France has dismantled a large migrant camp on its northern coast where increasing numbers of people hoping to reach the UK had settled. French officers pulled down tents and evacuated up to 1,500 migrants from the site, near Dunkirk, early on Tuesday. Authorities also say they have arrested 13 suspected people smugglers. France is in a row with the UK over its handling of rising numbers of migrants trying to cross the English Channel from camps in northern France. Last Thursday 1,185 people made the often dangerous crossing, a record number that the UK government said was “unacceptable”. The UK has accused French authorities of not doing enough to control the crossings, and called on them to clamp down on people smuggling. France meanwhile has accused the UK government of blowing the scale of migration out of proportion for political reasons, and failing to deter people from making the crossing. The issue has damaged UK-France relations, which were already strained over a number of issues, ranging from fishing rights in the Channel, to a deal with Australia on nuclear submarines.

A jury has been sent to deliberate in the case of a teen who shot three men amid civil unrest last year, in one of the most high-profile trials in the US. Wrapping up, prosecutors said Kyle Rittenhouse walked off like a “hero in a Western” after opening fire on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Mr Rittenhouse’s lawyer said his client feared his own gun would be used on him after a “crazy person” ambushed him. The 18-year-old killed two men and injured a third on 25 August 2020. The Rittenhouse case was instantly politically divisive and its result is being closely watched across the nation. The defendant is white, as are the three men he shot.(BBC)…[+]

Polish forces have used tear gas and water cannon against migrants trying to cross into the country from Belarus. Videos showed migrants throwing stones and other objects at the Polish forces guarding a fortified border crossing. For weeks, thousands of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, have been gathering at the Belarus border in an attempt to reach the European Union. Belarus has been accused of pushing migrants to the border to try to destabilise the EU, a charge it denies. EU-Belarus relations have been severely strained since long-term leader Alexander Lukashenko declared victory in a discredited presidential election last year and tried to silence dissent by cracking down on mass protests and arresting political opponents. The EU imposed sanctions on Belarus in the wake of the poll and, along with the US, will step them up following the border crisis.(BBC)…[+]