Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 4 Jul 2020

1. Warning of second wave as pubs and restaurants reopen

Pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas in England are opening their doors for the first time in three months. The government's scientific advisers said the latest step in the relaxation of coronavirus rules was not “risk-free”. England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty warned there was a “real possibility” of a second wave of the virus.

2. Police officers injured at music event in London

Seven officers have been injured after interrupting an unlicensed music event in west London. Officers were called to White City following reports of a number of people gathered at an estate. Bricks and other missiles were thrown at police when they attempted to engage the group. None of the injuries are life-threatening, the Met Police said.

3. Priti Patel backed Desmond's call for lottery relaxation

Priti Patel lobbied for an easing of lottery rules that would have benefited a Tory donor after they met. The Times reveals that, during a debate in 2017, Patel parroted Richard Desmond’s call for a significant increase in the jackpot and sales limits for his Health Lottery. Sir Henry Bellingham, then a Tory MP, said that Patel “was very involved” in the campaign.

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4. Friend says Maxwell will not offer information on Prince Andrew

Ghislaine Maxwell will “never” offer any information about the Duke of York as part of a plea deal, a friend has told the Daily Telegraph. Laura Goldman, who has been friends with Maxwell for several years, said the arrested socialite would “never sell out” Prince Andrew. “The only way she can walk is if she gives someone up, but that definitely won’t be Andrew,” said Goldman.

5. Trump slams ‘cancel culture’ at July 4 event

Donald Trump has criticised the “cancel culture” of those who toppled monuments at recent anti-racism protests. During a speech to mark July 4 at Mount Rushmore, the US president condemned those who targeted status of Confederate leaders as “angry mobs” and said anti-racism demonstrations were “a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children”.

6. Intruder loose for 13 minutes at Trudeau’s residence

Police in Canada say the armed man who rammed a truck through the gates of prime minister Justin Trudeau’s residence was loose for 13 minutes before authorities found him. According to local media, the intruder is Corey Hurren, a reservist in the Canadian Rangers, a branch of the military that usually operates in remote and coastal regions.

7. China appoints a hardliner to head security in Hong Kong

Beijing has appointed a hardliner as head of its new security agency in Hong Kong. The agency is being set up to enforce a draconian security law. Zheng Yanxiong is notorious for his role in dealing with a protest over a land dispute in the southern Chinese village of Wukan. The BBC says riot police were ordered in to seize control, making mass arrests and crushing the “Wukan experiment”.

8. Jeff Bezos passes his own personal wealth milestone

Jeff Bezos has broken his own wealth record. The founder of Amazon commands a net worth that rose to $171.6 billion this week, more than the GDP of Hungary or Algeria. The valuation broke the previous mark that Bezos, 56, set in 2018, when his holdings were valued at $167.7 billion. There has been a spike in global demand for delivered items during the coronavirus pandemic.

9. Cheers as Indian state bans sale of dog meat

The Indian state of Nagaland has banned the import, trading and sale of dog meat, in a move described as a “major turning point” in the fight against cruelty to dogs in India. The north-east state's government announced the ban following a long campaign by animal welfare groups. However, opponents of the ban describe it as an attack on food customs in the state.

10. Commemorations on 72nd anniversary of the NHS

There will be a weekend of events and celebrations to mark 72 years since the founding of the NHS. On Sunday evening, households across the UK will take to their doorsteps for a nationwide clap for NHS workers. The public are also being asked to put a light in their window to remember those who have died during the Covid-19 pandemic.