Cyprus helps rescue 300 migrants aboard Italy-bound boat

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cypriot authorities say they have assisted in the rescue of a small wooden boat crammed with more than 300 migrants that was adrift 203 kilometers (126 miles) west of the island nation. Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center commander Andreas Charalambides told The Associated Press Tuesday 18-meter (60 foot) boat departed from Lebanon three days ago and was trying to reach Italy with many women and children aboard. All the migrants were safely transferred aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship Paolo Topic, which is heading to Istanbul. In a separate rescue mission Tuesday,  Cypriot authorities intercepted a boat with 177 migrants aboard some 56 kilometers (35 miles) off the southern coastal town of Larnaca. The boat had also departed from Lebanon.