was approaching the tiny southern Italian island of Lampedusa. Alida Serrachieri, a nurse who runs

More than 500 migrants were rescued from one severely overcrowded fishing boat off the coast of Italy this weekend. Italian coastguard vessels rescued 539 people, including three women and some children, from the boat off the island of Lampedusa. Lampedusa Mayor Toto Martello described the rescue on Saturday as “ one of the biggest landings ” in a single day to the small Mediterranean island, that is closer to Tunisia than it is to Italy. Italian prosecutors have opened an inquiry into what may