Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 5 Jan 2017

1. Dementia rates 'higher next to busy roads'

People living near busy roads have higher rates of dementia, according to a major Canadian study. Evidence from a decade-long study of six million adults suggests one in ten deaths from the disease could be associated with living with heavy traffic, although researchers could not determine whether pollution is directly harmful to the brain.

Busy roads could be linked to dementia risk, researchers say

2. Sir Tim Barrow appointed EU ambassador

Sir Tim Barrow has been appointed the UK's ambassador to the EU following Sir Ivan Rogers's unexpected resignation on Monday, when he warned civil servants to beware "muddled thinking" around Brexit. Barrow is a popular choice with both Leave and Remain Tories, although critics in other parties claim he is too impartial.

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Sir Tim Barrow named as new EU ambassador

3. Republican anger as Trump backs Assange

Senior Republicans publicly contradicted Donald Trump yesterday after he tweeted support for Julian Assange over the US intelligence services. House speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Tom Cotton spoke out after Trump retweeted the WikiLeaks founder's claim that Russia had not hacked the Democrat Party during the presidential campaign.

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

4. Children 'don't understand social media risks'

Young people are left to "fend for themselves in the digital world" despite not understanding the risks of social media, the Children's Commissioner for England says. Saying the terms and conditions of social media are incomprehensible to children, Anne Longfield has called for primary schools to start teaching "digital citizenship".

Children 'signing away their rights online'

5. Car prices to rise after Brexit pound slump

Buying a new car will cost 2-3% more in the next three months as the drop in the value of the pound following the Brexit vote bites, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders warns. The rise will see a new Ford Fiesta Zetec cost an extra £400. A tariff on imported cars is also expected when the UK does leave the EU.

6. Apple pulls New York Times from its Chinese app store

Apple has been accused of censorship after it agreed not to stock the New York Times in the Chinese version of its online app store. The tech giant said it had been told by Beijing that the newspaper was in "violation of local regulations". China is Apple's third-largest market.

Apple pulls New York Times at Chinese censors' request

7. 'Hate crime' streamed live on Facebook

Four people have been arrested after the alleged kidnap, beating and torture of a mentally disabled man in Chicago. A Facebook Live broadcast showed a group of African-American youths physically assaulting a gagged and bound white man while someone shouts: "F*** white people." The incident has been described as a hate crime.

Police investigate 'hate crime' streamed live on Facebook

8. Research casts further doubt over global warming 'pause'

Research has backed a controversial study claiming there has been no slowdown in the increase of global temperatures, in opposition to mainstream thinking that the rate of warming slowed in the first 15 years of this century. The new study replicates earlier findings, suggesting scientists have underestimated ocean temperatures.

Global warming 'pause' does not exist, researchers say

9. Children given alcohol by parents 'less likely to binge'

Children given sips of alcohol at home by their parents are more likely to drink independently when they reach 15 or 16, Australian researchers say. However, the study also found they are less likely to binge drink than teenagers who got alcohol from other sources, such as siblings or friends.

10. Briefing: Istanbul shooting suspect 'is Chinese Muslim'

Police in Turkey believe a man suspected of killing 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub may be a member of a Chinese Muslim minority group, according to reports in Turkish media. The Haber Turk newspaper, citing security sources, reports the suspect could be an unnamed Uighur Muslim who entered Turkey from Syria, travelling with his wife and two children to avoid attracting attention.

Turkish nightclub attack suspect arrested in Istanbul