National & International News
The day’s top national and international news
Navy Pier
4 hours ago

Navy Pier Worker Sets New Ferris Wheel World Record

Navy Pier Worker Sets New Ferris Wheel World RecordNBCChicago.com
The world record for longest ride on a Ferris wheel was broken over the weekend at Chicago's Navy Pier, according to NBC Chicago. On Friday at 2:30 pm, operations manager Clinton Shepherd hopped on the Ferris wheel with the intention of riding for a full 48 hours. The record was 30 hours and 35 seconds. On Saturday Shepherd beat that record and fireworks exploded across Navy Pier. He will stay on the Ferris wheel until he achieves his full 48-hour goal. “This achievement highlights Navy Pier as the number one tourist attraction in the Midwest and serves as a great attraction as the City of Chicago honors the men and women of the Armed Forces,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. Read »
NBCNews.com
Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 8:03 AM

Al Qaeda Supporters Fight with Police in Tunisia

AFP/Getty Images Supporters of the stout Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia fought with Tunisian Police after their annual rally was banned by the government, according to Reuters. The ban put in place by the government, fearing that the rally would be potentially dangerous to society. The Interior Ministry said on Friday that the group, "which has shown distain for state institutions, incited violence against them and poses a threat to public security." The Islamist group, that openly backs al Qaeda, is thought of as the most extremist of the Islamist groups to form in Tunisia following a 2011 revolution that overthrew secular dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Tens of thousands of members were expected to attend the rally. Supporters threw rocks at police and the police responded by firing teargas at the protestors who numbered around 500. Military aircraft patrolled the air over the district. Get More at NBC News

NBCNews.com
Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 7:35 AM

More Young People Having Strokes, Study Says


A recent study in the journal Neurology found that the proportion of young people who are having strokes increased from one in eight stroke patients in the mid-90s to one in five in just over a decade. Get More at NBC News

Damascus
3 hours ago

Officials Believe Parade Crash Driver Had Medical Condition

Officials Believe Parade Crash Driver Had Medical ConditionWCYB-TV
Authorities believe the driver who plowed into dozens of hikers marching in a Virginia mountain town parade suffered from a medical condition and did not cause the crash intentionally. Read »
nyc
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 7:36 PM

Man Fatally Shot in Head in NYC's Greenwich Village Investigated as Hate Crime: Police

Man Fatally Shot in Head in NYC's Greenwich Village Investigated as Hate Crime: PoliceNBCNewYork
New York City authorities are investigating the deadly overnight shooting of a 32-year-old man in Greenwich Village as a hate crime after detectives learned the suspect taken into custody at the scene may have made anti-gay remarks to the victim before pulling the trigger, authorities said. Law enforcement officials say victim Marc Carson and a friend were near a 99 Cent Pizza shop on Sixth Avenue around midnight when the suspect, who was with two other men, hurled anti-gay slurs at them. Carson made some remarks in response to the suspect's taunts and walked away, law enforcement sources said. A short time later, the suspect, who was by himself, confronted Carson and his friend again near a building on West Eighth Street, and words were exchanged for a second time, law enforcement officials said. Then the suspect allegedly pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and shot Carson in the face, killing him. Read »
France
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 7:54 AM

France Becomes 14th Country to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

Getty France became the 14th country to legalize same-sex weddings after French President Francois Hollande signed a bill into law extending the right to marry to gay couples, according to NBC News. The legislation is one of the biggest social reforms the country has witnessed since abolishing the death penalty in 1981. The bill, which had been pledged by the Socialist president, had sparked much debating from conservatives in France. Opponents of the bill have engaged in heated protests, some of which have been violent. Frigide Barjot, a political activist and humorist, has said a protest is slated for May 29 will draw millions into the streets. However, polls show that more than half of the country supported gay marriage. Get More at NBC News

metro-north
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 6:17 PM

FBI Rules Out Foul Play in Connecticut Train Crash

FBI Rules Out Foul Play in Connecticut Train Crash
The FBI has ruled out foul play in their investigation into Friday night's rush hour train crash in Connecticut that injured 72 people. National Transportation Safety Board officials are looking into a broken part of the rail that underwent repairs last month, but have not determined whether it was a pre-existing fracture or if it occurred as a result of the accident, according to NTSB spokesperson Earl Weener, who provided an update at a news conference on Saturday afternoon. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and other officials spoke at a news conference hours earlier and described a grisly scene after a commuter train derailed and was hit by an oncoming train. "The damage is absolutely staggering," said Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal. "Ribbons on the sides of cars are torn away like ribbons of clothes." The eastbound Metro-North train derailed just after 6:00 p.m. and was hit by a westbound train between the Bridgeport and Fairfield stations, officials said. Read »
Newark
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 10:46 AM

Plane Makes Belly Landing at Newark Airport

Plane Makes Belly Landing at Newark AirportNBCNewYork
An airline official says a US Airways flight with 34 people aboard was forced to make a belly landing at Newark International Airport after experiencing landing gear trouble. No injuries were reported. US Airways spokesman Davien Anderson tells The Associated Press that a turboprop plane that left Philadelphia shortly before 11 p.m. Friday landed safely at Newark with its landing gear retracted at about 1 a.m. Saturday. Anderson said the flight, being operated by Piedmont Airlines, was carrying 31 passengers and three crew members. He says the plane circled Newark in a holding pattern while working to get the gear down. After several failed attempts to get the gear down, the plane landed on its belly. Anderson says the passengers were evacuated to the terminal by bus. He says US Airways is cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident. Read »
north korea
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 7:13 AM

North Korea Fires Three Short-Range Missiles

AP North Korea shot three short-range guided missiles into its eastern waters on Saturday, according to NBC News. North Korea fired two missiles in the morning and one in the afternoon, however, the intention behind the firings is unknown. A Japanese government source said none of the missiles ended up in Japan's territorial waters. It is not uncommon for the country to perform routine tests of such missiles. The tension that existed on the Korean peninsula has fallen over the past month. North Korea has previously released a series of escalating threats of nuclear war after the U.N. imposed tougher sanctions on Pyongyang following its third nuclear test in February. During this time, South Korea reported that the North had transferred missile launchers to its east coast for a possible medium-range missile launch. Get More at NBC News

NBCNews.com
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 8:07 PM

Plains States on Edge Under Tornado Watches


Severe storm warnings have been issued for parts of Nebraska and Kansas, and the storm could spread to Oklahoma City by early Monday. Residents are bracing for heavy downpours and potentially strong winds. Get More at NBC News

NBCNews.com
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 2:15 PM

Buzz Kill: Restaurants Fear New Booze Law

Getty Images The National Transportation Safety Board's proposed plan to toughen drunk driving laws has restaurateurs alarmed, NBC News reported. Social drinkers are likely to cut back when they dine out if the NTSB's new blood-alcohol level limit of 0.05 becomes law, according to Sarah Longwell, a spokesperson for the American Beverage Institute. "You basically take away a part of the experience of dining out. When you take that element away, you take away some of the magic, the ambiance of a night out," Longwell said. The new proposal announced on Tuesday is based on research that shows impairment begins with the first drink. “The research clearly shows that drivers with a BAC above 0.05 are impaired and at a significantly greater risk of being involved in a crash where someone is killed or injured,” NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said Tuesday. Click through to read more. Get More at NBC News

hero cop
Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 9:21 AM

Former Hero Officer Accused of Rape, Assault

Former Hero Officer Accused of Rape, AssaultGetty
A former Philadelphia police officer once hailed as a hero and given a seat next to the first lady at a speech by President Obama has been arrested and charged with raping two women and other crimes. Richard DeCoatsworth, 27, met one of the women two weeks ago and forced her into prostitution at a local hotel. Police say he also forced the women to use drugs and perform oral sex on him. DeCoatsworth was arrested and charged with rape, sexual assault, terroristic threats and related offenses. Police also confiscated drugs and guns from the home. DeCoatsworth was shot in the face back in 2007 when he was a rookie officer. After being shot, he managed to chase down the suspect for several blocks before collapsing. He called in enough information by radio that police were able to track down and arrest the suspect later the same day. His heroism earned him an invitation from Vice President Joe Biden to attend President Obama’s first congressional address at the U.S. capital in February of 2009. The officer sat with First Lady Michelle Obama during the address. He was also honored by his peers as a 2008 Top Cop. Read »
Cannes Film Festival
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 7:15 AM

Man Fires Pistol at Cannes Film Festival

AP A man at Cannes film festival was arrested after firing a starting pistol while a live TV broadcast was taking place, according to NBC News. French TV station Canal+ had been conducting an interview with actors Christoph Waltz and Daniel Auteuil in front of a crowd when the man fired two shots into the air. The actors ran for cover. "The bodyguards jumped over the barriers into the crowd and pulled him to the ground. The police arrived and told everyone to run because there was a grenade in his hand," spectator Arthur Laiguesse told Reuters. Police then arrested the man who had a knife and a dummy grenade. The festival has already seen a breach of security. Police claim that $1.4 million worth of Chopard jewelry intended for movie stars during the 12-day event had been stolen from a room at the Suite Novotel hotel overnight on Thursday. Get More at NBC News

Chicago Police
Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 11:01 AM

18 Shot in Spate of Weekend Violence Across Chicago

18 Shot in Spate of Weekend Violence Across Chicago
Three people were fatally shot in the head and another shot dead in the chest in weekend violence that wounded at least 14 others across Chicago, according to police. Read »
NBCNews.com
Friday, May 17, 2013 at 1:34 PM

Powerball Jackpot Hits $600M

Connecticut Lottery The jackpot for Saturday’s Powerball drawing has risen to $600 million, a Powerball record and the second-largest pot in U.S. lottery history, NBC News reported. The record for the largest ever lottery jackpot is $656 million for a Mega Millions drawing in March 2012. That pot was split among holders of three winning tickets. The estimated lump sum cash prize for Saturday's Powerball drawing is $376.9 million before taxes. Powerball tickets are sold for $2 each in 43 states, Washington, DC, and the Virgin Islands. The big reveal is set for 10:59 p.m. ET on Saturday. Get More at NBC News

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