BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Abby Mann, an Oscar- and Emmy-winning filmmaker who specialized in hard-hitting, issue oriented projects, has died at 80 in Beverly Hills, Calif.Mann -- who won the screenwriting Oscar for the 1961 drama "Judgment at Nuremberg" -- died Tuesday of heart failure, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. As writer, director and producer of such Emmy-winning TV movies as "The Marcus-Nelson Murders," "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story" and "Indictment: The McMartin ... [full story]

BEND, Ore. -- Two men were arrested Wednesday morning, both for driving drunk and possessing cocaine, after allegedly attempting to elude troopers and switching positions during the pursuit.   (left) Max Alan Levitch, (right) Evan Eler Manley - DCJ photos  Oregon State Police (OSP) believe that Max Alan Levitch, 20, of Bend, was the original driver of a 1993 Honda Accord that failed to stop for Trooper Hyser and OSP Recruit Thompson about 12:10 a.m., March 26 when ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - Fighting between Iraqi security forces and Shiite militias could be a sign of the government's ability to take on its own problems, the U.S. military said.However, others say it's too soon to tell how fighting in Basra and other Iraqi cities will affect the country's overall security, Voice of America reported Thursday. The National Security Network, a critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, said the escalating fighting indicates a collapse of the ceasefire ... [full story]

BEND, Ore. – Hazardous ice and snow covered road conditions contributed to a two-vehicle collision on Highway 97 south of Bend Wednesday morning that led to the death of a La Pine passenger and injuries to both drivers, police reported.   One person was killed and two were injured when hazardous Spring road conditions caused by snow and ice contributed to a crash on Highway 97 south of Bend, Oregon - OSP photo  Bend resident 56-year old ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - As state motorcycle helmet laws weaken, crash death rates are rising steadily in the United States, a survey indicated Thursday.The proportion of older fatalities also went up, the Gannett News Service analysis reports.Most states once required motorcycle riders to wear helmets but that trend changed course after 1995 when the federal government stopped holding back highway money for states without helmet laws.Fatality rates stood at 5.6 riders killed for every 10,000 registered motorcycles. ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - E-mail indicates U.S. officials initially thought wrong helicopter batteries were shipped to Taiwan, not parts for ballistic missiles, officials said.U.S. government officials familiar with communications between the two countries said at some point between August 2006 -- when Taiwan received the shipment -- and last week -- when the United States learned of the error -- Taiwan opened the packages and noticed that the items inside included nose cones used with U.S. intercontinental ... [full story]

OTTAWA - A 20-year-old Ottawa man pleaded guilty to killing his adoptive mother by crushing her skull and then hiding her body for nine days, court records said.Aaron Howard, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Wednesday for the June 6, 2007, killing of Deborah Howard, the Ottawa Sun reported. The court heard the pair had had an argument over his responsibility to clean the basement when he "just snapped," his lawyer said.Excerpts of Howard's diary read ... [full story]

MORONI , Comoros - Protesters gathered in front of the French Embassy in Comoros, protesting the escape of an ousted leader seeking political asylum from France.Anti-French slogans filled the air in front of the embassy in Moroni after Col. Mohammed Bacar fled to the French-run island of Mayotte from Anjouan when government troops and an African Union force invaded the island, the BBC reported.Bacar has asked France for political asylum, but the Comoran government has ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - The U.S. immigration service is seeking more "logical, common sense" rules for judging green card applicants tied to attempted overthrow of foreign dictators.In a decision that could affect thousands of pending applications for permanent U.S. residence, the agency said it would temporarily stop automatically denying green cards to such refugees and other legal immigrants, The Washington Post reported. Jonathan Scharfen, deputy director of U.S. Citizenship and bc-us-greencardImmigration Services, told the Post the cases of ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - U.S. President George Bush announced plans to visit Russian Vladimir Putin next month, saying he hopes to move ahead on a U.S. missile defense system in Europe.Bush will travel April 6 to the Russian resort Sochi at Putin's invitation, following a weeklong trip in Eastern Europe highlighted by the NATO meeting, The Washington Times said. Russia seemed to more willing to consider the proposed radar and missile base after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza ... [full story]