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Footage captured by Sky News shows a boat carrying migrants as it attempts to cross the Channel to reach the UK.

The film shows a flimsy blue dinghy, packed with tens of people, floundering as it makes its way across the choppy sea.

It comes after five people were found dead on Sunday after migrants attempted to cross from northern France on a boat.

That boat was spotted in difficulty off a beach in the coastal village of Wimereux, according to French maritime authorities.

The five were recovered from the sea or found washed up along the beach.

It also comes as MPs enter a second day of debate on the government’s controversial Rwanda bill.

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At the end of last year, the UK’s Supreme Court ruled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to deport asylum seekers who had made the dangerous crossing to the African nation was unlawful.

But Mr Sunak has tried to revive the plan with additional measures – such as signing a treaty with Rwanda over its treatment of those sent there and defining it as a “safe country” – insisting it is a necessary deterrent to “stop the boats”.

Opposition parties are widely opposed to the bill, with Labour calling it a “gimmick” and accusing the government of wasting money on the scheme that has yet to see one person be sent to Rwanda.

However, it has also led to splits in the Conservative Party, with right-wing factions demanding Mr Sunak toughen up the legislation to limit appeals further and to disapply international human rights law in order to see flights get off the ground.

Number 10 has yet to concede, and as a result, the rebel backbenchers have been putting forward amendments to the legislation and defying the government in the voting lobbies.

More amendments are being debated on Wednesday, and further votes will take place tonight, with more rebellions from the government’s own benches expected.

Since the beginning of the year, seven boats containing 263 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats from France – not including the vessel spotted by Sky News on Wednesday.

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RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

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RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

RWAs build mirrors where they need building blocks

Most RWAs remain isolated and underutilized instead of composable, DeFi-ready building blocks. It’s time to change that.

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Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces $2.7M deficit amid special administration

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Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces .7M deficit amid special administration

Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces .7M deficit amid special administration

Thousands of savers face potential losses after a $2.7 million shortfall was discovered at Ziglu, a British crypto fintech that entered special administration.

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Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

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Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

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Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

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Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

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Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.

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