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UK observes silence for Tunisia victims, Queen leads tribute

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Press Trust of India London
Queen Elizabeth II today led a nationwide tribute, observing a minute's silence for the 38 tourists, mostly British, massacred in an Islamist attack on a Tunisian beach.

Flags flew at half-mast over Buckingham Palace and Whitehall and play at Wimbledon was delayed as it was announced that a minute's silence would be observed in memory of those killed in the attack on June 26.

The Queen and husband Duke of Edinburgh joined staff in marking the silence at the University of Strathclyde during an official visit to open a new technology and innovation centre.

British Prime Minister David Cameron was in his Witney constituency in Oxfordshire during the tribute.
 

A number of mosques participated in the silence, and many also remembered the victims during Friday prayers.

Imams in Manchester held a service and preached a message of "stopping the seeds of hatred being planted."

Police officers across the country took part, the National Police Chiefs Council said.

A special ceremony was held at the scene of the killings in Sousse, attended by dignitaries -- including the Tunisian prime minister and the British Ambassador -- and tourists.

The first inquests into the deaths have begun with the bodies of more of the 30 British victims expected to arrive back at RAF Brize Norton.

Further inquests are due to be opened at West London Coroner's Court over the weekend.

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out before the bodies are released to their families.

The bodies of 17 of the British victims have now been returned to the UK.

The repatriation of the dead is likely to take several days, with two further flights planned today and tomorrow.

The UK Foreign Office has now confirmed the names of all those killed.

Holiday company Thomson and First Choice has said all 30 British people killed were its customers.

Other victims killed in the attack included three Irish citizens, two Germans, one Belgian, one Portuguese and one Russian.

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First Published: Jul 03 2015 | 5:57 PM IST

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