Italy agrees to take migrants on boat rejected by Malta

A tanker carrying 102 rescued migrants is reportedly on its way to Italy after the country agreed to take them, ending a stand-off between the vessel and Malta. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat - whose country has resisted EU pressure to take in the migrants, insisting they should be taken to Libya - thanked Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, saying the decision would "reinforce" ties between the two nations. Malta was told by the European Commission on Tuesday that it had a duty to admit the migrants onboard the oil tanker M/V Salamis which picked up the migrants en route from Libya to Malta - however the country, which receives thousands of illegal immigrants heading to Europe each year, said to accept them would set a "dangerous precedent". The Maltese Prime Minister said at the time "Call us harsh, call us heartless, we are not pushovers".