Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 17 Jul 2016

1. Cleric claims Erdogan 'staged' failed Turkey coup

Fethullah Gülen, the cleric blamed by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the failed coup, has said the uprising by members of the country’s military could have been “staged” by the government. Nearly 3,000 soldiers have been detained and some 2,700 judges sacked as the government re-asserts power. Tens of thousands have marched through the streets of Turkey in support of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

2. Brexiteers rejoice as Australia calls for free trade deal with UK

Australia has called for a free trade deal with Britain. New PM Theresa May described the news as "very encouraging" and argued that it showed Brexit can work for Britain. Her Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull told her he urgently wants to open up trading between the two countries. New international trade secretary Liam Fox said he is already "scoping about a dozen free trade deals".

3. Questions raised over security at Nice firework display

As few as 50 officers were deployed to protect 30,000 people gathered to watch the Nice fireworks display where a 19-ton truck crushed at least 84 people to death, a French politician has claimed. Meanwhile, reports claim French authorities withdrew police vans blocking off the promenade hours before the attack. France has called up 12,000 police reservists to help boost security.

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4. Leadership hopeful Smith to warn Labour could crumble

Owen Smith is to launch his bid to be Labour leader with a warning that the party risks "falling apart" if it does not act "like a proper team". The former shadow work and pensions secretary, who joins Angela Eagle in the race against Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, says his plan to invest £200bn into building projects is what is needed to "rebuild Britain".

5. Donald Trump insists Pence was his 'first choice'

Donald Trump says his vice presidential running mate Mike Pence is "a man of character, honour and honesty". At the unveiling in New York, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said Pence was a "solid, solid person" - and he insisted the Indiana governor was his "first choice" to join him on the ticket. However, Trump is reported to have wavered, at one stage preferring Chris Christie.

6. Word 'fire' heard in cockpit of doomed EgyptAir 804

The word “fire” is audible on the cockpit voice recorder of EgyptAir 804 before the plane crashed into the Mediterranean in May, an Egyptian-led investigative committee announced yesterday. The data recorder previously retrieved from the crash site confirmed that smoke alarms had sounded onboard, while soot on wreckage indicates a fire. The search for the remains of passengers has ended.

7. Theresa May factor 'will help UK skirt a recession'

The UK economy will narrowly dodge a recession following the Brexit vote, even as growth slows to the weakest pace since the financial crisis. The EY ITEM Club said the political stability brought by the rapid appointment of new PM Theresa May would boost confidence, though it warned that the decision to leave the EU will end a five-year jobs boom and push down house prices.

8. UK rabbit owners warned over deadly virus

Authorities are warning rabbit owners a highly contagious, mutated virus which kills pets within days and has no UK vaccine. An estimated 400 rabbits have died in the last six months from a strain of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD2) that is new to Britain, but this could be “the tip of the iceberg”, with up to 80% of unexplained deaths unrecorded.

9. David Davis sounds warning for new EU migrants

The newly-appointed Brexit minister says EU migrants who arrive between now and the UK's departure could be sent home to prevent a last-minute rush to Britain. David Davis wants to secure "a generous settlement for EU migrants here now and a generous settlement for British citizens in the EU" - but this may not apply to newcomers. “There are a variety of possibilities,” he said.

10. Michael Jackson 'wanted to wed 11-year-old Emma Watson'

Michael Jackson wanted to marry Harry Potter actress Emma Watson when she was 11 years old, the medic blamed for his death has claimed. Dr Conrad Murray, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s death in 2011, claims that the singer also wanted to marry the 12-year-old daughter of a British friend, who he met when she was five.