Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-07-16

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Clerides - Israel

[02] Five boat people escape

1045:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Clerides - Israel

He will return to the island Saturday morning. House of Representatives President Spyros Kyprianou will be acting President of the Republic during Clerides' absence.

CNA AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1410:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Five boat people escape

During yesterday's check on the 113 immigrants rescued from the drifting "Rita Allah" Syrian-flagged boat on June 29, police found that five Iraqis of Kurdish origin were missing, a police spokesman told CNA.

Police identified them as Dihia Abdul Latif, 31, Ali El Kirsani, 29, Srdear Hasan 26, Roni Mohamed, 23, and Soyhaib Saleh, 25, all from Baghdad.

Around 20 policemen have been assigned to guard the 113 Arab and African immigrants until the government concludes its investigations on their true identities before issuing new travel documents.

According to police, the five apparently escaped from the "Pefkos" hotel, in the southern coastal town of Limassol, by climbing down a veranda to the first floor and then on the ground.

The immigrants are nationals from Iraq, Rwanda, Sudan, Syria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Libya, Liberia, Egypt, Zaire, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia and India.

They had paid as much as 5.000 dollars each to the Syrian captain of "Rita Allah" to take them either to Greece or Italy.

Their boat was located in international waters by a Russian vessel, which having informed the Cypriot authorities, towed the boat to the port of Limassol.

The boat developed engine problems while sailing from the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli to Libya.

CNA RM/AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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