10 things you need to know today: July 9, 2013

Mohamed Morsi supporters rally near the place where over 50 were purported to have been killed by members of the Egyptian military and police in early morning clashes on July 8 in Cairo.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

1. EGYPT'S INTERIM LEADERS PROMISE A PROMPT RETURN TO DEMOCRACY

Egypt's interim president, Adly Mansour, on Tuesday outlined a timetable for new elections that was faster than expected. The plan calls for a referendum on amendments to Egypt's suspended constitution, followed by parliamentary elections, and finally the selection of a new president, all in the space of about six months. The move came after soldiers killed more than 50 Islamists protesting the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi, who was elected a year ago in Egypt's first free elections. [New York Times]

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The three young women held captive and allegedly raped over a decade in a Cleveland house have released a video thanking the public for supporting them since they were freed in May. "It has been a blessing to have such an outpouring of love and kindness," says Amanda Berry, echoing the words of the other young women, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, in their first public statements since their rescue. The Courage Fund, which was established to help them, has raised more than $1 million. [CNN]

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Monday that he would not run for re-election next year, setting up the first open race for governor in the state since 1990. "The time has come to pass on the mantle of leadership," said Perry, who has been in office since 2000 and is already the state's longest serving governor. Perry, who ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, left open the possibility that he would make another run for the White House. [USA Today]

Eighteen people were injured early Tuesday by a bomb that exploded in a Hezbollah stronghold outside Beirut, fueling fear that Syria's civil war is increasingly spilling over into neighboring Lebanon. Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese Shiite Muslim militant group, has sent fighters to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces battle rebels, and some experts have been predicting the group would face retaliatory attacks on its home turf. [New York Times]

The death toll from an oil train derailment in a small Quebec town rose sharply on Monday. Five bodies were found over the weekend, but another eight were discovered after firefighters managed to douse the massive fire that erupted when the train's 73 tanker cars came loose early Saturday, and sped downhill nearly seven miles into the town of Lac-Megantic, near the Maine border. Another 50 people are still missing. [Associated Press]

A leaked report commissioned by Pakistan's government concluded that Osama bin Laden managed to hide out in the country for nine years because of the "gross incompetence" within the country's military and intelligence network. The 337-page report by the Abbottabad Commission included some insights into the late al Qaeda leader's life on the run, saying he wore a cowboy hat to escape "detection from above," and personally supervised his grandchildren's education and play time. [Aljazeera]

President Obama is considering speeding up the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan following increasing clashes with the country's president, Hamid Karzai, U.S. and European officials tell The New York Times. Obama has been negotiating with the Afghan government about leaving behind a "residual force" to help the local military and police provide security, but he is reportedly increasingly considering the so-called "zero option," leaving no U.S. troops there after next year. [New York Times]

The White House announced Monday that the federal deficit for the current fiscal year would shrink to $759 billion, $200 billion less than forecast in April. The adjustment reflects extra tax revenue from the improving economy, as well as the so-called sequester spending reductions the White House had hoped to avoid. The mid-session update usually provokes a great deal of comment, but Republicans largely ignored it as Congress prepares for tough negotiations on further spending cuts. [Reuters]

Country singer Randy Travis, 54, is in critical condition in a Texas hospital, where he is being treated for viral cardiomyopathy, a heart condition caused by a virus. The North Carolina-born singer — known for songs such as "Three Wooden Crosses," "Forever and Ever," "Amen," "Diggin' Up Bones," and "Deeper Than the Holler" — has been bouncing back recently after a tough 2012 that included a naked DUI charge and an alleged fight in a church parking lot. [ABC News]

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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