10 things you need to know today: July 10, 2012

1. EGYPT'S PARLIAMENT MEETS, DEFIES GENERALS

Defying the country's military rulers, Egypt's parliament convened briefly on Tuesday in its first session since a court ordered it dissolved in June. The legislature met for less than an hour, but the power struggle between Egypt's military and newly elected President Mohamed Morsi, who ordered that parliament reconvene, is intensifying. Some legislators were positive on the meeting, saying it "filled a legislative vacuum in the country," while one said that "the president's decree created a crisis." The Muslim Brotherhood has called for a large-scale protest on Tuesday to demonstrate support for Morsi. Despite it all, Monique El-Faizy with the World Policy Institute says a full-blown confrontation between Egypt's military leaders and Morsi is unlikely. [CNN]

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2. COURT ACQUITS FORMER ISRAELI PM OLMERT

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was acquitted on two corruption charges on Tuesday, but convicted on a smaller charge of breach of trust and fraud. The corruption charges included an allegation that he had taken bribes, an accusation that led him to step down in 2008. [Washington Post]

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3. SPAIN'S BANKS GET $36 BILLION BAILOUT

Early Tuesday, eurozone finance ministers agreed on the terms of a bailout plan for Spain's troubled banks, promising that 30 billion euros ($36.88 billion) will be available to the banks by the end of July. Later Tuesday, finance ministers are also expected to extend, by one year, a deadline for Spain to achieve a 3 percent budget deficit. The amount of the total bailout will not be known until later in the year, after Spain's banks are individually examined, but the amount is estimated to be about 100 billion euros. [Associated Press]

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4. WASHINGTON MONUMENT MAY BE CLOSED FOR YEARS

The National Park Service says the Washington Monument could stay closed into 2014 to repair damage from a 5.8 magnitude earthquake last August. The work is expected to cost $15 million and begin in September. It will require that the landmark's exterior be covered in scaffolding. [Reuters]

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5. ICC SENTENCES CONGOLESE WARLORD

The International Criminal Court has sentenced Thomas Lubanga to 14 years in prison for recruiting and using child soldiers in his Union of Congolese Patriots Militia in 2002-2003. Lubanga was found guilty in March, and Tuesday's sentencing marked the first time the tribunal has sentenced someone convicted of war crimes. [Associated Press]

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6. KIM JONG UN'S "MYSTERY WOMAN" FUELS RUMORS

A petite young woman seen by the side of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at recent events has scholars debating whether she's his wife, a sister, or a lover. Her presence is said to be quite unusual and could be part of a larger plan to portray Kim as "much more approachable, human-like, and soft on people" than his late father. [CNN]

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7. HOLMES, CRUISE REACH DIVORCE SETTLEMENT

Katie Holmes' attorney reports that less than two weeks after his client filed for divorce from Tom Cruise, a settlement has been reached. Details have not been disclosed, but both Cruise and Holmes said in separate statements that protecting their 6-year-old daughter, Suri, was their priority. [People]

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8. JUDGE DISMISSES ARMSTRONG'S SUIT

Just hours after it was filed, a judge dismissed Lance Armstrong's lawsuit against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Last month, the organization accused the seven-time Tour de France winner of taking part in a huge doping operation. Armstrong's suit alleged that the USADA "had engaged in an obsessive, unlawful, and meritless campaign to strip him of his Tour titles and ruin his legacy." [Washington Post]

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9. JUDGE RULES WITH SAMSUNG IN APPLE CASE

In a patent war victory for Samsung, a British judge ruled Monday that the Korean company's Galaxy tablets do not infringe on the designs of Apple's iPad. It's something of a bitter victory, though: The judge said that the Galaxy tablets are just "not as cool" as the iPad and "do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design." [NPR]

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10. STUDY: KIDS WITH DOGS, CATS HEALTHIER

A new Finnish study has found that children with cats or dogs in the home get fewer respiratory infections in their first year of life. Researchers speculate that pets may strengthen a child's immune system by bringing dirt into the house. [MSNBC]