Italy intercepts 358 migrants

Italian coast guards said they had intercepted and picked up 358 African migrants attempting to reach Italy in two overcrowded vessels on Saturday.

There were 235 of the migrants from sub-Saharan Africa travelling in a rickety wooden boat, with the other 123 in a rubber dinghy, said the coast guards.

A coast guard spokesman, who was unable to give any information on where the vessels departed from, said the migrants were all in decent health and were being transported to reception centres.