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The US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed when local militia assaulted Washington’s consulate in Benghazi. President Barack Obama has condemned the attack.

Reports from various sources paint an unclear picture of the circumstances surrounding Ambassador John Christopher Steven’s death.

A group of extremist militia members stormed Benghazi’s US consulate on Tuesday night. Stevens may not have been killed in the Tuesday night assault, however, but rather when a second mob attacked his motorcade as it was leaving Benghazi Wednesday morning, the Guardian said.

Libyan officials alleged that Islamist militants fired rockets at Steven’s car, killing him and three other embassy staffers. Witnesses cited by local media claimed that members of the hardline Islamist group Ansar Al-Sharia were among the ranks of the attackers.

President Obama and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen have roundly condemned the attack, and mourned Steven’s death.

“Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi,”Obama said in a statement.

“We apologise to the United States, the people and to the whole world for what happened,” interim Libyan president Mohammed Magarief said in a news conference. “We confirm that no one will escape from punishment and questioning.”

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A British artist becomes an online hit after he created a remarkable drawing of the Lower Manhattan skyline as seen from the top of the Empire State building. Video of the drawing process posted on YouTube and Vimeo has gone viral across the world.

Patrick Vale, created the time-lapse video in a bid to prove that he draws freehand. Thus he placed his smart phone on a tripod over his hands and filmed the drawing being created.

It took Vale four days to finish his ink-made sketch, as he returned to the observation deck on the 102nd floor of the Empire State, The Huffington Post reports.

The artist, drawing to Moanin by Charles Mingus, appears to have made very few errors whilst sketching the skyline.

A Missouri city is being sued by the Ku Klux Klan for the right to distribute racist literature by placing handbills onto the windshields of parked vehicles. And guess who is representing the white supremacists in court?

The American Civil Liberties Union – one of the oldest human right defending organizations in the US – has come to the aid of one of the oldest and most notorious American racist groups.

The Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (TAK) is being prohibited by an ordinance of the city of Cape Girardeau, MO from distributing flyers onto cars parked in public places,the Courthouse News reports.

The group claims that while it may be racist, its intentions are peaceful and they should therefore be able to exercise their right to free speech in this way. Its intentions in distributing handbills are simply to“spread its message widely,”the Klan says.

The white-supremacist group claims that the US was established by and for white men and that it should never“fall into the hands of an inferior race,”according to the TAK’s website. Meanwhile, the ACLU, representing the Klan, states on its website that it“works to extend rights to segments of our population that have rationally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.”But despite this stark difference in programs, it didn’t stop ACLU from representing a KKK chapter in court.

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On the eve of the eleventh anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, a federal judge has determined that two of the airline companies involved in the tragedy must stand trial to face charges of negligence.

US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled last week that AMR Corp.’s American Airlines and United Continental Holdings Inc. must appear in court to be tried over accusations that inattention on part of the companies contributed to the terrorist attacks that left around 3,000 Americans dead on September 11, 2001. Both American and United jets were hijacked by terrorists on 9/11, who then piloted the planes into the Twin Towers, creating the largest assault on American soil since World War 2 .

World Trade Center Properties LLC, the owner of the two landmark skyscrapers destroyed in the attack, attempted to sue the airliners in 2008 on the basis that negligence on their part allowed terrorists to board the planes and carry out their planned assault. On Tuesday last week, Judge Hellerstein finally agreed to allow the argument to be brought into court.

World Trade Center Properties are seeking $8.4 billion, the estimated cost of replacing the twin towers. United and American airlines had introduced a motion themselves that sought to prevent standing trial, but Judge Hellerstein rejected their plea. Previously, the property owners recouped a $4.09 billion settlement from their insurance companies in regards to the attack.

“The overlap between WTCP’s insurance recovery and its potential tort recovery presents issues of fact requiring trial,” court papers from last week’s ruling read. In an official statement released by WTCP in response, the owners say that poor security of the airlines is responsible for their losses, “But for the Aviation Defendant’s negligence, the terrorists could not have boarded and hijacked the aircraft and flown them into the Twin Towers,” thus accusing the United and American of wrongdoing.

Thousand Palms, CA – By the time your skin recovers from its Labor Day sunburn, Animal Samaritans’ Adoption Alliance Program will reach an animal rescue milestone: 2,000 animals saved in less than two years.  Animal Samaritans, in partnership with Riverside County Animal Services (RCAS), has been rescuing more than 100 dogs and cats every month since they formed an animal rescue alliance on April 25, 2011

Animal Samaritans’ private no-kill animal shelter has been adopting animals from RCAS for years, but through the Adoption Alliance program they now rescue animals and place them in safe havens throughout the U.S. and Canada.

What will with the 2,000^th rescue be?  A terrier or a toy poodle?  A Pekinese or pug?  A black lab or golden retriever?  Maybe it will be a cat, an orange tabby or tri-colored calico.  Will it be someone’s abandoned pet, or an unwanted infant from a litter of kittens or puppies?  Which rescue partner will take it in? Will they be local or out-of-state?  Whatever the case, the Adoption Alliance’s 2,000^th rescued animal will go to a no-kill animal shelter or pet rescue group that will keep it safe and work to adopt it into a new home.

“We love this partnership because we know it results in lives saved,” Animal Services Director Robert Miller said. “We are very fortunate that several of our city contract partners have made commitments to keep this program going strong. Saving as many pets’ lives is what we’re all committed to—and this Adoption Alliance is a great illustration of that.”

Animal Samaritans Adoption Alliance Rescue Coordinator, Michelle Bergeron, works in tandem with staff from RCAS to access, test, and pull animals for rescue.  Both organizations share a common goal: to reduce animal euthanasia rates and save more lives. Bergeron’s position is partially funded by contributions from the cities of Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage, but the amount is not enough to cover her salary, nor the expense of gas spent on transporting animals to rescue groups throughout California and to major airports, from which animals are flown as far east as Florida and as far north as Calgary, Canada.

“Two thousand discarded animals have been saved through the Adoption Alliance, and we can and will save more,” said Animal Samaritans’ Executive Director Fred Saunders. “The Adoption Alliance program needs your help in saving animals with donations, and volunteer assistance, including pet fostering, to continue in the future.”

Animal Samaritans relies on charitable contributions to underwrite its many community outreach programs, such as Humane Education in our local schools, emergency veterinary care for low-income seniors, and the feeding and care for animals at their own no-kill animal shelter.  Animal Samaritans is currently seeking donations earmarked for The Adoption Alliance to ensure the program continues to thrive in 2013, and thousands more animals will be saved next year.

Animal Samaritans SPCA, a 501 (c) non-profit organization founded in 1978, is committed to improving the lives of animals and people.  As the Coachella Valley’s most comprehensive animal welfare organization, they strive to one day eliminate the needless suffering and abuse of homeless and unwanted animals.  Programs and services in place to save the lives of healthy and treatable animals include prevention through humane education, affordable spay and neuter, vaccinations, and other veterinary care, animal sheltering, animal rescue, pet fostering and pet adoptions.  In addition, more than one hundred volunteers from their Pet Therapy programs visit special needs classrooms, nursing homes, local hospitals, and residents at Juvenile Hall. More information is available by calling 760-343-4908 and by visiting  HYPERLINK “http://www.animalsamaritans.org” www.animalsamaritans.org