Another boat carrying hundreds of migrants hassunk between Sicily and Tunisia with dozens ofpeople reported dead. The Italian coastguard saysthat many of the estimated 250 on board have beenrescued. Matthew Price reports from the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Just before sunset, way out in the Mediterranean another migrant boat sank. Some reports saythe people on board were trying to attract the attention of an aircraft flying overhead. They hadcrowded to one side of the boat and it capsized. The Italian navy had several vessels in thearea. They managed to get their helicopters to the scene quickly as did Maltese forces. Theybegan hauling people out of the water. Many were saved, many were not. Others also perishedin the Mediterranean today off the coast of Egypt and more people were rescued from flimsycraft elsewhere in the sea.
The Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has accused an unnamed political party in the country’sparliament of carrying out his brief abduction on Wednesday. Mr Zeidan said his captors hadmade clear who was behind their action, which he described as an attempted coup. From Tripoli,Rana Jawad.
Describing his political opponents as a dangerous minority within the country’s elected nationalcongress, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan stopped short of naming them. In an address to the nationwith members of his cabinet standing staunchly around him, Mr Zeidan shed light on an internalpolitical struggle that has long been seen here as the source of Libya’s lack of progress sincethe end of the war in 2011. He said his government’s plans to rebuild institutions have beenopposed and that his opponents within the country’s legislative body make sure they failed ornever happened. He blamed the unnamed political bloc within congress for his abduction.
The African Union says it will increase its force in Somalia by around a third to step up its fightagainst militants from the Islamist group al-Shabab. The AU said its mission in Somalia,Amisom, would have more than 6,000 additional troops,taking the total number to 24,000. Therequest must be approved by the UN Security Council.
President Obama has held more talks with Republicans.
