Nearly 1,000 migrants were rescued from the central Mediterranean over the past 24 hours in operations that also saw the birth of a baby aboard an Italian Navy ship, authorities said Friday, dpa reported. Overnight, the Libra patrol vessel of the Marina Militare picked up286 people from two ships in distress off the Libyan coast. It later took on board 204 migrants who were previously rescued by the Italian Coast Guard, the navy said. The coast guard said it picked up another 435 migrants in several interventions Friday, including two people airlifted by helicopter toa hospital on Lampedusa island because of their precarious health. -- SPA 23:34 LOCAL TIME 20:34 GMT تغريد
