News 07/09/26

The policing minister has warned that demonstrators who cross the line from peaceful protest into illegality will face the full force of the law.

Sarah Jones told the Commons that police were forced to deploy batons and pepper spray during clashes with anti-immigration protesters in Portsmouth. She said a group of over two hundred people arrived at the harbour at eight o’clock, intending to block three coaches.

Former footballer Joey Barton is to remain in custody ahead of his trial next year after a renewed bail application was refused.

The forty-four-year-old is accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Kevin Lynch in Huyton in March. His trial at Liverpool Crown Court was adjourned until March 2027, and Judge David Potter denied bail during a videolink hearing from HMP Liverpool.

High street retailer Next has won an appeal allowing it to keep paying warehouse workers a higher basic hourly rate than shop floor staff.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal overturned a landmark 2024 ruling that had found the practice unlawful for jobs of equal value. More than three thousand five hundred workers had been set to share thirty million pounds in back pay. Lawyers representing store staff say they will appeal.

The King has clarified that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will remain private citizens and non-working royals following their return to the UK.

Charles instructed the Lord Chamberlain to write to government departments, military leaders, and Lord Lieutenancies to set out their official status. The couple stepped down in 2020 but returned on the twenty-sixth of August, prompting widespread questions as to the reason for their move.

Investigators in Florida are working to determine why an Amazon cargo plane overshot the runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, killing five people and leaving five others seriously injured.

Operated by charter firm 21 Air, the Boeing 767 had flown in from Puerto Rico before crossing a road and hitting several vehicles. Officials say it remains unclear whether the victims were on board or on the ground.

Officers have been injured and police vehicles damaged during an anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth.

Demonstrators clashed with officers after hundreds gathered following the arrival of a small boat carrying migrants. Protesters blocked roads for hours and threw objects at police in the second major anti-migrant demonstration in two days. The government has condemned the thuggish behaviour, while demonstrators vowed to remain at the scene overnight.

A British motor racing driver says he owes his life to a rival who dragged him from the burning wreckage of his car after a crash in China.

Ollie Millroy posted on Instagram that he was alive entirely thanks to Dutch racer Loek Hartog, who stopped instantly and risked his own life to pull him from the vehicle. Millroy thanked Hartog for his selfless act of bravery, stating he would remember it for the rest of his life.

Two men and two women have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a three-month-old girl who was camping with family in Staffordshire.

Emergency services were called to Strawberry Lane near Great Wyrley on Saturday morning after reports of a baby in cardiac arrest. Paramedics and an air ambulance crew attended, but the infant was pronounced dead at the scene. Police confirmed all four suspects have been released on conditional bail while inquiries continue.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he and his party leadership are deeply shocked by regional election results in Saxony-Anhalt.

Merz told reporters in Berlin the outcome was unexpected, adding that something has changed not just in Saxony-Anhalt, but across Germany as a whole. He noted the results also impact the international situation, pointing to a positive reaction among far-right parties abroad.

Jaguar Land Rover is to cut four thousand jobs over the next two years as the carmaker struggles with Chinese competition, US tariffs, and the electric vehicle transition.

The redundancies will mostly affect head office roles in the UK. JLR’s long-term issues were compounded by a cyber-attack last year that shut down production for over a month. Chief executive PB Balaji said the firm is committed to supporting staff through the process.

Preparations are under way for a commemorative rail journey to mark the birth of Britain’s first high-speed train service.

The launch of the Intercity 125 on the route between London and Bristol in 1976 allowed passengers to travel at speeds up to 125 miles per hour. A preserved train will retrace the original steps from Paddington through Bristol to South Wales, celebrating the diesel-powered service that helped British Rail compete against motor transport.

A convicted serial rapist described by police as one of the UK’s most prolific predators could face further charges after fresh allegations involving seven more women were passed to prosecutors.

Chinese national Zhenhao Zou is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of twenty-four years for drugging and raping ten women in London and China. Following police appeals for more potential victim-survivors to come forward, the Metropolitan Police has sent a new file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide on further charges.

BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri has revealed she is living with blood cancer.

The forty-nine-year-old anchor, who joined the broadcaster in 2003, shared her diagnosis to raise awareness of the disease after being treated for two years. Moshiri said she now has a handle on the condition, but acknowledged that she will have to spend the rest of her life undergoing treatment.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Portsmouth on Sunday night after around 140 migrants in a single dinghy were rescued in the English Channel.

In the second major anti-migrant demonstration of the weekend, masked protesters dressed in black blocked roads to stop the individuals leaving the city. Hampshire Police issued a dispersal order around Eastney Landing ferry port, warning non-compliance could lead to arrest. The government condemned the intimidating and thuggish behaviour.

The far-right Alternative for Germany party has won the regional election in Saxony-Anhalt, according to preliminary final results.

The AfD secured 43.8% of the vote, more than double its share from five years ago. However, with 39 seats in an 83 seat parliament, it fell three seats short of an absolute majority. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union suffered a disastrous result, losing around half its support to finish on 17.2% with 15 seats.

An Amazon Air cargo plane overshot the runway while landing at Miami International Airport, killing five people and seriously injuring five others.

The Boeing 767 aircraft crashed after departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, striking several vehicles on the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered all flights grounded as fire crews attended the smoking site during the busy Labor Day weekend. Amazon stated it is working closely with authorities to understand what happened.

The chancellor is set to deliver an upbeat view of the UK economy ahead of next month’s Budget, building on rising consumer and business confidence.

In a speech on Monday, John Healey will speak of a resilient economy ready to seize opportunities from new technologies, while unveiling a one hundred and fifty million pound fund for firms in northern England. However, he faces pressure over government borrowing costs and the inflationary impact of the Iran war.