Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 12 Jan 2017

1. Trump dossier author 'fears for safety'

A former MI6 officer who wrote a dossier on Donald Trump's alleged links to Russia is "terrified" for his and his family's safety, the Daily Telegraph claims. Christopher Steele is said to fear a "prompt and dangerous backlash from Moscow" and went into hiding yesterday morning.

Christopher Steele: the ex-MI6 spy behind Trump’s dirty dossier

2. Hospitals declare 'black alert' on overcrowding

More than 20 hospitals in England have declared a "black alert" this week as the NHS undergoes what doctors' groups have called a humanitarian crisis. They say they can no longer guarantee patient safety or provide services because of severe overcrowding.

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3. US ethics chief slams Trump business plan

The US Office of Government Ethics has strongly criticised Donald Trump's plan to separate himself from his business interests while he is president. It says his proposals do not come up to the same "standard" as previous presidents because Trump will hand control to his sons, not an independent trust.

4. Taliban hostages appear in emotional video

The Taliban has released a video it says shows hostages Kevin King of the US and Timothy Weeks of Australia on 1 January this year. The two professors were kidnapped last August outside the American University in Kabul where they worked. In the emotional clip, they say they will be killed if the US does not agree to a prisoner swap.

5. Britain braced for 'thundersnow'

Britain is bracing itself for a flurry of wintery storms in the days ahead, including the chance of a "thundersnow". The unusual weather phenomenon occurs when thunderclouds break in extremely cold weather and the precipitation falls as snow, not rain. An Arctic blast originating from Canada could see temperatures plummet as low as -8C in parts of the UK this week.

What is thundersnow – and is it dangerous?

6. Labour MP 'furious' at Corbyn aide's Nato message

Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith is said to be "absolutely furious" after a spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn appeared to question the UK's decision to join Nato troops in Estonia in response to Russian aggression. Hours earlier, Griffith had given an interview supporting the deployment of British troops to eastern Europe.

7. Swansea tidal lagoon wins government support

Plans to build a tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay has won the backing of a government-funded review, a key step towards it being built. The £1.3bn plant, which would generate electricity from wave energy, would feature 16 turbines constructed along a breakwater.

8. Road tunnel to be built under Stonehenge

Chris Grayling has agreed a plan to move the A303 into a tunnel under Stonehenge. The Transport Secretary said he was taking a "big decision" which would enhance the site and remove a notorious traffic bottleneck. TV historian Dan Snow has criticised the plan, although it has the backing of English Heritage.

9. Former England manager Graham Taylor dies

Former England football manager Graham Taylor has died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 72. He made his name as manager of Watford and Aston Villa, and led both to second place in the old first division. Taylor was appointed England boss in 1990 but resigned in 1993 after the team's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

10. Briefing: The Donald Trump Russia dossier

US intelligence officials have reportedly presented Donald Trump and Barack Obama a dossier containing unverified claims that Russia has compromising information on the president-elect. Multiple officials with direct knowledge of the briefings told CNN the "allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible".

Donald Trump sued by two states over business links