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France has cancelled a meeting with the UK to discuss Channel crossings after Boris Johnson asked the French to take back migrants arriving in Britain.

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin has told Home Secretary Priti Patel “she was no longer welcome” at Sunday’s European meeting on migrant issues, a French government spokesman said.

Spokesman Gabriel Attal said it was because of Mr Johnson’s letter to French President Emmanuel Macron.

“That letter was formally poor and its content inappropriate,” Mr Attal told BFMTV.

This is what remains of the boat that capsized in the Channel and resulted in the deaths of 27 people
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This is what remains of the boat that capsized in the Channel and resulted in the deaths of 27 people

Mr Darmanin said the letter is a “disappointment” and the fact it was made public was “worse”, according to reports in French media.

An Interior Ministry statement, reported in French media, said the letter was “unacceptable and contrary to our discussions between counterparts”.

The meeting will now go ahead with just France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the European Commission.

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Conservative MP Tim Loughton told Sky News the French need to “get read” and realise there are consequences to “turning a blind eye” to Channel crossings.

He added that the PM has “come up with practical solutions” and it is “extraordinary” Paris has cancelled the meeting.

Mr Darmanin and Ms Patel spoke on Thursday, with the Home Secretary’s office saying they emphasised the need for “deeper co-operation” and agreed to remain in touch.

Governments on both sides of the Channel have been blaming each other this week after 27 migrants drowned on Wednesday evening off the coast of France as they tried to get to the UK on a small dinghy.

In the letter to Mr Macron, which he tweeted out, the PM set out five steps he thinks both sides should take “as soon as possible”.

The PM’s five-point plan entails:

• Joint patrols to prevent migrant boats from leaving French beaches
• Using more advanced technology such as sensors and radar
• Carry out reciprocal maritime patrols in each nation’s territorial waters and utilise airborne surveillance
• “Deepening the work” of the Joint Intelligence Cell and ensuring there is better intelligence sharing to drive more arrests and prosecutions
• Committing to “immediate work” to strike a bilateral returns agreement between Paris and London, as well as discussions on a UK-EU agreement.

Migrants, including young children, were brought ashore by a rescue vessel after crossing the Channel.
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Migrants, including young children, arriving in the UK the day after 27 died

“If those who reach this country were swiftly returned the incentive for people to put their lives in the hands of traffickers would be significantly reduced,” Mr Johnson said.

“This would be the single biggest step we could take together to reduce the draw to Northern France and break the business model of criminal gangs.

“I am confident that by taking these steps and building on our existing cooperation we can address illegal migration and prevent more families from experiencing the devastating loss we saw yesterday.”

Suggestions the number of migrants crossing the Channel has reached record levels this year due to Brexit were dismissed by transport secretary Grant Shapps.

He told Sky News: “I think it’s a bit of a red herring to mix it up with Brexit, it’s not even an argument I’ve heard before.

“There were plenty of people crossing before but in different ways, they tended to do it by lorry but what’s different here is the number of people doing it by sea.

“I think the Europe argument is confusing here because it’s not related to that. It’s heartbreaking to see and I think it’s incumbent on the UK and France to do everything they can do to resolve this and get on top of this human tragedy.”

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Bitcoin-hating European Central Bank isn’t doing much to stop scammers

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<div>Bitcoin-hating European Central Bank isn't doing much to stop scammers</div>

The European Central Bank is too busy attacking Bitcoin to worry about the myriad of real scams perpetrated by con artists in the industry.

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Labour promises publicly owned rail – as Tories slam ‘unfunded nationalisation’

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Labour promises publicly owned rail - as Tories slam 'unfunded nationalisation'

Labour will promise to deliver the biggest shake-up to rail “in a generation” by establishing the long-delayed Great British Railways (GBR) organisation and bringing routes back into public ownership.

Making the announcement in a speech on Thursday, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh will also pledge to establish a “best-price ticket guarantee” for travellers, offer automatic “delay repay” schemes and make digital season tickets available across the network.

But the proposals have been attacked by the Conservatives, who claim Labour has no plan to pay for them.

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GBR was first proposed in 2021 after a review of the railways, with the aim of simplifying the franchise system and rebuilding passenger numbers after they fell dramatically during the pandemic.

The proposed public body promised to subsume Network Rail’s responsibility for track and stations, as well as taking charge of ticketing, timetables and network planning.

But despite getting backing from Boris Johnson and his ministers, its establishment has faced continuous delays and the organisation yet to see the light of day.

Boris Johnson faces the COVID inquiry next week
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Boris Johnson backed the creation of Great British Railways in 2021. Pic: PA

Labour is now pledging to get GBR up and running if they win the next election, with some additional pledges of their own.

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The party said the body, which would be run by industry experts rather than government officials, would end the “fragmentation, waste [and] bureaucracy” of the current network.

And it would “stop profits leaking out to private operators” by taking charge of passenger lines when franchises run out – leading eventually to the whole passenger network being publicly owned.

Labour said this method would prevent taxpayers from having to cover any compensation to the operators that would be due if they renationalised the railways immediately.

EMBARGOED TO 2230 FRIDAY DECEMBER 22 File photo dated 16/04/21 of shadow transport minister Louise Haigh, who has said Labour will "boost the charge point rollout". Labour has pledged to support drivers through the cost-of-living crisis, as millions across the country hit the road to head home for the Christmas period. Issue date: Friday December 22, 2023.
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Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh will outline Labour’s plans on Thursday. Pic: PA

The party also pledged to create a new independent watchdog called the Passenger Standards Authority to ensure GBR keeps up its standards.

And it committed to introducing a statutory duty on GBR to promote the use of rail freight – still owned by private firms – to cut carbon emissions and reduce lorry traffic.

Ms Haigh said: “With Labour’s bold reforms, a publicly owned railway will be single-mindedly focused on delivering for passengers and will be held to account on delivering reliable, safe, efficient, accessible, affordable and quality services.

“Labour’s detailed plans will get our railways back on track; driving up standards for passengers, bringing down costs for taxpayers, driving growth and getting Britain moving.”

The proposals have won the backing of Keith Williams – one of the experts behind the rail review – who recommended the creation of GBR three years ago.

He said its creation would “deliver a better railway for passengers and freight”, adding: “Running a better railway and driving revenue and reducing costs will deliver economic growth, jobs and housing by delivering better connectivity.”

But the Conservative rail minister Huw Merriman attacked Labour’s plans as “pointless, unfunded rail nationalisation that will do nothing to improve train reliability or affordability for passengers”, adding: “Without a plan to pay for this, it means one thing – taxes will rise on hard-working people.”

His criticism was backed up by Rail Partners chief executive Andy Bagnall – representing private operators – who said while train companies “agree that change is needed… nationalisation is a political rather than a practical solution which will increase costs over time”.

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Samourai Wallet mixer co-founders arrested on AML, licensing charges

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Samourai Wallet mixer co-founders arrested on AML, licensing charges

The crypto mixer allegedly handled $2 billion in unlawful transactions and facilitated $100 million in money laundering.

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