10 things you need to know today: August 4, 2013

1. WHITE HOUSE HOLDS MEETING OVER SERIOUS AL QAEDA THREATS

President Obama's top national security advisers met at the White House on Saturday to discuss the potential threat of terrorist attacks that caused the U.S. and its allies to issue travel warnings and close embassies throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The decision may be intended to interrupt al Qaeda's planning, former NSA and CIA Director Michael Hayden said on Fox News Sunday. [Reuters, Politico]

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2. MUGABE OFFICIALLY DECLARED WINNER OF ZIMBABWE ELECTION

Zimbabwe's longtime President Robert Mugabe has been officially declared the winner in elections that will give him another five-year term. Meanwhile, the opposition says the vote was rigged and the EU and the U.S. have expressed concern over Mugabe's continued despotic rule. [NPR]

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3. EGYPT PRESSES DEADLINE ON STANDOFF

Egypt is warning that the clock is ticking in the search for a peaceful end to the standoff over sit-ins by ousted President Mohammed Morsi's supporters, suggesting that authorities will break up the vigils unless ongoing mediation efforts produce results soon. The deposed leader's supporters have camped out in two Cairo squares since his July 3 ouster. [The Associated Press]

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4. ROUHANI SWORN IN AS NEW PRESIDENT OF IRAN

Iran's parliament has inaugurated cleric Hassan Rouhani as president. Rouhani won a surprise victory in June's election, gaining support by hinting at a more moderate stance than predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by making promises to end Iran's international isolation, get economic sanctions lifted, and free political prisoners. [BBC]

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5. PRESIDENT OF HONDURAS MILITARIZES THE COUNTRY'S MAIN PRISON

Honduran President Porfirio Lobo ordered the militarization of the country's main prison on Saturday after a gunfight there killed at least three gang members and injured 12 others. The aim of the measure is to "end the reign of criminals in our prison system," Lobo said in a statement. [The New York Times]

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6. CAR ON L.A. BOARDWALK KILLS ONE

Witnesses said a driver purposely and methodically plowed into crowds of people on Venice Boardwalk in Los Angeles Saturday evening, killing at least one person. Firefighters found 12 people wounded, with two people seriously hurt and two more critically injured. [CBS News]

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7. OBAMA ADMINISTRATION STOPS APPLE DEVICE BAN

The Obama administration halted a planned ban on the import and sale of older iPhones and Apple tablets that was ordered by the U.S. International Trade Commission. The order would have banned the sale of AT&T versions of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 3G, and iPad 2 3G for infringing on a patent held by Apple rival Samsung. [The Washington Post]

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8. IBT MEDIA TO BUY NEWSWEEK

IAC/InterActiveCorp has agreed to sell Newsweek to IBT Media, in the newsweekly's third ownership change in as many years. IAC plans to retain The Daily Beast. Under IAC's control, Newsweek ended a nearly 80-year run as a print publication, following years of declining print readership. [The Wall Street Journal]

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9. FORMER NBC NEWS ANCHOR DIES

Former NBC News anchor John Palmer died Saturday at age 77 from pulmonary fibrosis at George Washington University Hospital. Palmer worked for NBC over the course of 40 years until his retirement in 2002, during which time he was the White House Correspondent and anchored Today. [Huffington Post]

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10. RODRIGUEZ SEEKS MEETINGS AS SUSPENSION LOOMS

Despite a combative stand Friday night, Alex Rodriguez reportedly reached out to the commissioner's office and the Yankees directly to seek a meeting over a widely reported pending suspension for A-Rod's alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. The commissioner's office dismissed the request, and is sticking to a proposal that Rodriguez accept a suspension through the end of the 2014 season. [The New York Times]