Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 8 Jan 2017

1. Brexit 'catastrophe' is inevitable, warns trade expert

Britain risks a "catastrophic" Brexit because the government is so dismissive of the concerns of experts, according to a Canadian trade specialist. Writing in The Observer, Jason Langrish, one of the figures behind the EU-Canada trade deal which took a decade to negotiate, says there is little chance of minimising serious potential damage from the UK’s exit from the European Union.

2. Iraq car bomb kills at least 11 in Baghdad

A car bomb in Iraq has struck a market in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens more. Government spokesman Saad Maan was said a security guard fired on a suspicious vehicle and the driver then blew it up. Islamic State has claimed recent attacks targeting Shia Muslims in the city, but it is not yet clear who was behind the latest blast.

3. Nicola Sturgeon 'not bluffing' on second referendum promise

Nicola Sturgeon says that she is not "bluffing" on the promise of a second independence referendum if Scotland is "driven off a hard Brexit cliff". Scotland's first minister told the BBC she felt the Theresa May had "no plan" in terms of her strategy for the UK leaving the EU. Voters in Scotland backed the UK staying in the EU by 62% to 38%.

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4. Trump blasts 'fools' who oppose improved Russian relations

Donald Trump has condemned those who oppose good relations with Russia as "'stupid' people, or fools". Writing on Twitter, the US president-elect also vowed to work with Moscow "to solve some of the many... pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" He spoke out after an intelligence report said Russia's president Vladimir Putin had tried to aid a Trump election victory.

5. Israeli embassy wants to 'take down' Foreign Office minister

Israel's ambassador to the UK has apologised after a senior member of his team was secretly filmed saying he wanted to "take down" Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan. Shai Masot made the comment in footage filmed in a London restaurant and published by the Mail On Sunday. He told a reporter that Sir Alan was creating "a lot of problems".

6. Rail strike misery set to spread across England

The crippling rail strikes that have caused misery for commuters in the south of England are set to spread across the country. A union boss has warned that industrial action is "inevitable" on the Northern rail network, which covers commuter services in Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and Hull. Insiders say strikes could also spread to the West Midlands, Merseyside and other lines into London.

7. GPs limit patients to one illness per appointment

The NHS is so short of GPs that patients are being told they can raise only one illness per appointment and are banned from extending the session even if they have several serious diseases. Patients’ groups are furious, saying the move is putting people’s health at serious risk. The head of the Royal College of GPs admitted she was "saddened" by the move.

8. Theresa May says she wants a 'shared society'

Theresa May has unveiled her vision for "the shared society" as she affirms that government has a duty to intervene and correct "burning injustices" in modern Britain. Writing for the Sunday Telegraph, the Prime Minister says that government should not just "get out of the way" and insists there is "more to life than individualism and self-interest".

9. Hitler's Mein Kampf becomes bestseller in Germany

Adolf Hitler's autobiography has become a bestseller a year after it returned to Germany. Mein Kampf, the Nazi manifesto, was banned from Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War but a new edition was published by the Institute of Contemporary History of Munich last January. Since its re-release, 85,000 copies have been sold and the book is now on its sixth print run.

10. Restaurant culture is 'fuelling record childhood obesity'

Britain's restaurant culture is powering record levels of childhood obesity, as today’s children spend at least twice as much time spent eating out as previous generations did, health officials have warned. Experts say families no longer regard dining out as a "treat" and have instead allowed restaurant meals and fast food to become a regular feature of youngsters' weekly diets.