A baby born with the virus that causes AIDS appears to have been cured, scientists announced Sunday, describing the case of a child from Mississippi who's now 2 and has been off medication for about a year with no signs of infectionThere's no guarantee the child will remain healthy, although sophisticated testing uncovered just traces of the virus' genetic material still lingering. If so, it would mark only the world's second reported cure.Specialists say Sunday's announcement, at a major AIDS m

Technology March 4, 2013

A Texas man who called 911 when an armed homeowner interrupted his burglary was sentenced to seven years of probation and 200 hours of community service.State District Judge Craig Towson also sentenced Christopher Moore, 41, of Bedford, to pay a $2,000 fine Monday after he pleaded guilty to burglary of a habitation, the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported Tuesday.Moore was accused of breaking into a Springtown home around 12:30 a.m. Dec. 4 and the 38-year-old homeowner said he and his wife

People Feb. 28, 2013

South Korea expressed its official support for a move by the U.N.'s top human rights body to set up its first in-depth investigation into widespread human rights violations in North Korea, a Seoul official said Thursday. Kim Bong-hyun, Seoul's deputy foreign minister for global affairs, told the 22nd session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that South Korea will "actively" support a resolution by the European Union that calls for the U.N. council to begin the in-depth investigation of

North Korea Feb. 28, 2013

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Jacob Lew to be Treasury secretary, affirming President Barack Obama's choice of a budget expert at a time when Congress and the White House are at odds over sharp government spending cuts.The vote was 71 to 26 to support the nomination. A total of 25 Republicans and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont voted against Lew's confirmation.Lew, 57, had most recently served as Obama's chief of staff. He succeeds Timothy Geithner, who completed a tumultuous four-year

World News Feb. 28, 2013

World powers offered broader concessions than ever to Iran in attempts Wednesday to keep alive diplomatic channels that seek to rein in the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and prevent it from building an atomic weapon.The offer was hailed by Saeed Jalili, Iran's top official at diplomatic talks in Kazakhstan, who said it represented a “turning point” by world powers to compromise on Tehran's uranium enrichment program after years of delicate negotiations that nearly dissolved last June.The pr

World News Feb. 28, 2013

Chuck Hagel started his work Wednesday as U.S. secretary of defense, pledging to accelerate Washington's renewed focus on the Asia-Pacific region and promote partnerships with other nations on global security."I've always believed that America's role in the world is one that -- and we've had variations of this throughout history -- has been one that should engage the world," Hagel said, addressing Pentagon officials at its building on the outskirts of Washington.The former Republican senator's c

Defense Feb. 28, 2013

South Korea's industrial output shrank for the first time in five months in January amid worries that industrial activities might be slowing amid toughened economic conditions, a government report showed Thursday.According to the report by Statistics Korea, production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries dropped 1.5 percent last month from a month earlier. It is the first on-month output contraction since August.The output still expanded 7.3 percent compared with a year e

Feb. 28, 2013

Slovenia's parliament ousted Prime Minister Janez Jansa and his conservative government Wednesday, while designating a financial expert from the opposition to try to form a new administration.The moves come amid corruption allegations against Jansa and growing public anger over the struggling economy and austerity measures that have seen living standards fall and unemployment rise.The 55-33 no-confidence vote named Alenka Bratusek as prime minister-designate. Bratusek, 42, would be the first fem

World News Feb. 28, 2013

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, on Wednesday dismissed a media report that it has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit by U.S. consumers who say they were misled by the carmaker's inflated fuel economy ratings.Hyundai said it has produced no specific progress in resolving the legal trouble stemming from its incorrect fuel economy rating for about 900,000 cars sold in the United States between 2010 and 2012."No agreement has been made," a Hyundai official said. He said it remai

Industry Feb. 27, 2013

Michelle Wie, an LPGA Tour golfer born in the United States to South Korean parents, has recently relinquished her Korean citizenship, officials said Wednesday.According to the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Wie, 23, was granted permission by the Ministry of Justice to renounce her Korean citizenship as of Feb. 21.According to officials, foreign natives who hold dual citizenship may abandon their Korean nationality only if they're residing overseas at the moment.Wie, whose Korea

Golf Feb. 27, 2013

Korea maintained a current account surplus for the 12th consecutive month thanks to increased exports, despite foreign exchange volatility due to currency wars ignited by Japan’s weak yen policy.The Bank of Korea said Wednesday that the current account, the broadest measure of the country’s foreign trade, recorded a surplus of $2.25 billion in January, with exports reaching $47.1 billion.This is mostly in part due to increased outbound shipments of telecommunication products, petrochemicals and

Feb. 27, 2013

South Korea's top nuclear envoy left for China Wednesday, a senior official said, as Seoul deepens efforts to convince the U.N. Security Council to adopt tougher sanctions against North Korea's third nuclear test. Lim Sung-nam, Seoul's chief envoy to the six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear ambition, will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei later Wednesday during his two-day visit to Beijing, the foreign ministry official said on the condition of anonymity. "During the meet

North Korea Feb. 27, 2013