Asthma boy gets sea-life treatment

An Italian couple whose son suffers from an acute type of asthma have adopted a radical solution: to live at sea, where the clean air improves the boy's condition.

They sailed away, down the river Po, from the northern Italian city of Cremona at the weekend, in a 26-metre (85ft) boat they built themselves. When they reach the sea, they will make for the waters near Sicily, where they plan to stay. "This is the best way to improve our son's quality of life," said Paola Frascisco, the mother of Niky, six.

"The boat will be our home, our workplace and the means for Niky to get better without having to stuff himself with medicines all the time."

Niky will attend school using a webcam that will allow him to see a classroom in an elementary school in Lipari, a small island near Sicily.