Italy rescues 420 migrants in rough seas in Mediterranean

ROME (AP) — The Italian Coast Guard says in two operations it rescued more than 420 migrants from boats in difficulty in the Mediterranean Sea. A coast guard statement Saturday evening said 70 migrants were brought safely by a motorboat to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa. A different coast guard vessel was headed to a port in Sicily with more than 350 migrants aboard after they were taken from a foundering fishing boat 70 miles from the Sicilian coast. Among them were more than 40 minors. Two coast guard motorboats needed several hours to transfer the migrants from the fishing boat in bad weather.