becomes a near-tragedy in the london subway system. police studying this video. is that the child s mother? who forgot to set the stroller s brakes? police hope those involved will step forward. those are some of the top stories this tuesday, august 12th. announcer: from abc news, this is world news now. and we begin this half hour with the news that has stunned the world. the death of robin williams. the comic, the actor, the hollywood legend. he s delighted more than two generations of fans on the stage, television and sill veer screen. authorities in marin county, california, say the 63-year-old was found dead in his home, suicide by asphyxia. his agent says williams had recently been battling severe depression. we begin our coverage with abc s david wright. reporter: as a comedian and actor, robin williams always seemed to be super-charged. possessed by the characters he
i did too. make extra money. you did too. i could used a souped up mower. lawn mowers are so tiny in england. we have big ones here. apparently they need to mow grace while racing. listen to the hum. 42 miles an hour. pretty fast. coming up, the comedian who got a generation laughing and didn t stop. we re sharing more remembrances of robin williams. that s right. it includes those from american troops who welcomed the comic so often with open arms. the unforgettable laughs. and later, we change gears a little bit and take a daring plunge. our senior weather editor s brave encounters with sharks and what she learned. you re watching world news now. eather editor s brave encounters with sharks. and what she learned. you re watching world news now. announcer: world news now announcer: world news now weather brought to you by head and shoulders. there s a saying in our family. you can do anything.
won t show you the moment of her death, but a man with an automatic rifle shoots her at least nine times while men gather around and cheer. afghan officials believe the woman was part of a love triangle involving two taliban commanders who accused her of adultery. u.s. officials have called it a cold-blooded murder. kofi annan is back in syria to sign on to a new peace plan even as a special envoy touched down in damascus, the death toll was creeping up. at least 43 people were killed today. secretary of state clinton had her own message for syria s president. the future to me should be abundantly clear to those who support the the assad regime. the days are numbered. egypt s newly elected president is defying the military in a power struggle that could decide the country s fate. president mohamed morsi is calling parliament back into session. military officials are plan ini a meeting to discuss the move. the death toll from the flash floods in southern russia is still
same cemetery where her good friend michael jackson is buried. taylor passed away wednesday after suffering from congestive heart failure. the hollywood legend was 79 years old. now, taylor will be remembered for so many things, including her academy award-winning movie roles. of course, all of her husbands, seven of them, but who s counting. what s wrong with that? and there was one other thing she was famous for and she loved being famous for all those jewels. loved it. here s yunji de nies. reporter: perhaps the only thing to rival elizabeth taylor s beauty was her jewelry. from diamonds to rubies, emeralds and pearls, her lifetime collection is estimated to be worth as much as 150 million. in 2002 she revealed her precious gems to barbara walters. this spread is just one-tenth of her collection. reporter: what fascinates you so about jewelry? oh, the beauty, the perfection, god s workmanship. they re all from the ground. reporter: her love affair
this morning, a number of breaking stories. let s start with the hollywood legend, elizabeth taylor, hard to remember when she wasn t a superstar, she died this morning of congestive heart failure at 79. she died reportedly at cedars-sinai in los angeles surrounded by her children. her son michael issued this statement my mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor and love. though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world. her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts. nbc s tracie potts look at the woman behind decades of headlines. reporter: elizabeth taylor, a woman of breathtaking bupty, one of hollywood s last true stars. everything all right? did they take the money?