10 things you need to know today: April 12, 2015

1. President Obama, Raul Castro sit down in historic meeting

President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro on Saturday met on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas, marking the first sit-down between leaders of the two nations in a half-century. "It was my belief it was time to try something new, that it was important for us to engage with the Cuban government," Obama said shortly after the meeting. For his part, Castro noted that the two countries have "agreed to disagree," on certain points, but that Cuba is prepared to discuss issues such as freedom of the press and human rights in a bid to "make progress." Obama and Castro had already given several nods toward the meeting at the summit; the two shook hands on Friday night, and each called for cooperation between their countries in speeches at the summit.

The New York Times AFP

2. Hillary Clinton to launch presidential campaign Sunday

After years of buildup and tongue-in-cheek proto-campaigning, Hillary Clinton is expected to on Sunday formally announce her 2016 candidacy for the White House. Clinton will make expanding the middle class the focal point of her platform, much in the way Obama did in 2012, according to senior advisers to the former secretary of state who previewed the rollout to The Associated Press. Clinton is expected to make the official announcement on social media, and then follow up the long-awaited move with campaign stops over the next week in the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

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The Associated Press

3. Pope Francis calls Armenian slaughter 'genocide'

Pope Francis on Sunday described the mass killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians as the "first genocide of the twentieth century." Speaking during a ceremonial Mass to mark the centennial of the killings, the pontiff, citing a declaration from his predecessor John Paul II, called it the first of "three massive and unprecedented tragedies," adding that, "A century has passed since that horrific massacre which was a true martyrdom." Turkey, which continues to deny the genocide ever took place, immediately summoned a Vatican ambassador to explain the remarks.

The Guardian BBC

4. Egypt sentences American citizen to life in prison

An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced an American citizen, Mohamed Soltan, to life in prison for participating in a protest in support of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. The court sentenced nearly three dozen other defendants to life in jail for their ties to the group, and handed down death sentences for another dozen, including Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie.

Reuters The New York Times

5. Saudi Arabia brushes off Iranian call for ceasefire

Saudi Arabia on Sunday rebuffed Iran's request that it halt airstrikes in Yemen aimed at halting the advance of the Iranian-affiliated Houthi militia. "We came to Yemen to help the legitimate authority, and Iran is not in charge of Yemen," Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said. Since last month, a Saudi-led coalition has launched strikes in Yemen to aid the embattled government.

Reuters

6. U.S. Capitol locked down following suicide

The U.S. Capitol on Saturday was locked down "as a precautionary measure" following an apparent suicide near the West Front of the complex, according to a Capitol spokesperson. An unidentified man carrying a backpack and rolling suitcase walked onto public grounds near the building before shooting himself, and police initially treated his luggage as a suspicious package. After investigating the incident, authorities determined there was "no nexus to terrorism," Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine said.

CNN

7. More than 100 injured in Kenya university stampede

One student died and an estimated 141 were injured on Sunday after a stampede broke out over a mistaken terror scare at a university in Kenya. Students mistook the sound of an electrical transformer exploding late at night for a bomb, triggering a panic and leading some to leap from high windows in their dorms. The nation has been on edge since earlier this month when the Islamist group al-Shabab killed 148 students at a college in northern Kenya.

BBC USA Today

8. Rapper Nelly arrested on drug charges

Rapper Nelly was arrested in Tennessee on Saturday after police uncovered drugs during a traffic stop of his tour bus. Nelly and five others were in the bus when state troopers pulled it over for not displaying required stickers from the Transportation Department and the International Fuel Tax Association. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed "five colored crystal-type rocks" that tested as methamphetamine, according to a police statement, as well as marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and several handguns. Nelly, real name Cornell Haynes, was charged with felony possession of drugs, simple possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Washington Post

9. Jordan Spieth atop leaderboard for final day of Masters

With the final round of the Masters set to get underway Sunday, Jordan Spieth held a four-shot lead over the competition at 16-under-par. Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson surged toward the top of the leaderboard on Saturday to finish at four and five shots back, respectively, while Tiger Woods climbed into a fifth-place tie at six-under-par. Spieth finished the first two rounds at 14-under-par, setting a record for the lowest score through the first two rounds of the tournament.

NBC

10. Ian McKellen joins live-action Beauty and the Beast reboot

British actor Ian McKellen has signed on to play Cogsworth, a magical talking clock, in Disney's live-action reboot of the 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast, according to Variety. The film, which has a March 2017 release date, will also star Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, and Josh Gad.

Variety