Northern Cyprus judge acquits two journalists of insulting Erdoğan

Press freedom watchdog hails ruling by court in Turkish-occupied territory

Press freedom defenders have reacted with jubilation after a judge in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus acquitted two journalists accused of insulting Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

A court threw out charges of defamation against Şener Levent and Ali Osman Tabak brought after the small-circulation daily Afrika published a cartoon depicting a Greek statue urinating on Erdoğan’s head.

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Man suspected of Cyprus serial killings ‘has confessed in writing’

Nikos Metaxas, 35, has reportedly admitted killing five women and two children

An army officer suspected of murdering at least seven people in Cyprus reportedly confessed to the serial killings in writing, saying he wanted “to go to prison”.

As Scotland Yard detectives joined police in investigating crimes described as unprecedented in scale, local media said the Greek Cypriot suspect decided to confess to the deaths of five foreign women and two children when he realised the evidence against him was unassailable.

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Cyprus: likely gas field find raises prospect of tension with Turkey

Expected announcement by ExxonMobil of discovery off island’s south coast seen as potential game changer

Tensions between Cyprus and Turkey over energy could soon come to a head, with ExxonMobil apparently poised to announce a significant natural gas find off the divided island’s southern coast.

After more than three months of deep-water exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, the US firm is expected to unveil findings this week in what is being described as a seminal moment in the race to tap potentially profitable underwater resources.

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