The 10 most important things in the world right now

Cyrus Engineer,Cyrus EngineerDec 16, 2015, 12:26 IST

Chinese Paramilitary guards stand on the stairs after Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (R), Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and UAE's deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces leaves the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on December 14, 2015.Reuters/Fred Dufour

Good morning! Here's what you need to know on Wednesday.

1. People are seriously discussing whether iPhone sales have gone into decline for the first time ever. In recent days multiple analysts have raised concerns of sales dropping in the coming quarters.

2. Every school in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was closed on Tuesday because of what officials described as a "credible" threat of violence against the district.

3. Donald Trump responded to audience members who booed a comment about his strategy to deal with the Islamic State group during Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate.

4. Islamic State is looking at potentially vulnerable oil assets in Libya and elsewhere outside its Syria stronghold, where the militant group controls about roughly 80 percent of the oil and gas fields, a senior US official said on Tuesday.

5. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has revealed the two quotes that influence how she spends her time.

6. British astronaut Tim Peake has boarded the International Space Station, where he will spend the next six months, after blasting off from Earth on Tuesday morning.

7. Eight people were injured after a Southwest Airlines jet skidded off the runway at Nashville International Airport in Tennessee.

8. Deutsche Bank has set out its European investment strategy for 2016 in a note sent out to clients.

9. The UK division of Starbucks UK has reported higher profits for the year ending September 27, even as its tax payment to Britain decreased by as much as 28 percent.

10. Hundreds of women are suing a celebrity-endorsed shampoo brand for allegedly causing bald spots and rashes.

And finally ...'House of Cards' debuted a new ad during the CNN Republican presidential debate on Tuesday night.