10 things you need to know today: September 10, 2013

Rafael Nadal has now won 13 Grand Slam titles, the third most in men&#039;s tennis history.

(Image credit: (Mike Stobe/Getty Images))

last updated 8 January 2015

1. Syria says it will hand over its chemical weapons

President Obama is calling Russia's push for Syria to cede control of its chemical weapons a potential breakthrough, "if it is real." Russia embraced the idea after Secretary of State John Kerry mentioned it — seemingly off the cuff. Syria's foreign minister says his country will accept the deal. France is taking the proposal to the United Nations Security Council. Obama says if Syria complied the U.S. would hold off on airstrikes. The president will still address the nation Tuesday to press the case for force. [Reuters, AP, NBC News]

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Four men were convicted in India for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman who was attacked on a bus in New Delhi last year. The case triggered protests over the mistreatment of women in Indian society and pressured the government to toughen laws against sexual violence. The men will be sentenced on Wednesday. The victim's family has demanded the death penalty. A fifth defendant hanged himself in his cell. [The New York Times]

Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhones on Tuesday, possibly adding a faster iPhone 5S in more colors as well as a less-expensive model. Apple's stock has been falling due to increased competition for smartphone customers, so it is counting on the new devices to boost sales, says Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps. "It's been a long time since they introduced a new product," she says, "and the stakes are high." [Bloomberg]

New York City primary voters go to the polls Tuesday to pick their candidates in the November 5 election to replace outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Polls put the city's public advocate, Bill de Blasio, ahead in the Democratic primary by 14 percentage points, although he might have trouble getting the 40 percent he needs to avoid an October 1 run-off. Former congressman Anthony Weiner, derailed by yet another sexting scandal, trails far behind in the pack. [USA Today]

Hawaiian Gov. Neil Abercrombie is calling for a special legislative session next month to pass a bill legalizing gay marriage. Hawaii, a heavily Democratic state, already allows same-sex civil unions. In a statement released Monday, Abercrombie said the push is about "doing what is right to create equity for all in Hawaii." If the bill passes, Hawaii will be the 14th state to recognize gay marriages. [Reuters]

The Rice Diet Program in Durham, N.C., is shutting down for good after 70 years of operation. The center was temporarily closed in November but the owners had hoped to find a buyer to revive it. The Rice Diet was once among the country's best-known weight-loss centers, attracting celebrities such as Shelley Winters and Buddy Hackett. It lost customers in recent years as other diets and stomach surgeries became more popular. [Associated Press]

California political leaders have reached a deal to ease prison overcrowding. Federal judges have given the state until the end of the year to reduce the prison population of 120,000 by 8,000, by building new prisons or releasing inmates. Gov. Jerry Brown said Monday that lawmakers have agreed to spend up to $400 million on rehabilitation efforts instead, but that the judges will need to extend the deadline for the plan to work. [Reuters]

A newlywed woman, Jordan Linn Graham, was charged Monday with pushing her husband off a cliff to his death in July at Glacier National Park in Montana, just eight days after their wedding. The body of her husband, Cody L. Johnson, was found several days later. His family demanded an investigation, and prosecutors believe Graham was having second thoughts and shoved him over the edge in an argument during a hike. [CNN]

George Zimmerman, acquitted two months ago in Trayvon Martin's killing, was briefly taken into custody on Monday after his wife, Shellie, who has filed for divorce, told a 911 dispatcher that he was sitting outside her home with a gun. Lake Mary, Fla., police said Mrs. Zimmerman later said she never saw the gun and declined prosecution, so no charges would be filed. George Zimmerman said his wife was the aggressor. [CBS News]

Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic on Monday to win his second U.S. Open singles title. It was the third time that Nadal, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, and Djokovic, who is No. 1, had met in the men's final in four years. Last year, Nadal sat out the tournament nursing a bad knee. The win gave Nadal the 13th Grand Slam of his career, the third most in the history of men's tennis behind Roger Federer's 17 and Pete Sampras's 14. [ESPN]

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.

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