Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 16 Jul 2016

1. Erdogan 'at the helm' after Turkey coup attempt

Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is “at the helm”, after an army group claimed it took over the country. Erdogan was seen surrounded by cheering supporters, saying in a live television speech that the coup attempt was an "act of treason" and the army must be cleansed. Sixty people died during overnight clashes, many of them civilians, and 754 soldiers were arrested.

Turkey suspends 12,800 police officers from duty

2. May won't trigger article 50 without UK-wide approach

Theresa May says she will not trigger article 50 until “a UK-wide approach” has been agreed for negotiations to leave the European Union. The prime minister was speaking after a nearly hour-long meeting with Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has pledged to consider all options for maintaining Scotland’s membership of the EU, including a second independence referendum.

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3. Congress releases new pages from the 9/11 report

The United States has released previously classified documents about whether the Saudi government had a role in the September 11 terror attacks. The pages, released by Congress, show no officials links between the Saudi government and the hijackers. But the report found it was probable that the attackers had financial help from people inside the kingdom.

4. Bank of England 'must use a sledgehammer' in August

The Bank of England must act “promptly as well as muscularly” with a package of measures to soften the blow from Brexit, its chief economist has urged. Andy Haldane said that it would be better to take a “sledgehammer” to shore up confidence than “a miniature rock hammer”. So far, three of the Bank’s nine rate-setters have publicly supported decisive central bank action in August.

5. Thousands lose holidays after operator collapses

Thousands of people will lose their summer holidays and face a protracted struggle to secure a refund after a tour operator was placed in administration yesterday. Administrators for the Low Cost Travel Group say no one should be left stranded overseas because all flights home have already been paid for. The collapsed company’s brands include Low Cost Holidays, Hoteling.com and Lowcostbeds.com.

6. General fears Chilcot will rob Britain of 'fighting spirit'

Britain is in danger of losing its fighting spirit after the Chilcot report, says the retiring head of the army. General Sir Nick Houghton said: “We must not allow [the report] to allow us to indulge in the thought that there are easy ways to win wars.” He added that Britain "must not learn a false lesson about these wars that leads to paralysis of inaction because the risk is too high".

7. Remains found at home of missing children's author

Human remains have been found at the home of a children's author believed to have been murdered. Helen Bailey, 51, who penned the Electra Brown series for teenagers, was last seen walking her dog near her home in Hertfordshire, on 11 April. The remains were found after search teams returned to her house on Monday. A 55-year-old man has been re-arrested on suspicion of murder.

8. Tesco 'has the fastest checkout queues' finds study

Tesco has the fastest supermarket checkouts in Britain, according to a queuing test by consumer watchdog Which? The study found it takes just two minutes and 43 seconds for a shopper to go from the back of the line to packing their bag at Britain’s biggest grocer. Queues at Asda were almost five times slower with a lengthy 12 minute and 48 second wait for the till.

9. Arrest made over Angela Eagle death threats

A man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill after an email was sent to the Labour MP Angela Eagle, who announced her leadership challenge on Monday. A police spokeswoman said: “A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill. The arrest comes after an email was sent to the account of Wallasey MP Angela Eagle."

10. Scientists investigate whether bees have regional accents

Have you ever wondered if bees have regional accents? Scientists are researching whether bees buzz at a higher or lower pitch depending on their location. The sound associated with bees is produced by the fast vibration of wings, most commonly when the insects are in mid-flight. “Could bees be making different noises depending on where their hive is?” asked a professor.