The Latest: Art exhibit on Lampedusa tackles migrant crisis

A resident of Zwara local view the body of the victim, laying in the surf in the middle, because more than 100 bodies pulled from the sea near the western city of Zwara, Libya, Friday, June 3, 2016, after a smuggling boat carrying mainly African migrants sank into the Mediterranean. Libyan navy spokesman Colonel Ayoub Gassim said that the bodies of more than 100 migrants have been taken, but the death toll is likely to be higher. (APTV via AP) TV OUT

President Sergio Mattarella said Friday that "culture brings people together and improve international relations." He was also honored people of Lampedusa as "the best face of Europe."

The exhibition features 17th Century Caravaggio "Sleeping Cupid," depicts Cupid in a dark recess as a tribute to Aylan Kurdish, Syrian children 3 years old who drowned in the Mediterranean last year and whose image shocked the world.

Paintings on loan from the Uffizi Gallery joined the work of the Bardo Museum in Tunisia and the Correr Museum in Venice and Mucem Musem of European civilization in Marseille. exhibition runs through October 3

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08:35

Amnesty International said that Syrian refugees denied asylum applications in Greece on the island of Lesbos have been detained pending deportation to Turkey.

If deported, he would be the first Syrian be forcibly sent back to Turkey since March 20, when the agreement between the EU and Turkey on returnees enforced.

Nearly 400 people, including 14 Syrians who asked to be sent back, has since returned to Turkey of the Greek islands, where they arrived in a smuggler 'after March 20.

The rights group Amnesty International criticized the EU-Turkey agreement as "illegal and reckless," the reason Friday that Turkey is not a safe country for refugees.

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06:30

Greek authorities say more bodies have been recovered from the location of the sinking of the boat migrants in the Mediterranean, bringing the total death toll to nine.

A total of 340 people have been rescued so far from sinking Friday from about 25 meters (82 feet) boat about 75 nautical miles (139 kilometers; 86 miles) south of the southern Greek island of Crete, the coast guard said.

Most of the victims will be brought to Italy, while others were transported to Malta, Egypt and Turkey.

A search and rescue massive continues for a possible location of missing persons, with three passing ships, a coast guard vessels and aircraft, as well as two helicopters.

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04:00

A spokesman for the Libyan Red Crescent said the death toll of migrants whose boat sank off the coast of Libya has reached 107, including 40 women and five children. All but a few are from African countries.

Mohammed al-Mosrati told The Associated Press on Friday that the condition of the body suggests they are not "rot and because it has sunk in the last 48 hours."

He said the boat overturned on Wednesday may be the one carrying the migrants. He said strong winds and currents pushed the bodies of those who drowned from one place to another and that it is difficult to give a definitive confirmation of where they came from.

He said the death toll expected to rise.

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02:50

Greek authorities say hundreds of victims of a smuggling boat that sank in the Mediterranean will be transported to Italy, Egypt, Malta and Turkey.

Four bodies have been recovered and 340 migrants have been rescued Friday after a boat sank in international waters south of the island of Crete Greece. Greek coastguard said 242 victims were brought to Turkey on a merchant ship which help with rescue efforts.

It remains unclear whether anyone else is missing sink in.

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02:40

search and rescue center of Egypt's military said it had received a distress call from the ship full of smuggling of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea and rushed to help.

In a post on his official Facebook page, the military said Friday that helicopters and boats will be sent to the location of the boat, about 265 kilometers (165 miles) northwest from the Egyptian city of western al Sallom in Egypt.

With the warmer weather and the sea, has been packing migrant smugglers to ship unseaworthy with tens of thousands, launching off from North Africa in the Mediterranean Sea trying to reach Europe.

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12:55.

Libyan navy spokesman said that more than 100 bodies had been taken from Mediterranean migrants after a smuggling boat capsized off the coast of Libya.

Col. Ayoub Gassim told The Associated Press that at least 104 bodies have been pulled out of the water near the western city of Zwara but the death toll is expected is likely to be higher, because the ship normally carries up to 125 people. He said the Libyan coast guard found the boat empty on Thursday and that it may be the boat upside down the day before, on Wednesday.

Speaking by telephone, she blamed Europe for "doing nothing but counting bodies" to stop the massive illegal migration from Libya.

The discovery of the bodies off Zwara is the latest in a series of tragedies that has claimed more than 1,000 lived the last 10 days as migrants desperate start a dangerous sea journey seeking a better life in Europe.

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09:00

Four bodies were recovered and 340 people were rescued Friday migrant boat sinks bring "a large number" of people in the Mediterranean Sea in the southern island of Crete Greece, authorities said.

The coast guard says about 25 meter (82 foot) vessel, which resembles a fishing boat large, has brought an undetermined number of people when it was located Friday half sank about 75 nautical miles south of Crete in international waters, and in the search and rescue region of Egypt operations ,

Greece has sent two patrol boats, a military aircraft and three helicopters, while five ships passing by participating in the rescue operation and another one on the way. The coast guard said the operation continues to search for any potentially missing passengers of the boat migrants.

Not immediately clear where the boat passengers coming from, or where the vessel departed from or go to.

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