French authorities warned Thursday of a spike in migrants attempting the dangerous crossing of the English Channel by boat to reach Britain, which could reflect fears the border will be shut after Brexit.

Maritime police rescued 18 people in two separate rescue operations overnight, bringing to 30 the number of attempted crossings so far this year.

EU President Donald Tusk on Thursday confirmed the bloc would hold a special summit to seal the hard-fought Brexit agreement with Britain on November 25.

Tusk's announcement will come as a boost to British Prime Minister Theresa May as she begins the daunting task of selling the deal to a fractious parliament where she faces resistance from arch Brexiteers and EU supporters alike.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives signed a deal Monday with  Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party that will allow them to govern after losing their majority in a general election this month.

Britain and the European Union began their first formal Brexit negotiations Monday, under pressure to seal a deal amid disarray in London over whether to go for a hard or soft divorce.

London police on Friday arrested a man at the fence surrounding the British parliament on suspicion of carrying a knife, which comes nearly three months after an Islamist terror attack in the same area.

The man was detained at 11:10 am (1010 GMT) by the Palace of Westminster in central London, police said in a statement.

There was a blast and then chaos, as young fans of U.S. pop star Ariana Grande fled in panic and parents searched frantically for their children, after a suicide bomb ripped through foyer of the Manchester Arena, leaving 22 people dead.

World leaders on Tuesday expressed shock and horror at the suicide bombing in Manchester which killed at least 22 people, including children.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani on Thursday dismissed a claim by British Prime Minister Theresa May that the EU was trying to influence the outcome of the June election in Britain.

British Prime Minister Theresa May called Tuesday for an early general election on June 8 in a surprise announcement as Britain prepares for delicate negotiations on leaving the European Union.

All evidence points to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad being behind a suspected chemical weapons attack which left more than 70 dead in a rebel-held town, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Wednesday.