At around 16:54 hrs on 15 July 2019, a train running between Clapham Junction and Stratford, and carrying between 500 and 600 passengers, became stranded at North Pole Junction. Conditions inside the train deteriorated and around 30 passengers opened doors and detrained onto the live railway. After just over an hour and a half, a controlled evacuation of passengers onto the track commenced, after other trains had been stopped and the traction power supply turned off.

We have undertaken a preliminary examination into the circumstances surrounding this incident. Having assessed the evidence which has been gathered to date, we have decided to publish a safety digest.

The safety digest will be made available on our website in the next few weeks.

Astronauts will test the devices on board the International Space Station, following the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last night (at 23:01 BST, Thursday 25 July) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral.

Mining in space could open up a new frontier in space exploration by giving astronauts the resources they need for long periods in space, whether on the Moon, Mars or asteroids.

Scientists based at the University of Edinburgh have developed 18 matchbox-sized prototypes, called biomining reactors, to test how low gravity affects the ability of bacteria to extract materials such as iron, calcium and magnesium from space rocks.

Eighteen of the devices will undergo tests on the space station, which involve exposing basalt rock to the bacteria before they are returned to Earth to be analysed in a lab.

Professor Charles Cockell, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Physics and Astronomy, who is leading the project, said:

This experiment will give us new fundamental insights into the behaviour of microbes in space, their applications in space exploration and how they might be used more effectively on Earth in all the myriad way that microbes affect our lives.

The ‘BioRock’ experiment is led by the University of Edinburgh, with the European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency, and is funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, part of UKRI.

It is the second UK-led experiment to take place on the International Space Station, after the ‘Worms in Space’ experiment launched in December 2018, and involves researchers from across Europe, including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy.

The experiment will also study how microbes grow and form layers – known as biofilms – on natural surfaces in space.

The findings could have numerous applications on Earth, including the recovery of metals from ores and the use of biofilms in industry and medicine.

Dr Rosa Santomartino, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Physics and Astronomy, who is leading the study of the rocks when they return, said:

Microbes are everywhere, and this experiment is giving us new ideas about how they grow on surfaces and how we might use them to explore space.

Anita Friend comes from the Home Office where she was responsible for increasing our resilience to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive attacks. Accepting the role she said:

I am really excited to be taking on this role. DASA’s mission of maintaining strategic advantage over adversaries by innovating is one I’m passionate about delivering. I have seen first-hand the step-change that innovation can bring in keeping the nation safe and I firmly believe in the benefits of having diversity of thought as well as a collaborative approach.

Welcoming Anita, Director Defence Innovation Clare Cameron said:

I am delighted that Anita has taken on this role. She will bring a wealth of experience to help DASA reach out across industry and academia and bring solutions to help protect the defence and security of the UK.

She went on to thank the outgoing Head of DASA, Lucy Mason, for leading the organisation over the past two years:

Lucy has provided fantastic leadership to the DASA team since its infancy, helping it expand its remit and provide funding of more than £58m to suppliers. I wish her very well in her new role and thank her for helping DASA become such an integral part of defence and security innovation.

Anita will be starting as Head DASA in September.

“It gives me great pleasure to send Your Excellency Ibrahim Mohamed Solih my congratulations on the celebration of your Independence Day, together with my best wishes for the good fortune and happiness of the people of Maldives in the coming year.”

Elizabeth R

The recruitment of 20,000 new police officers will begin within weeks, confirming the commitment made by the Prime Minister as he entered Downing Street.

The unprecedented drive to deliver more frontline officers will start in September with the launch of a national campaign, led by the Home Office.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

As I said on the steps of Downing Street this week, my job as Prime Minister is to make our streets safer.

People want to see more officers in their neighbourhoods, protecting the public and cutting crime.

I promised 20,000 extra officers and that recruitment will now start in earnest.

The Prime Minister has said he wants recruitment completed over the next three years. To support this the Government will shortly set out plans for a new national policing board.

Chaired by the Home Secretary and bringing together key police leaders, it will hold the police to account for meeting this target and drive the national response to the most pressing issues that affect communities right across the country.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

Officers up and down the country put themselves in danger every day to keep us safe, they deserve our support.

The rise we’ve seen in serious violence is deeply worrying. An additional 20,000 officers sends a clear message that we are committed to giving police the resources they need to tackle the scourge of crime.

This is the start of a new relationship between the government and the police working even more closely together to protect the public.

In addition – as part of ongoing work to tackle serious violence – the Government will urgently review the pilot which makes it simpler for officers to use stop and search powers, with a view to rolling this out across all forces.

In April seven forces started a trial with relaxed conditions on the use of Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.

The Prime Minister has been clear he fully supports the police’s use of stop and search to tackle and disrupt those carrying knives.