TOKYO

World’s oldest person dies

Mitoyo Kawate, who just weeks ago assumed the title of the world’s oldest person, died Thursday of pneumonia. She was 114.

London-based Guinness World Records recognized Kawate as the oldest person on Oct. 31, after Kamato Hongo, also from Japan, died at age 116.

Kawate, who had four children, was a farmer in Hiroshima until she was 100 years old, Hiroshima city spokesman Masatoshi Yamada said.

Charlotte Benkner, North Lima, Ohio, who will turn 114 on Sunday, assumes the title of the world’s oldest person.

India

Nearly 5 million Indians infected with HIV, study says

The virus that causes AIDS is being spread through India’s general population mainly by married men, who have unprotected sex with prostitutes, according to a study Thursday.

About 610,000 Indians contracted HIV last year, increasing the overall number of infected Indians to about 4.5 million, said the study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. That is the second-highest total in the world after South Africa.

In four of the six most affected states, the virus was contracted by businessmen, men in the service sector and hotel employees, said the study, which used federal and state government data.

Florida

Bush swells re-election campaign by $2.6 million

The state that put President Bush in the White House stuffed $2.6 million into his re-election campaign Thursday, swelling a record war chest that already dwarfs those of all the Democratic presidential contenders.

Bush also tended to his re-election during his 17th trip as president to Florida by dipping into a political topic that is a priority for the elderly, a key voting bloc. Between two fund-raisers, Bush used the state with the highest percentage of residents age 65 or older as a backdrop to press Congress to finish Medicare legislation.

“We’ve had plenty of talk in Washington, we’ve debated this issue for a long time. Now is the time for action,” Bush said.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Investigation finds some double standards in FBI

An internal investigation into FBI discipline found no systematic favoritism of senior managers over the rank-and-file but did identify a double standard in some cases, according to a report released Thursday.

The investigation by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine focused on allegations raised by FBI Agent John Roberts, who claimed instances of disciplinary cases “disappearing” or “vaporizing” as part of a system in which managers were treated more leniently.

Fine’s investigation concluded that the small number of cases cited by Roberts was insufficient to prove systematic favoritism.