Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 31 Jan 2017

1. May defiant over Trump state visit

Theresa May has stood firm on her decision to invite Donald Trump for a state visit to the UK, despite protests and a petition calling for it to be cancelled. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of London, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh last night opposing the move following Trump's immigration ban.

Theresa May defiant over Trump state visit despite outcry in UK

2. MPs begin two-day debate on Brexit

MPs start a two-day debate today on the European Union bill today, with a vote tomorrow deciding whether Theresa May can trigger Article 50. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has instructed his MPs to vote with the government on the bill, but some of his party are expected to defy him.

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Brexit: Theresa May says ‘trust me’ to deliver

3. Student charged with Quebec mosque murders

A 27-year-old French-Canadian student has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder following a shooting at a mosque in Quebec City on Sunday. The BBC says Alexandre Bissonnette was known for his far-right views. Of the 19 people wounded, two are still critical. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the shooting an "act of terrorism".

4. Trump fires acting attorney general over 'Muslim ban'

Donald Trump has fired his acting attorney general for instructing Justice Department lawyers not to enforce his four-month ban on travel to the US by passport holders from seven Muslim nations. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Sally Yates had "betrayed" the department. Yates had told lawyers the ban was not "right".

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

5. May 'put Queen in a difficult position' over Trump visit

A former head of the Foreign Office says Theresa May has put the Queen in a "very difficult position" after inviting Donald Trump for a state visit to the UK. Lord Ricketts says the offer was "premature" and it is unprecedented for a new US president to be invited for a state visit in his first year in office.

6. Peter Capaldi to leave Doctor Who

Peter Capaldi is to leave Doctor Who at the end of this year. The actor, who took control of the Tardis in 2013, said it was "time to move on". His last episode will be shown in December, when lead writer and producer Steven Moffat also leaves the show.

Will Love Actually's Kris Marshall be the new Doctor Who?

7. Lord Coe denies misleading MPs over IAAF scandal

Lord Coe has denied misleading MPs after emails emerged that appeared to show he knew about allegations of blackmail and failed drugs tests involving Russian athletes months before they became public. In August 2014 he said he was "aware" of claims, but he told a select committee that he did not find out about the scandal until later that year.

8. Alan Turing law: Thousands of gay men pardoned

The government has enacted the the so-called Alan Turing law. posthumously pardoning almost 50,000 gay and bisexual men who convicted of sexual offences in England and Wales that no longer exist. The law is named after the WWII code-breaker was convicted of gross indecency in 1952 and committed suicide in 1954. He was pardoned in 2013.

9. Austria outlaws face veils in public spaces

Austria is to ban full-face veils in public spaces such as courts and schools. The ruling coalition is also considering a general ban on headscarves and other religious symbols for state employees. The far-right Freedom Party narrowly lost elections last year and the ban is designed to counter its rise, and will only affect a few hundred people.

10. Briefing: Why Hinkley Point could be delayed by Brexit

The proposed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C and other new nuclear facilities in Britain will be delayed by the UK's decision to quit Europe's atomic power treaty, industry experts have told The Guardian. Buried in the explanatory notes to the government's eight-line Brexit bill is an admission that the UK will also leave Euratom, which has regulated European nuclear energy since 1957.

Hinkley Point 'will cost public double the amount it should'