that was matt cole.nker, which was seized by royal marines off the coast of gibraltar injuly, because it was suspected of travelling to syria against eu sanctions, has been spotted near a syrian port. the ship was released on the condition it would not take oil to syria. it's been photographed by satellite near tartus, as helena wilkinson reports. this is the iranian oil tanker, the grace 1, which this summer was detained just off gibraltar, sparking an international diplomatic crisis. back injuly, it was stopped by royal marines, suspected of moving oil to syria, a breach of eu sanctions. the americans tried to stop the tankerfrom being released. but last month, iran gave assurances it wouldn't discharge cargo in syria, so authorities in gibraltar let the ship go. but look at these recent satellite images, released by a us space technology company. they appear to show the iranian oil tanker, now renamed adrian darya i, in the waters just off the syrian port of tartus. the tanker is believed to have turn

our political correspondent, matt cole, reports.k of wrangling and some of the most testing days a fledgling prime minister has faced, borisjohnson now has a weekend to pause and think. as many of that opinion will say content... content! the contrary not content. the contents have it. the lords have followed the commons, approving legislation, so by monday it should be locked in law that britain can't leave the eu without a deal on october 31st. which appears to mean the pm is boxed in. either he can break his pledge not to ask for more time, or he can break the law and not ask for an brexit extension. remember, the new law means boris johnson has until october 19th to get a deal with brussels. if not, the new law says he must write and request more time, until at least january 31st. but yesterday he said this: this bill would in theory mean that the government was obliged to write a letter asking brussels for a pointless delay. downing street stress this is borisjohnson merely underlining he will not put pen to paper, but some fea

said he would "rather die in a ditch" than ask for a brexit extension. 0ur political correspondent matt cole

our political correspondent matt cole explained the options facing the prime minister.e would have to look at if there is a way of deposing him as prime minister, you could have a vote of no—confidence, but that takes 14 days from the point of deposing a prime minister to then finding another one and whether there could be a general election. maybe there could be a way out of this if he resigns, jeremy corbyn could become prime minister and ask for the deferral from brussels and then there is a general election. borisjohnson may brussels and then there is a general election. boris johnson may favour that and fancy his chances after making jeremy corbyn the man to ask for the extension. you may be in a situation where you collapse the government, jeremy corbyn formed his own and something else. but at the moment, parliamentary numbers are so finely balanced, not in boris johnson is favour hence why he is in trouble. there will be questions why the opposition parties that are working together well at the moment, how long the united front lasts. we have a month of intrigue

our political correspondent matt cole told me why the government is trying find a way to stop anothero the article 50 process. the law that is being worked on by the commons and passed by the house of lords this week is waiting for royal assent on monday when it is locked into the statute book. at that point, theoretically boris johnson, if he does not have a brexit deal signed off by october the 19th will write to them and say he would like an extension, potentially to the 31st of january, three months beyond the current deadline. he said he would rather be deadline. he said he would rather be deadin deadline. he said he would rather be dead ina deadline. he said he would rather be dead in a ditch than do that but that means he has the choice potentially of breaking the law by not doing that or breaking his promise that he would never do that. some are wondering how he will get out of this and there are concerns that initially he will break the law. some mps, we understand, are getting their lawyers ready to take him to the courts to force him to do this. this has added concern, as b

with me is our political correspondent, matt cole.xplain where we are, boris johnson looks like he is going to be compelled to ask for a delay but it isn't clear whether there is any loophole out of that? yes, some people wonder whether he is spending the weekend trying to think his way out of a box in position, as many see him. the law being worked on by the house of commons and passed by the house of commons and passed by the house of lords may be locked into the statute book, by that point, borisjohnson, into the statute book, by that point, boris johnson, theoretically, if he does not have a brexit deal signed off by the eu by october the 19th will have to write to them and say he would like an extension, potentially to january the 31st. three months beyond the current deadline. he has said he will not do that. he said he would rather be deadin that. he said he would rather be dead ina that. he said he would rather be dead in a ditch. however, it means he has the choice potentially of breaking the law by not doing that. or breakin

let's get more on this from our political correspondent, matt cole.teresting today, because we can take a breath. probably, nothing significant now can happen today, but we can work out, may be, what might happen monday? you shouldn't have said that out loud! yeah, ithink monday? you shouldn't have said that out loud! yeah, i think we may have a 24-48 out loud! yeah, i think we may have a 24—48 hours potentially for reflection. 0n a 24—48 hours potentially for reflection. on monday, royalassent should be given to the law that passed through the lords yesterday, having previously got through the house of commons, making it that borisjohnson house of commons, making it that boris johnson cannot take house of commons, making it that borisjohnson cannot take britain out of the eu on october the 31st without a deal. if he gets two 0ctober without a deal. if he gets two october the 19th without a deal, the law says the prime minister has to write to the eu asking for an extension up to january the 31st or an alternative date. he says that he will not do tha

let's get more on this from our political correspondent, matt cole.of course, said this week that he would rather be dead in a ditch than seek an extension before october the 31st. how likely is it that the legal attempt may be able to force his hand? good morning. at the moment, boris johnson seems somewhat boxed in. his promise that he will not ask for an extension to britain's brexit deadline, it also looks like he may be locked into law having to do just that. therefore, ithink be locked into law having to do just that. therefore, i think this is why people are concerned when they hear him talking about how he theoretically has to do this, a quote he has given, we understand, to the daily telegraph. so this is why conservative mps, some of those he sacked this week for voting against him, are gathering to get their lawyers lined up. as things stand, if a deal has not been done with the european union by october the 19th, the law will now say that borisjohnson, as the 19th, the law will now say that boris johnson, as prime the 19th, the law will no

let's get more on this from our political correspondent matt cole, who's in oui’ london newsroom.d he would rather be dead in a ditch than ask for an extension so is this likely to force his hand? there are many who think he is rather boxed in at the moment. he has got two choices, a law has been passed and they are waiting for royal assent and it is about to become law that will force him to write to the eu and ask for an extension to the october 31 exit deadline and if he has not got a deal done by october the 19th, so his choices are to break the law and not ask for the extension or to break his promise that he would not ever do that, but he would rather die ina ever do that, but he would rather die in a ditch. so there is concern he has been quoted as saying that in theory he has to follow the law. i think therefore mps, we understand, largely tory rebels, some of those who were sacked this week for voting against borisjohnson, who were sacked this week for voting against boris johnson, have who were sacked this week for voting against borisjohnson, have lawyers ready in case

let's get more on this from our political correspondent matt cole, who's in our london newsroom.boris johnson infinitely saying this week he would be rather dead in a ditch than seek an extension but can these mps force that? look, this is their concern at the moment, they may have to try. as things stand, the law that will prevent boris johnson taking britain out of the european union without a deal on october 31, but passed through the house of lords yesterday and it had got through the house of commons earlier in the week. just waiting on royal assent now. but when it is passed, it means if a deal has not been struck with the european union by october 19 or if the commons, if parliament has not approved a no—deal brexit by that date, boris johnson will have to write to the eu and ask for johnson will have to write to the eu and askforan johnson will have to write to the eu and ask for an extension to at least january 31. now, borisjohnson has made it clear he will not do that. that boxes him into a difficult place. he can either break his promise, but he will not ask for an ex