Body bags were strewn across Brighton beach on England's south coast on Wednesday as part of an Amnesty protest against Britain's "shameful" response to the Mediterranean migrant-boat crisis.

Dozens of supporters of the London-based rights group lined up 200 black body bags on the famous shingle beach on the eve of an emergency meeting of European leaders in Brussels aimed at ending the crisis, which has claimed more than 1,750 lives this year.

Sudan summoned the British, Norwegian and U.S. ambassadors Tuesday over a statement criticizing last week's elections, which are expected to give President Omar al-Bashir another term in office.

The three countries said Monday they regretted Khartoum's "failure to create a free, fair and conducive elections environment."

Dutch police have arrested a worker at the British embassy in The Hague on suspicion of arson after a fire tore through the mission early Tuesday, police said.

A 32-year-old Dutch employee at the embassy has been arrested and will remain in detention until being brought before a judge on Friday, a statement said.

Canadian authorities charged four British Royal Navy sailors on Friday over the alleged gang rape of a woman at a military barracks in Halifax, home to Canada's Atlantic fleet.

Craig Stoner, Darren Smalley, Joshua Finbow and Simon Radford each face one count of sexual assault under Canada's criminal code.

Military police on Friday charged four British Royal Navy sailors with sexual assault in the alleged gang rape of a civilian woman in Halifax, which is home to Canada's Atlantic fleet.

Craig Stoner, Darren Smalley, Joshua Finbow and Simon Radford each face one count of sexual assault under Canada's criminal code.

British fighter jets were scrambled on Wednesday in response to the sighting of two Russian military aircraft near UK airspace, hours after three Russian ships were monitored as they entered the English Channel. 

"Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon fighter aircraft were launched today after Russian aircraft were identified flying close to UK airspace," said a Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesman.

Pakistan on Monday announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with the 2010 murder of influential politician Imran Farooq in London, terming it a major breakthrough in the highly-charged case.

Farooq, 50, a founding member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, was stabbed and beaten to death in Edgware, northwest London, as he returned home from work in September 2010.

British counter-terrorism police are investigating the murder of a Syrian preacher described as a prominent critic of President Bashar Assad, London police said on Wednesday.

Abdul Hadi Arwani, 48, was found dead in his car with gunshots to the chest in north-west London on Tuesday.

British police said Tuesday they were investigating a report that two teenagers, who come from the same town as one of the 2005 London suicide bombers, may have joined Islamic State jihadists in Syria.

The two 17-year-olds from Dewsbury in northern England are believed to have boarded a flight from Manchester to Dalaman in southwest Turkey on March 31, the regional police force said in a statement.

Former prime minister Tony Blair plunged into Britain's general election fray on Tuesday, sounding a warning about the dangers of the country leaving the EU.

In a rare intervention in domestic politics, Blair claimed Prime Minister David Cameron's planned referendum on European Union membership threatens the British economy.