Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 10 Jun 2020

1. NHS waiting list could top 10m by December

The number of people waiting for NHS treatment could double to 10 million by the end of the year, warn health bosses. The NHS Confederation said emergency funding and longer-term spending will be necessary because healthcare services are currently operating at a reduced capacity of about 60% due to infection control measures.

Reaction: NHS waiting lists expected to hit ten million amid coronavirus backlog

2. Warning of ‘lost generation’ as school return is derailed

Almost nine million children will be off school for six months or more as they become a “lost generation,” says Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has been accused of being “asleep on the job” as government plans to get more primary school pupils into class before the summer holiday were scrapped.

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Today’s newspapers: ‘Bullish Boris ready to walk away’

3. Slaveowner statue removed in London as pressure grows

A statue of slaveholder Robert Milligan has been removed from outside the Museum of London Docklands. The monument was removed to “recognise the wishes of the community” said the Canal and River Trust. There has been a wave of demonstrations over controversial statues after anti-racism protesters in Bristol tore down a monument to slave trader Edward Colston on Sunday.

Reaction: Black Lives Matter protesters tear down ‘toxic’ slave trader statue

4. Shops and zoos to reopen next week as lockdown eases

Shops and zoos will reopen on Monday as the government bids to repair the economic damage caused by the pandemic. Alok Sharma, the business secretary, says that from 15 June non-essential retailers, such as clothes stores and bookshops, will be able to welcome customers provided they have made their premises “Covid-secure”.

5. Dr Anthony Fauci warns that coronavirus is far from over

The US’s top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has warned that the coronavirus pandemic is not over, calling Covid-19 his “worst nightmare”. Speaking to executives at a conference of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, he said: “In a period of four months, it has devastated the whole world. And it isn’t over yet.”

Donald Trump’s top medical advisor receives deaths threats

6. Property market bouncing back thanks to pent-up demand

The property market has bounced back thanks to a build-up in demand. More homes were sold last week than this time last year and buyer demand is 54% stronger than it was before the market was halted by the coronavirus lockdown on 27 March. Experts say homeowners have realised the shortcomings of their properties while locked down.

7. Russia says it will hold talks with US on nuclear treaty

Moscow has confirmed that it will open talks with Washington on extending a major nuclear disarmament treaty. Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov will meet the US envoy Marshall Billingslea in Vienna on 22 June to begin negotiations. However, Russia has warned that America’s desire to include China could thwart efforts.

8. Neville Lawrence says black people still second-class in UK

The father of Stephen Lawrence says black people are still treated as second-class citizens in Britain. Speaking to The Guardian, Neville Lawrence said police are breaking promises they made two decades ago after the controversy over the investigation into his son’s death. He said he was “pleased” by the mass marches sweeping the country, which were influenced by demos in the US.

9. Hong Kong police pepper spray demonstrators

More than 50 people were arrested in Hong Kong last night as thousands of protesters took to the streets. Police used pepper spray and charged at crowds in an attempt to disperse protesters gathered near the business district. Officers insist they used “minimum necessary force” to break up protesters who defied orders to leave.

‘This is the end of Hong Kong’: behind China’s security crackdown

10. Little Britain removed from Netflix over ‘blackface’

Little Britain has been removed from UK streaming platforms due to the sketches involving blackface. The comedy sketch show, which first aired in 2003 on BBC Three, has been removed from Netflix, BritBox and BBC iPlayer. Come Fly With Me, the follow-up from creators Matt Lucas and David Walliams, has also been removed by Netflix.

Why Little Britain has been shelved over blackface backlash