Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 12 Jan 2018

1. Trump cancels February visit to open embassy

Donald Trump has abandoned plans to visit the UK in February, when he had been expected to open the new US embassy in London. The US president said he made the decision in protest at the old embassy having been sold too cheaply by Barack Obama. The real reason is widely assumed to be fears that there would be large demonstrations against Trump.

2. Doctors tell May of patients ‘dying in corridors’

A&E specialists from 68 hospitals in England and Wales have written an open letter to Prime Minister Theresa May warning her that patients are dying in hospital corridors as a result of NHS understaffing. Some hospitals are so overcrowded, says the letter, that they have been forced to look after 120 patients a day in corridors.

3. Teenager dies after catching flu virus

An 18-year-old woman has died after contracting the flu virus. Bethany Walker, from Applecross, in Wester Ross, was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital, in Inverness, after the illness developed into pneumonia. She died there last Friday, it has emerged. Bethany’s mother, Heather Teale, said she had been given the “best possible” treatment.

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4. BBC presenter Humphrys in equal pay gaffe

BBC management is said to be “deeply unimpressed” after two male BBC presenters were heard joking about their colleague Carrie Gracie’s pay. John Humphrys and Jon Sopel made the remarks in an off-air discussion that was caught by a microphone. They joked about their high pay and reluctance to give any up to Gracie, who has quit as China editor in protest at her salary.

5. Trump’s foul-mouthed outburst on immigrants

Donald Trump has reportedly lashed out at immigrants in a foul-mouthed outburst to senators in the Oval Office, asking: “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” The White House has not denied the story, but instead said Trump would always “fight for the American people”.

6. Putin says Kim has ‘won this round’ against Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has “won this round” of diplomatic manouevres against US President Donald Trump, after Kim unexpectedly agreed to restore relations with South Korea. Putin said Kim had “achieved his strategic task – he has a nuclear warhead and a global-range missile”.

7. Facebook plans major changes to newsfeed

Social media giant Facebook is to change how the stories that appear in users’ newsfeeds are selected, giving less prominence to content from businesses, brands and the media. Instead, personal content will be emphasised. Organisations may see the popularity of their posts on the network decline as a result, the firm has admitted.

8. Scientists warn against feeding dogs raw meat

Researchers are warning against a new trend for feeding pet dogs and cats raw meat, seen as being more ‘natural’. The scientists, from the Netherlands, say the meat can contain bacteria and parasites that can be dangerous to both pets and owners. It may also be deficient in certain nutrients and cause dental and gut injuries.

9. Queen says riding in royal coach is ‘horrible’

The Queen reveals in a new BBC One documentary that riding in her golden coach of state is “horrible”, because the suspension is so bad. The coach, commissioned in 1760, was used at her coronation in 1953. The monarch also said it was impossible to look down while wearing her crown, because its weight would “break” her neck.

10. Briefing: who is richest person of all time?

There was much fanfare this week when Amazon boss Jeff Bezos was named the wealthiest person of all time.

His estimated $105.1bn fortune is technically the largest ever accrued by one individual, although this does not take into account inflation or a number of other factors, including how wealth is actually measured.

Who is richest person of all time? From Mansa Musa to Jeff Bezos