The 10 most important things in the world right now
REUTERS/U.S. Dept of Defense/HandoutU.S. Marines jump from a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter into the Gulf of Aden near the USS Iwo Jima during a training exercise in this undated Department of Defense photo released June 10, 2015. Hello! Here's what you need to know for Thursday.
1. S&P downgraded Greece's credit rating on Wednesday to reflect the agency's view that in the absence of a deal between Greece and its creditors, the country will likely default within 12 months.
2. South Korea cut its key interest rate to a historic low of 1.5% as the MERS outbreak threatens to slow the economy.
3. Police shut down a stretch of road in upstate New York to investigate a lead involving the escape of two convicted murderers from a maximum-security prison over the weekend.
4. FIFA on Wednesday suspended bidding for the 2026 World Cup and handed over computer data to Swiss police investigating the 2018 and 2022 World Cup vote amid a corruption scandal.
5. US President Barack Obama authorised sending hundreds of more troops to Iraq to help government forces retake territory seized by Islamic State.
6. A Texas police officer who pointed a gun at unarmed black teenagers at a pool party claims he was stressed from responding to suicide calls before the incident.
7. Three Polish ministers and the country's parliamentary speaker have resigned after secret recordings involving discussions of private deals and promotions were leaked.
8. Chinese hackers who attacked the databases of the US Office of Personnel Management may have obtained the names of Chinese with ties to the US government that Beijing could use for blackmail.
9. Attendees of the 10-day UN Climate talks in Bonn, which finish on Thursday, have worked on a draft centred on the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) above pre-Industrial Revolution levels.
10. Pope Francis approved the creation of a Vatican tribunal to punish bishops suspected of covering up child abuse in the most stringent step yet to hold clergy accountable in paedophilia cases.
And finally ...