Cyprus rescinds citizenship of Assad billionaire cousin

Cyprus has rescinded citizenship briefly bestowed upon a Syrian billionaire suspected by the EU of helping to bankroll President Bashar Assad's government.

Rami Makhlouf, who is a maternal cousin of Assad, is widely considered part of the Syrian president's inner circle and one of the most influential men in Syria. Cyprus granted him citizenship in January 2011, and it was later extended to his wife and three sons. But in August 2012 the cabinet decided to withdraw citizenship for the whole family, which a legal review panel approved in March. (Reuters)