Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 23 Feb 2017

1. Flights grounded as Storm Doris hits UK

Storm Doris is expected to bring winds of up to 80mph and heavy snow to parts of the UK today. Several flights have been cancelled and trains may run slowly. The Met Office says winds are likely to damage buildings, while six inches of snow are expected in Scotland and north-east England.

Storm Doris: 12 amber alerts issued as UK blasted by gales

2. US support helps Iraq forces storm Mosul airport

The Iraqi army, with backing from US jets, drones and gunships, has stormed Mosul's main airport and a nearby military base, state TV says. The operation to liberate the area, Islamic State's last remaining stronghold in the country, began on Sunday.

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

3. Children going hungry is a 'moral outrage', says food expert

Children going hungry during school holidays is a "moral outrage", government food poverty adviser Lindsay Graham says. She also told Sky News there had been "no government support for families and children on this issue". A cross-party group of MPs have ordered an inquiry into the rising demand for lunch clubs during school holidays.

4. Helen Bailey killer jailed for 34 years

Ian Stewart, the fiance of children's author Helen Bailey, has been jailed for a minimum of 34 years for her murder. The 56-year-old, who met Bailey on a bereavement website, killed her and hid her body in a cesspit beneath their house. Passing sentence on the 56-year-old Judge Andrew Bright QC said it was "difficult to imagine a more heinous crime".

5. Trump revokes rules on transgender toilets

US President Donald Trump has written to schools revoking previous guidance from the Obama administration that warned they might lose funding if they did not allow transgender pupils to use the toilet of the gender with which they identify. The guidance was already suspended after being blocked by a judge in Texas last summer.

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

6. Doris and Tories threaten Labour at by-elections

Local Labour Party campaign leaders fear Storm Doris and a "resurgent" Tory campaign could hit their election chances in Copeland and Stoke. Bad weather in Cumbria is expected to lower turn-out in Copeland, benefiting the Tories, while the race for Stoke was a "three-way marginal", said campaign chief Jack Dromey.

Jeremy Corbyn is a 'disaster', says Stephen Hawking

7. Bake Off's Nadiya to host own cookery show

Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain is to host her own cookery show on BBC2. Nadiya's British Food Adventure will see her take a road trip around the country, travelling from the Scottish Highlands to Devon in search of great examples of British food. She will also demonstrate recipes herself.

8. Rooney's agent in China to discuss move

Wayne Rooney's agent is in China to discuss a possible move for the Manchester United star. The BBC says it is "highly unlikely" that a deal will be reached before China's transfer window closes on 28 February , but says the fact talks are happening is a "clear indication" Old Trafford manager Jose Mourinho will let Rooney go.

England squad: Rooney out as Southgate picks 13 defenders

9. Net migration to UK falls below 300,000

Net migration to the UK has fallen below 300,000 for the first time in two years, according to the Office for National Statistics. In the year to September the figure was 273,000, down 49,000 on the previous year. While an estimated 596,000 people entered the country, 323,000 are thought to have left. The government's target figure for net migration is 100,000.

10. Briefing: 'Fake news is a weapon'

As the world comes to terms with Donald Trump's presidency, his tenuous grasp on reality means fake news is still, well, news, writes William Watkin of Brunel University. The problem is that as the term "fake news" is endlessly repeated, its use and meaning changes and institutions such as parliament and Facebook can't keep up.

'Fake news is a weapon that's been turned on the media'