
More than 300 migrants died this week trying to reach Italy – UN agen...
More than 300 people died trying to cross the sea from Africa to Italy this week, the U.N. refugee agency said on Wednesday, adding pressure on Europe to expand a border operation that lacks a clear mandate to save lives. The high number of deaths, including 29 people who died of hypothermia on the... read more »

Tax authority to expand probe into HSBC accounts
The UK tax authority will expand the scope of its investigation into Swiss tax accounts held with HSBC, the BBC has learned. HMRC will meet with the police and the Serious Fraud Office later in the week. The BBC’s business editor, Kamal Ahmed, said the move to involve other law enforcement... read more »

US gunman kills three young Muslims; motive disputed
A gunman who had posted anti-religious messages on Facebook and quarrelled with neighbours was charged with killing three young Muslims in what police said on Wednesday was a dispute over parking and possibly a hate crime. Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, a full-time paralegal student from Chapel Hill, was... read more »

Obama asks fresh war powers to fight IS
President Barack Obama urged Congress on Wednesday to authorise military action against the Islamic State militants who are cutting a swath across the West Asia, vowing their forces “are going to lose.” Yet he ruled out large-scale U.S. ground combat operations reminiscent of Iraq and... read more »