Berlusconi's island pledge

ITALIAN prime minister Silvio Berlusconi promised yesterday to evacuate thousands of North African migrants, left, who have fled to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa.

Around 18,000 migrants have landed there since January, living in makeshift camps. Mr Belusconi, facing court charged with having sex with an under-age prostitute, also offered tax breaks and a plan to develop the island. He said he'd put the 5,000 islanders up for the Nobel peace prize.