Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 20 Jul 2016

1. May to tell Merkel: 'We need time for Brexit'

Theresa May flies to Berlin today for private talks with Angela Merkel during which she will confirm the UK will not trigger the formal Article 50 process to leave the EU this year. The two women will enjoy a working dinner before May flies to Paris tomorrow to meet President Francois Hollande.

Brexit: Theresa May says ‘trust me’ to deliver

2. Trump secures Republican nomination

Donald Trump is now the official Republican candidate for the US presidency after the traditional roll call of states at the party's convention in Ohio. The property tycoon, who was treated as a joke when he first stood and is not backed by some party grandees, makes his victory speech on Thursday.

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Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

3. Johnson grilled at first official press conference

Boris Johnson was subjected to a humiliating grilling from journalists about his past remarks about world leaders at a press conference in London with US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday. The Foreign Secretary said his comments, mostly made in his columns for The Spectator and Daily Telegraph, had been taken out of context.

Boris Johnson stands by Saudi Arabia remarks on Riyadh visit

4. Turkey coup: Crackdown hits 50,000

More than 50,000 people have been arrested, sacked or suspended from their jobs in Turkey as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rounds up those he blames for a failed coup last weekend. Detainees include teachers, academics and members of the media while every university dean in the country has been ordered to resign.

Turkey suspends 12,800 police officers from duty

5. Officer stabbed in Hyde Park water fight

A police officer was stabbed when a spontaneous water fight in London's Hyde Park turned violent last night. An "increasingly large crowd became hostile to police" just before 9pm last night, said the Met Police. Another officer was hit by a bottle and two members of the public were stabbed.

6. Hottest June since 1880 as warming continues

Last month was the hottest June worldwide since 1880 and the 14th consecutive month to be the hottest since records began, say US agencies Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The month was 0.9 degrees warmer than the 20th century average and 0.02 degrees more than last year. It has now been 40 years since there was a June which was cooler than the average.

7. Soldier dies on Brecon Beacons training run

A soldier has died while on a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons on the hottest day of the year. Joshua Hoole, a 26-year-old corporal from Lockerbie, was taken ill during an eight-mile run, part of pre-course training for the platoon sergeants' battle course. Emergency services were called to the Dering Lines infantry training centre at around 9am on Tuesday but could not save him.

Soldier dies in Brecon Beacons on hottest day of year

8. Theresa May makes confident debut at PMQs

Theresa May made a confident debut at Prime Minister's Questions, clashing with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and comparing him to an "unscrupulous boss" who "doesn't listen to his workers". She also restated her belief that net migration needed to be reduced to less than 100,000 a year and defended the costs of staffing the government department responsible for Brexit.

9. Pretty Woman's Garry Marshall dies aged 81

Pretty Woman director Garry Marshall, who also created the hit TV show Happy Days, has died at the age of 81 after suffering from pneumonia following a stroke. The renowned producer gave comedian Robin Williams his break-out role in the sci-fi sitcom Mork and Mindy.

10. Briefing: Donald Trump reels in Hillary Clinton

As Donald Trump gets the Republican National Convention under way, polls show he is gaining ground on rival Hillary Clinton. The latest national polling shows the gap between the bombastic billionaire and the former US secretary of state has narrowed in recent weeks, according to the RealClearPolitics tracker. Clinton has the support of 43.8 per cent of the electorate and Trump has 41.1.

Donald Trump sued by two states over business links