France, Italy to meet amid migration spat

The leaders of France and Italy will meet Friday despite trading barbs after Italy refused to accept 629 migrants, leaving them stranded at sea. Italy’s new interior minister, Matteo Salvini, prevented the boat filled with migrants rescued from the Mediterranean from entering Italian ports over the weekend. Malta also rejected the migrants, leaving them with no immediate place to go. The ship is now on its way to Spain after it agreed to take in the migrants. French President Emmanuel Macron accused Italy of responding with “cynicism and irresponsibility.” Salvini demanded a formal apology, and said France has “nothing to teach us when it comes to solidarity.” The French president’s office said Macron and Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte spoke by phone and will still meet in Paris on Friday after the spat raised concerns Conte might postpone the visit. Macron in the statement said he “had not made any comment intended to offend Italy and the Italian people.”