10 things you need to know today: September 12, 2012

Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, shakes hands with Libyan National Transitional Council chair Mustafa Abdel Jalil on July 6, 2012: Stevens was killed in an attack on his veh

(Image credit: REUTERS/Ismail Zetounipher)

last updated 8 January 2015

1. U.S. AMBASSADOR KILLED IN LIBYA

Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three staff members were killed in the eastern city of Benghazi on Tuesday night amid riots over a YouTube clip that mocked Islam's Prophet Mohammad. Demonstrators fired gunshots and stormed the U.S. consulate. Stevens was killed as he was being rushed away to safety. Gunmen reportedly attacked his car with rockets, killing him and three members of the embassy staff riding with him. President Obama condemned the attack. "Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States," the president said in a statement. "Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people." The violence reportedly erupted over YouTube clips of a film, promoted by Koran-burning Florida pastor Terry Jones, that depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a womanizer, pedophile, and killer. The film also prompted several Egyptians to scale the wall of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and replace the U.S. flag with a black flag bearing the words "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger." [Associated Press, Reuters]

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A pair of devastating factory fires tore through two of Pakistan's biggest cities on Tuesday, killing at least 191 people. In the southern city of Karachi, the blaze killed 166 people, many of whom were unable to escape because the buildings did not have emergency exits and equipment like sprinklers and alarms. The cause of the fire is not known. In the eastern city of Lahore, at least 25 people died from a fire that broke out in a shoe factory. Local officials said that blaze was caused by a defunct generator. [Voice of America]

Europe might be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Germany's constitutional court blocked an attempt to strike down the 500-billion-euro permanent euro rescue fund, but also gave parliament veto powers to cap Germany's contribution. Austerity proponents had worried that Germany could end up giving unlimited bailouts to fellow European countries embroiled in debt. The much-anticipated verdict boosted global stocks, as investors were thrilled that the rescue fund could be put into action after being delayed for months, and potentially help alleviate the continent's long-running debt crisis. [BBC]

The teachers strike in Chicago will head into its third day on Wednesday — leaving more than 350,000 children without a classroom, after talks between the union and the country's third largest school district failed to result in a deal on Tuesday night. Karen Lewis, president of Chicago's teachers union, called the progress "glacial." "We have been working hard on evaluations all day. There has not been as much movement as we would hope," she added. "There’s been — let's put it this way, centimeters, and we're still kilometers apart." Among the sticking points: Pay raises for teachers, a longer school day and year, and judging teachers based on student performance on standardized tests. [CBS Chicago]

In a "highly unusual rebuff" to a U.S. ally, the White House said President Obama would not meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he stops in the U.S. later in the month. The cold-shoulder comes as tensions between the two countries increase over how to deal with Iran's nuclear program. An Israeli official said they were told the "president's schedule will not permit" a meeting when Netanyahu comes to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. The White House said it wasn't a snub, insisting the two leaders would not be in New York on the same days. [Reuters]

The breathlessly awaited iPhone 5 will debut on Wednesday, in a San Francisco presentation led by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook. Experts predict the device will have a new hardware design, including a larger screen and a thinner body, in addition to new mapping software. Industry analysts predict Apple could sell up to 10 million iPhone 5s by the end of September alone. The iPhone accounts for 70 percent of the company's profits. [Bloomberg]

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Mitt Romney's comment calling Russia the "number one geopolitical foe" of the U.S. has given the country justification to reject America's missile defense plans in Europe. The U.S. wants to place shields in several European locations to help defend against a possible attack from Iran, but Moscow sees the missile defense systems as a threat to its own security. Putin said Romney's remarks "strengthened Russia's positions in talks on this important and sensitive subject." [Associated Press]

Conservative shock jock Glenn Beck is coming back to television. The former Fox News host is expected to announce Wednesday that he signed a deal with Dish Network to bring his internet television program back to cable and satellite networks. The 300,000 existing subscribers to Beck's internet television network, TheBlaze TV, will still have access to the program even if they don't subscribe to Dish. [New York Times]

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