Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 11 Jan 2017

1. Russia 'holds compromising material on Trump'

A former British spy claims Russia's FSB security service has compromising personal and financial material on US president-elect Donald Trump, sufficient to "blackmail him". Trump tweeted it was "fake news" and a "total political witch hunt". The FBI is investigating.

Donald Trump sued by two states over business links

2. Doctors warn NHS crisis is putting lives at risk

Hospital doctors have written to the Prime Minister to warn that patients' lives are being put at risk by the crisis in the NHS. The Royal College of Physicians says the service is "under-funded, under-doctored and overstretched". Labour will today stage an all-day debate on a motion demanding a rescue plan for the NHS.

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NHS crisis 'putting lives at risk', say top doctors

3. Obama: Democracy must not be taken for granted

US President Barack Obama made an emotional farewell speech in Chicago last night, telling thousands of supporters that democracy "is threatened whenever we take it for granted". He said "by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place" than it was when he took office eight years ago.

'Democracy needs you,' Barack Obama tells farewell rally

4. Girl of 15 charged with Katie Rough murder

A 15-year-old girl has been charged with the murder of Katie Rough, seven, who died in hospital on Monday after being found seriously injured on playing fields in York. The teenager will appear before magistrates in the city this morning. Katie's headteacher, Tracey Ralph, said she was a kind and thoughtful child who had been well-liked.

Teenager charged with murder of seven-year-old Katie Rough

5. Dylann Roof sentenced to death for bible group murders

Dylann Roof has been sentenced to death for the murder of nine people at a bible study class in Charleston, South Carolina, in June 2015. The white supremacist is the first person to get the federal death sentence for hate crimes in the US. He told jurors: "I still feel like I had to do it."

Dylann Roof sentenced to death for Charleston church massacre

6. Trump's attorney general denies KKK support

Donald Trump's nominee for the position of US attorney general has been forced to deny he supported the Ku Klux Klan. Senator Jeff Sessions denied being racist and called the white supremacist organisation "hateful" during a confirmation hearing that was repeatedly disrupted by protesters wearing mock KKK robes.

7. Rolf Harris on trial for 'brazen' sex attacks

Former entertainer Rolf Harris has gone on trial accused of "brazen" attacks on seven women and girls over a period of 30 years. The 86-year-old, who is serving a prison sentence following conviction for sexual offences in 2014, faces seven charges of indecent assault and one of sexual assault. His victims were aged between 12 and 42 at the time of the alleged offences.

8. Lorry blown over on the Forth Road Bridge

The Forth Road Bridge was closed and thousands of homes were left without power as storms lashed Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England. A 54-year-old truck driver was arrested after his lorry was blown over on the Forth Road Bridge, which was closed to high-sided vehicles at the time of the accident. Met Office weather warnings remain in place.

9. Robbie Williams tickets 'put straight on resale sites'

Robbie Williams's management team is putting tickets for his 2017 tour directly on to ticket resale sites, guaranteeing they fetch inflated prices, reports the BBC. Le:music management put tickets on Get Me In and Seatwave. In one instance, the cost was £65 more than on Ticketmaster. The three ticket companies are all owned by the same firm.

10. Briefing: Gigantic iceberg poised to break away from Antarctica

An iceberg the size of Norfolk is poised to break away from a vast ice shelf in the north-west area of Antarctica. Only a threadlike sliver 12 miles wide is keeping the 1,900sq-mile chunk attached to the Larsen C ice shelf in the Weddell Sea. Professor Adrian Luckman of Swansea University told the BBC: "If it doesn't go in the next few months, I'll be amazed."

Gigantic iceberg poised to break away from Antarctica