10 things you need to know today: March 29, 2016

1. Hijacked EgyptAir flight flown to Cyprus, reportedly to see hijacker's estranged wife

Egyptian officials said early Tuesday that EgyptAir flight MS181 from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus. Cypriot officials identified the hijacker as Seif Eldin Mustafa, and President Nicos Anastasiades said the man, claiming to be wearing an explosive belt, appeared to be motivated by the prospect of reuniting with his estranged Cypriot wife. After the plane, an Airbus with 81 passengers aboard, landed at Larnaca airport in Cyprus, the hijacker allowed most passengers to disembark. He has reportedly now been arrested.

BBC News Associated Press

2. Man shot after drawing gun at Capitol Visitor Center

U.S. Capitol Police shot a man Monday after he allegedly drew a gun at the Capitol Visitor Center. The man allegedly pulled out the weapon when a metal detector beeped as he tried to get into the building, and a Capitol police officer then fired at him. No officers were injured, but a female bystander was injured by shrapnel. "We believe this is an act of a single person who has frequented the Capitol grounds before," said Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

CNN

3. FBI unlocks San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, drops case against Apple

The Justice Department said Monday that it was dropping its court effort to force Apple to help hack into an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorist attackers, Syed Rizwan Farook, because it had found its own way to unlock the smartphone. The FBI has started reviewing the phone's contents, but did not immediately say whether it had found anything significant.

The New York Times

4. Georgia governor vetoes 'religious liberty' bill

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) on Monday vetoed the state's "religious liberty" bill, which would have let faith-based organizations in the state deny services to gay people, citing religious beliefs. "We do not need to discriminate against anyone in order to protect the faith-based community in Georgia," Deal said. Religious conservatives were angered by the decision, noting that the bill had been "watered down" and did not apply to businesses.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

5. Pakistan starts three days of mourning for bombing victims

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared three days of mourning that started Monday for the victims of an apparent suicide bombing in a park where Christian families were celebrating Easter. More than 70 people, many of them children, died in the blast, which occurred near children's rides in a park in the heart of the city of Lahore. A Taliban faction claimed responsibility.

BBC News

6. Belgium releases man arrested as third Brussels airport bomber

Belgian prosecutors on Monday released a man who had been identified as a "third bomber" seen in a surveillance photo at the Brussels airport. Prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence to justify holding the man, Faycal Cheffou. A spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office said Cheffou remained under investigation, and the terrorism and murder charges against him remain, for now. Still, his release was the latest embarrassment for Belgian security following complaints it missed crucial clues before the attack.

Reuters The New York Times

7. Secret Service bans guns at GOP convention

The Secret Service said Monday that no guns would be allowed at July's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, effectively nullifying a petition that has gathered more than 42,000 signatures supporting allowing people to openly carry firearms at the event. The Secret Service settled the matter by saying that only law enforcement officers would be able to carry guns at the convention. None of the GOP presidential contenders — Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich — backed the petition. "All that matters is what the Secret Service says," Kasich said.

The Washington Post

8. Fidel Castro criticizes Obama's Cuba trip

Former Cuban president and revolutionary leader Fidel Castro said Monday that President Obama's "syrupy" call for brotherhood and friendly relations were enough to give Cubans "a heart attack." The statement came in an article addressed to "Brother Obama" in the Communist Party newspaper Granma. "We don't need any gifts from the empire," wrote Castro, who is 89 and in failing health. Obama did not meet with Fidel Castro during his historic three-day visit, but he appeared publicly several times with Castro's brother, President Raul Castro.

The Washington Post

9. North Carolina transgender law challenged in federal court

Two transgender people and a lesbian law professor filed a federal lawsuit on Monday over North Carolina's new law banning local anti-discrimination ordinances, saying it allows discrimination against gay and transgender people in the state. The Republican-controlled legislature passed the law in response to a Charlotte ordinance that would have let transgender people use the public restrooms corresponding to their gender identity. Gov. Pat McCrory's office said he "respects the right of any legal challenge," but accused critics of "distortion of the facts."

The Charlotte Observer

10. Batman v Superman smashes record for superhero box-office debut

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice set a host of records on its debut weekend, including biggest March opening, biggest Easter opening, biggest opening for a superhero movie at the international box office ($254 million), and biggest worldwide superhero opening ($420 million). The film, which raked in $166 million at the domestic box office this weekend, has been roasted by critics, and has just a 28 percent positive rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

CinemaBlend Forbes