At least 42 dead after boat carrying 600 migrants capsizes off Egypt coast

At least 42 people died Wednesday as a boat carrying 600 migrants capsized off the coast of Egypt, officials said.

Italy earthquake: Death toll rises to at least 120

At least 120 people have been killed and 368 injured in an earthquake that hit a mountainous area of central Italy, PM Matteo Renzi has said.

4,000 migrants rescued in Strait of Sicily in two days - Italy coastguard

Some 4,000 migrants have been rescued from boats in the Strait of Sicily between Tunisia and Italy in the past two days, Italy's coastguard said.

Saudi authorities under fire as death-marred hajj draws to a close

As the hajj religious pilgrimage entered its final day Saturday, officials in Saudi Arabia continued to grapple with the aftermath of a collision of pedestrian crowds that killed at least 769 people from various nationalities.

717 killed in Hajj pilgrimage stampede

At least 717 pilgrims from around the world were killed in a stampede outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca in the worst disaster to strike the annual Hajj pilgrimage for 25 years.

EU asks UN for help with migrant crisis

Migrants intercepted at sea will not "be sent back against their will", the European Union's foreign policy chief has told the UN Security Council, in the context of a proposed EU maritime operation against the growing wave of migrant smuggling from North Africa.

EU vows to fight new tactics by migrant smugglers

The EU vowed Jan. 2 to fight people smugglers' new tactic of abandoning "ghost ships" full of migrants off European coasts.
      
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said it was "following closely the events surrounding" the crewless Ezadeen merchant ship which had drifted toward Italy's southern shores with 450 migrants aboard before Italian sailors took control of it Friday.

Winds hamper burning ferry rescue off Greece (About 160 rescued)

At least one person has been killed and hundreds more remain trapped after an Italian ferry with almost 500 people on board caught fire off the Greek island of Corfu, the Italian Navy has confirmed.
About 160 people have been rescued so far, while Italian and Greek helicopter crews prepared to work through the night to airlift passengers in pairs off a burning ferry adrift in the Adriatic Sea.