MOSCOW - A mystery witness told Russian state television that exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky may have been behind the killing of a former KGB agent. The man, identified only as Pyotr, claimed that Berezovsky, who now lives in London, tried to recruit him in 2003 to stage an assassination attempt. Pyotr said that Alexander Litvinenko may have been poisoned in Britain with a radioactive substance because he knew too much about a similar attempt. Berezovsky, ... [full story]

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, during a campaign stop in Iowa, said Tuesday Democrats should stand firm on a deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. Clinton urged President Bush to seek "common ground" with Democrats, The New York Times reported. "I'm not ready to concede that we shouldn't take a tough negotiating stance to figure out whether there can be some movement," the New York Democrat and presidential candidate said. "We ... [full story]

The Oregon Health Policy Commission today released a package of 20 recommendations to fight the epidemic of obesity that plagues school-age children, based on a recently completed study. The top three recommendations include better nutritional standards for food sold in schools, greater availability of physical education classes in schools and an obesity prevention program to provide statewide leadership against obesity.  "If we do not act now and take serious steps to prevent obesity in Oregon's ... [full story]

Two California residents, a 20-year old man and 17-year-old boy, were arrested Monday evening during a traffic stop for speeding on Interstate 5 near Rice Hill in northern Douglas County when troopers found over two pounds of marijuana and $2,000 cash in their vehicle, Oregon State Police (OSP) reported. Trooper Brian Assmus was parked on the northbound shoulder of I-5 near milepost 145 about 7 p.m., April 2, when he clocked a 1994 Ford Escort ... [full story]

A 14-year-old snowboarder from Bend was paralyzed when he fell while training for a competition at Northstar Resort near Lake Tahoe Sunday.   A donation account has been established at U.S. Bank on behalf of Tyler Eklund – MBSEF photo  Tyler Eklund was practicing for the USASA National Championships when he broke a vertebra is his neck.  He was airlifted to Reno and underwent emergency surgery, but according to Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) officials, his ... [full story]

Two Shelton, Washington residents were killed and a seven-year-old girl received non-life threatening injuries in a single vehicle crash on Highway 38 about five miles east of Scottsburg near the southern Oregon coast, Oregon State Police (OSP) reported. Investigators believe the crash may have happened early Monday morning but wasn’t discovered and reported until late Monday afternoon.   James Oien and Darla Whitener were killed, and 7-year-old Emily Whitener was injured in this crash on Highway ... [full story]

BAGHDAD - Iraqi kidnappers holding a German mother and son hostage posted an Internet video saying they'd kill them if Germany doesn't pull out of Afghanistan."I urge the German people to help me in my difficult situation," hostage Hannelore Krause, 61, said, Deutsche Welle reported. "Germany was safe before it got involved in this satanic coalition with America against what they call terrorism."Krause and her son, Sinan, who is in his 20s, were kidnapped Feb. ... [full story]

BAGHDAD - An Iranian diplomat kidnapped in Iraq has been freed in Baghdad.The BBC reported that no one has admitted abducting Jalal Sharafi, the second secretary at the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad who was seized from his car in February by men wearing Iraqi Army uniforms. The Iraqi government had been working for Sharafi's release. Iraqi officials told the BBC that Iraq is seeking the release of five Iranians being held the U.S. forces and ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department says production of U.S. passports reached record high numbers fueled by the demand created by new immigration rules.The department said a record 412,000 of the documents were issued last week, besting the previous record of 379,000 -- which was set one week prior, The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.The nation's 17 passport agencies are compensating for the increased demand with staff increases and boosts in overtime and weekend hours, the ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - Two members of Congress are urging U.S. President George Bush to fire the NASA inspector general after reading a report of complaints about him.Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Rep. Brad Miller, D-N.C., said that the investigators who reviewed complaints about NASA Inspector General Robert W. Cobb unanimously "believed that disciplinary action up to and including removal could be appropriate," the Washington Post reported.The White House had at first refused to give Congress the ... [full story]