Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 7 Sep 2020

1. Johnson claims no-deal Brexit would be a ‘good outcome’

Boris Johnson has set a five-week deadline for the UK and EU to reach a post-Brexit agreement - and said that a no-deal departure would be a “good outcome” for Britain that would allow the country to “prosper”. The Financial Times reports that the UK is planning new legislation that would override the Northern Ireland Protocol, a key part of last year's EU withdrawal agreement.

What might no-deal look like for Britain?

2. Rise in Covid cases prompts claim government ‘has lost control’

A former NHS public health leader says the government has “lost control” of Covid-19 after the UK recorded almost 3,000 new cases yesterday, a 50% increase in a single day and the highest daily total since May. “It’s become endemic in our poorest communities,” said Professor Gabriel Scally, a former NHS regional director of public health. However, the Office for National Statistic said on Friday that its random testing had found no national increase in cases.

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Five reasons coronavirus may be getting less deadly

3. Police face backlash for delay on Birmingham stabbings suspect

West Midlands police have been criticised for their failure to produce a description of the lone knifeman who killed one man and injured seven other people in a two-hour rampage through Birmingham city centre before disappearing. Officers began a manhunt after the knife attacks in the early hours of yesterday, but waited 15 hours to release CCTV video and images of the suspect.

4. Deliver justice for Palestinians, Saudi Arabia tells Trump

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has told Donald Trump that he wants a fair and permanent solution for the Palestinians. Speaking by phone after the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalise ties with Israel, King Salman said the demand was the starting point of the kingdom’s proposed Arab Peace Initiative. Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and site of its holiest shrine, does not recognise Israel.

Israel and the UAE: a fresh start?

5. Typhoon Haishen’s strong winds head to South Korea

South Korea is bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Haishen, which is generating sustained winds of up to 90 mph. Although it passed through Japanese territory without causing major damage or casualties, high winds have already cut power to almost 5,000 households in the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, including the resort island of Jeju.

6. Veterans secretary dismisses Trump's remarks as ‘politics’

Robert Wilkie, the US Veterans Affairs Secretary, has dismissed Donald Trump’s comments about prisoners of war as “politics” and denied the US president would have described fallen US service members as “losers” and “suckers”. Wilkie told CNN: “I judge a man by his actions, and the actions have been beneficial for veterans all across this country in ways that we have not seen since the end of World War II.”

Donald Trump called dead US troops ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’, sources claim

7. Novak Djokovic out of US open after hitting ball at judge

Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open for hitting a ball at a line judge in his fourth-round match. After losing serve to trail 6-5 against Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta, the top seed took a ball out of his pocket and hit it behind him, accidentally striking the female line judge in her throat. The BBC says he had been the heavy favourite to win the men's singles title at the tournament.

Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer: ‘GOAT’ debate, grand slam wins, Big Titles

8. Manchester bombings inquiry begins three years on

The public inquiry into the Manchester Arena terror attack begins today, three years after Salman Abedi set off a bomb as people left an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017, killing himself and 22 others. Home secretary Priti Patel said it was “vital that those who survived or lost loved ones... get the answers that they need and that we learn the lessons”. The inquiry is being held at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

Manchester attack anniversary: the survivors one year on

9. Marcus Rashford spars with Conservative MP on hunger

Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, has drawn a pointed response from Marcus Rashford after criticising the footballer’s campaign for hungry children. “Where they can, it’s a parent’s job to feed their children,” the MP tweeted. Rashford replied: “I would urge you to talk to families before tweeting.”

Why everybody’s talking about Marcus Rashford and free school meals

10. Arron Banks says Noel Edmonds owes him £1.3m

The wealthy Brexit supporter Arron Banks claims that Noel Edmonds owes him more than a million pounds and has fled to a “lush part of New Zealand” to avoid paying. The insurance boss says he tracked down the broadcaster using private detectives and is serving notice on a debt that was incurred as part of an insurance deal taken out pending the results of a legal case. Edmonds is understood to deny the claims.