nigeria was declared Ebola-free on Monday after it successfully traced and isolated 300 people who had come into contact with an Ebola patient who brought the disease to Lagos in July.

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s director for West and Central Africa, said providing care in community centres was an example of the ways in which an overstretched aid community was being forced to innovate to tackle an unprecedented epidemic.

“We’ve worked in wars or against malnutrition where we have pretty clear protocols. But here it is about adapting,” he said, adding that training and supervision, especially on how to dispose of used kits, was essential to ensuring they did not spread infection.

In Ebola units, medics follow a laborious 15-step procedure to undress without infecting themselves. Underscoring the risks even in highly-controlled environments, authorities in Spain said a nurse looking after an infected patient appeared to have contracted the disease after making a mistake.

MSF, which has led much of the medical response, says the epidemic’s scale demanded “unprecedented and imperfect measures”. It plans to distribute over 50,000 kits to patients turned away from hospitals and to those living in communities vulnerable to further infection.

MSF says the equipment should be for short-term use until an ambulance arrives and the kits are not intended for longer-term care. “It is just too dangerous. It is about just giving food and water,” said Thomas Curbillon, head of MSF’s mission in Liberia.

Samaritan’s Purse, a US-based charity handing out 3,000 kits and training to community members, said home care was not ideal but the lack of beds and extent of unreported cases meant it was already happening on the ground.

“Good, bad or ugly, it has been happening,” Ken Isaacs, vice president of programmes, told Reuters. “We believe we can give care givers knowledge and basic equipment to take care of their loved ones and take care of themselves.”

Latest estimates from the WHO warn that there could be 5,000-10,000 new cases of Ebola per week by December.

“I will acknowledge this is the least desirable option but there is no other option. We are dealing with is the reality of the situation,” he said.

By Joe Brock

Oscar Pistorius arrived at the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for killing his girlfriend, closing one of the most sensational trials in South African history and one that may yet fuel controversy about race and money in its justice system.

The Olympic and Paralympic sprinter, who was convicted of culpable homicide last month for shooting 29-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, was escorted by armed police into court, past a scrum of reporters.

Dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and black tie, the stony-faced 27-year-old stared straight ahead as he made his way through the melee. He made no comment to reporters before hugging his lawyer, Barry Roux, inside the courtroom.

Pistorius’ uncle, Arnold, who has been the family patriarch throughout a 7-month trial that has made legal history as the first to be broadcast live throughout, struck a calm, assured tone.

“I never get nervous,” he told reporters.

In her Sept. 12 verdict, Judge Thokozile Masipa – only the second black woman to rise to South Africa’s bench – cleared Pistorius of murder, saying the state had failed to prove his intent to kill when he fired four rounds through the door of a toilet cubicle.

Pistorius said he fired in the mistaken belief an intruder was lurking behind the door at his luxury Pretoria home, a defence that struck a chord with many in crime-ridden South Africa.

However, Masipa ruled the killing was legally negligent and convicted him for culpable homicide, South Africa’s equivalent of manslaughter which can still carry up to 15 years behind bars.

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel said at the sentencing hearing last week that 10 years imprisonment was necessary to satisfy a public that could lose their faith in the justice system if Pistorius received a non-custodial sentence.

Outside the courthouse in the heart of the capital, members of the public mingled with reporters, some in support of Pistorius, others against him.

One man, Golden Miles Bhudu, stood on the pavement in orange prison clothes and wrapped in chains, holding signs questioning the notion of equality before the law and ridiculing Pistorius for his crying and retching during the trial.

“Why are certain offenders more equal than others before the law?” Bhudu’s sign said. “He screams like a girl, he cries like a baby but he shoots like a soldier.”

Defence lawyer Barry Roux argued the double-amputee sprinter should be given community service because his sorrow and regret at killing the woman he loved was the worst punishment of all.

He also said Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated as a baby, would face particular difficulties in prison.

The sprinter, known as ‘Blade Runner’ because of the carbon-fibre prosthetics he made famous at the London 2012 Olympics, could also be given a suspended sentence or house arrest.

By George Psyllides

Central Bank (CBC) Governor Chrystalla Georghadji told MPs not to adopt foreign media reports regarding the emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) amassed by Laiki Bank before it collapsed last year.

“We should not flagellate ourselves,” she said at the House Ethics committee on Tuesday, without elaborating further.

The New York Times reported last week that former CBC governor Panicos Demetriades had played down concerns raised over the granting of some €9.0 billion in ELA to now-defunct Laiki Bank in a series of sessions of the European Central Bank’s governing council in 2012.

ECB rules stated that ELA funding, available to solvent but illiquid commercial banks only against collateral, was the responsibility of national central banks, with the governing council holding effective veto power.

According to governing council minutes cited by the paper, late in 2012, and as Laiki’s ELA lifeline mounted, German central banker Jens Weidmann started raising objections about the extent of the ECB’s exposure to the woefully undercapitalised bank.

And in January 2013, two months before the dramatic Eurogroup decisions that wound Laiki down and converted roughly half of uninsured deposits into Bank of Cyprus equity, Weidmann claimed that the value of the collateral posted by Laiki for ELA had been inflated by about €1.3 billion.
Demetriades has rejected the report.

On Tuesday, a banking source said the minutes had been used in a misleading manner.

There was indeed a difference in the value of the collateral but that was due to it being written-down because of the risks faced by the Cypriot economy.

The collateral submitted was worth €17.9 billion but it was valued at €11.5 billion by the CBC. The European Central Bank cut them further to €10.5 billion.
When the issue was discussed by the ECB board, the source said, an executive member noted that both calculation methods were acceptable.

Fuel prices on the island are controlled by the lack of healthy competition both in wholesale and retail markets, Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis said on Tuesday after a House Commerce committee meeting.

The minister, who was called by the committee to discuss the price of fuel, said the market in Cyprus is not regulated and the only tool the minister has at his disposal to intervene is setting a price ceiling, which is a very serious decision to make.

On Monday a consumer group prompted parties to question why prices were so high when international prices had fallen dramatically and had even threatened to sue the state saying it deliberately allowed prices to remain high to collect more taxes.

Lakkotrypis suggested the increase of storage space for wholesale to attract new importers and to achieve independence of fuel stations from fuel companies.

“We have also suggested the improvement of transparency toward consumers,” Lakkotrypis said.

He added his ministry will meet the Auditor general within the week to discuss this.

“We also expect the companies and the fuel station owners to contribute so that transparency toward the consumer is improved,” Lakkotrypis said.

Committee chairman Lefteris Christophorou said the Cypriot consumer must be protected in cases where principles and rules of competition are violated.

“The market is free but it has to move in fair prices, so that a price ceiling is not necessary,” DIKO committee member Angelos Votsis said.

The head of the petrol station owners Stefanos Stefanou said it is not them that map policies but the companies that import 85 to 90 per cent of all fuel and added that the margin for profit at petrol stations is 4.5 to 5 cents per litre.

By Constantinos Psillides

A Belgian court put a stop to the extradition of a Cameroonian woman back to Cyprus, arguing that she might fall victim to inhumane and humiliating practices, ombudswoman Eliza Savvidou said on Tuesday.

Savvidou was referring to a recent ruling made by a Belgian court examining the petition of an undocumented Cameroonian woman not to be sent back to the island. According to Savvidou, the woman filed an asylum application in Belgium in December 2013 but Belgian authorities decided to deport her back to Cyprus, the country were she originally entered the EU.

The woman appealed the decision before a court, saying that she left Cyprus because she was forced to work as a prostitute. She told the court that following two months of forced prostitution she managed to escape her captors but was arrested by the police, sustaining injuries upon her arrest. The woman also said she was verbally abused by police officers and she was denied proper representation due to the lack of an interpreter.

Additionally, she told the court that she was denied medical treatment, psychological support, legal counsel or getting in touch with any NGO.

To support her claims, the woman presented reports by various NGOs – including Amnesty International – where Cyprus is described as lacking when it comes to protecting trafficking victims.

According to Savvidou, the court ruled that the Belgian authorities did not properly assess the danger the woman was facing upon being sent back to Cyprus, cancelling the decision to be deported.

Savvidou said in her statement that incidents like these are detrimental to Cyprus’ image, noting that it sends the message that the state doesn’t conform with international rules and regulations regarding immigration.

“If these systemic lack of proper asylum procedure regulations are let to persist, leading to Cyprus being accused of inhuman treatment of refugees, then it will eventually undermine our position when we apply for fairer terms when it comes to immigration,” stressed Savvidou.

Cyprus – along with other Mediterranean countries with a porous border – have long protested the EU’s immigration policies, arguing that they are under far more pressure than other countries when it comes to immigrants or refugees gaining access to the EU.

“Authorities must really be troubled by this ruling and set forth to implement all required regulations regarding the protection of trafficking victims,” concluded Savvidou.

EVERY few months, the issue of the €9 billion ELA (emergency liquidity assistance) drawn by Laiki Bank and passed on to the Bank of Cyprus, slips into the news. Politicians will make a little fuss, radio shows will invite a couple of guests to give their views and there will be a few articles in the press. Once this ritual is completed, the matter is forgotten until the next time something is said to remind us of it.

The latest bout of ELA-talk was triggered by an article that appeared last week in the New York Times and suggested that Laiki had “inflated the value of its collateral to secure more loans.” This view was expressed by the head of the Bundesbank, at a meeting of the ECB’s governing council. He had also argued, according to the minutes of the meeting in December 2012 that “it was not the governing council’s job to keep afloat banks that were awaiting recapitalisation and were not currently solvent.”

Governor of the Central Bank at the time Panicos Demetriades claimed he was obliged to draw ELA because if Laiki collapsed the whole banking sector would follow and the state would be bankrupted as it would not be able to cover insured deposits. Closing down the bank before the assistance programme was concluded, would have been disastrous for the economy argued Demetriades, directly blaming the Christofias government for delaying signing a memorandum of understanding.

Apart from allowing ELA to reach €9bn the Christofias government had also put €1.8bn of the taxpayer’s money into Laiki in May 2012 – an amount that has been added to the public debt – knowing full well that the bank was insolvent. The handling of Laiki had been nothing more than a catalogue of errors by both the government and Central Bank, which chose to put off the tough decision for as long as possible.

As for the supervision of the Central Bank, it could only be described as inadequate, given that it allowed the situation to veer completely out of control. Yet, interestingly, none of its directors, who were taking the important decisions, were forced to step down, in contrast to half the top executives of the Bank of Cyprus whom Demetriades ordered to resign. Once again, the civil servants and governors, who were supposed to supervise the banks and ensure good practices were followed but failed, took no blame.

Perhaps, bringing up the issue of ELA every few months serves a useful purpose. It is a reminder of how politicians and top civil servants would always choose the least painful option, even when they know this is not in the in the country’s interest.

By Evie Andreou

TROUBLED teenagers from dysfunctional families are being let down by a lack of government policy which leads to increasing numbers of them turning to drugs and crime, Children’s Rights Commissioner Leda Koursoumba said yesterday.

Koursoumba said a closed facility needs to be established where these children can be educated, rehabilitated and taken off drugs. Better training and co-ordination between government departments is also needed, she said, to prevent them falling through the cracks.

To highlight the severity of the situation Koursoumba outlined the case of a 15-year-old girl, AA, a victim of domestic violence who dropped out of school, was arrested and detained for drug possession, and ended up in an adult rehabilitation centre. However, without any effective help from the system she continued the drug abuse and her addiction led to her being sexually exploited by a number of adults.

“The system failed to help her stay in school where she would be among peers, failed to help her family that admitted they could not help her. She was mingling with adults who provided her with drugs, and this is unfortunately one case among many,” Koursoumba said.

She said AA’s case was first brought to light in June 2010 when her older sister’s school counsellor contacted Koursoumba’s office to report serious child neglect and possible sexual abuse by the father. He also mentioned AA who had been under the care of the social welfare services in a children’s home, but had returned to the house of her father.

The teen was first arrested in November 2012 for drug possession and was referred to the outpatient rehabilitation programme for teenagers PERSEAS. However she stopped going and refused to return.

According to Koursoumba’s report on safeguarding the rights of child victims of violence and those with substance dependence in April the girl reported her sexual exploitation and abuse by two adults to police and said she had sex with them for drugs. She said another girl, 14, was also involved.

The dates mentioned in the report and the information given refer to the paedophile case that shocked the island in April, when two men, well-known businessman Akis Lefkaritis, 57, and Nicos Nicolaou, 35, were arrested for the sexual exploitation of two girls aged 14 and 15.

Lefkaritis was sentenced to 12 years in jail by the Larnaca District Court after pleading guilty to charges and Nicolaou was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
“I chose to use this specific case as a case-study because I believe it represents a series of complaints that were submitted in recent years and of cases that are known to the police concerning breaches of basic principles and children’s rights such as the principle of securing a child’s best interests and the child’s right to enjoy the best possible health level and have access to these services,” Koursoumba said.

“What is important is that we have a system that it is unable to support children from the same or similar family backgrounds as this girl,” Koursoumba said.

The teenager, who had left school, found herself in a detention cell in April last year after she was found under the influence of drugs in her mother’s home by a social worker. She was then transferred to the local detention centre for three days since a child psychiatrist ruled that the psychiatric wing at Makarios Hospital was deemed as an unsuitable place for her until she could be re-examined on the Monday, after the drugs’ influence wore off.

The report says she went into a withdrawal while in detention and was only transferred to the teenagers’ inpatient hospitalisation department (TENE) at the Makarios Hospital after Koursoumba, notified by a police officer, called the health minister and asked him to intervene.

After her release from hospital the girl returned to her mother’s house as there is no suitable treatment centre for minors on the island. As a result, she was sent for treatment to an adult rehabilitation centre, which she left seven times causing it to discontinue her programme as she continued to use drugs.

“We should have a closed rehabilitation centre for children that are dependent on substances, where they would be in a safe environment, be able to continue their education and be involved in activities appropriate for their age,” Koursoumba said.

She said the handling of the case of this teenager violated basic principles of children’s rights as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child such as the right for securing the best interest of the child, the principle of life, survival and development of the child, the principle to enjoy the best possible health level, the right for protection from every form of violence and from illegal use of substances and the principal of participation.

“Unfortunately as is shown by the evaluation of actions that have so far been made from the relevant services, each department is trying fragmentarily to deal with the difficulties of the teenager, without the necessary cooperation and coordination,” Koursoumba said.

She added that this results in the inability of the state to provide the proper overall care and protection for children, who end up being referred from one service to another without the provision of substantial help to them or their families.

Koursoumba mentions in the report that she had to personally intervene on several occasions to enquire about the actions taken on the handling of the teenager’s case and called several meetings with the relevant services to decide the best practice.

The prompt creation of a protocol for cooperation between the social services and the mental health services is of the highest importance, Koursoumba said, and added that not creating a closed rehabilitation centre for minors was a flagrant breach of their rights to access suitable health services.

We have won the battle for stability, the outgoing president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso told the members of the European Parliament, warning that growth is still timid and threats remain for the eurozone.

Barroso who assumed the leadership of the Commission in 2004 delivered a speech in the Plenary on Tuesday, on the work done by the Commission during his second term.

“If we think where we were ten years ago and where we are now we can say that today we have more ways to tackle crisis in the eurozone. I think now we are better prepared, than we were before, to face a crisis like the one that we have seen, in the future” he said.

He noted that when the crisis started the EU had almost no instruments to respond to it and no mechanisms to support the countries that were facing the immediate threat of default.

“Collectively, Commission and member states, always with the strong support of the Parliament, we have created a new system of governance, with unprecedented powers for the community institutions” he said, adding that the European Central Bank is today possible to directly supervise the banks in Europe something that was “almost unimaginable before the crisis”.

“The banking union was not in the Treaties but we needed it if we wanted to fulfill the objectives of the Treaties, namely the objective of stability for growth” he said.

“There are still many difficulties, but don’t forget where we were. We were more close to the default of our member states” he added.

“In terms of stability we are much better now than before” he pointed out, warning however that “growth is still timid” and “threats remain, but we have won the battle of stability. Euro has shown that it is a very strong, credible and stable currency”.

Barroso also underlined that “sustainable growth is possible if we continue the courageous path of reforms and stronger governance for the EU”.

Speaking on the crisis in Ukraine, Barroso said that the EU “took a principle position” and offered Ukraine an association agreement and a free trade agreement.

“This crisis is not yet solved but we must be proud that we have kept a position of principle, that we have condemned the actions of Russia” he said, adding that “we believe a political negotiated solution is possible, that respects the principles of the international law, the sovereignty and the independence of that country and its right to decide on its own future”.

Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Nicos Kouyialis has said that the Russian embargo on EU products has cost the Cyprus economy so far 13 million euro.

In statements on Tuesday, the Minister said the embargo has had an impact on the economy, regarding mainly citrus fruits.

“We will of course be compensated by the European Commission but it takes a lot of work to succeed in absorbing the higher possible amount from Brussels”, he pointed out.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he added, is making every effort to address the adverse repercussions for Cypriot citrus growers affected by the Russian embargo.

Asked about the extension of the Russian embargo on new products, mostly animal products, the Minister said this development does not really affect Cyprus since the island does not export these products.

“I hope that the Russian embargo will not be extended to include more products”, he said, adding that so far, the impact on the Cyprus economy has reached 13 million euro.

Referring to the registration of halloumi (Cypriot traditional cheese) as a protected designation of origin (PDO), he said that he expects some positive results from the European Commission by the end of the year.

The Minister was also invited to comment on Cyprus’ victory in its bid to protect halloumi as a traditional Cypriot cheese through a court in Greece prohibiting a Greek company from using the name to sell its products in Greece and abroad.

He said that this legal battle was a very important one, and is a message to all those who illegally exploit the commercial name ‘halloumi’.

“I hope that very soon we will register halloumi as a PDO and we will no longer have similar problems with companies which want to use the name halloumi”, he concluded.

CNA

The Foreign Office has attributed the UK`s reluctance to support an EU demarche at the UN regarding Turkey`s incursion into the Republic of Cyprus`s Exclusive Economic Zone to its desire to avoid further tension.

In a statement to the Cyprus News Agency, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK did not support the EU demarche at the UN because this was an unusual procedure that risked raising tensions and frustrating the UN`s facilitation of the settlement talks. We want to reduce tensions and to encourage the parties to resume settlement talks. That remains our aim.”

The spokesperson repeated a previous statement stressing that the UK “recognizes the Republic of Cyprus` sovereign rights to exploit mineral reserves in its EEZ”, and that it remains London`s position that “such resources should be exploited for the benefit of all the communities in Cyprus.”

The statement adds: “We regret that Turkey`s announcement of exploration activities in the eastern Mediterranean has raised tensions and call on all parties to avoid inflammatory actions or statements.”

“This incident underlines the importance of a comprehensive settlement. We therefore hope that settlement talks can resume as soon as possible. The UK strongly supports the UN`s efforts to facilitate a lasting settlement,” the statement added.

Turkey has recently announced its decision to illegally interfere in the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus. The Turkish scientific ship Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa, accompanied by two other support vessels, will carry out a seismic survey from 20 October to 30 December 2014 in the southern sea of Cyprus and more specifically in blocks 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 of the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus. For that purpose, Turkey has already issued a navigational telex directive, through which it designated certain areas of the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus as reserved.

CNA

The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament in Strasbourg has decided  to discuss the illegal actions of Turkey in Cyprus` Exclusive Economic Zone during the mini session of the European Parliament to be held in Brussels, November 12-13.

According to CNA sources, the issue will be included in the agenda of the mini session plenary, which is no different from the monthly plenary held in Strasbourg, under the title “Turkish actions creating tensions in the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus”.
Turkish seismic exploration vessel `Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa` entered Cyprus` Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on Monday. The move comes a few days after Turkey issued a maritime order, or NAVTEX, for the area. This prompted President Nicos Anastasiades to suspend his participation in the UN-backed negotiations.

The National Council on Tuesday adopted a package of eight measures with immediate effect in response to the continuing violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus in its EEZ by Turkey.
Among others, the Republic of Cyprus will not consent to the opening of any new chapter in Turkey’s accession process and will conduct a study of the possibility of recourse to the Security Council of the United Nations. Anastasiades will denounce Turkey to the European Council, which convenes on Thursday.

(CNA)

By Bill Trott

Ben Bradlee, the hard-driving editor who reigned over the Washington Post with the style of a well-dressed swashbuckler and the profane vocabulary of a dockworker as the newspaper helped topple President Richard Nixon, died on Tuesday aged 93.

Bradlee’s death at his Washington home of natural causes was announced by the Post, which reported late last month that he had begun hospice care after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for several years.

As executive editor from 1968 until 1991, Bradlee became one of the most important figures in Washington, as well as part of journalism history, while transforming the Post from a staid morning daily into one of the most dynamic and respected publications in the United States.

Bradlee’s work guiding young reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they traced a 1972 burglary at Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate office and apartment complex back to the Nixon White House has been celebrated from journalism schools to Hollywood.

The Post won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Watergate scandal, which forced Nixon to quit under threat of impeachment in August 1974.

Bradlee gave Woodward and Bernstein license to pursue the scandal and its cover-up vigorously, approving their use of the unidentified “Deep Throat” source, and the newspaper published about 400 articles about Watergate over 28 months.

The Post’s coverage — along with the book and movie about it, All the President’s Men — inspired a generation of investigative reporters.

“I think the great lesson of Watergate was probably the stick-tuitiveness of the Post,” Bradlee once told the American Journalism Review. “The fact that we hunkered down and backed the right horse. I think that was a wonderful lesson for publishers, too.”

Upsetting presidents was a Bradlee stock-in-trade. In 1972 the Post joined the New York Times in publishing stories based on the Pentagon Papers, a secret government account of Vietnam War decisions, despite heavy legal pressure. The Post also uncovered details of the Iran-Contra scandal that rocked Ronald Reagan’s White House.

FRIEND OF JFK

“I think this shows the (adversarial free-press) system works,” Bradlee said. “It’s a wonderful control on governments that are not all that careful on policing themselves.”

Bradlee did have a close friendship with one president, John F. Kennedy, who had been his neighbor in Washington’s Georgetown district when Bradlee was a Newsweek correspondent. In 1975 he wrote a book titled Conversations With Kennedy.

Bradlee said he never knew about such Kennedy peccadilloes as an affair the president had with Judith Exner, a woman said to have had organized crime connections. Bradlee said later that if he had found out, he would have been forced to expose that liaison and probably destroy his friendship with Kennedy.

Woodward once described Bradlee as “Kirk Douglas as a submarine commander.” Always nattily and expensively dressed, he cut a dashing figure in the Post newsroom, where he held sway with a fiery and brusque demeanor, sharp wit and swagger.

Bernstein told CNN that Bradlee was, “the most galvanizing, remarkable figure to work with and for. You know those are kinds of clichés that people use, except this time it’s really the case.”

“His life was really about the truth,” Bernstein added.

Bradlee also was known for his blunt way of expressing himself.

“One of the first things you notice about Ben, both the written and in-person Ben, is his vocabulary, his vernacular, his penchant for one-liners and salty phrases,” Jeff Himmelman wrote in his biography, Yours in Truth. “Swearing with Ben makes you feel like you’re part of his club, the club that doesn’t take anything too seriously.”

Bradlee also was a fixture on the Washington social circuit with his third wife, former Post reporter Sally Quinn, who was 20 years younger.

FROM COPS TO POLITICIANS

Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee was born in Boston on August 26, 1921, to an aristocratic family. He attended Harvard and served on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific during World War Two before starting a New Hampshire newspaper in 1946.

His career at the Washington Post began in 1948 as a police reporter. He quit to become a press attache at the US Embassy in Paris, then Newsweek magazine’s Paris correspondent and its Washington bureau chief.

He returned to the Post, was named managing editor in 1965 and became executive editor in 1968, holding the job until his 1991 retirement.

When the Watergate burglary occurred and was dismissed by the White House as trivial, Bradlee was skeptical of the investigative efforts of Woodward and Bernstein. But once he sensed they were onto something big — that the burglars were employed by Nixon’s presidential re-election committee — he urged them on.

Post publisher Katharine Graham had backed Bradlee when the Nixon administration tried to stifle publication of the Pentagon Papers and supported him again as he pushed Woodward and Bernstein deeper into Watergate. Their work reshaped American journalism.

“It is wonderfully ironical that a man who so disliked — and never understood — the press did so much to further the reputation of the press, and particularly the Washington Post,” Bradlee wrote in the forward of his memoir, A Good Life. “In his darkest hour, he gave the press its finest hour.”

Woodward, Bernstein and Bradlee were the only people at the Post to know the identity of Deep Throat, the source who revealed key secrets of the Nixon Watergate cover-up to the Post in clandestine meetings.

Mark Felt, a former No. 2 official at the FBI, revealed in 2005 he was Deep Throat, but Bradlee said he did not ask his reporters about the source’s identity until after Nixon had resigned.

Actor Jason Robards won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Bradlee in “All the President’s Men,” the film treatment of Woodward and Bernstein’s first Watergate chronicle.

Bradlee also was in charge of the Post when it suffered a major embarrassment. In 1981, the newspaper returned a Pulitzer won by Janet Cooke after it turned out the reporter’s story about an eight-year-old drug addict was a fabrication.

Under Bradlee, the Post doubled its editorial staff to 600, increased its news budget from $3 million to $60 million and boosted its circulation from 446,000 to 802,000 readers.

President Barack Obama gave Bradlee the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“A true newspaperman, he transformed the Washington Post into one of the country’s finest newspapers, and with him at the helm, a growing army of reporters published the Pentagon Papers, exposed Watergate, and told stories that needed to be told – stories that helped us understand our world and one another a little bit better,” Obama said in a statement.

Bradlee was married three times, most recently in 1978 to Sally Quinn, then the Post’s top features writer. He had one son, Benjamin, by his first marriage; a son and daughter, Dominic and Marina, by his second; and a son, Quinn, by his third.