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Police storm Seattle home, but find no sign of man wanted in killings of 4 officers

Suspect in officer killings eludes law in Seattle

Trucker is latest fatality on San Francisco bridge when big rig tumbles off side

Trucker dies as big-rig plummets off SF bridge

Texas man found asleep with corpse inside closet of vacant Texas home, faces drug charges

HOUSTON — A Houston man found asleep with a corpse inside a closet of a vacant home has been charged with misdemeanor drug offenses, authorities said Monday. Cody Jean Plant, 21, was discovered Sunday after the owner of the house reported hearing voices and seeing signs of forced entry at the home in Cypress, about 25 miles northwest of Houston, according to a Harris County Precinct 4 Constable official. Authorities did not immediately release the dead man’s identity.

Texas man found alseep in a closet with a dead man in a vacant house

HOUSTON — A Houston man found asleep with a corpse inside a closet of a vacant home has been charged with misdemeanor drug offenses, authorities said Monday.

Communities near California wildfire burn areas prepare for possible mudslides as storm nears

LOS ANGELES — An unusually strong October storm is bearing down on California, prompting residents in areas burned by recent wildfires to prepare for heavy rain that could send mud and debris flowing into canyon and foothill neighborhoods.

‘Die quickly’ congressman hailed as Dem hero hosts health care town hall in Florida

TAVARES, Fla. — A Florida congressman tried to make sure a health care town hall meeting he hosted Monday night didn’t turn into a debate about his recent remarks that Republicans want sick people to “die quickly.” He mostly succeeded.

NJ sex offender, 82, charged with fondling women in check-out line at Wal-Mart

TRENTON, N.J. — Police in New Jersey say an 82-year-old sex offender has been charged with fondling female Wal-Mart customers.

Carter says Israel must stop building settlements in Palestine to achieve Middle East peace

HARRISONBURG, Virginia — Israel must stop building settlements in the Palestinian territories if peace is ever to be achieved in the Middle East, former President Jimmy Carter said Monday night as he received an award at a Virginia university for his humanitarian efforts.

No declaration of US-Israel pact on settlement issue expected

JERUSALEM - Israeli diplomatic officials have said that Tuesday’s meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US envoy George Mitchell may not lead to any declaration of a US-Israel agreement on the settlement issue.

Chinese mayor apologizes for lead poisoning that sickened hundreds of children: report

CHANGQING, China — A mayor apologized to residents of two Chinese villages where more than 600 children were sickened by lead poisoning, saying a nearby smelter targeted by angry protests would not reopen until it meets health standards, state media said Tuesday.

Pacific Northwest sweats through heat wave as demand for air conditioners and shaved ice rises

PORTLAND, Ore. — It’s feeling more like Phoenix in the Pacific Northwest this week, with temperatures throughout the region spiking along with demand for the cool comforts of air conditioning, water fountains and icy treats.

Heavy rains continue to disrupt life in Mumbai

MUMBAI - Mumbai and parts of its suburbs continued to receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning.

Manmohan to meet Chinese, Pakistan presidents (Lead)

YEKATERINBURG - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg Monday night, will be meeting four heads of state, including Chinese President Hu Jintao and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, on the sidelines of the two multilateral summits here.

Manmohan arrives in Russia, set for Zardari meeting Tuesday

YEKATERINBURG - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg Monday night to attend the first BRIC summit of Brazil, Russia, India and China and the summit of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Steckel’s OT goal wins it, Capitals force Game 7 by beating Penguins 5-4

PITTSBURGH — The Washington Capitals supposedly can’t win without Alex Ovechkin scoring. They can’t win an overtime playoff game. They can’t beat the Pittsburgh Penguins when a series is on the line.

Turkish official: Several families want to adopt 48 children after engagement party massacre

ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish official says several families have applied to adopt dozens of children who lost their families in an attack on an engagement ceremony that killed 44 people.

Markakis and Roberts both homer to help Baltimore beat Tampa Bay to stop a six-game slide

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer and Brian Roberts added a two-run shot to help the Baltimore Orioles stop a six-game losing streak with an 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

Marathon Men: Bulls outlast Celtics 128-127 in triple overtime to force Game 7 in Boston

CHICAGO — Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo’s potential game-winner, John Salmons scored 35, and the Chicago Bulls beat the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to even the first-round series.

Obama vows ‘great vigilance’ on swine flu as it takes first life in US, won’t close border

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama pledged “great vigilance” in confronting the swine flu outbreak Wednesday night as it spread coast to coast across the U.S. The outbreak hit 11 states and closed schools amid confirmation of the first U.S. death — a Mexican toddler who visited Texas with his family — and the confinement of dozens of Marines after one came down with the disease in California.

Swine flu spreads to 10 U.S. states from coast to coast and in Europe as boy dies in Texas

WASHINGTON — Virulent swine flu spread to 10 U.S. states from coast to coast Wednesday and swept deeper into Europe, extending its global reach as President Barack Obama mourned the first U.S. death, a Mexican toddler who had traveled with his family to Texas. Total American cases surged to nearly 100, and Obama said wider school closings might be necessary.

Ailing Heat star Dwyane Wade: ‘I’ll be ready’ for Hawks Wednesday night

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade is ailing again in the playoffs, an odd-year coincidence that he and the Miami Heat would love to escape from.

Thousands offer prayers on Prophet’s birth anniversary

SRINAGAR - Thousands of people converged at the famed Hazratbal shrine here Tuesday and offered prayers for peace and prosperity to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed.

Aguirre to be replaced by Abel at troubled Atletico Madrid

MADRID - Troubled Spanish giants Atletico Madrid sacked coach Javier Aguirre, according to Spanish media reports.

Antique Buddha icon recovered in Himachal Pradesh

SHIMLA - An antique Buddha icon weighing about 20 kg has been recovered from a Himachal Pradesh village, police said Wednesday.

Forget the ‘unfortunate’ past: Rajapaksa tells people of Jaffna

COLOMBO - Vowing that his government would restore ‘all that was lost due to terrorism’, Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked the people of the northern Jaffna peninsula that it was time to forget ‘the unfortunate developments of the past’.