Cypriot diplomats face off in cliffhanger presidential vote

Cyprus went to the polls in a runoff presidential election on Sunday, pitting two career diplomats against each other in what could be a cliffhanger vote that has split the political right.
Nikos Christodoulides, 49, is a former foreign minister while Andreas Mavroyiannis, 66, was chief negotiator in peace talks with Turkish Cypriots and a former permanent representative of Cyprus to the United Nations.
About 561,000 Greek Cypriots have the right to vote. Polling stations opened at 0500 GMT and close at 1600 GMT. Authorities are expected to announce the winner by 1800 GMT.
The two pulled ahead with Christodoulides holding a narrow lead in a first round of voting on Feb. 5 that left Averof Neophytou, head of the ruling right-wing DISY party, in third place.