...indication of how far the two NATO allies have come since 1996, when they nearly went to war over a tiny island in the Aegean Sea. It comes as a relief for Greece, an EU member and a major gateway for illegal immigrants headed for the rest of Europe...

PAROS, Greece (AP) -- A Greek ferry struck a patch of rocks in the Aegean Sea and sank, killing at least 59 of the more than 500 people aboard. Many of the victims panicked and jumped off the boat, rescue...

...from Asia and the Middle East pay smugglers to sneak them first into Turkey and then into European countries each year. In August, 24 people drowned when a Turkish boat with 31 illegal immigrants traveling to Greece capsized in the Aegean Sea.