Saudi Arabia has joined Western states in evacuating staff from Yemen after a power grab by Shi’ite Muslim Houthi militia there, a move reflecting the hostility of majority Sunni Muslim neighbours towards the Iranian-backed Houthis.

Riyadh has suspended all work at its embassy in Yemen and evacuated its staff “due to the deterioration of the security and political situation”, state news agency SPA reported on Friday, citing an official at the foreign ministry.

Germany and Italy also said on Friday they had closed their embassies in Yemen, following similar steps by Britain, France and the United States as the Houthis consolidated control after seizing the capital Sanaa in September.

A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Berlin had shut down its mission on Thursday and staff left on Friday.

“In the past weeks the Houthis have seized power – this is unacceptably dangerous for us and could have consequences for the region,” she said. “The situation is very concerning for us in Europe.”

Italy also announced on Friday it had closed its embassy, citing a breakdown in security. It was withdrawing its ambassador and staff, the Foreign Ministry in Rome said.

Al Qaeda and other Sunni Muslim militants have stepped up attacks against Houthi fighters and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday Yemen was “collapsing before our eyes” and slipping closer to outright civil war.

The Houthis have sidelined the central government in Yemen, which borders top oil exporter and regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia.

UN-backed negotiations on a political settlement continued in Sanaa on Friday. Thousands of Yemenis gathered after prayers in the mainly Sunni cities of Taaz, Ibb, al-Bayda and al-Hodeidah to denounce the Houthi takeover, witnesses said.

Riyadh along with other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have accused the Houthi rebels of staging a coup in Yemen after they announced they were dissolving parliament and forming a new government last week.

Yemen has been in political limbo since the president and prime minister resigned last month after the Houthis seized the presidential palace.

Al Qaeda-linked fighters seized a large army base in a dawn attack in the southern province of Shabwa on Thursday, after several hours of heavy clashes.

In response, tribal fighters took over two other army barracks in Shabwa on Friday to prevent al Qaeda seizing more weapons and avoid a Houthi attack on the south, tribal sources told Reuters.

By George Psyllides

The family of a Greek Cypriot who went missing during the 1974 Turkish invasion said that along with his remains, found in the north in October 2014, they were also given those of three other people.

The family also accused the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) of not helping them when they raised questions.

It started when Giorgos Fori’s son Christos saw the remains and was not sure if his father had so many fillings in his teeth.

The family decided to ask the CMP to review the case to be certain that the remains belonged to their father before they buried them.

It accused the CMP of not providing any assistance, even after the family found laboratories overseas that would double check.

The labs told them that permission from Cypriot authorities and a special procedure was needed before the remains could be sent.

The family also accused the CMP of trying to prevent them from going to the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING), which had handled the genetic testing in the past.

The remains were eventually tested by CING, which determined that apart from Fori, they also included bones from three other individuals.

The jaw bone however, did belong to Fori.

Fori’s granddaughter, Melina, asked whether the CMP could assure “that my grandfather’s remains are not buried in the graves of other missing persons.”
“In our hands we now have bones belonging to three other people. I consider it unethical to have these remains while someone else is looking for them.”

Nestoras Nestoros, the Greek Cypriot member of the CMP, said it was not a matter of the wrong DNA results.

From the 18 fragments returned to the family, nine had undergone genetic tests.

“It appears that bones that did not undergo testing belonged to other persons,” he said.

The ‘mistake’ was made in the anthropological lab in Nicosia, which tries to link the remains between them, he said.

Nestoros said the protocol was the same followed by labs worldwide – not all fragments undergo genetic testing.

To do so it would cost millions more, he said. The current practice was the one followed by all labs.

In the past, for 167 matches, the CMP had to send 2,800 samples to the lab in Bosnia, at a cost of more than a million dollars, he said.

The remains of 55-year-old Fori were found in October in a mass grave at Ornithi, in the occupied north.

They were in one of two wells, which experts determined contained the remains of 71 people.

Only seven complete skeletons were found. The rest of the remains were smaller fragments, apparently the result of a unilateral excavation by the Turkish side to get rid of evidence.

The CMP has so far matched the remains of 68 people.

Fori is listed among 83 people missing from the village of Ashia – not far from where his remains were found.

He was last seen on August 21, 1974, a month after the Turkish invasion, at the Pavlides Garage in the Turkish quarter of Nicosia where he was held captive.

The relocation of the remains from Ornithi was condemned by the European Parliament as “a great disrespect to the missing persons and a gross violation of the rights of their families to finally know the real conditions of the deaths of their loved ones”.

It urged the Turkish government “to immediately cease removal of the remains from the mass graves and to comply with international law, international humanitarian law and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgments” and “to fully implement its obligation following the decision of the ECHR to compensate the families of the missing persons”.

Around 2,000 people – 1,508 Greek Cypriots and 493 Turkish Cypriots – were listed as missing since the intercommunal fighting in the 60s and the invasion.

The CMP, a bicommunal organisation tasked with locating the missing, has so far identified 430 Greek Cypriots and 138 Turkish Cypriots.

The CMP’s terms of reference do not include attributing responsibility for the deaths of any missing persons or making findings as to the cause of death.

UNFICYP said on Friday that wet weather conditions had caused some displacement of landmines in and along the buffer zone.

The area of the buffer zone around Mammari remains a particular risk zone, it said in a statement.

“Mines present a danger to persons travelling by foot and by vehicle and members of the public should be aware that not all minefields along the buffer zone are fenced completely or marked with mine signs,” UNFICYP said.

It said the force was monitoring areas where mines had shifted out of a known minefield due to bad weather, and was working swiftly to reduce the threat by fencing off the affected areas.

However it said. members of the public should exercise extreme caution near the ceasefire lines of both sides and if they come across any of the markers illustrated in the image they should leave the area immediately.

“Members of the public are requested to respect mine signs in the buffer zone and to comply with UNFICYP’s instructions. They can report suspicious objects seen in the buffer zone immediately on the contact numbers listed below. “Please do not approach or touch suspicious objects,” UNFICYP said.

Also, as part of routine safety procedures inside the buffer zone, members of the public are advised to ensure that they have up-to-date permits for their activities.

“They are further reminded that hunting and other unauthorised activities in the buffer zone are prohibited. Armed hunters are at risk of drawing fire from either of the opposing forces, and hunters wearing camouflage apparel and carrying guns can be easily mistaken for soldiers,” the statement said.

Firing guns in the area between the ceasefire lines increases tension because soldiers on duty cannot immediately determine where the shots have come from and may feel obliged to react.

This poses a hazard to fellow hunters, members of local communities, and UNFICYP patrols in the area, the force added.

UNFICYP contact telephone numbers: Once you are connected to the Mission Directory, please dial ‘0’ to speak with the Operations Centre.

From south: 22 614000

From north by landline: 601 4000

From north by mobile: 0392 601 4000

Cyprus and Russia on Friday initialled the protocol of the 8th meeting of their Intergovernmental Committee for Economic Cooperation.

The protocol, which was initialled in Nicosia by Finance Minister Harris Georgiades and Russian Deputy Minister for Economic Development Nicolay R. Podguzov, is to be signed by the Presidents of Russia and Cyprus during Nicos Anastasiades’ official visit to Moscow on February 25.

In statements after the meeting with the Russian delegation, Georgiades said that the meeting was productive, adding that it demonstrated that the historic ties between the two countries and their friendly relations created the necessary circumstances for more achievements in the field of bilateral cooperation.
Referring to Anastasiades` visit to Moscow, he said it would contribute to a great extent to the enhancement of the cooperation between the two countries in many sectors.

The protocol, he said, concerned the fields of commerce, energy, agriculture, tourism, education, science and culture.
The minister referred to the prospects for new cooperation in the fields of maritime commerce, telecommunications and technical military cooperation.
Referring to the economy, Georgiades said Cyprus was on a course of stabilisation, and described the enhancement of the cooperation with Russia as important for efforts to boost the economy. He also said that Nicosia looked forward to the normalisation of EU-Russia relations.

In his statements, the Russian official said the ties between the two countries were very good despite the difficulties in relations between Russia and the EU. (CNA)

By Alexandra Hudson and Costas Pitas

Germany condemned on Friday a cartoon published in a Greek leftist newspaper close to the new ruling party in Athens that depicts Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble in a Nazi uniform making comments that invoke the Holocaust.

In the cartoon, carried in the daily Avgi (The Dawn), mouthpiece of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza party, Schaeuble says “we insist on soap from your fat” and “we are discussing fertilizer from your ashes”, references to the fate of Jews in the Nazi death camps of World War Two.

“I always uphold the principle of free speech but on a very personal level I find this caricature offensive and the cartoonist should be ashamed,” German finance ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger told a regular news conference.

Relations between Germany, Europe’s paymaster, and debt-ridden Greece have become particularly strained since the Jan. 25 election that swept the anti-austerity Syriza to power.

Earlier this week, during a visit to Berlin, Greece’s new foreign minister pressed his government’s claim for World War Two reparations over Nazi Germany’s brutal occupation of his country. Germany says all reparation issues have been settled.

During Greece’s years-long debt crisis, anti-austerity protesters have often depicted German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a Nazi uniform or with a Hitler moustache. Schaeuble has long been a leading advocate of the tough austerity programme.

Avgi captioned the cartoon on the back page of its Feb. 8 edition “Negotiations have begun”, in a nod to talks held in Brussels over how Greece can shift to a new support programme.

Athens agreed on Thursday to talk to its creditors about the way out of its hated bailout in a political climbdown that could prevent Tsipras’ government running out of money as early as next month.

By Iacovos Constantinou

Just three rounds remain before the Cyprus playoffs with the top three teams, Apollon, APOEL and Omonia all facing each other over the next three weeks in crucial matches that may go a long way in deciding the championship.

This week’s top-of-the-table clash is between Omonia and Apollon at the GSP stadium in Nicosia on Sunday.

More than 14,000 fans are expected to turn up for the game where a win for the home side will see them enter the championship race for good as they will be just four points off the top.

The GSP is not a happy hunting ground for Apollonas as in the past 16 meetings against Omonia they only managed to beat them twice. However the most recent win was just 13 months ago.

Omonia’s coach Kaiafas has no injury concerns and will be fielding his strongest eleven while Andone will be without his suspended captain Argentinian Gaston Sangoy for yet another game.

APOEL take on last-but-one Doxa Katokopias at the Makarion stadium and anything other than a win will be considered a major upset for the champions. However Doxa managed to leave with a point when the two teams met back in November.

Yet again APOEL will be without a number of key players (Aloneftis, Manduce, Carlao, Vinicius) but they should have Tomas de Vincenti back in their line-up after he served his one-match suspension.

Doxa will be without the suspended Paolo Jorge and Ernesto Calderon.

Nea Salamina have slipped perilously close to the relegation zone and need the points against AEK Larnaca. They will be without their recent signing Grigalasvili while AEK’s coach cannot count on Englezou and Mitides.

Anorthosis travel to Achna to face Ethnikos without the injured Avraam and Ende.
Anorthosis have lost just once in 14 meetings against Ethnikos and will be favourites for yet another win.

Othellos Athienou are at home to Ermis Aradippou with the visitor’s new coach Mitchell van der Gaag hoping for his first win that will allow Ermis to hang on to the coveted sixth position for yet another week.

Othellos are battling to stay in the top-flight and will prove to be a tough opponent in a game that can go either way.

The only team capable of leapfrogging Ermis into sixth place is AEL who have a seemingly easy task against bottom of the table Ayia Napa.

Saturday, February 14th: Doxa Katokopias v APOEL (17.00), Ethnikos Achnas v Anorthosis & Nea Salamina v AEK (18.00)
Sunday, February 15th: Omonia v Apollon (16.00), Othellos Athienou v Ermis Aradippou & AEL v Ayia Napa (17.00)

By Stelios Orphanides

Authorities increased the cap for transfers to accounts abroad to 50,000 euros per person per credit institution, the finance ministry said.

The new decree will remain in place for 28 days, the ministry said in an emailed statement.

The previous cap was 20,000 euros.

The full text of the new decree follows:

By Angelos Anastasiou

GREEK Defence minister Panos Kammenos’ suggestion that Cyprus buys fighter jets left his Cypriot counterpart – and high-ranking military men in attendance – underwhelmed as the cash-strapped island cannot possibly shoulder the expense, local media reported on Friday.

Kammenos was in Cyprus on an official visit from Tuesday to Thursday, in the course of which he met with various government officials and the local Greek army regiment.

His proposal for Cyprus to buy military jets appears to have been made during a private session with host Defence minister Christoforos Fokaides and the Cypriot and Greek army’s top brass.

But media reports said the reaction to Kammenos’ assertion was one of astonishment as Cyprus, still struggling to cope financially after an unprecedented banking and economic collapse in 2013, could not possibly bear the expense of buying aircraft worth tens of millions of euros each.

Defence ministry officials could not be reached for comment.

During the visit, Kammenos offered remarks that raised a few eyebrows. He told the soldiers of the Greek regiment ELDYK that they were part of an “offensive unit” that “in the fullness of time will be the unit that will plant the flag of freedom in the occupied areas”.

And in a speech shortly after his arrival, he left open the prospect of resuming the Joint Defence Doctrine, a long-abandoned defence agreement between Greece and Cyprus dating back to 1993.

“There will be planning that you will see in the coming months in connection to the rearrangement of relations, through practical cooperation and the permanent presence of officers from both sides in each country,” he said.

Kammenos, leader of right-wing Independent Greeks party, was given the Defence portfolio by newly-elected Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after an unlikely coalition between radical-left Syriza and the openly nationalistic Independent Greeks enabled the formation of a government.

The new Defence minister has been the subject of public ridicule at various times since his young party was formed in 2012, most commonly on raising questions relating to popular conspiracy theories like chemtrails and the role of the Bildenberg Club.

Prior to forming a coalition government with Syriza, Kammenos’ party had frequently adopted right-wing rhetoric, often railing against illegal immigration and more recently in favour of resuming Greece’s armaments programme, although both parties were united in their Euroscepticism and fervent opposition to troika-imposed austerity measures.

By George Psyllides

STUNG bank bond holders on Friday pledged to wage a relentless struggle until they are compensated as they criticised the president for not doing anything to help.

Chairman of their association Fivos Mavrovouniotis said for the past two years or so they were being strung along by the president, the ministers of finance and justice, the Central Bank, and Bank of Cyprus.

From now on, Mavrovouniotis said during a news conference, the association will provide assistance and support to members who have sued or are planning to sue and it will continue efforts to settle matters out of court.

One way of doing so was through the financial ombudsman whose mandate, however, only included cases involving up to €170,000. The ombudsman can only award up to €50,000 in compensation.

Mavrovouniotis said they were trying to raise the amount threshold to €500,000, and compensation to €300,000.

“I believe if these moves take place the situation will improve for a large number of bank securities holders,” he said.

Private holders of convertible enhanced capital securities issued by the Bank of Cyprus and now-defunct Laiki Bank claim they were mis-sold the financial products, which were essentially wiped out following the March 2013 events, and demand to be compensated.

Many had also drawn loans using the securities as collateral, which they are now being asked to repay.

Britain might reduce welfare benefits for people who refuse treatment for obesity or drug and alcohol problems, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Saturday.

He said that if his Conservative Party wins national elections in May, he would set up a review into whether withholding sickness benefit payments was the right approach.

“Too many people are stuck on sickness benefits because of issues that could be addressed but instead are not,” he said in a statement.

“Some have drug or alcohol problems, but refuse treatment. In other cases, people have problems with their weight that could be addressed, but instead a life on benefits rather than work becomes the choice.”

Cameron said 100,000 people were claiming sickness benefits on the grounds of treatable conditions such as drug or alcohol addiction or obesity, and there was no requirement they undertake treatment.

Britain’s finance minister George Osborne has said he plans to make cuts of 12 billion pounds a year in welfare payments if the Conservatives are re-elected as part of a push to wipe out Britain’s still wide budget deficit.

A group which seeks to help people lose weight said the plan would be a waste of money, given the complexities of analysing individuals’ weight problems and checking up on their progress. Instead the government should focus on weight-gain prevention.

“Threatening people isn’t the way forward,” said Susannah Gilbert, a co-founder of Big Matters, an obesity support organisation. “We need to put in place a structure to help anybody who wants to lose weight and that just isn’t there.”

By Maria Gregoriou

On Monday Rio Cinema will go back to 1927 France with the film Quartet, starring Isabelle Adjani, Maggie Smith and Anthony Higgins.
Adapted from a novel by Jean Rhys by the same name, the film premiered at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.

The plot involves Stephan, a shady Polish art dealer who is sent to prison for stealing art work, and his wife Marya, who finds herself penniless after he is convicted. The now destitute woman accepts to move into the home of HJ and Lois Heidler, a wealthy Englishman and his wife, a painter.

The only thing is HJ has a history of inviting young women to move into the spare room and his intentions are not all good.

As the title suggests, the film very closely looks at the lives of these four people and presents the viewer with character studies while telling the story.

Quartet
Screening of the 1981 drama. February 16. Rio Cinemas, 125 Ellados Street, Limassol. 8.15pm. Tel: 25-87 1410

All roads to Troodos are closed to all vehicles due to heavy snowfall, police said on Saturday.

The announcement was issued at 1pm.

Earlier, police issued an announcement concerning the road network across the island

Closed roads:

Paphos District:

Nata – Holetria, and Kelokedara-Nata closed due to the overflow of Xeros river

Roads open for four-wheel drive vehicles or those equipped with snow chains

Limassol

All roads to Troodos mountain

Nicosia

• Pedoulas – Prodromos • Prodromos – Platres • Prodromos – Lemythou • Kakopetria – Pinewood – Pedoulas • Palechori – Sykopetra • Palechori – Agros • Polystipos – Livadia – Alithinou • Polystipos – Chandria • Polystipos – Lagoudera – Saranti • Polystipos – Alona • Fterikoudi – Alona • Macheras – Kionia • Lazanias – Macheras

Larnaca

• Odou – Farmakas • Vavatsinia – Macheras

Police said frost should be expected on the surface of mountainous roads in the early morning hours and urged drivers to be extra careful and consult with the authorities.

HEAVILY armed Boko Haram militants attacked the northeastern Nigerian city of Gombe on Saturday, fleeing residents and a security source said.

Explosions and gunfire could be heard after the fighters overwhelmed a checkpoint at the edge of the city, which has been bombed before but has never had the insurgents attempt to take it over.

Witness Abdul Hassan said soldiers ran away after the checkpoint was overwhelmed. The militants then burned down a police station on the outskirts of town, he said.

“I crossed a river and ran into the hills,” he said. “I’m still there and I can hear the fighting.”

Others were staying indoors. Witness Hussaina Maji said she was unable to leave her house for fear of being caught in cross fire.

Boko Haram’s struggle for an Islamic state has become the gravest security threat to Africa’s biggest economy and top oil producer, killing thousands, kidnapping hundreds and increasingly threatening neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger — all of which are now also battling the insurgents.

Nigeria has postponed a presidential election that had been due on Saturday, for six weeks, citing the security threat from Boko Haram.

“There are gunshot sounds everywhere and heavy artillery fire. People are running down the streets from the area which under attack. The whole town is in a state of panic,” resident Godfret Obeate told Reuters by telephone.

Boko Haram attacked a village in Chad on Friday, the first known deadly attack in that country by the Nigerian militant group, which killed several people including a local chief, according to residents and security forces.

AARON Finch smashed a sparkling century as Australia dealt England a 111-run humiliation in their World Cup opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Dropped on the second ball he faced, opening batsman Finch blasted 135 at his home ground to lay the platform for victory as the co-hosts piled on 342-9, two runs shy of the venue’s one-day international record.

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh then took a career-best 5-33 as Australia put on a ruthless Valentine Day’s display in the field that amplified the abysmal nature of their opponents’ earlier efforts.

Having reprieved bulky opener Finch, England let a string of chances go begging, dropping catches and missing run-out opportunities to set a miserable tone for the start of their campaign.

They had reduced Australia to 70-3 but released the pressure and Australia’s formidable batting lineup duly went into punishment mode.

After stand-in skipper George Bailey (55) teamed with Finch for a 146-run partnership, pugnacious all-rounder Glenn Maxwell smacked 66 off 40 balls.

Ironically, Steven Finn, who like his colleagues had been thrashed to all corners of the ground, became the first England bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick by dismissing Brad Haddin, Maxwell and Mitchell Johnson in the last three balls of Australia’s innings.

He finished with a hugely expensive 5-71 and seemed embarrassed by his achievement.

It was to be a brief moment of celebration for the English, who were all but beaten by the 18th over of their chase, when captain Eoin Morgan flailed at a slower ball and was well-caught by wicketkeeper Haddin.

Morgan’s sixth-ball duck was his fourth in five innings, including the last warmup against Pakistan, and left England reeling at 73-5.

The match ended in an odd manner, with James Taylor initially given out lbw. He successfully had the decision overturned on review but was denied the chance of a century after a second review showed Maxwell had thrown down the stumps with James Anderson short of his ground.

For Australia, the only blot in a dominant display was Watson’s failure to score or take a wicket and a dropped catch by Finch when Taylor was on 20.

TENS of thousands of Yemenis demonstrated in several cities on Saturday against the rule of a Shi’ite Muslim fighters whose gunmen fired on protesters in the central town of Ibb and wounded four, medics said.

It was the second day of nationwide demonstrations against the Iranian-backed Houthi movement in less then a week after its dissolution of parliament this month unravelled security and sent Western and Arab embassies packing.

Activists said they were enraged by the death on Saturday of Saleh al-Bashiri, who they say was detained by gunmen as they broke up an anti-Houthi protest in Sanaa two weeks ago and was released to a hospital with signs of torture on his body on Thursday. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.

Yemen’s upheaval has drawn international concern as it shares a long border with top world oil exporter Saudi Arabia, and the country is also fighting one of the most formidable branches of al Qaeda with the help of U.S. drone strikes.

Heavy clashes between Houthi fighters and Sunni Muslim tribesmen fighting alongside Al Qaeda militants in the southern mountainous province of al-Bayda on Saturday killed 16 Houthi rebels along with 10 Sunni tribesmen and militants, security officials and tribal sources told Reuters.

The state faces collapse in impoverished, strife-torn Yemen two weeks after the Houthis took formal control of the country and continued an armed push southward.

France, the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy and Saudi Arabia have closed their missions in the capital Sanaa and withdrawn staff, citing security concerns.

Spain and the United Arab Emirates announced the closure of their embassies in Sanaa on Saturday.

Yemen’s rich Sunni Gulf Arab neighbours loathe the Houthi fighters and have called their rise to power a “coup.”

The embassy closures have isolated Yemen’s new rulers and lent urgency to struggling talks over internal power-sharing which the Houthis are conducting with opposition parties.

Hailing their advance as a “revolution” aimed at corrupt officials and economic ruin, the Houthis dissolved parliament and set up their own ruling body earlier this month.

The Houthis’ spread from the north to Yemen’s well-armed tribal regions in the east and south has led locals to make common cause with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, one of the deadliest arms of the global militant organisation.

By George Psyllides

Health Minister Phillipos Patsalis said would cooperate closely with the auditor-general to resolve problems concerning the Nicosia hospital’s transplant clinic, after a deal between the ministry and a doctor was slammed as a waste of taxpayers money.

The issue became public just days after the ministry announced a six-month agreement with nephrologist Vasilis Hadjianastasiou as a temporary solution to serve the patients of the Nicosia hospital’s transplant clinic.

In a letter to the health minister, Odysseas Michaelides said the deal was a waste of taxpayers money since the agreed amount per transplant was almost double the set maximum price – €3,650 compared with €2,000.

This, according to Michaelides, meant that Hadjianastasiou would collect €91,250 in six months – 25 transplants.

Considering the €50,000 limit, the doctor would either provide services for a shorter period of time, or scheduled operations would have to be cancelled, Michaelides said.

The clinic had been left without transplant experts in December after Hadjianastasiou, who was the director, and another doctor walked out due to financial and other differences with the ministry.

The ministry then signed an agreement with a team of Greek doctors that were to travel to the island whenever needed to perform surgeries, a solution which dismayed transplant patients since they felt that it endangered their lives as the doctors would not be able to attend them in case of complications.

The three doctors cost taxpayers a total of €3,300 per transplant, including follow up treatment and observation.

Under the current agreement, Hadjianastasiou is not required to be at the transplant clinic continuously and is not prohibited from having his own patients.

What was more offending, according to the auditor-general, was that Hadjianastasiou had initially asked for €9,000 per transplant.

Michaelides suggested that the doctor’s stance was a violation of medical ethics regulations. The fact that he later settled for €3,650 could justify censuring him for profiteering.

Michaelides also forwarded his letter to the medical association.

Patsalis said starting this week he will engage with the auditor-general in a bid to find a solution once and for all.

“We gave a solution through which transplants will be carried out unhindered in the next six months,” Patsalis said, expressing hope that a permanent solution will be found to avoid a repeat of the period when the clinic could not function in the best possible way.

By Sylvia Westall

LEBANON’S former prime minister Saad al-Hariri made a rare visit to his country on Saturday, attending a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of his father Rafik’s assassination, live television footage showed.

He was expected to speak at the ceremony dedicated to his father, who was killed in a 2005 Beirut waterfront bombing that brought the country back to the brink of civil war.

Smiling and waving, Saad entered the hall to theatrical music. Surrounded by bodyguards, he stopped to shake hands with politicians and diplomats as his supporters chanted and shouted.

On Saturday, scores of Lebanese queued to lay flowers at Rafik al-Hariri’s grave next to the capital’s main mosque. Some broke down in tears while others posed for photographs beside large posters of the late statesman.

Five members of the Lebanese Shi’ite group Hezbollah have been indicted over his killing by an international tribunal in The Hague. The trial in absentia began in January 2014 and Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the killing.

The assassination pushed Hariri’s son Saad into politics. He remains Lebanon’s most influential Sunni politician, despite leaving in 2011 after his government was toppled by a coalition including Hezbollah. He divides his time between Saudi Arabia and France, who support him.

Despite their animosity, Hariri’s Future Movement now works with Hezbollah to contain sectarian tensions in Lebanon that have been exacerbated by the war in Syria.

The four-year-old Syrian conflict involves overwhelmingly Sunni insurgents who oppose President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the Shi’ite-derived Alawite minority, and allied Shi’ite groups including Hezbollah.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry commemorated Hariri in a statement late on Friday, saying the man known as “Mr Lebanon” gave his country hope during its “darkest days.”

“He stood for peaceful change and the resolution of differences through conversations – not carnage,” Kerry said.

“Ten years ago today, he was assassinated because some feared he might succeed.”

The bomb that killed him, packed in a van filled with the equivalent of 2.5 tons of high explosive, was detonated by an unidentified suicide bomber. It killed 21 others and wounded more than 200 as it ripped through a busy street.

Saad, who blames Assad for the murder, visited Lebanon for the first time in three years in August.

Politicians and public figures expressed hope his return would help stabilise Lebanon, which is plagued by violence and caught in political deadlock.

By Bejay Browne

THE NEWLY elected mayor of Paphos has extended an open invitation to residents of the town in a new initiative to promote a more modern approach to governance.

Titled ‘Time of the Citizen’, Paphos residents who wish to speak to Phedonas Phedonos will be given the opportunity every Friday afternoon, starting yesterday.

The new initiative is taking place at the mayor’s office at the town hall in central Paphos every Friday from 4pm-7pm. During this time, the mayor will receive any resident without an appointment.

The drive is aimed at establishing a better relationship between the public and those in authority and also to promote transparency, something the mayor promised prior to his election.

An announcement said: “These direct meetings will enable citizens to speak with the mayor and discuss any issues that may be of concern to them or to make any suggestions they wish are being introduced by the mayor, and without an appointment.”

Phedonos said that this initiative was part of the new modern approach which he hopes will characterise Paphos municipality and its leadership from now on. He said Paphos now has a culture which desires the local authority to be closer to the people, as well as being approachable and open to dialogue.

This move is a marked change from the previous administration, where citizens and staff often complained that former disgraced mayor Savvas Vergas was unapproachable, uncaring and ‘ruled the municipality with an iron first.’

A member of the municipality, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Vergas insisted things were done his way and that he showed neither respect for his staff nor for the public. But he says that has all changed now.

“This spells a new era for Paphos and for the entire municipality. The town has been left reeling after all of the recent scandals and alleged corruption which seems to have been going on here for years. Enough is enough and out of the bad has come much good.”

He added that the situation at the municipality was already much improved and there was an air of trust.

“The mayor is young and dynamic and seems to be committed to doing his best for Paphos and everything is now out in the open. Whatever people’s differing politics may be, we can’t ask for more than that.”

He said that Phedonos was bringing a sense of renewed hope to Paphos with initiatives such as this.

One civilian was killed and three police were wounded on Saturday in shooting at a public meeting in the Danish capital Copenhagen attended by the controversial Swedish artist Lars Vilks, police and the Danish Ritzau news agency reported.

Danish police confirmed one civilian had been killed in a shooting and said the suspects had fled in a car.

Ritzau said both Vilks and the French ambassador, who was also attending, were both unharmed, but that three police had been wounded. The gathering was billed as a debate on art and blasphemy.

Just over a month ago, 17 people were killed in France in three days of violence that began when two Islamist gunmen burst into the Paris offices of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, opening fire in revenge for its publication of satirical images of the Prophet Mohammad.

Vilks stirred controversy in 2007 with published drawings depicting Mohammad as a dog which sparked threats from Islamist militant groups.

He has received numerous death threats and has lived under constant protection by the Swedish police since 2010. Two years ago, an American woman who called herself Jihad Jane was sentenced to 10 years in prison for plotting to kill him.

French President Francois Hollande said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve would go to Copenhagen as soon as possible.

By Patroclos

THE OPPOSITION chorus was in perfect harmony as it urged the government to support Greece’s attempt to change the terms of its bailout agreement at last Wednesday’s meeting of the eurozone finance ministers. Nik’s government had an obligation to back Greece all the members of the chorus kept trumpeting ahead of the meeting.

Some expressed this view through fiery public statement, some issued written announcements, and others did both. The most original member of the chorus, Yiorkos Lillikas sent a private letter to Prez Nik (that he gave to Sigmalive to publish) urging him to tell his finance minister to back Greece’s position at the meeting “robustly and dynamically”, as he feared the naughty Harris might have sided with the Krauts.

It was another example of the opposition parties laying on some poor quality theatre for the masses, fooling them into thinking that Kyproulla is an important player at the Eurogroup that could influence decisions. If Harris followed Lillikas’ patriotic instructions and backed Greece’s demands it would have made no difference as the number of countries of the 19-member group that Kyproulla influences is a big zero.

So even if Harris took a can of petrol into the Eurogroup meeting and threatened to set himself alight if Greece’s demands were not met, it would have made no difference His colleagues’ reaction would have been to offer him matches.

WHO WOULD have thought that leading the ‘support Greece at all costs’ chorus would be the traditional Greece-hating commies of AKEL? Suddenly Akelites, who in the past never passed an opportunity to disparage and belittle Greece and Greeks, have become the island’s most fanatical philhellenes.

Now there is a government in Greece made up of Trotskyites, Maoists and other Marxist loonies opposed to the bailout, AKEL has become concerned about the suffering of the Greek people and is demanding that our government shows full solidarity.

It is surprising that our commies have become so nationalistic, despite the fact that the party, which is most close them ideologically – the Stalinist, KKE – is not part of the Tsipras government. It has ended up aligning itself with people that do not embrace Marxist orthodoxy, but for the sake of its beloved, mother Greece it was willing to put aside its ideological disagreements with Syriza.

AKEL’s love affair with Greece has reached such a level of blind passion that its members have been accusing Nik of ignoring Tspiras’ calls for support. But the most venomous attack was reserved for the leader of traditionally pro-Greece DISY, Averof.

The liar-in-chief of the Tof government, Stef-Stef wrote this week: “At the time Greece is in battle with her lenders, Averof Neophytou criticises the Greek government and supports her lenders.” This is quite outrageous and Averof deserves to be black-listed by the commies as an enemy of Hellenism.

I DO NOT know why our politicos are so keen to support Greece, considering the complete lack of support we had from Athens, back in 2013 when the Eurogroup decided to give our bank deposits a short back and sides.

Before that meeting the Tof government had tried to persuade Greece to give our struggling banks a couple of the €40 billion the country had been given by the EU for the Greek banks, especially as Cypriot banks were operating in the mainland. The answer was ‘no’.

And just before the haircut decision, the operations of the Cypriot banks in Greece were sold to Piraeus Bank for a fourth of their value. The then governor of Greece’s central bank wanted to help us so much, that he did not allow a second Greek bank, which had expressed an interest in buying, to enter the bidding thus keeping the sale price as low as possible.

Should I also mention the billions of euro that the Cyprus Central Bank borrowed for Laiki and went towards propping up Vgenopoulos’ bank in Greece, while the debt stayed in Kyproulla and was generously passed on to the B of C?

Our government could give no support to Greece at tomorrow’s Eurogroup meeting, but it would still be a lot more help than Greece offered us when we were in the merde, as it would not be on the minus side.

SOME of the clever hacks wanting to help, suggested that Tsipras appealed to Mother Russia for assistance. The thinking was that the generous President Putin would help Greece just like he helped Kyproulla back in 2013 when we were begging him for money and sent the then finance minister on a pointless trip to Moscow. If the Greek government wanted financial assistance it should apply for it said Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, which sounded positive. But this was what Kyproulla was asked to do two years ago, when we were desperately looking for money, but is still waiting for a reply.

SPEAKING of Mother Russia, her zealots on the island have been talking up Prez Nik’s planned visit in 10 days’ time, with many suggesting that some important defence agreement would be signed. Even Nik joined the fun, avoiding making it clear to Tass news agency, in an interview he gave, that the agreement was of no consequence.

Foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides was forced to put the record straight the following day, explaining the deal would relate to maintenance of military equipment and the purchase of spare parts for equipment used by the National Guard. There was no question of offering facilities for military purposes he said, adding that Moscow had never asked for any.

So who had stirred all the fuss about this non-issue? Lillikas, Russia’s chief salesman, had been advocating the granting of military facilities, while the equally zealous Phil had been running one story after the other about the defence agreement.

Russia’s ambassador Stanislav Osadchiy had encouraged his local salesman. When asked last month if Russia would be interested in being granted access to military facilities, he said: “Moscow is certainly interested and we are discussing this issue.” On the same day Lillikas made his sales pitch about “offering Russia the facilities it requires in the region.”

So was Kasoulides being economical with truth when he said that Moscow had never asked for any military facilities?

NOBODY knows who is telling the truth. A few days after Kasoulides’ comments, Tass News Agency carried a report featuring interviews with Russian strategic analysts, who said there was no issue of Russian bases in Kyproulla. Western powers would never allow such a move and the cost of setting up bases would be very high said Konstanin Sivkov.

General Pavel Zolotaryiov also noted that Russia should be very careful because of its relations with Turkey, which “is very jealous of Cyprus.” It is good to know that one of the reasons Russia has declined Lillikas’ offer of bases in Kyproulla was in order not to make the spoilt Turks jealous.

BUT EVEN if Moscow has snubbed our kind offer of bases, Phil which has always been the biggest, non-AKEL champion of the Soviet Union and subsequently Russia, found another way Moscow could help us.

On Monday it reported that prez Nik, according to reliable sources, would seek a more active involvement of Mother Russia in the Cyprob. He would bring this up in his talks with President Putin, whom he would ask for a more active involvement at the UN Security Council, in order to counter the devious designs of the Anglo-Americans, the paper said.

As Russia had never practically supported the efforts to find a settlement we can only assume that Nik would see Moscow’s active involvement in the Cyprob as a safeguard against any real progress being made. After the 2004 referendum the late Ethnarch secured the active involvement of Russia and China in the Cyprob to ensure against any progress being made.

“GREECE is here,” declared the new Greek defence minister Panos Kammenos, who also happens to be the leader of the Independent Greeks the junior coalition partner in the Tsipras government. Kammenos went through all the poetic clichés Greek defence ministers utter, when they visit our long-suffering island, and which are too boring to repeat here.

However, in a private meeting with our own defence minister Christoforos Fokaides and General Staff chiefs, he proposed the purchase of fighter jets to bolster our defence. Surely this would not be necessary, given that a few hours earlier, during a news conference, Kammenos assured us that the “defensive shield of Hellenism” covered Cyprus.

As the Turks might not like the idea of the fighters being stationed in Kyproulla, he offered to have them stationed in Crete. They can be kept in their boxes, stacked alongside the boxes of estragosha missiles that also ended up in Crete.

COME to think of it, now that we have no money should we not have tried to find a buyer for the estragoshas as we are never going to use them? There must be plenty of Islamist terrorist organisations willing to pay hard currency for them. And if the Yanks do not want us to arm the terrorists, maybe they can buy them. We could give a 70 per cent discount and still make 100 million which we could use to give pay rises to our public parasites who have not had a pay rise for two years.

MEMORIAL services are big news on the Sunday evening TV news shows, usually because these are held for national heroes or former presidents and some political big-wig makes speech that is deemed worthy of reporting.

But the memorial service covered on last Sunday’s CyBC TV news did not satisfy any of these criteria. It was for the employees, chairmen and directors of the CyBC that had passed away (neither heroes nor former presidents) and the main speech was not given by a big-wig, but by the corporation’s retired news boss Yiannis Kareklas, who informed us that honouring dead colleagues had become an annual fixture.

It made me wonder whether the annual memorial service was part of some collective agreement negotiated by the CyBC unions, as was the obligation to send a camera crew to cover it and feature this non-story on the TV news. Archbishop Chrysostomos conducted the service. Is there an annual memorial service for Cyta employees as well?

YOU HAD to laugh hearing secondary school-kids complaining because the education ministry “did not study our proposals or invite us to a dialogue.” They held a one-hour boycott of classes on Wednesday to protest about this outrageous snub.

In a statement issued by their organisation PSEM, the 15-year-olds complained because at their meeting with the education minister, they were told that their demands could not be implemented. That the minister had actually wasted his time to meet a bunch of teenagers that think they should have say in education matters, is democracy gone mad.

What next? Should Nik invite a PSEM representative to the National Council as well? This might not be such a bad idea as the kids’ thinking could be more mature than most of the party leaders.