London (BN24) – A record 28,076 migrants have crossed the English Channel to Britain aboard small boats this year, representing a 46 percent increase over the same period in 2024, according to government data released Monday that intensifies pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding his administration’s immigration policies.
The dramatic surge occurred alongside mounting public anxiety over immigration issues, which polling data identifies as voters’ primary concern, while anti-migrant demonstrations continue outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.
The milestone was achieved Sunday when 212 migrants arrived in four separate boats, government figures revealed. The Home Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the latest crossing statistics.
Protests erupted across Britain over the weekend following a court decision last week ordering removal of asylum seekers from a hotel in Epping, northeast of London, marking another contentious episode in the nation’s ongoing immigration debate.
Starmer’s Labour government has committed to eliminating hotel accommodations for asylum seekers by 2029 and implementing comprehensive asylum system reforms. The administration announced changes Sunday designed to accelerate asylum appeals processing and address a backlog exceeding 100,000 pending cases.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Britain’s interior minister, described the modifications as efforts to restore “control and order” to what she characterized as a system “in complete chaos.”
Official statistics released last week documented record-high asylum claims, with more migrants housed in hotels compared to the previous year’s figures.
Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party currently leading recent voting intention surveys, has proposed “mass deportations” for migrants arriving via small boats. His comprehensive plan includes withdrawing Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights, prohibiting asylum applications and constructing detention facilities capable of holding 24,000 individuals.
Farage informed The Times newspaper he would negotiate repatriation agreements with countries including Afghanistan and Eritrea while organizing daily deportation flights to remove asylum seekers from British territory.
London (BN24) – Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s anti-migration Reform UK party, announced sweeping proposals Tuesday to dismantle human rights protections and enable mass deportations of asylum seekers, declaring such drastic action necessary to prevent “major civil disorder” across the country.
Farage outlined plans for his party, currently leading national opinion surveys, to withdraw Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights, repeal the Human Rights Act and nullify international treaties that courts have previously used to block forced deportations of asylum seekers.
“We are not far away from major civil disorder,” Farage declared during a press conference. “It is an invasion, as these young men illegally break into our country.”
The announcement emerged amid weeks of sustained small-scale demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers, sparked by public safety concerns following sexual assault charges against some individuals seeking refuge in Britain.
Recent polling data indicates immigration has surpassed economic issues as the primary concern among British voters. Reform UK, despite holding only four parliamentary seats, maintains a commanding lead in every voting intention survey, intensifying pressure on Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer to address mounting immigration challenges.
Britain recorded 108,100 asylum applications in 2024, representing a nearly 20 percent increase from the previous year and establishing a new national record. Individuals from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Bangladesh comprised the largest groups of asylum applicants during the period.
Public attention has concentrated particularly on migrants arriving via small boats crossing the English Channel, with record numbers reaching British shores this year despite government efforts to stem the flow.
Reform UK claimed its proposed asylum law modifications would enable deportation of 600,000 asylum seekers during a single parliamentary term if the party wins the next general election scheduled by 2029.
During the press conference, Farage questioned senior party official Zia Yusuf about the feasibility of deporting between 500,000 and 600,000 people within their first term of governance.
“Totally,” Yusuf responded without hesitation.
Starmer’s government and previous administrations have struggled for years to develop effective policies for managing undocumented migrants entering Britain through irregular channels.
Reform UK’s proposals represent the most radical immigration policy platform yet proposed by a major British political party, including provisions to negotiate repatriation agreements with Afghanistan, Eritrea and other nations to return their nationals who entered Britain illegally.
Government minister Matthew Pennycook dismissed Reform’s immigration blueprint as “a series of gimmicks” lacking practical implementation pathways. Pennycook emphasized that the European Convention on Human Rights provides essential foundations for critical international agreements, including the Good Friday Agreement that concluded three decades of violent conflict in Northern Ireland beginning in the late 1960s.
When questioned about potential consequences for the Northern Ireland peace agreement, Farage suggested renegotiation remained possible but acknowledged such processes would require years to complete.
An Ethiopian asylum seeker appeared in court Tuesday facing charges of sexual assault against a woman and teenage girl. His arrest last month triggered several high-profile protests that drew national media attention and political commentary.
Farage positioned himself as the sole party leader prepared to implement necessary measures addressing public safety concerns related to immigration policy.
“It’s about whose side are you on,” Farage stated. “Are you on the side of women and children being safe on our streets, or are you on the side of outdated international treaties backed up by a series of dubious courts?”
The current Labour government has developed strategies to “smash” criminal networks facilitating illegal migration to Britain through asylum appeals process reforms and expanded enforcement personnel recruitment.
The previous Conservative administration attempted to establish deportation arrangements with Rwanda for processing asylum seekers, but Britain’s highest court ruled the policy violated domestic and international legal standards.
Shanghai (BN24) – Chinese President Xi Jinping is preparing to host more than 20 world leaders at a major regional security summit next week, a move seen as a bold demonstration of Global South solidarity amid heightened tensions with the United States under President Donald Trump.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, scheduled for August 31 to September 1 in the northern port city of Tianjin, will bring together leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Among the most closely watched participants will be Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking Modi’s first visit to China in more than seven years.
The gathering highlights China’s determination to project an alternative global order as it strengthens ties with Russia and works to ease longstanding tensions with India following deadly border clashes in 2020. Modi last appeared alongside Xi and Putin at the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, even as Western leaders shunned Putin over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Russian officials in New Delhi have expressed hope that trilateral talks between China, Russia, and India could take place during the SCO meeting.
“Xi will want to use the summit as an opportunity to showcase what a post-American-led international order begins to look like, and to signal that White House efforts to counter China, Iran, Russia and even India have fallen short,” said Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of the China-Global South Project. He added that groupings such as BRICS and the SCO have rattled Trump, reflecting Beijing’s strategy to lead parallel power blocs.
According to China’s foreign ministry, this year’s SCO meeting will be the largest since the bloc was established in 2001. Originally formed by six Eurasian nations to coordinate on security and counterterrorism, the SCO has grown to 10 full members with 16 dialogue and observer partners. Its scope has widened to include economic and military cooperation, though analysts caution that its ability to deliver concrete outcomes remains limited.
“What the SCO represents and how it translates into practical policy remain unclear,” said Manoj Kewalramani, who chairs the Indo-Pacific Research Programme at the Takshashila Institution in Bangalore. “Its real strength lies in optics and convening power, rather than in substantive security solutions.”
Friction persists within the bloc, particularly between India and Pakistan. A June defense ministers’ meeting ended without a joint statement after New Delhi objected to omissions related to a deadly attack in Indian Kashmir. India also refused to support the SCO’s condemnation of Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year.
Still, momentum appears to be building for improved China-India ties. Analysts expect Xi and Modi to use the summit for discussions on incremental troop withdrawals from contested border areas, easing of trade and visa restrictions, and new cooperation in areas such as climate change and people-to-people exchanges.
“It’s likely India will put aside recent disagreements in order to keep its détente with China on track, especially with renewed tariff pressure from the Trump administration,” Olander noted.
Although experts expect few sweeping policy announcements, the summit underscores the shifting balance of global influence as China positions itself as a leader of the Global South. Putin is expected to extend his stay in China after the SCO, attending a World War II military parade in Beijing, marking a rare lengthy trip abroad for the Russian leader.
Reuters
JAKARTA, Indonesia (BN24) — Indonesia announced Tuesday that the United States has agreed in principle to exempt Indonesian palm oil, cocoa and rubber exports from the 19% tariff imposed under President Donald Trump’s trade policy, a move Jakarta says will strengthen trade ties and boost Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for economic affairs and top trade negotiator, told Reuters that the deal will reduce tariffs on key commodities “to zero or close to zero” once the final agreement is signed. While no firm timeline has been set, he said Washington has given assurances that the exemption will move forward despite the U.S. currently being engaged in tariff talks with other trading partners.
“This is a principal agreement for products not produced in the U.S., such as palm oil, cocoa and rubber,” Airlangga said, noting that the arrangement will ease pressure on Indonesia’s vital export industries.
The U.S. embassy in Jakarta declined to comment.
Indonesia, the world’s top palm oil exporter and a leading global rubber supplier, has pushed aggressively for tariff certainty since last year, when Trump imposed uniform duties on a range of imports. Jakarta was among the first nations to seek a tariff deal in July but was ultimately hit with the same 19% rate as Thailand and Malaysia, just below Vietnam’s 20%.
During negotiations, Indonesia offered billions of dollars in investments and purchases of U.S. crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas, airplanes and agricultural products. Jakarta also committed to eliminating tariffs on nearly all American goods entering its market.
Airlangga said tariff stability with the U.S., along with progress in free trade talks with the European Union, will support Indonesia’s plan to lift economic growth to 5.4% in 2026, up from about 5% projected this year.
“Certainty is what global investors are looking for, and Indonesia provides that stability,” he said.
Beyond tariffs, discussions also focused on U.S. investment in Indonesia’s energy infrastructure. Airlangga confirmed that Jakarta is seeking American participation in new fuel storage projects in partnership with state energy company Pertamina and the sovereign wealth fund Danantara.
Indonesia is also working to attract investment into industrial processing for its raw commodities. Airlangga highlighted the government’s success in bringing Chinese capital into nickel processing projects and said Jakarta wants to replicate that with palm oil, cocoa and rubber.
He added that the government is encouraging investment in silica sand processing to support domestic production of solar panels and semiconductor wafers, positioning Indonesia as a player in renewable energy and high-tech supply chains.
Reuters
Tel Aviv (BN24) – Demonstrators across Israel torched tires and blocked major highways Tuesday, demanding an immediate ceasefire to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed forward with plans for an expanded military offensive he claims is necessary to eliminate Hamas.
The nationwide protests erupted as Palestinians in Gaza prepared for intensified military operations amid widespread displacement, massive destruction and growing famine conditions across parts of the territory. The demonstrations followed deadly Israeli strikes on Gaza’s primary hospital that killed 20 people Monday, including medical personnel and journalists among them Mariam Dagga, who worked for The Associated Press.
Netanyahu was scheduled to convene his security cabinet Tuesday evening, though officials remained uncertain whether ceasefire negotiations would feature in discussions. The prime minister has maintained that Israel will simultaneously launch expanded operations in Gaza City while pursuing diplomatic efforts to free hostages, despite not yet dispatching a negotiating delegation to address current proposals. Netanyahu argues the military campaign represents the most effective strategy to weaken Hamas and recover captives, but hostage families and their advocates have mounted fierce opposition.
Ruby Chen, father of 21-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen Itay Chen whose remains are held in Gaza, urged leaders to return to negotiations. “Go back to the negotiation table. There’s a good deal on the table. It’s something we can work with,” Chen said. “We could get a deal done to bring all the hostages back.”
Hamas militants captured 251 hostages during their October 7, 2023 assault on Israel. The vast majority have been freed during previous ceasefire periods, while Israel has successfully rescued only eight hostages alive through military operations. Fifty captives remain in Gaza, with Israeli intelligence estimating approximately 20 are still living.
Responding to calls from Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum for a “National Day of Struggle,” protesters displayed banners reading “Hostage Deal Now.” Relatives of the captives expressed hope that sustained public pressure could compel Netanyahu and his security cabinet to commit meaningfully to ceasefire negotiations. However, far-right coalition members have repeatedly threatened to abandon the government if Israel agrees to any truce arrangement and have dismissed the protesters’ appeals.
Einav Zangauker, whose 25-year-old son Matan was abducted from one of Israel’s most severely attacked kibbutzim on October 7, criticized the prime minister’s approach. “We could have ended the war a year ago and brought all the hostages and soldiers home. We could have saved hostages and soldiers, but the prime minister chose, again and again, to sacrifice civilians for the sake of his rule,” Zangauker said.
The demonstrations followed Monday’s strike on southern Gaza’s main medical facility that killed at least five journalists and 15 other individuals, including Dagga, who had recently reported on doctors treating children suffering from starvation at the same hospital. The attack, among the war’s deadliest targeting both media personnel and healthcare facilities, generated widespread condemnation from press freedom organizations and Palestinians, who held funeral services for the victims Monday.
International criticism of the hospital strike was immediate and severe. Netanyahu characterized the incident as a “tragic mishap” and pledged military investigators would examine the circumstances. Most casualties resulted from people rushing to assist after an initial blast, only to be struck by a second attack that multiple television networks captured on camera.
The southern Gaza strike occurred as Israel prepared to expand operations into densely populated northern Gaza neighborhoods. Military officials want civilians in hospitals, displacement camps and Gaza City residential areas to evacuate southward to designated safe zones, allowing forces to target Hamas infrastructure and prevent future attacks similar to the October 7, 2023 assault that killed approximately 1,200 people and triggered the current conflict.
Israeli strikes killed at least 16 Palestinians Tuesday, according to hospital officials. Representatives from Nasser Hospital, Shifa Hospital and Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan clinic reported the casualties included entire families, women and children.
Gaza’s Health Ministry announced Tuesday that three additional adults died from malnutrition and starvation-related causes, raising the malnutrition death toll to 186 since late June when the ministry began tracking fatalities in this category. The total includes 117 children who have died from starvation-related causes since the war began.
Israel’s military campaign has killed 62,819 people according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians but estimates approximately half were women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas-controlled government and employs medical professionals. United Nations officials and independent experts consider it the most reliable source for war casualty data, though Israel disputes the figures while not providing alternative counts.
Source: AP
Canberra (BN24) – Australian police are conducting a large-scale manhunt after two officers were fatally shot and another wounded during a violent encounter in a rural town in Victoria state on Tuesday. Authorities say the gunman, described as heavily armed, fled on foot into nearby forest, sparking a massive search effort across a remote area northeast of Melbourne.
The shooting unfolded late Tuesday morning when 10 armed officers attempted to serve a search warrant at a property in Porepunkah, a small town of just over 1,000 residents located about 320 kilometers (200 miles) from Melbourne. According to Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush, the suspect immediately opened fire, killing a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable.
“These officers were met by the offender and murdered in cold blood,” Bush said during a news conference in Wangaratta.
A third officer was shot and rushed to surgery. Officials later confirmed his injuries were not life-threatening. The identities of the slain officers have not yet been released.
Bush declined to reveal the reason behind the search warrant and would not confirm the suspect’s name or possible motivations. Authorities are also searching for the man’s wife and two children, who remain unaccounted for.
As the manhunt intensified, police helicopters, drones, and K-9 units swept the rugged terrain surrounding the town. Officers urged residents to remain indoors and avoid the area. The local school, with just over 100 students, was placed on lockdown before children were later released to their families. Public facilities and the nearby airfield were also shut down as a precaution.
The killings sent shockwaves through the law enforcement community. Police Association Victoria Secretary Wayne Gatt described the atmosphere in police stations across the state as one of “shocking and eerie dread.”
The last police officer to be killed on duty in Australia was in 2023 in South Australia. In 2022, two officers in Queensland were ambushed and killed by armed extremists who were later shot dead after a prolonged siege. Such incidents are rare in Australia, where strict gun laws were introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, which left 35 people dead and transformed the country’s firearms legislation.
Porepunkah, better known as a gateway to Victoria’s alpine region and its vineyards, has now become the center of one of the largest manhunts in recent years as police vow to bring the fugitive gunman to justice.
AP
KAMPALA, Uganda (BN24) — Uganda’s opposition leaders and rights advocates sharply criticized a newly revealed agreement with the United States to receive deported migrants, warning Tuesday that the deal lacks parliamentary oversight and risks serving the political interests of President Yoweri Museveni while straining Uganda’s already overburdened refugee system.
The agreement, which surfaced after U.S. officials detained high-profile human smuggling suspect Kilmar Abrego Garcia in Baltimore, has sparked a storm of controversy in Kampala. The Department of Homeland Security said Abrego Garcia is being “processed for removal to Uganda,” though he is a citizen of El Salvador, not Uganda or Africa.
Ibrahim Ssemujju, a veteran opposition lawmaker, accused Museveni of leveraging the arrangement to ease international pressure following U.S. sanctions on his government. “Museveni will be happy to transact with Washington,” Ssemujju said. “He will be asking, ‘When are you bringing them?’”
Ugandan officials have disclosed few details about the deal but signaled they prefer deportees of African origin and will not accept those with serious criminal convictions. Still, opposition leaders argue the policy undermines Uganda’s sovereignty. “The whole scheme stinks,” said Mathias Mpuuga, former opposition leader in Parliament. “How can Uganda accept deportees when we already struggle to support refugees fleeing regional conflicts? This is purely economic expediency for Museveni’s government.”
The secrecy surrounding negotiations has only heightened suspicion. Okello Oryem, Uganda’s deputy foreign minister, initially dismissed reports of the deal as “complete rubbish.” But his own permanent secretary later confirmed that Uganda agreed to accept individuals “reluctant to or may have concerns about returning to their countries of origin.” Critics claim Museveni personally oversaw the discussions.
Museveni, in power since 1986, has long portrayed himself as a reliable U.S. ally, particularly through his military’s counterterrorism deployments in Somalia against al-Shabab militants. But relations soured under the Biden administration over corruption, human rights abuses and anti-LGBTQ laws. Several of Museveni’s close allies, including parliamentary speaker Anita Among and multiple senior security officials, are under U.S. sanctions.
Analysts say the deportee agreement could signal a recalibration in Uganda’s ties with Washington. “For Museveni, this deal is attractive for political and perhaps economic reasons,” said Marlon Agaba, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda. “It eases pressure at home, potentially opens trade channels, and aligns with the Trump administration’s emphasis on transactional deal-making. Any strongman would welcome that.”
Opposition lawmakers insist Parliament must approve such a pact. “The matter should be handled by Parliament,” Ssemujju said. “Without authorization, it is flawed and illegitimate.”
The U.S. has previously deported groups of migrants to African nations willing to cooperate with Washington. In July, five men with criminal records were sent to Eswatini, eight to South Sudan, and Rwanda announced it would accept up to 250 deportees. Critics say Uganda’s participation further highlights the transactional nature of its diplomacy under Museveni.
As the controversy unfolds, ordinary Ugandans remain in the dark about what their government is receiving in return. For many, the deal represents yet another instance of Museveni tightening control while using foreign policy as a tool for political survival.
AP
PHOENIX (BN24) — A massive wall of dust, known as a haboob, swept across metro Phoenix late Monday, darkening skies, halting traffic, knocking out power to thousands, and disrupting flights at one of the busiest airports in the United States.
The storm, fueled by powerful winds ahead of heavy rain, rolled into Arizona City about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southeast of Phoenix before engulfing the greater metro area. Drivers were forced to pull over as visibility dropped to near zero.
“I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face if I put my hand outside,” said Bernae Boykin Hitesman, who was driving home with her 9- and 11-year-old children when the dust storm overtook her vehicle. She said she could taste the grit in the air and felt her car rattle under the force of the winds. “I was nervous. My kids were really, really scared, so I was trying to be brave for them.”
The storm lasted about 15 minutes in some areas but left widespread impacts. At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where more than 1,200 flights operate daily, heavy wind and rain following the dust storm caused delays and damage to a terminal roof. “Crews have been identifying leaks and attempting to clean up water where it has collected in passenger areas,” said Heather Shelbrack, the airport’s deputy aviation director for public relations.
According to PowerOutage.us, more than 15,000 residents across Arizona lost electricity, most of them in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and its suburbs.
Residents described both the beauty and the disruption of the storm. Richard Filley, a retired university professor in Gilbert, said fine dust seeped into his home, coating surfaces despite closed windows and doors. “The windstorm part of it, I’m glad it’s gone,” Filley said. “You look at the photos of haboobs and they are a spectacular natural phenomenon. They are kind of beautiful in their own way.”
The National Weather Service said Phoenix has experienced a drier-than-average monsoon season, with rainfall uneven across the state. “That’s typical for a monsoon, very hit and miss,” said Mark O’Malley, a meteorologist with the NWS in Phoenix. He added that the forecast calls for a 40% chance of rain on Tuesday before conditions are expected to dry out.
Haboobs, which occur when thunderstorm outflows push walls of dust across flat, arid landscapes, are common in Arizona during the summer monsoon season. The storms can rise thousands of feet high and stretch for miles, often reducing visibility to near zero in a matter of minutes.
Despite their frequency, Monday’s storm was particularly disruptive because of its size and timing, sweeping through Phoenix just as many residents were driving home during the evening rush hour.
LONDON (BN24) — More than 400 people were arrested during this year’s Notting Hill Carnival, police said Tuesday, after two festivalgoers were stabbed and dozens were detained for carrying weapons into Europe’s largest street celebration.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 423 arrests were made over the two-day festival, which ran from Sunday through the August bank holiday Monday. While the arrests included a range of drug and weapons offenses, officers noted that the overall number of serious violent incidents was lower than in previous years.
Authorities said the first stabbing occurred on Powis Terrace and the second on Oxford Gardens. Neither victim sustained life-threatening injuries, police added.
“This year we have proactively targeted those who have attempted to come to Carnival to cause harm to others,” said Matt Ward, the Met’s policing commander for the event. “We have used live facial recognition, knife arches and our stop and search powers to identify and arrest more than 400 suspects. These arrests have prevented some of the serious violence we have seen at previous Carnivals.”
Police deployed advanced Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology throughout the weekend, which contributed to 52 arrests. On Sunday, 200 people were detained, including 149 at the festival itself and 51 on the way to the event. On Monday, 223 more were arrested, with 177 detained at the Carnival and 46 on approach.
Officers recorded a variety of offenses, including 70 cases of cannabis possession, 32 involving Class A drugs, and 46 for carrying offensive weapons. Police also cited 44 counts of drug supply.
Despite the arrests, officials and community leaders stressed that the event — which drew more than a million attendees — remained a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture, music, and heritage.
The Notting Hill Carnival is widely recognized as one of the largest street parties in the world, featuring parades, floats, and dancers in elaborate costumes representing Caribbean, African, and Brazilian traditions.
Local leaders praised the festival’s cultural impact. Tom Bennett, mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, called the event one of London’s greatest traditions. “It’s one of the greatest street parties in the world,” Bennett said. “Carnival celebrates not only Caribbean culture through music, dancing, and costumes, but also everything the Caribbean community has contributed to this borough and to the country.”
Festivalgoers expressed enthusiasm for the event’s joyful atmosphere. Maria James, 34, described it as “a piece of the Caribbean right here in London.” James Lewis, 41, who traveled from Birmingham, added: “It’s amazing to see so many cultures coming together.”
Ward said police cooperation with organizers and community members played a key role in reducing violence compared with previous years. “All of this joint effort has helped make this year’s Carnival a safer event for all,” he said.
