Greek Press

ALITHIA: “Fuelling the fire”. Focusing on the announcement that fuel prices are to increase, the daily raises the question of how the consumer’s pocket has been hit by the extra 26 cents per litre on fuel prices. The paper takes a swipe at the Minister of Commerce and Industry Giorgos Lillikas who has been attempting to calm worried consumers.

MACHI: “EAC feeling the backlash”. The right wing paper reports on the state of confusion at the Cyprus Electricity Authority (EAC) after the request of President Tassos Papadopoulos and the cabinet to the EAC Chairman Giorgos Giorgiades and Vice Chairman Andreas Louroutziatis not to step down after they both recently handed in their resignations.

POLITIS: “Using the political immunity card”. The daily looks in the into the legal status surrounding MEP Marios Matsakis’ political immunity and how, most recently, the matter has been brought up by DIKO deputy Andreas Angelides. Angelides, who is in full support of Matsakis, is calling for the matter to be brought up at the Supreme Court in Cyprus and that the European Parliament should have no jurisdiction in the matter. Matsakis was first implicated in a case of suspected extortion of a police officer and that further police investigations led to the discovery of a large number of antiquities allegedly purchased and possessed illegally by the MEP from the occupied north

SIMERINI: “Fuel prices on fire”. Another two petrol companies have announced that they too are set to increase their fuel prices to adjust to the “hot market prices”. According to the daily, the inevitable increases are believed to effect not only the price of fuel but that consumers should also brace themselves for increases in electricity prices as well.

PHILELEFTHEROS: “Moving towards constitution in small strides”. The daily writes that the 25 leaders of the European Union opened a two-day summit on Thursday facing a clash over long-term financing and the future direction of the bloc. The leaders then agreed to suspend the ratification of the EU constitution, thus freezing the procedures. The paper also looks at the reactions of some of the state leaders ahead of the prospect of having a final budgetary deal.

HAVARVGHI: “Extending the EU constitution deadline”. The left wing paper reports how the European leaders, attempting to keep alive the prospect of an EU constitution after a blow by French and Dutch voters, have agreed to extend the ratification deadline from anything between six and 12 months. The final date was pushed beyond November 2006, said Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who holds the rotating European Union presidency.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.