Driver taunted friends before crash: 'Get ready to die'

By Natalie Martinez, NBCChicago.com

 

CHICAGO -- The sole survivor of a fiery, head-on collision says his friend taunted his passengers and seemingly had a death wish in the moments before the crash.

Wong warns banks over rates

Finance Minister Penny Wong hopes retail banks think carefully about their customers and the wider community when making decisions on lending rates, amid fears increases may be on the way.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left the official cash rate unchanged at 4.25 per cent at Tuesday's first board meeting of the year, when the central bank was widely expected to cut the rate again by 25 basis points.

Regulators Order Inspections for Entire Airbus A380 Fleet

PARIS — European air safety regulators on Wednesday ordered inspections of the entire fleet of Airbus A380 jets for tiny cracks in a wing component, extending a directive that had applied to only about a third of the 68 superjumbos in service. 

The news that the A380 wing bracket cracks could be more widespread comes at a time when Airbus's chief rival, Boeing,

Crabeater Seal, Antarctica (Photo)

Crabeater Seal, Antarctica

Photo of the Day by National Geographic

Bread a culprit in Americans eating too much salt

Nine out of 10 American adults consume too much salt and the leading culprit is not potato chips or popcorn but slices of bread and dinner rolls, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday.

Forty-four percent of salt consumed can be linked to 10 types of foods, CDC said. Bread and rolls lead the list followed by cold cuts and cured meat, pizza, poultry, soups, sandwiches,

Maldives president says he was forced to resign at gunpoint

Fresh violence has broken out in the Maldives after Mohammed Nasheed, the ousted president, claimed he was forced to give up his office at gunpoint, raising the prospect of a fierce struggle for power in the island nation.

Plumes of smoke rose above the capital Male after Nasheed supporters threw petrol bombs at police and attacked a private television station which had been critical of his government.

iPhone drives Sprint growth, but drags loss to $1.3B

Sprint Nextel saw the biggest surge in new customers in six years thanks to the iPhone, but that growth came at a hefty price. 

Sprint reported a loss of $1.3 billion, or 43 cents a share. In the year-ago quarter, the company posted a loss of $929 million, or 31 cents a share. The results included a loss of $241 million, or 8 cents a share, due to one-time costs related to asset charges on property, plant, equipment, as well as severance costs, and its investment in Clearwire, which provides Sprint with 4G WiMax service. 

Court overturns California gay marriage ban, appeal planned

An appeals court on Tuesday found California's gay marriage ban unconstitutional in a case that may lead to a showdown in the Supreme Court.

Supporters of the ban said they would appeal the judgment, calling it "out of step with every other federal appellate and Supreme Court decision." Their appeal is likely to keep gay marriage in the state on hold pending future proceedings.

Powell family blames legal system, media for tragedy

SEATTLE

A couple who identified themselves as Josh Powell's aunt and uncle released a statement Wednesday blaming, in part, the legal system, religious bias and the news media for the tragic events that resulted in the murder of 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden Powell.

Man Arrested Over Pensioner's 'Savage' Murder

A man has been arrested by police investigating the murder of retired schoolteacher Betty Yates in Worcestershire.