10 things you need to know today: July 23, 2012

1. IRAQ HAS DEADLIEST DAY THIS YEAR, 103 DEAD

Officials report that at least 103 people were killed in Iraq Monday in a rash of shootings and bombings, making for the country's deadliest day so far this year. The violent acts appear to have been coordinated and come just a few days after an al Qaeda leader released a statement warning that the terrorist group was launching a fresh offensive and returning to parts of the country from which it had retreated before U.S. troops left at the end of 2011. "The majority of the Sunnis in Iraq support al Qaeda and are waiting for its return," said Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the militant group's Iraqi affiliate said. [Associated Press]

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2. OBAMA VISITS GRIEVING AURORA, COLO.

President Obama was in Aurora, Colo., Sunday, offering his sympathy and support to the survivors and the family and friends of the victims of the movie theater shooting rampage that left 12 dead and dozens injured on Friday. The president visited individually with victims' families and those recovering in area hospitals. After meeting at one hospital, he told a group of gathered reporters "that words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations... my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that we are thinking about them." James Holmes, the 24-year-old suspect in the shooting, is set to appear in court on Monday. [CNN]

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3. NCAA TO ISSUE SANCTIONS AGAINST PENN STATE

The NCAA is set to issue sanctions against Penn State University on Monday in the aftermath of the child sex abuse scandal and reports that top university officials worked to conceal abuse allegations. The athletic body announced its plans to sanction Penn State on Sunday, the same day that a campus statue of late football coach Joe Paterno was taken down. NCAA President Mark Emmert has said he has "never seen anything as egregious" as what occurred at Penn State. It's possible the the NCAA could move to shut down the school's football program in its entirety. [Associated Press]

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4. ARAB LEAGUE OFFERS ASSAD SAFE HAVEN TO RESIGN

A senior Arab League official says the organization plans to offer Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a "safe exit" if he quickly steps down and leaves Syria. In recent months, various nations have unsuccessfully offered Assad asylum in exchange for his resignation. One analyst says that there is "absolutely zero" likelihood that Assad will accept such a deal. On Sunday, 111 people reportedly died in violence across Syria. [CNN]

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5. SPANISH FEARS DRAG MARKETS DOWN

The euro hit a new two-year low Monday, and markets are down amid mounting fears of a Spanish bailout. The yield on Spain's benchmark 10-year bond has risen to 7.45 percent, leaving investors fearing that Spain will follow in the footsteps of Greece, Ireland, and Portugal and require a major national bailout. Spain's troubled banks have already been granted a $100 billion bailout. [Wall Street Journal]

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6. ELS WINS BRITISH OPEN

South African Ernie Els won golf's British Open Sunday after leader Adam Scott stumbled badly in the final four holes with bogey after bogey. It's the second British Open title for Els, who has also twice won the U.S. Open. It would have been the first major championship for Scott, a 32-year-old Australian. [Associated Press]

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7. DEATH TOLL FROM BEIJING RAIN STORM RISES TO 37

The Beijing city government said that as of Sunday, 37 people had been confirmed dead in the heaviest rain storms to hit the city in six decades. Twenty-five people drowned, while others died when they were electrocuted by fallen power lines, caught in collapsed buildings, or, in one case, struck by lightning. The deaths are raising questions about the basic infrastructure in the rapidly growing modern city and throughout China. [Associated Press]

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8. CANON TO SELL MIRRORLESS CAMERA

Canon has announced that it's developing the Canon M, its first mirrorless camera. Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and Nikon already make mirrorless cameras, which offer photographers the compact convenience of a point and shoot camera with image quality near to that of a digital DSLR. Canon's latest has an interchangeable lens, and will be able to use old Canon lenses with an adapter. [USA Today]

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9. TWILIGHT WINS 41ST TEEN CHOICE AWARDS

The Twilight Saga picked up two trophies at Sunday's Teen Choice Awards, bringing its grand total over the years at the awards ceremony to 41. Other big winners included The Hunger Games, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and Emma Stone. [Associated Press]

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10. FIRST BRIT WINS TOUR DE FRANCE

Thirty-two year old Bradley Wiggins won cycling's Tour de France Sunday. He's the first British winner of the race, and is a main contender to win road race gold at the Olympics in London, which begin on Friday. [Associated Press]