Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 6 Dec 2016

1. Marten to share Turner Prize prize money with rivals

This year's Turner Prize winner, Helen Marten, says she plans to share the £25,000 award with her four fellow nominees because she does not approve of hierarchy in art, reports the BBC. The 31-year-old sculptor and painter was awarded the prestigious arts prize last night.

Turner Prize is 'modish crap', says Michael Gove

2. Chris Grayling to unveil new privatised rail line

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling will reveal today that a new train line between Oxford and Cambridge will be developed and run by a private firm, not Network Rail. The plan takes rail privatisation further at a time when some commentators are asking whether it works at all.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Is Network Rail reform a 'slippery slope to privatisation'?

3. May urged to raise human rights during Gulf trip

Theresa May has been urged to raise the issue of human rights when she meets the leaders of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia today during her two-day trip to the Gulf. The Prime Minister said she had already raised the matter in some meetings, but today's trip is focused more on trade and security discussions.

4. Caesarean births 'affecting human evolution'

Researchers say the widespread use of caesarean sections for problematic births is affecting human evolution. Philipp Mitterocker of the University of Vienna suggests that its use has biased the human gene pool in favour of children with larger heads who would not otherwise have survived to have babies of their own.

Cancer drug offers surprise hope to infertile women

5. Soubry: Europhile Tory MPs planning Brexit revolt

More than 20 Conservative MPs may back a Labour motion demanding the government reveal its plans on Brexit, according to leading rebel Anna Soubry. Party grandee Ken Clarke has already said he will vote for the motion. The defections would be enough to defeat the government, says Sky News.

When will Brexit be finished?

6. Joe Biden hints at presidential run in 2020

US vice-president Joe Biden has hinted he may run for the presidency in 2020. Last year, there was intense speculation about whether the popular politician would challenge Hillary Clinton to run, but he decided not to, saying it came too soon after his son's death from cancer.

7. Time shortlists Farage for person of year

Time magazine has put former Ukip leader Nigel Farage on the shortlist for its prestigious person of the year award, alongside US president-elect Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and singer Beyonce. The magazine appeared to hand much of the responsibility for Brexit to the 52-year old MEP.

Donald Trump named Time Person of the Year 2016

8. Beyonce wins nine Grammy nominations

Beyonce, already the most-nominated woman in Grammys history, has earned another nine nominations for the 2017 awards taking her total to 62. She is in the running for the three biggest awards, album of the year, for Lemonade, and song and record of the year for the single Formation. Kanye West, Drake and Rihanna all have eight Grammy nominations.

9. UK schools lagging behind in global rankings

The UK's schools are lagging behind those in countries including Vietnam, Poland and Estonia according to the OECD. Its Pisa rankings, based on tests taken by 15-year-olds in over 70 countries, put the UK 15th in science, 22nd in reading and 27th in maths. Singapore came top in all three disciplines, while the UK results were described as "flat in a changing world".

10. Briefing: What is the Brexit court case all about?

For the first time in the Supreme Court's history, all 11 judges are hearing a case together to decide whether the Prime Minister has the right to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, beginning the formal process of leaving the EU, without having to go to parliament.

Brexit: Theresa May says ‘trust me’ to deliver