Author: Helen Christophi THE LUKOIL in downtown Nicosia's Nikis Avenue was in chaos yesterday, with long lines snaking around the block and frustration boiling over, as motorists scrambled to fill their tanks at the only petrol station open in the area. Motorists sat in long lines waiting to get Publication: Cyprus Mail (Cyprus) Full story

THE TURKISH Cypriot 'parliament' yesterday unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning the Greek Cypriot parliament's rejection of guarantor rights last Thursday. According to the Bayrak website, Turkish Cypriot 'deputies' condemned parliament's rejection last week of guarantors or Publication: Cyprus Mail (Cyprus) Full story

The European Union's executive recommended on Wednesday launching accession talks with Iceland, the start of a process that Reykjavik hopes will lead to EU membership by 2012. The European Commission said Iceland met many of the EU criteria on democracy and human rights but called in a statement Publication: Financial Mirror (Cyprus) Full story

The euro is in a difficult position for the first time but will weather the storm, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a newspaper interview published on Wednesday. It was dangerous that some countries were being speculated against, she said, adding that debt-ridden euro zone members such as Publication: Financial Mirror (Cyprus) Full story

Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides said here today that after adopting the Lisbon Treaty, the EU can undertake action in order to support tourism, adding that the EU has the competency to support, coordinate and complement moves by the member states. Addressing a public Publication: Financial Mirror (Cyprus) Full story

2010 should be a year of improvement for the Middle East as a sluggish global recovery gains momentum and investor confidence rebuilds, Moody's Investors Service predicted in its first annual "Middle East Sovereign Outlook" report. Indeed, Moody's only sovereign rating actions in the region so far Publication: Financial Mirror (Cyprus) Full story

The Spanish savings bank sector has been significantly weakened by the severe crisis in the country's real estate market and the overall weaker operating environment. In this context, there is an increased impetus to restructure the sector by means of mergers or other forms of integrations between Publication: Financial Mirror (Cyprus) Full story

Author: Sebastian Heller Aa IN A SECRET ballot, DIKO central committee members last night voted by an overwhelming majority to stay in the government coalition, following weeks of speculation and meetings. Full story

Author: Stefanos Evripidou THE FINANCE Ministry has come under fire from public employees' union PASYDY over a most unlikely subject- the hiring of new staff. The union's general secretary Glafcos Hadjipetrou sent a letter to the ministry and House Finance Committee complaining that the 44-plus new Publication: Cyprus Mail (Cyprus) Full story

IT IS EXTREMELY difficult to know why the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Antonis Paschalides, decided to issue the order setting a ceiling on the price of diesel and two types of petrol. Full story