Top news: Supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy are holding rival rallies ahead of tomorrow's referendum on a new draft constitution. Opponents say the Islamist-backed draft would leave too much power in the hands of the president and allow religious authorities to infringe on civil liberties.
Cairo, Alexandria, and eight other provinces will vote on the draft tomorrow. The rest of the country will vote a week later. Tens of thousands of troops and police have been deployed to maintain order. Some opposition groups may boycott the referendum, which say they is being rammed through by the ruling Muslim Brotherhood.
A Cairo prosecutor is also accusing the president of applying political pressure in the investigation of deadly clashes outside the presidential palace last week.
U.S. politics: Amb. Susan Rice has ended her bid to become secretary of state.
Former Sen. Chuck Hagel has reportedly emerged as the leading candidate to be the next secretary of defense.
Asia
- The Taliban has taken credit for a bombing that killed three people at the Kandahar airfield.
- A group of Chinese academics and activists signed a letter urging senior officials to disclose their wealth.
- A mass rally was held in Pyongyang to celebrate Wednesday's rocket launch.
Middle East
- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed an order deploying U.S. troops to man Patriot missile batteries in Turkey.
- Hamas held a rally in the West Bank to mark its 25th anniversary.
- Israel's attorney general is planning to charge Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman with fraud.
Europe
- The European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of a former CIA detainee who had sued the Macedonian government for turning him over the U.S. custody, where he was tortured.
- European leaders agreed on new measures to tackle the debt crisis amid renewed tensions between France and Germany.
- President Vladimir Putin is supporting a bill that would penalize U.S. judges for the abuse of adopted Russian children.
Africa
- Mali swore in a new interim prime minister just days after his predecessor was arrested by the military and forced to resign.
- A car bombing in Mogadishu targeted an African Union peacekeeping convoy.
- The mother of Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was freed, five days after she was kidnapped.
Americas
- Software tycoon John McAfee, wanted for questioning over a murder in Belize, arrived back in the United States after being deported from Guatemala.
- Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush has he will not resign after being arrested on corruption charges.
- Cuban lawmakers are discussing economic reforms at their twice-annual assembly.
PATRICK BAZ/AFP/Getty Images
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