Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 9 Jun 2020
- 1. Government admits schools may not reopen in September
- 2. George Floyd suspect Derek Chauvin’s bail is set at $1.25m
- 3. Prosecutors weigh in on transatlantic row over Prince Andrew
- 4. Harvard says Covid-19 may have broken out last autumn
- 5. Tories accepted donation from ‘NHS price gouger’
- 6. Daniel Radcliffe hits back at JK Rowling's transgender tweets
- 7. Ku Klux Klan leader arrested over reckless driving claim
- 8. Johnson says Britain has made ‘huge strides’ on racism
- 9. British dentists warn of drastically reduced service
- 10. German official says Madeleine McCann is dead
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
1. Government admits schools may not reopen in September
The government has hinted that all schools may not be able to reopen fully even in September. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the “current working plan” was that September was now the “earliest” that secondary schools will be able to open. He admitted that ministers have yet to “work out” how they would manage this, saying that it was “going to require ingenuity”.
Coronavirus: is it safe to reopen schools?
2. George Floyd suspect Derek Chauvin’s bail is set at $1.25m
The former Minneapolis policeman accused of killing unarmed black man George Floyd has made his first court appearance. Derek Chauvin’s bail was set at $1.25m (£1m) after prosecutors cited the “severity of the charges” and public outrage for the figure. Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other arresting officers are charged with aiding and abetting murder.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ten defining images of the George Floyd race protests
3. Prosecutors weigh in on transatlantic row over Prince Andrew
Prosecutors in New York have challenged Prince Andrew’s claim that he cooperated with their Jeffrey Epstein probe. The Duke of York had earlier denied claims he has failed to engage with the American investigation but US attorney Berman responded strongly, saying: “Today, Prince Andrew yet again sought to falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to cooperate.”
Prince Andrew hits back over FBI co-operation claims
4. Harvard says Covid-19 may have broken out last autumn
Satellite imagery and internet searches suggest Covid-19 may have broken out in Wuhan earlier than previously thought. The Harvard Medical School research found that the number of cars parked at major Wuhan hospitals last autumn was much higher than the preceding year. It also found that local searches for information on known symptoms such as “cough” and “diarrhoea” spiked on the Chinese search engine Baidu around the same time.
How did the new coronavirus start?
5. Tories accepted donation from ‘NHS price gouger’
The Conservative Party accepted a £50,000 donation from a pharmaceutical boss who “ripped off” the NHS, says The Times. Amit Patel, who accepted a five-year ban from standing as a director for breaking competition law, donated the money during the June 2017 general election campaign led by Theresa May. A year earlier, Auden Mckenzie, the company Patel founded, was accused of hugely increasing the prices of old drugs.
6. Daniel Radcliffe hits back at JK Rowling's transgender tweets
Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe says he hopes JK Rowling’s recent comments about the transgender community will not “taint” the series. Following Rowling’s tweets, Radcliffe said: “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”
Why everyone’s talking about J.K. Rowling’s transgenderism tweets
7. Ku Klux Klan leader arrested over reckless driving claim
A man who describes himself as a Ku Klux Klan leader has been arrested for allegedly driving his car into a group of Black Lives Matters protesters in the US state of Virginia. Harry Rogers, 36, is accused of driving “recklessly” towards a protest in Henrico County on Sunday. Prosecutors say he “revved the engine” before driving into protesters.
8. Johnson says Britain has made ‘huge strides’ on racism
Boris Johnson says Britons should “work peacefully, lawfully” to beat racism. The prime minister said the UK has made “huge strides” in tackling racism but more had to be done. He added that although the government could not ignore the anger and “undeniable feeling of injustice” sparked by George Floyd’s killing, the anti-racism cause could be "undermined" by a minority of those attacking police.
9. British dentists warn of drastically reduced service
Dentists have warned there will be a drastically reduced service due to the coronavirus pandemic. The British Dental Association has written to the government demanding urgent support to keep the service afloat. The union warned there is no chance of the service carrying out anything more than a fraction of the 39.72m courses of treatment that were provided by NHS dentists in England in 2018-19.
10. German official says Madeleine McCann is dead
A senior German official has revealed there is “evidence,” that Madeleine McCann is dead. The prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told Sky News: “After all the information we got, the girl is dead. We have no information that she is alive. All indications we have got that I can’t tell you points in the direction that Madeleine is dead.” A 43-year-old German man, named in reports as Christian B, is the new suspect over her disappearance.
What happened to Madeleine McCann? A timeline of the case
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
When will your favorite show be back now that the writers strike is over?
The Explainer Here's when to expect new episodes of the late-night shows, 'SNL,' and more
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published
-
What is biochar?
The Explainer The charcoal alternative formed from biomass could become the next climate solution
By Devika Rao Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Every parent's nightmare'
Today's Newspapers A round-up of the headlines from the UK front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Squirrel kebabs on London menu
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 28 September 2023
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 27, 2023
Daily Briefing A New York judge rules Trump defrauded banks, Biden visits auto workers on picket line, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
Drug could allow you to 'grow new teeth'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 26, 2023
Daily Briefing Congress returns to work with shutdown looming, Ukraine says it killed Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 25, 2023
Daily Briefing GOP leaders pressure far-right holdouts to help prevent a shutdown, Hollywood writers reach tentative deal to end strike, and more
By Harold Maass Published