Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputies gave chase to a suspect vehicle they spotted on Highway 97 that was tied to an earlier shooting of a man in Madras, but lost sight of the pickup in dust when it drove onto a dirt road.  The vehicle was located about three hours later, abandoned, on a logging road. Salomon Albarran, 35, of Madras, suffered “several gunshot wounds” and was found lying in the middle of M Street west ... [full story]

MINNEAPOLIS -- A busy freeway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed Wednesday, killing at least seven people as vehicles plunged into the water. Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack said at a news conference seven deaths had been confirmed but the number was expected to rise. He said more than 60 people were sent to hospitals. At least six were in critical condition, a medical official said. "We've moved from a rescue mode ... ... [full story]

FLOWER MOUND, Texas -- A Texas woman, who apparently killed her husband, two children and herself, reportedly wrote a note claiming her family was infected with the HIV virus. However, police told the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram the woman, identified as Jon Andrea Roberts, had no "known terminal illness." Officials haven't released medical information for the rest of the family but said the cause of their deaths and any illnesses they suffered would be disclosed ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President George Bush sharply criticized the U.S. Congress for heading for vacation without passing any spending bills. Bush also complained in a statement delivered Thursday in the White House Rose Garden following a Cabinet meeting about the amount of money Congress is considering spending, warning it would lead to a massive tax hike. Failure to adopt a budget, Bush said, means "departments may not be able to move forward with urgent priorities. ... [full story]

CHICAGO -- A U.S. District judge in Chicago quashed a request by convicted newspaper baron Conrad Black to leave the country for his Toronto home. Pending his Nov. 30 sentencing for fraud and obstruction of justice, Black was originally ordered to stay either in Chicago at his Ritz-Carlton hotel room or his $35 million home in Palm Beach, Fla., the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday. Earlier this week, his Canadian lawyer Edward Greenspan petitioned U.S. District ... [full story]

BERLIN -- Smoking bans took effect in three German states for the first time Wednesday with different rules in each region. Smokers in Baden-Wurttemberg, Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania cannot light up in local government buildings, schools, other institutions for children and hospitals, Deutsche Welle reported. Mecklenburg-Pomerania plans to outlaw smoking in restaurants and bars on Jan. 1, while the other two states require them to limit smokers to certain areas. Germany has been behind ... [full story]

BANGOR, Northern Ireland -- Police in Bangor, Northern Ireland, escaped injury when rowdies hurled gasoline bombs, stones and fireworks their way, it was reported Wednesday. The attack came when officers searched houses after a crowd of about 150 people were involved in a disturbance, the BBC reported. At least one car was set on fire.. North Down assembly member Alex Easton condemned the incident and appealed for calm. "The attacks on police should come to ... [full story]

LAGOS, Nigeria -- About 40 Nigerian generals have been retired by orders of President Umaru Yar'Adua, whose office said there was no motive for the mass layoff. "The retired officers are those who were due for retirement having spent the stipulated 35 years in service," read a statement from the president's office, This Day newspaper reported Wednesday. "No other motives should be ascribed to this purely routine movement of personnel in the Armed Forces." Some ... [full story]

BRUSSELS -- A top European Union official says he wants to see the EU create the position of general prosecutor to handle serious cross-border crimes. EU home affairs commissioner Franco Frattini said the prosecutor would have powers to initiate and proceed with investigations, the EU Observer said Wednesday. The newspaper said the strengthening of Eurojust, the bloc's judicial body, is seen as key to creating single European prosecution office. The network of 27 national prosecutors ... [full story]

A 30-year old Portland man was arrested at the Corbett, Oregon home of his brother where Multnomah County Special Investigations Unit (SIU) detectives found a sophisticated marijuana growing operation with high-quality plants that could produce almost $500,000 worth of product every three months.   The plants seized were "judged by SIU personnel to be some of the highest quality they have seen" - MCSO photo According to a news release, SIU raided the home of Kevin Phillip ... [full story]