World

BBC
Nigerian singer sentenced to death for blasphemy in Kano state
Musician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu broadcast a song about Prophet Muhammad in March.
BBC
Mauritius oil spill: Fears vessel may 'break in two' as cracks appear
The MV Wakashio, which ran aground on a coral reef on 25 July, is now leaking oil off the island.
BBC
Coronavirus: How fast is it spreading in Africa?
There are signs the rate of increase in cases is slowing, but do we know the true scale of the outbreak in Africa?
Associated Press
Gas explosion levels 3 Baltimore homes; 1 dead, 1 trapped
A natural gas explosion destroyed three row houses in Baltimore on Monday, killing a woman and trapping other people in the wreckage. At least two people were hospitalized with serious injuries, firefighters said. Two of the homes' occupants were taken to hospitals in serious condition, while an adult woman was pronounced dead at the scene, the fire department tweeted.
Business Insider
The arrest of 33 Russian mercenaries amid election chaos in Belarus is testing Putin's patience
"It's not a great situation in general but doubly dangerous because nobody can say for sure what Putin will do," a NATO official told Insider.
Associated Press
Born with 1 hand, she's an inspiration in virus fight
Two years out of medical school, respiratory therapist Savannah Stuard is on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 in New Orleans, operating ventilator equipment or manually pumping air into patients’ lungs. It's even more complicated for Stuard, who was born without a left forearm. Stuard, who works at Ochsner Medical Center, keeps the tip of her left arm covered with a glove secured by tape.
BBC
Kenya's Tsavo National Park: Fire put out after two days
The Kenya Wildlife Service blames the huge fire in the country's biggest park on arsonists.
Associated Press
Iran shutters newspaper after expert questions virus numbers
Iran shut down a newspaper on Monday after it published remarks by an expert who said the official figures on coronavirus cases and deaths in the country account for only 5% of the real toll, allegations rejected by the Health Ministry. Mohammad Reza Sadi, the editor-in-chief of Jahane Sanat, told the official IRNA news agency that authorities closed his newspaper, which began publishing in 2004 and was mainly focused on business news. On Sunday, the daily quoted Mohammad Reza Mahboobfar, an epidemiologist the paper said had worked on the government's anti-coronavirus campaign, as saying the true number of cases and deaths in Iran could be 20 times the number reported by the Health Ministry.
Associated Press
Denmark's fence to keep out wild boars seems to be working
The number of wild boars in Denmark has fallen since a 70-kilometer (43.4-mile) fence was erected along the German border to protect the valuable Danish pork industry. The fence was put up last year in an attempt to prevent wild swine crossing from Germany and breeding with farm pigs or possibly bringing in disease. Since then, the number of wild pigs in Denmark has fallen from 35-40 to fewer than 25, even though some piglets have been born in recent months, officials said Monday.
Associated Press
Lebanon's Cabinet resigns over Beirut blast amid public fury
Lebanon’s government resigned Monday amid widespread public fury at the country’s ruling elite over last week’s devastating explosion in Beirut. Prime Minster Hassan Diab headed to the presidential palace to submit the Cabinet’s group resignation, said Health Minister Hamad Hassan. It follows a weekend of anti-government protests in the wake of the Aug. 4 explosion in Beirut's port that caused widestpread destruction, killed at least 160 people and injured about 6,000 others.
Associated Press
Looters descend on downtown Chicago; more than 100 arrested
Hundreds of looters descended on downtown Chicago early Monday following a police shooting on the city's South Side, with vandals smashing the windows of dozens of businesses and making off with merchandise, cash machines and anything else they could carry, police said. When police shot a man after he opened fire on officers Sunday afternoon, the incident apparently prompted a social media post hours later urging looters to converge on the business district, Police Superintendent David Brown told a news conference.
Bloomberg
Belarus Offers Autocrats a How-Not-To-Do-It Lesson
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Authoritarian regimes die in unique ways, and their speed of decline is hard to predict. It is clear, though, that the end has begun in Belarus.Ignoring his strongest and most unexpected challenger in 26 years, populist President Alexander Lukashenko is sticking firmly to the Soviet strongman script. He has claimed yet another sweeping election victory: Official figures after Sunday’s vote suggest an implausible 80% of the vote, while his charismatic, crowd-pleasing opponent apparently garnered barely 10%. Unarmed protesters, meanwhile, are being silenced with stun grenades, rubber bullets and internet blackouts.Repression will no doubt continue after a violent night in the capital Minsk, but demonstrations are spreading across the country, fuelled by social media and galvanized in a way that will be far harder to contain than in 2010. There are as-yet unverified photographs and videos on Telegram and Twitter suggesting some polling stations published results that show the opposition well ahead. It is still unclear what Europe and the U.S. will do. More brutality will almost certainly mean fresh Western sanctions, and more influence for Moscow, which has already congratulated Lukashenko.Whatever does follow, the fate of Belarus’s collective farm boss-turned-autocrat is being accelerated by his own mistakes. This offers a cautionary tale for his post-Soviet rivals including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who’s aware of his own fragility and facing persistent unrest.The first basic error Lukashenko made was to underestimate his opposition. He failed to notice the significant change in those willing to stand against him: Rather than old-school rivals, the 2020 election saw the emergence of privileged figures as opponents, who had plenty to lose by standing. Viktor Babariko, an ex-banker whose candidacy garnered some 435,000 signatures, was detained in June with his son and accused of financial crimes, which he has disputed. Another candidate was Valery Tsepkalo, a former ambassador to the U.S. who helped to found the country’s tech hub. He fled to Moscow.Lukashenko’s constant denigration of women, whom he has said cannot bear the burden of presidential responsibility, meant that he also dramatically underestimated Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. A 37-year-old former teacher, she stood at the last minute after her husband, video blogger and would-be candidate Sergei Tikhanovsky, was arrested in May. She was allowed to stand, on the premise that she posed little threat. As late as Sunday, after her weeks of rousing unprecedented rallies across Belarus, Lukashenko dismissed her as not even worthy of repression. The second mistake was the most egregious, when it comes to the rules of populist autocracies: His officials overdid the electoral outcome. Belarus has not had a free and fair ballot since the mid-1990s, but the scale of early voting — which makes tampering easier — and the size of the ultimate landslide in Lukashenko’s favor were over the top, even for Belarus. In the context of the crowds garnered by Tikhanovskaya, which people could see for themselves in person and on video, the official results are simply too far-fetched, especially when combined with a dramatic show of force and the absence of Western observers.Many of those marching on Sunday evening after official exit polls favored the incumbent, were doing so for the first time. Ostentatious military hardware and brute force did away with any pretense of electoral legitimacy. Underpinning all of this is Lukashenko’s failure to respect the social contract that kept him in power. Belarus reduced poverty in the post-Soviet period, but the command economy has been stagnating for years, privatization has been too slow and subsidies to keep state enterprises afloat are inflating the debt burden. His promise last week to double the average salary within five years is laughable. Combined with the dramatic mishandling of coronavirus, instances like the failed tax on the unemployed and fading Russian subsidies, that unspoken agreement looks badly broken. Popular revolutions are easier in theory than in practice in autocratic regimes like Belarus, or even Russia, where power relies on the support of elites, specifically the security forces. Street scenes in Minsk suggest the latter remain onside as does, crucially, Moscow, which is unwilling to have a burgeoning democracy on its doorstep. Even so, the breadth of protests and a stumbling economy will make Lukashenko’s grip harder to maintain. The man who was happy to call himself Europe’s last dictator may have claimed his last victory.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities and environmental, social and governance issues. Previously, she was an associate editor for Reuters Breakingviews, and editor and correspondent for Reuters in Singapore, India, the U.K., Italy and Russia.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Associated Press
German finance minister to lead center left into 2021 vote
Germany's center-left Social Democratic Party named Finance Minister Olaf Scholz on Monday as its candidate to become chancellor in the country's national election next year. Scholz, 62, who is considered to be on the right of the Social Democrats, has won widespread praise for his handling of the financial turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic. After serving as the mayor of Hamburg during 2011-2018, Scholz joined Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet two years ago in a government that pairs the Social Democrats in a “grand coalition” with her center-right Union bloc.
Associated Press
Lebanon's justice minister resigns in wake of explosion
Lebanon’s justice minister has resigned in protest, the third Cabinet member to do so following last week’s devastating explosion in Beirut, the state news agency reported Monday. If a total of seven ministers resign, the Cabinet would effectively become a caretaker government. The explosion, along with a severe economic crisis, has been widely blamed on decades of corruption and misrule by Lebanon’s entrenched political class.
Associated Press
China sanctions 11 US politicians, heads of organizations
China on Monday announced unspecified sanctions against 11 U.S. politicians and heads of organizations promoting democratic causes, including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who have already been singled out by Beijing. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday said the 11 had “performed badly” on issues concerning Hong Kong, where China has cracked down on opposition voices following its imposition of a national security law in the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city last month.
GlobeNewswire
Global Storage Tank Industry Forecasts 2020-2027 - $16.87 Billion Opportunity Assessment with a Discussion on COVID-19 Implications
Dublin, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Storage Tank Market Size, By Water Storage Tank Type, By Application, By Region, Trend Analysis, Market Competition Scenario & Outlook, 2020-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Storage Tank Market appraised at USD 12.56 billion in 2019 is expected to touch USD 16.87 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 3.85% during the projection period. Rapid population growth has led to magnified drinking water demand in urban and rural areas as well as nationwide enterprises and utilities. In some regions, people face water scarcity for many reasons and tend to store water for regular usage. They provide a lucrative opportunity for this market. The surge in water consumption by the industrial and commercial sectors has also stimulated the appeal of water storage tanks. Growing oil and gas examination activities worldwide have contributed significantly to the rising demand for water storage systems. It has influenced the global market for storage tanks. Besides, the increasing population has led to a higher demand for storage tanks from public and private utility services in urban and rural areas equally. On the other hand, it has been recognized that the installation of water storage systems needs substantial capital expenditure, which may slow down the growth of this market. Oil and gas industry is playing a significant role in the growth of Storage Tank Market In terms of application, the storage tank market can be classified as commercial, residential, municipal, and industrial. In terms of application, the worldwide market for water storage systems has noticed a significant number of requests from the oil and gas industry. It needs a large quantity of water in its hydraulic fracturing process. The water tanks are used to store clean water as well as contaminated water. The water effluence is stored and treated before discharging it into the environment. The surge in oil and gas exploration activities has advanced the requests for the water storage system. Apart from this, water storage tanks are used in several end-use industries such as the commercial, residential, municipal, and industrial sectors. The municipal sector is the foremost end-use sector in the market as it is responsible for meeting the demand for water with an adequate supply of drinking water in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. Municipalities have an extensive network of water storage systems to store and allocate water according to community needs. Market Drivers Water scarcity in several regions Water shortage is the most dreadful consequence of global warming. According to the United Nations, about half of the world's populace could face severe water scarcity by 2030, and the water demand may surpass its supply by 40%. Increasing anxiety over the conservative use of water due to lack of drinking water has led to the development of the global market for water storage tanks in numerous areas. The surge in water consumption in the industrial and commercial sectors has also stimulated the request for water storage tanks. Increasing oil and gas exploration activities around the world have also inflated the request for water storage systems. Eventually, all the developments influence the global market positively. The demand for water storage tanks in different industries The surge in water consumption in the industrial and commercial sectors has also stimulated the need for water storage tanks. Increasing oil and gas exploration activities around the world have raised the request for water storage systems. Overall, the market has an optimistic outlook globally. The development of metal manufacturing and chemical industries in both emerging and developed economies offers a lucrative opportunity to the global storage tanks market. Furthermore, increasing requests for storage tanks in different applications, such as health care, food & beverages, electronics, automotive, construction, and pharmaceutical, is projected to push the global storage tank market in the next few years. North America and Europe - the major contributors over the forecast period The global market for water storage tanks has been segregated into Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Middle East & Africa, and South America based on regions. The advanced economies of North America and Europe have played a significant role in developing the worldwide market. However, the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world market hold strong potential for expansion. The increasing scarcity of drinking water has led to increased awareness of water conservation in these regions. That has fueled the request for water storage tanks. In Asia-Pacific, many south Asian countries face severe water scarcity, and it is a promising market for water storage systems. In North America, the growth of the water storage system market is propelled and accelerated by the extensive oil and gas extraction activities requiring fresh and used water. Competitive Landscape The major players in the market are McDermott International, Inc.,Caldwell Tanks, Crom Corporation, Tank Connection, DN Tanks,Synalloy Corporation, Fiber Technology Corporation Inc., ZCL Composites Inc., Sintex Industries Limited, Superior Tank Co. Inc., CST Industries, Snyder Industries Inc. and others. Key Topics Covered 1\. Research Framework 2\. Research Methodology 3\. Executive Summary 4\. Global Storage Tank Industry Insights 4.1. Industry Value Chain Analysis 4.2. DROC Analysis 4.2.1. Growth Drivers 4.2.2. Restraint 4.2.3. Opportunities 4.2.4. Challenges 4.3. Technological Landscape/Recent Development 4.4. Regulatory Framework 4.5. Company Market Share Analysis, 2019 4.6. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.7. Impact of COVID-19 5\. Global Storage Tank Market Overview 5.1. Market Size & Forecast by Value, 2016-2026 5.1.1. By Value (USD Million) 5.2. Market Share & Forecast 5.2.1. By Water Storage Tank Type 5.2.2. By Application 5.2.3. By Region 5.2.3.1. North America 5.2.3.2. Europe 5.2.3.3. Asia-Pacific 5.2.3.4. Latin America 5.2.3.5. Middle East & Africa 6\. North America Storage Tank Market 7\. Europe Storage Tank Market 8\. Asia-Pacific Storage Tank Market 9\. Latin America Storage Tank Market 10\. Middle East & Africa Storage Tank Market 11\. Company Profiles (Company Overview, Financial Matrix, Key Product Landscape, Key Personnel, Key Competitors, Contact Address, and Strategic Outlook) 11.1. McDermott International Inc. 11.2. Caldwell Tanks 11.3. Crom Corporation 11.4. Tank Connection 11.5. DN Tanks 11.6. Synalloy Corporation 11.7. Fiber Technology Corporation Inc. 11.8. ZCL Composites Inc. 11.9. Sintex Industries Limited 11.10. Superior Tank Co. Inc. 11.11. CST Industries 11.12. Snyder Industries Inc. 11.13. Other Prominent Players For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i3reddResearch and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
The Daily Beast
Russian Media Warns Not to Sell Out the ‘Motherland’ to State Department for $10M
In Moscow, the State Department’s offer of $10 million in exchange for evidence of Russian election interference rang hollow. The move was perceived not as a shark bite, but rather as a toothless scowl of the Trump administration—nothing more than an election-year propaganda stunt.“Desperate much?” crowed the Kremlin-funded media outlet RT. “The State Department website will now be overwhelmed by people ratting out their neighbors,” quipped Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. For the benefit of Western audiences, Russian officials and state-sponsored media outlets mocked the idea of such a “bounty” as a ridiculous proposition—but on a domestic front, the State Department’s initiative was met with an obvious pushback, to make sure that no one gets any ideas.‘America’s Dying’: Russian Media Is Giddy at Chaos in the USAState-controlled Russian media sprang into action, laboring to dissuade any potential takers of the tempting reward. Deputy of the Russian Duma Timofey Zhukov, who reported receiving a bounty text message mass-mailed by the State Department, appeared on Russia’s state TV news talk show 60 Minutes to deter Russian citizens from implicating the Kremlin. Zhukov exclaimed: “Russia is not for sale!”“Simply put, this is an offer to become a snitch, a rat,” noted Olga Skabeeva, 60 Minutes host. She asked: “Would you sell your Motherland for 10 million dollars?”For any Russian who might be nonetheless enticed by the promised payout, Skabeeva had another message: “Dear Russians, please, don’t write anything to anyone.” She proceeded to elaborate that since the United States never paid the promised $25 million reward for the capture of Osama bin Laden, the State Department wouldn’t come through in this instance either. This talking point was echoed by multiple participants of 60 Minutes.Notably, the State Department’s report on Russian disinformation specifically referenced the program 60 Minutes. The inclusion had the host Skabeeva beaming with pride.“It would be useless to initiate contact with them and they probably won’t send any money. I think this is nothing more than an act of propaganda, aiming solely to demonstrate that the United States is standing up against Russian and Chinese pressure,” opined journalist Dmitry Galkin. When he dared to express his willingness to even think about divulging such information, Skabeeva promptly accused Galkin of treason. Military expert Igor Korotchenko exclaimed that Galkin should be escorted out in handcuffs.Alexei Naumov, an expert from the Russian International Affairs Council, asserted that by offering this bounty, the State Department is acting in the interests of the Russian Federation. Naumov suggested that the Kremlin could offer up a random individual who is not connected with the Russian government, prosecute that person for interfering in American elections, collect the reward and call it a day. Skabeeva disagreed that it would be possible to disassociate such a person from the Russian government and angrily described Naumov and Galkin as “potential traitors” in the studio. She proceeded to remind everyone of the protracted term of imprisonment that would await such a person.Ivan Konovalov, director of the Center for Strategic Trends Studies, argued that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo should be sued and sanctioned: “This is an inducement to treason!” To emphasize the point, the text of Article 275 of the Criminal Code of Russia was shown on the screen, describing treason as "espionage, disclosure of state secrets, or any other assistance rendered to a foreign State, a foreign organization, or their representatives in hostile activities to the detriment of the external security of the Russian Federation.”Russian MFA’s Zakharova mocked the State Department’s proposition, but the wording of her written commentary carried ominous overtones. Zakharova pointed out that anyone divulging information would be giving it not to the Department of State, but to America’s intelligence agencies. She noted that Pompeo formerly served as the director of the CIA and warned that the United States is seeking to harvest personal data of the Russians.Zakharova disingenuously claimed that after the 2016 elections, “neither American prosecutors nor judges found the ‘Kremlin's hand’, no one found it.” In reality, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation determined that “the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion,” establishing that “the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts...”Russia’s preference for the Trump presidency hasn’t changed, which was reiterated in Friday’s statement from William Evanina, director of the United States National Counterintelligence and Security Center, who noted that “Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden” and “some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump’s candidacy on social media and Russian television.”Russian propagandists are disturbed by the potential impact of the State Department’s anti-meddling efforts on Biden’s candidacy—and Russia as a whole. “This is an attempt to destabilize our country,” stressed 60 Minutes host Skabeeva. Political commentator Sergey Strokan pointed out that complaints and reports that might be sent to the State Department could reveal information about democracy, human rights violations and other issues plaguing Putin’s Russia. Strokan described the potential stream of data as “Klondike gold for Biden,” who—unlike Trump—seeks to confront and pressure the Kremlin.The Kremlin, indeed, has much to hide—but some think that Russian interference in the U.S. elections is nothing to be ashamed of. During the 60 Minutes broadcast, Leonid Kalashnikov, senior lawmaker of the Russian State Duma, asserted that Russia should be loud and proud about its efforts: “Yes, we can do it. We have our intelligence services, we have our propaganda. We have smart people, journalists, who influence the minds and the people—and let’s not be shy about it and say that we aren’t influencing anybody. We are and we will continue influencing them.” Skabeeva loudly chimed in: “And we won’t sell the Motherland for 10 million dollars!” Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Associated Press
Belarus' ruler vows to quash opposition rallies after vote
Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko warned Monday that the protesters who challenge the official vote results extending his 26-year rule will face a tough crackdown, deriding the opposition as “sheep” manipulated by foreign masters. Election officials said Monday that Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80% of the vote, while opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya got 10%. Tsikhanouskaya dismissed the official results as a sham and demanded a recount, submitting a formal request Monday to the Central Election Commission.
Associated Press
Blast destroyed landmark 19th century palace in Beirut
The 160-year-old palace withstood two world wars, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the French mandate and Lebanese independence. After the country's 1975-1990 civil war, it took 20 years of careful restoration for the family to bring the palace back to its former glory. “In a split second, everything was destroyed again,” says Roderick Sursock, owner of Beirut's landmark Sursock Palace, one of the most storied buildings in the Lebanese capital.
Associated Press
Schools mull outdoor classes amid virus, ventilation worries
It has been seven years since the central air conditioning system worked at the New York City middle school where Lisa Fitzgerald O’Connor teaches. The danger, Nardell said, is from ineffective systems that don’t remove floating viruses and let them linger in classrooms after they are expelled in an infected person’s breath, sneeze or cough.
Associated Press
Extreme poverty rises and a generation sees future slip away
As a domestic worker, Amsale Hailemariam knew from the inside out the luxury villas that had grown up around her simple shelter of raw metal and plastic sheeting. Decades of progress in one of modern history’s greatest achievements, the fight against extreme poverty, are in danger of slipping away because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world could see its first increase in extreme poverty in 22 years, further sharpening social inequities.
Associated Press
Why choice of running mate matters more than usual this year
For all the secrecy and speculation that typically surrounds the search for a vice presidential candidate, the decision rarely sways an election. At a minimum, the decision will shift the force of the campaign — at least temporarily — away from Donald Trump's turbulent presidency onto Biden himself. More fundamentally, the choice offers Biden an unusual opportunity to unify a party still reeling from Trump's 2016 win and solidify its future.
Associated Press
AP FACT CHECK: Trump's smoke and mirrors on executive orders
President Donald Trump isn't telling the full story when it comes to executive orders on coronavirus relief payments and health care. Over the weekend, the president suggested that his move to bypass Congress with executive action calling for up to $400 in weekly unemployment assistance would mean immediate cash in hand for laid-off Americans during the pandemic.
Associated Press
Azar visit to Taiwan is fresh thorn in prickly US-China ties
An ongoing visit by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to Taiwan will likely exacerbate mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. From the South China Sea to TikTok, Hong Kong and trade, China and the U.S. find themselves at loggerheads just three months ahead of the American presidential election.
The Telegraph
Brexit will give UK freedom to set new laws on illegal migrants, Downing Street says
Coronavirus latest news: PM urges authorities to keep schools open even if local lockdowns are imposed Tom Harris: Labour is in no position to give moral lectures after trying to foist Corbyn on the nation Portugal could come off the quarantine list - visitors to France may have to isolate Rise in UK Covid-19 cases: is better testing fuelling the increase? Nick Timothy: Britain has no way to protect itself from this new wave of immigration Subscribe to The Telegraph, free for one month Brexit will give the UK the opportunity to draw up new laws for dealing with migrants crossing the Channel illegally, Downing Street has said. More than 4,000 people are believed to have made the journey so far this year, some of them vulnerable individuals including young children, pregnant women and disabled people. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We are currently bound by the Dublin Regulations for returns and they are inflexible and rigid - for example, there is a time limit placed on returns, it's something which can be abused by both migrants and their lawyers to frustrate the returns of those who have no right to be here. "At the end of this year we will no longer be bound by the EU's laws so can negotiate our own returns agreement. "The Home Office continue to look at all available options to tackle this issue." Earlier today, Boris Johnson said the Government was "looking at the legal framework that we have", saying current laws meant "that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again even though blatantly they've come here illegally." Immigration minister Chris Philp is due to hold talks with French counterparts tomorrow, amid reports that the UK is planning to deploy the Navy. Read below for the latest updates.