Italy accepts stranded migrants

Italy has agreed to allow a Turkish cargo vessel with around 140 would-be illegal immigrants to land on its territories for humanitarian reasons after Malta's continued insistence that it would not take them in.Italy's foreign ministry said on Sunday the decision was made after Malta refused to accept them despite renewed negotiations.The migrants had been waiting in international waters, about 40km southwest of the Italian island of Lampedusa, for three days before the decision was made to rescue them.They were initially picked up by the Turkish cargo ship Pinar on Thursday, after the two boats they were travelling on started sinking.Major Clinton O'Neill, the spokesman for the Maltese army rescue co-ordination centre, told  on Sunday that the Pinar was diverted to make the rescue after it was identified as the nearest vessel."We then instructed the ship to proceed to the nearest safe haven. It was Lampedusa," he said.Italy had insisted that the Pinar was in Malta's search and rescue area, arguing that Malta should have accepted the migrants. But Malta repeatedly refused."I've asked and continue to ask Malta to accept its responsibilities which it undertook according to international treaties," Roberto Maroni, the Italian interior minister, was quoted by state news agency ANSA as saying on Friday.Malta has argued that under international conventions, the nearest port of call, in this case Lampedusa, should be obliged to accept the rescued migrants.