Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 8 March 2021
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
- 1. Meghan alleges royal racism
- 2. Schools return after two months
- 3. PM hints at nurse pay U-turn
- 4. Swiss vote for burqa ban
- 5. Yemen aid cut criticised by UN
- 6. Blasts in Guinea kill 15
- 7. PM calls for Zaghari-Ratcliffe release
- 8. Taliban could surge, says US
- 9. Helicopter crash kills French politician
- 10. Canada sends free postcards
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. Meghan alleges royal racism
The Duchess of Sussex has claimed that members of the royal family had openly expressed concerns about the colour of her son Archie’s skin. During the hotly anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said Harry was asked by one member of his family “how dark” their son’s skin might be. She also said she found life within the Royal Family so difficult that at times she “didn't want to be alive anymore”.
What does the future hold for Archie Mountbatten-Windsor?
2. Schools return after two months
Millions of children in England will return to school this week after more than two months of studying at home during the latest lockdown. Secondary pupils will take Covid tests and wear masks as their schools have a phased return during the week. Primary school children are not being asked to take tests nor wear masks on their return. It is first step of the roadmap out of the national lockdown.
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.
Everything we know about whether schools will be ready to reopen
3. PM hints at nurse pay U-turn
Boris Johnson has hinted he may rethink his 1% pay rise for NHS workers by noting it will not be finalised until an independent review body reports back. “What we have done is try to give them as much as we can at the present time,” he said. “The independent pay review body will obviously look at what we've proposed and come back.”
Tory minister hits back at criticism of 1% pay rise for NHS staff
4. Swiss vote for burqa ban
Switzerland is to follow France, Belgium and Austria and ban women from wearing the burqa or niqab in public spaces. In a referendum, just over 51% of Swiss voters supported the proposal to ban people from covering their face completely on the street, in shops and restaurants. “This is clearly an attack against the Muslim community in Switzerland,” said Ines Al Shikh, a member of Les Foulards Violets, a Muslim feminist collective.
5. Yemen aid cut criticised by UN
The UK government has moved to “balance the books on the backs of the starving people of Yemen”, says the head of the UN’s Office for Humanitarian Affairs. Mark Lowcock said the UK decision was “an act of medium and longer term self-harm, and all for saving what is actually - in the great scheme of things at the moment - a relatively small amount of money”. He said the cuts could cost tens of thousands of lives.
Government cuts aid to ‘poverty superpower’ Yemen
6. Blasts in Guinea kill 15
At least 15 people have died and around 500 have been injured in a string of explosions in Equatorial Guinea. The blasts, which happened near a military barracks in the main city of Bata on Sunday, were caused by “negligence” relating to the storage of dynamite at the barracks, said the president. The health ministry said it feared people are missing under the rubble.
7. PM calls for Zaghari-Ratcliffe release
Boris Johnson has called for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to be released “permanently” so she can be reunited with her family in the UK. The British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran on spying charges has had her ankle tag removed at the end of her five-year sentence but a new court case against her is scheduled for next Sunday. As foreign secretary, Johnson was accused of putting Zaghari-Ratcliffe at risk with remarks about her presence in Iran.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe ‘eligible for early release’
8. Taliban could surge, says US
The Taliban could make rapid military gains when American and Nato troops pull out of Afghanistan, the US Secretary of State has forecast. In a letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Anthony Blinken has warned of a possible new “spring offensive”. Under a deal agreed under Donald Trump, the remaining 10,000 US-led Nato forces in the country are due to pull out by 1 May but Joe Biden says he will review the terms.
9. Helicopter crash kills French politician
Olivier Dassault, a member of the French National Assembly, has died in an air crash in Normandy. The helicopter carrying him crashed shortly after taking off from the coastal resort of Deauville on Sunday. President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the 69-year-old, tweeting that he “loved France”. A billionaire, he was the grandson of Marcel Dassault, who founded the aircraft manufacturing company Dassault Aviation.
10. Canada sends free postcards
The government postal service in Canada is sending a free prepaid postcard to every household in the country to help citizens stay connected during the Covid-19 pandemic. Canada Post is planning to send about 13.5 million postcards across the county, after its president and chief executive said: “Meaningful connection is vital for our emotional health, sense of community and overall well-being.”
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
-
Seasonal attire
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
The daily gossip: Sophie Turner sues Joe Jonas for 'immediate return' of their kids, 'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud's cause of death revealed, and more
The daily gossip: September 21, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Romney's seat
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 21, 2023
Daily Briefing Biden extends temporary protections to 470,000 Venezuelans, Republicans grill Garland on Biden and Trump investigations, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
Woman reunited with egg she signed in 1951
It Wasn't All Bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 21 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 20, 2023
Daily Briefing Zelenskyy, Biden urge UN members to oppose Russian aggression, hardline Republicans block spending bill as shutdown looms, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 19, 2023
Daily Briefing Iran, US swap prisoners in a complex deal, Canada accuses India of role in Sikh leader's assassination, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 18, 2023
Daily Briefing Protesters call for ending fossil fuel ahead of UN meetings, Trump doesn't 'even think' about going to jail, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 15, 2023
Daily Briefing A grand jury indicts Hunter Biden on gun charges, House defense spending bill stalls as shutdown looms, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 14, 2023
Daily Briefing Mitt Romney says he won't run for a second Senate term, Pennsylvania police capture an escaped murderer, and more
By Harold Maass Published