Italy’s justice minister has strongly defended the government’s decision to free and repatriate a Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court.

Rescue teams have pulled more bodies from the sea, bringing the death toll from Italy’s latest migrant tragedy to 65.

Two European aid groups have docked their rescue vessels in Italian ports and some 500 would-be refugees have disembarked, even as the Italian government insists it isn't backing down on its hard line against migrant smuggling operations from North Africa.

A deal for Europe to jointly help asylum-seekers was breaking apart in a bitter French-Italian feud over a ship floating in the Mediterranean, its passengers and crew desperate for land.

Italy allowed a humanitarian rescue ship carrying 179 migrants to enter a Sicilian port and begin disembarking minors early Sunday, while refusing to respond to requests for a safe harbor from three other ships carrying another 900 people in nearby waters.

Italy’s new far-right led government has adopted a measure formalizing the closure of its ports to rescue ships run by humanitarian groups as four vessels with more than 1,000 migrants continue to press for a safe port.

Italy’s new prime minister has defended her government against criticism that a decree banning rave parties could be used to clamp down on sit-ins and other forms of protest.