Nation in brief

JonBenet's parents sue Fox for $12-million

DENVER - The parents of slain 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey filed a $12-million federal defamation lawsuit against Fox News Network over a story they say cast suspicion on them.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Atlanta, John and Patsy Ramsey took issue with a report that aired last year for the six-year anniversary of JonBenet's death. In it, a Denver employee said there has "never been any evidence to link an intruder to her brutal murder."

John and Patsy Ramsey have maintained their innocence and said an intruder killed JonBenet, who was found strangled and beaten Dec. 26, 1996, in the basement of their Boulder home. The Ramseys now live in Atlanta.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - A man who spent 18 years behind bars for the murder of a newspaper editor walked out of prison to the cheers of supporters Wednesday after another man confessed and was linked to the crime by DNA evidence.

Darryl Hunt, 38, was twice convicted in Deborah Sykes' murder and had been serving a life sentence.

"It feels great . . . to finally be free and vindicated," Hunt said.

Hunt was released on an unsecured bond of $250,000, and a Feb. 6 hearing was scheduled to determine whether to vacate the conviction.

CHICAGO - A combination of two body-imaging techniques can more accurately tell doctors how far a patient's cancer has spread than full-body MRI scans, German researchers say.

Their study compared full-body PET/CT scan technology with full-body magnetic resonance imaging in 98 cancer patients with tumors in such places as the lungs, head, neck, thyroid, gastrointestinal tract, liver and bones. The dual technique is used in many hospitals across the country.

In the study, combined PET/CT scans correctly identified tumors, any cancerous lymph nodes and any further cancer spread in 75 of the 98 patients, or 77 percent. That compares with 53 out of 98, or 54 percent, with MRIs.

The study, by Dr. Gerald Antoch and colleagues at University Hospital in Essen, Germany, appeared in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

ROSWELL, Ga. - A fire caused by malfunctioning Christmas lights swept through an apartment building, destroying 16 apartments and leaving 40 people homeless.

Rain late Tuesday helped keep the fire from spreading to other buildings in the sprawling apartment complex, firefighters said. No one was injured.

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FAMILY DOLLAR OUTDOOR EXTENSION CORDS: Durex Procraft Outdoor Extension Cords, code "E-174825." Cause: Can shock or electrocute. Action: Return to store for refund. Call: 1-800-682-0097.

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