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More than 700 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in a single day – a new record for the year so far.

The Home Office said 711 people made the journey in 14 boats on Wednesday, suggesting an average of 51 people per boat.

It takes the provisional total for the number of arrivals this year so far to 8,278.

This is 34% higher than the total at the equivalent point last year and 19% higher than the total at this stage in 2022.

Last year 29,437 migrants arrived in the UK altogether, which was down 36% on a record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

The government’s Rwanda deportation plan aims to act as a deterrent to “stop the boats” – one of Rishi Sunak’s key pledges.

Since the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act became law last week, 1,611 migrants have crossed the English Channel.

The legislation aims to revive the stalled scheme which has faced repeated legal challenges since it was announced two years ago.

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Under the plan, people who enter the UK unauthorised will be sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there.

Since the passage of the latest legislation, tensions have grown between the UK and Ireland after people entered the Republic to escape facing deportation.

But the government in Westminster says it will not take people back until a reciprocal agreement is put in place to allow returns to France for people who cross the Channel.

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First Rwanda relocation raids carried out

No one has been deported to Rwanda yet, though this week a failed asylum seeker voluntarily chose to go to Kigali once their application to stay in the UK failed, under a different scheme.

The government has said removal flights are set to take off in nine to 11 weeks, with the first people to be deported detained on Wednesday after officers raided their homes.

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US Treasury’s OFAC sanctions crypto exchange Garantex for second time

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US Treasury’s OFAC sanctions crypto exchange Garantex for second time

US Treasury’s OFAC sanctions crypto exchange Garantex for second time

The Office of Foreign Assets Control said it was taking additional action against the crypto exchange after including it on its list of Specially Designated Nationals in 2022.

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Bitpanda launches in UK, sets two-year growth target

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Bitpanda launches in UK, sets two-year growth target

Bitpanda launches in UK, sets two-year growth target

Bitpanda enters the UK with 600+ crypto assets, an Arsenal FC partnership and B2B white-label services, but faces stiff competition in a market stalled by slow regulation.

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MoD urged to reveal details of nuclear incident at Faslane

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MoD urged to reveal details of nuclear incident at Faslane

The Ministry of Defence is being urged to reveal details of a nuclear incident that took place at Faslane naval base earlier this year.

Figures show that a Category A event occurred at HMNB Clyde between 1 January and 22 April.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) defines Category A as the most serious – however, it has claimed the incident was categorised as of “low safety significance” and did not pose a risk to the public or result in any radiological impact to the environment.

HMNB Clyde is based on the banks of Gare Loch at Faslane in Argyll and Bute.

It is the Royal Navy’s headquarters in Scotland and is home to Britain’s nuclear submarines, which includes the Vanguard vessels armed with Trident missiles.

A Vanguard nuclear submarine at HM Naval Base Clyde. Pic: PA
Image:
A Vanguard nuclear submarine at HM Naval Base Clyde. Pic: PA

Nuclear Site Event Reports (NSERs) detail incidents at nuclear facilities and are classified based on their safety significance and impact.

Responding to a written question earlier this year by SNP MP Dave Doogan, Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement and industry, confirmed dozens of incidents at Faslane and nearby RNAD Coulport – the storage and loading facility for the Trident programme.

More on Ministry Of Defence

Nuclear site events (22 April 2024 to 22 April 2025):

Coulport: 13 Category C and 34 Category D
Faslane: 1 Category A, 5 Category B, 29 Category C, and 71 Category D

Ms Eagle said she could not provide specific details of the Category A or B incidents “as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of any relevant forces”.

She assured Mr Doogan that “none of the events caused harm to the health of any member of staff or to any member of the public and none have resulted in any radiological impact to the environment”.

In a letter to Mr Doogan, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said: “I can confirm that all reported events were categorised as of low safety significance.

“In accordance with the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (lNES) significant safety incidents are categorised at the lowest level – level one of seven.

“Incidents that might fall into this category include equipment failures, human error, procedural failings or near misses where no harm [was] caused to the health of any member of naval base staff, any member of the public, or any resultant radiological impact to the environment.”

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In the past week, concerns have been reignited over the environmental and public health impact of the UK’s nuclear weapons programme.

It comes following an investigation by The Guardian and The Ferret, which uncovered radioactive water from RNAD Coulport had leaked into Loch Long due to faulty old pipes back in 2019.

The secrecy battle went on for six years.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) reported the discharges were “of no regulatory concern”, while the MoD said there had been “no unsafe releases of radioactive material” into the environment.

In response to the “catalogue of failures”, the SNP’s deputy leader is calling for an “urgent explanation” from the UK government as to what actually happened at Faslane.

MSP Keith Brown said: “Nuclear weapons are an ever-present danger and this new information is deeply worrying.

“With repeated reports of serious incidents at Faslane and now confirmed radioactive contamination in Loch Long, it’s clear these weapons are not only poorly maintained but are a direct threat to our environment, our communities, and our safety.

“Worse still, the Labour government is refusing to provide any details about the Category A incident.”

The MoD said it was unable to disclose the details of the incidents reported for “national security reasons”, but stressed all were categorised as of “low safety significance”.

A spokesperson for the MoD said: “We place the upmost importance on handling radioactive substances safely and securely.

“Nuclear Site Event Reports demonstrate our robust safety culture and commitment to learn from experience.

“The incidents posed no risk to the public and did not result in any radiological impact to the environment. It is factually incorrect to suggest otherwise.

“Our government backs our nuclear deterrent as the ultimate guarantor of our national security.”

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