News 07/09/26

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.