Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 6 Jul 2015

1. Eurozone awaits debt proposals from Greece

Eurozone finance ministers are waiting for new proposals from Greece over its debt repayments ahead of crisis talks on Tuesday. Greece voted 61% to 39% against accepting a bailout deal from EU creditors on Sunday. Global financial markets have fallen over fears that Greece is heading for an exit from the euro.

Greece finally reaches deal to release €12bn bailout funds

2. Osborne to cut benefits cap to £20,000

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced a cut in the benefits cap which he says will form part of £12bn savings from the welfare budget promised in the Conservative election manifesto. Previewing the budget he will unveil on Wednesday, Osborne said the £23,000 benefits cap in the manifesto would apply only in London.

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July Budget 2015: George Osborne's key announcements

3. Serious injuries in Brighton city centre bus crash

Two men have suffered "life-threatening" injuries and three others have been seriously hurt after a bus crash in Brighton city centre. Two victims had to be cut from the wreckage and a total of 13 people were taken to hospital after the incident in North Street near Brighton's main shopping area. Others were treated at the scene.

4. Two killed by lightning in Brecon Beacons

Two people have died after two separate lightning strikes in the Brecon Beacons. In one incident, lightning hit a party of three walkers near the Pen y Fan mountain in Powys. Two were severely injured and were taken by helicopter to hospital in Merthyr Tydfil. One died later. Another person was killed in a separate strike.

What are the chances of being struck by lightning?

5. Greek finance minister Varoufakis steps down

Greece’s finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, who had campaigned for a No vote in Sunday’s referendum, has stepped down despite winning the vote, saying he had been told his leather-jacketed presence at talks with EU creditors was a stumbling block. He wrote on his blog: “I shall wear the creditors’ loathing with pride.”

6. ‘Life on comet’ say Rosetta probe scientists

Astronomers studying data recorded by the Philae lander, dropped by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta probe onto a comet, say they may have found evidence of microbial life beneath the comet’s icy surface. And Rosetta itself is said to have picked up strange clusters of organic material which resemble viral particles.

Rosetta researchers find 'building blocks of life' on comet

7. Rory McIlroy ruptures ankle ligaments ahead of Open

British golfer Rory McIlroy may not be able to defend his title at The Open at St Andrews next week after rupturing ankle ligaments during a football kickabout withe friends on Saturday. The 26-year-old broke the news in a social media post that showed him wearing a surgical boot on his left foot.

McIlroy to miss The Open after rupturing ankle ligaments

8. More hot weather for UK - after the storms

Forecasters are predicting more hot weather for the UK - after a series of storms over the northern half of Britain. Heavy rain is expected until Wednesday in the north and west of England and in Wales and Scotland - while elsewhere stays warm and dry. Hotter weather with highs of 26C in London will come on Thursday or Friday.

9. England footballers return home to FA 'sexism' row

The England women's football team has returned from the World Cup in Canada, where they finished third. Their welcome was overshadowed by a row over a "sexist" tweet from the @England Twitter account, run by the Football Association, which said the female players could now return to their roles as "mothers, partners and daughters".

Women's World Cup: Lloyd hat-trick seals US triumph

10. Briefing: how will charter renewal change the BBC?

Last week the BBC said it will cut as many as 1,000 jobs as it tries to fill a £150m hole in its finances caused by fewer people paying the licence fee. These job losses could be just the beginning. Some expect George Osborne's latest cuts to government spending to include measures that would amount to another £800m raid on the Beeb. And all this comes before high-stakes discussions over the renewal of the organisation's Royal Charter next year, which could have profound implications for the way the BBC is governed

Slimming down: Why BBC is dropping 11,000 recipes