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On the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

On this day, the 23rd anniversary of the massacre at Srebrenica, we remember the more than 8,000 civilians who lost their lives in a brutal act of murder.

At this time, we must reflect on how the perpetrators were held to account by International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for committing an act of genocide. The verdict will not bring back the thousands who were killed, nor erase the grief of their families, but it sends a clear message that there will be no impunity for those who commit such crimes.

The UK is committed to helping the region overcome the legacy of past conflict. Yesterday, I attended the Western Balkans Summit alongside the Prime Minister and other European and Western Balkan leaders. The Summit demonstrated a shared will to work together to build a more peaceful, prosperous and stable future for all.

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Officers discovered approximately 1.5 kilos of the Class A drug on Saturday (7 July) when a passenger was stopped after arriving on a flight from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The drugs, which have an estimated street value of around £75,000, were found inside a suitcase.

Border Force officers stopped and questioned a man who had arrived on a flight from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

A search of luggage by officers revealed the drugs within a suitcase and a full forensic analysis will now take place.

Tim Kingsberry, Director of Border Force South said:

The professionalism and vigilance of our officers has prevented a significant quantity of Class A drugs entering the UK and ending up on our streets.

Working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and other law enforcement partners we will continue to tackle drug smuggling and bring those responsible to justice.

Following the seizure by Border Force, the investigation was passed to the NCA.

A 25-year-old man from Trinidad and Tobago, Nehemiah Timon Gulston, was charged with importing a Class A drug. Gulston, of no fixed UK address, appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court on Monday, 9 July where he was remanded in custody. He will next appear at Croydon Crown Court on 24 August.

The government’s Serious Violence Strategy, which was launched in April, aims to combat the devastating impact drugs have on levels of serious violence.

It also highlights a strong link between drugs and serious violence and the related harm and exploitation from county lines. The government has set out the action it will take to tackle this violent and exploitative criminal activity. The action of Border Force to stop drugs before they get into the country forms a key part of this work.

Border Force officers use hi-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.

Nationally, they use an array of search techniques including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners – as well as visual searches – to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and tobacco which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call the hotline on 0800 59 5000.

Officers discovered the Class A drugs on the morning of Friday, 6 July when two passengers were stopped after arriving on a flight from Aruba. The weight of the drugs was estimated to be around 15 kilos and a full forensic analysis will now take place.

Tim Kingsberry, Director of Border Force South said:

Using their skill and expertise, Border Force officers protect our country from those who attempt to smuggle in dangerous drugs. In this case, the drugs seized were estimated to have a potential value of approximately £1.2 million once cut and sold on the streets.

Working with law enforcement colleagues like the National Crime Agency (NCA) we are determined to prevent drug trafficking and bring those responsible to justice.

Following the seizure by Border Force, the investigation was passed to the NCA.

A 31-year-old Italian man, David Fasano, and a 25-year-old Spanish woman, Tania Cedino-Piguane were charged with importing a Class A drug. Fasano, of Grove Vale Road, East Dulwich, and Cedino-Piguane, of no fixed address, both appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court on Monday, 9 July and were remanded in custody. They will next appear at Croydon Crown Court on 14 August.

The government’s Serious Violence Strategy, which was launched in April, aims to combat the devastating impact drugs have on levels of serious violence.

It also highlights a strong link between drugs and serious violence and the related harm and exploitation from county lines. The government has set out the action it will take to tackle this violent and exploitative criminal activity. The action of Border Force to stop drugs before they get into the country forms a key part of this work.

Border Force officers use hi-tech search equipment to combat immigration crime and detect banned and restricted goods that smugglers attempt to bring into the country.

Nationally, they use an array of search techniques including sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide detectors, heartbeat monitors and scanners – as well as visual searches – to find well-hidden stowaways, illegal drugs, firearms and tobacco which would otherwise end up causing harm to local people, businesses and communities.

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call the hotline on 0800 59 5000.

The government has today announced more than £5 million in funding to further support businesses, boost tourism and meet unexpected costs as a result of the incidents in Salisbury and Amesbury.

This new package is in addition to the £2.5 million that has been made available since March to support the local community.

Today’s package includes:

• £997,000 to support Wiltshire Council’s response and recovery costs
• £927,000 to provide immediate support to local businesses and to counter their loss of earnings
• £870,000 to boost the vital tourism industry in the region, including £570,000 for free parking and park-and-ride services, in the South Wiltshire area

In addition, the Home Office has approved a further £2.5 million in special grant funding to cover extra costs incurred by Wiltshire Police, taking the total provided to the police since March to £4.1 million.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

The people of Salisbury and Amesbury have shown incredible resilience, both since March and in light of last week’s tragic events.

The government will stand in full support of the local community and this funding package will ensure ongoing response and recovery needs are met.

We will continue to work closely with local partners in South Wiltshire on the long-term recovery from these terrible incidents.

Today’s announcement brings the total package of government support to Salisbury and the region to more than £7.5 million.

Baroness Jane Scott, the Leader of Wiltshire Council, said:

I welcome the announcement of this support package from government, and look forward to working with them to provide the essential support the communities and businesses affected by this incident need.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP said:

As police were implementing a public safety operation last night in Londonderry following sporadic disorder, officers in the vicinity of the city walls reported that shots had been fired by a gunman and these struck the city walls.

Anyone, who was in this part of the city, at this time, including children or young people could have been killed. This murderous attack has to be condemned by all right thinking individuals.

I would call on all people of influence within the community to continue their efforts to encourage dialogue and reduce tensions. Anyone with any information about these incidents should contact the police.

We will continue to work with the police to keep people safe.

The section of M1 between junctions 13 and 16 is nearly 23 miles in length, passing through Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire and provides connections to the towns of Bedford, Milton Keynes and Northampton.

It is also a key route for traffic travelling north and south and will see some 60 miles of smart motorway connecting the south of England at the M25 all the way to Catthorpe (Leicestershire) at junction 19.

Work officially starts on the scheme on 8 August and once completed, some £959m of benefits for the local area will be delivered by boosting productivity with less congestion and more reliable journeys.

It will also provide added-lane capacity on the motorway to support the development of new houses.

In Northamptonshire some 18,870 new homes are due to built from 2011 to 2029. In Milton Keynes before 2031, the council proposes to build 26,500 new homes.

Motorists travelling through the area currently suffer from congestion with daily traffic volumes around 116,000 vehicles per day on each section, with that number shooting up to more than 140,000 vehicles per day on a Friday.

In amongst that mix, heavy goods vehicles include between 16 and 21% of the total traffic flow.
Once complete, the work will see:

• an upgrade of junctions 13 to 16 to four lanes running with no hard shoulder to increase capacity
• 38 new emergency areas (EAs) and emergency roadside telephones will be installed at emergency areas
• provision of new superspan gantries to support variable mandatory speed Limits and driver information
• the hardening of the central reserve and installation of a rigid concrete barrier (RCB) between J13-15 to help prevent vehicle cross-overs from opposite sides of the carriageway

Highways England project sponsor, Tabatha Bailey, said:

This is vital work to improve journeys through a busy stretch of the M1 and once complete, will boost the local economy by increasing capacity and supporting future housing development.

It will provide a continuous smart motorway from the M25 all the way to junction 19 at Catthorpe. This means that a key arterial route in England will offer increased capacity and more reliable journeys for the hundreds of thousands of people that use the M1 every day.

To make journeys more reliable, motorists using that stretch of road will be given real-time traffic information using the latest technology which will allow them to plan more efficiently.

Narrow lanes will be in place for the duration of the work with a speed limit of 50mph in place to ensure the safety of motorists and the workforce.

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