Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 24 Jan 2017

1. Supreme Court says MPs must vote on Article 50

Judges at the Supreme Court have ruled by an eight to three majority that the government must win parliamentary approval before it can trigger Article 50 to begin the process of leaving the European Union. But ministers are hopeful the bill can proceed to the House of Lords by February, in line with Theresa May's plan to start the departure process in March.

Brexit: Theresa May says ‘trust me’ to deliver

2. US has 'unshakeable commitment' to Nato, says Mattis

Donald Trump's newly appointed defence secretary, James "Mad Dog" Mattis, has assured his UK counterpart, Michael Fallon, that the US has an "unshakeable commitment" to Nato. However, in previous statements, the new US President has called the organisation "obsolete" and said other members should pay more.

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

3. Ewan McGregor refuses to meet Piers Morgan

Ewan McGregor pulled out of an appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain today to promote Trainspotting sequel T2 over comments from host Piers Morgan. The presenter had described many of the women who attended anti-Donald Trump marches at the weekend as "rabid feminists". McGregor announced he had not realised Morgan was on the show and refused to appear.

4. Tillerson narrowly becomes US Secretary of State

Oil boss Rex Tillerson narrowly won the Senate committee vote into his appointment and will become US Secretary of State. The politicians split along party lines, with all ten Democrats voting against and all 11 Republicans voting for the businessman, who now replaces John Kerry.

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

5. Heathrow cancels another 100 flights over fog

Airports in the south of England are facing a second day of disruptions over freezing fog. Heathrow cancelled another 100 flights after the Met Office issued a yellow alert and warned cold conditions would persist across most of the region. The weather also hit flight at London City, Gatwick and Southampton airports yesterday.

6. Ecclestone 'forced out' of F1 role after 40 years

Bernie Ecclestone says he was "forced out" of the leadership of F1 racing by US firm Liberty Media, which has taken over the sport for $8bn (£6.4bn). The 86-year-old tycoon, the sport's director for nearly 40 years, has been appointed as an adviser to the new board. 21st Century Fox's Chase Carey is the new chief executive officer.

Bernie Ecclestone: New era for F1 as his 40-year reign ends

7. La La Land wins 14 Oscar nominations

Musical La La Land has scord a record-equalling 14 nominations for this year's Oscars. The film's stars, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, are up for best actor and actress and it is also in the running for best picture. Sci-fi film Arrival and coming-of-age drama Moonlight have eight nominations each. British actors Naomie Harris and Dev Patel are nominated for their roles in Moonlight and Lion.

8. Synthetic DNA breakthrough paves way for new lifeforms

Scientists have successfully modified E.coli microbes at a genetic level, a breakthrough that could pave the way for entirely new synthetic life forms. The organism was given an expanded genetic code with two extra molecules, a technique which the team in California hope will ultimately allow them to "program" how E.coli functions.

9. Ireland's 'nicest place to live' plagued by calls to porn channel

A town in County Mayo is being plagued by callers trying to reach pornographic TV channel Babestation. Viewers are forgetting to add the international dialling code when calling the station and instead are getting through to the residents of Westport, which was named the nicest place to live in Ireland by the Irish Times in 2012.

10. Briefing: Why Hadrian's Wall was so important

For nearly 300 years, Hadrian's Wall marked the north-west frontier of

the Roman empire. Dating back to at least 122AD, when emperor Hadrian

visited the British Isles, the wall this year celebrates its 30th

anniversary as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Here's what you need to

know about its history.

Hadrian’s Wall: why was it built?