Vinci denies new allegations of forced labor in Qatar
French construction firm Vinci on Thursday denied new allegations by human rights group Sherpa that it had violated the rights of migrant workers employed to build sites in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
EU, UK agree on Brexit text, but gaps remain before summit
Britain and the European Union agreed a draft text setting out a close post-Brexit relationship, officials said, though wrangles over fish and the future of Gibraltar must still be settled before leaders meet on Sunday.
‘Operational cooperation’: Brexit deal vague on EU-Britain security ties
Britain has failed to win a guarantee of access to EU security databases once it leaves the European Union, according to a draft deal agreed between London and Brussels on future ties, leaving such co-operation open to negotiation.
UK security service missed potential chances to thwart Manchester attack: lawmakers
Britain’s MI5 security service missed potential opportunities to prevent a 2017 suicide bombing at a pop concert that killed 22 people, senior lawmakers said in a report on Thursday, adding that the government had failed to learn from previous attacks….
Gibraltar still unresolved before Sunday EU’s Brexit summit: draft
A statement by 27 European Union leaders will say on Sunday that the bloc would show “particular vigilance” on how Britain behaves regarding fisheries and industry standards after Brexit, according to a draft seen by Reuters on Thursday.
Italy to resist budget pressure ahead of EU elections
Italy said on Thursday it would resist pressure from Brussels to revise its big-spending budget, effectively daring EU authorities to punish it with fines ahead of May’s European parliamentary elections.
Exclusive: Libyan wealth fund to hire auditors in push to unfreeze assets
Libya’s sovereign wealth fund will appoint auditors within weeks and conclude a wide-ranging examination of its assets by 2019 as part of its efforts to get billions of dollars of assets unfrozen, the fund’s head told Reuters.
650,000 Tunisians strike for pay rise as economy struggles
About 650,000 public sector workers went on strike and thousands joined protests across Tunisia on Thursday over the government’s refusal to raise wages amid threats from international lenders to stop financing Tunisia’s tattered economy.
UK PM May hails deal on post-Brexit ties, set to seal it on Sunday
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday that a draft declaration on post-Brexit ties with the European Union had been agreed with the European Commission and that she would seal the deal on Sunday.
EU 27 leaders to endorse separate statement on Gibraltar on Sunday
The 27 European Union leaders on Sunday aim to endorse a separate declaration along with the Brexit package to cover fisheries, environmental standards and Gibraltar, EU diplomats said.
