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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – Shareholders signed off Thursday on the $12.3 billion merger of Kmart Holding Corp. (KMRT) and Sears, Roebuck and Co. (S), clearing the way for the two struggling rivals to combine into the nation’s third-biggest retailer. Final approval came in back-to-back meetings at Sears’ headquarters, and company …

BELFAST, Northern Ireland – A Sinn Fein leader publicly criticized the family of a Catholic man killed by IRA members, warning Monday that their relentless drive for a conviction in his death could diminish support for their cause. The comments from Sinn Fein’s deputy leader, Martin McGuinness (search), came as …

LAS VEGAS – Family crowds spoke louder than fans of racy stories or shoot-’em-up action flicks last year at movie theaters, with PG-rated films hauling in more money than R-rated ones for the first time in 20 years. PG titles grossed $2.3 billion domestically, compared to $2.1 billion for R-rated …

LOS ANGELES – A former female employee of Madonna (search)’s film company is suing the pop star and other executives of Maverick Films (search) on claims she was sexually harassed and wrongfully terminated. Yael Oestreich (search) said in the Superior Court suit filed Wednesday that she was never given a …

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – A gunman opened fire Saturday at a church service being held at a suburban Milwaukee (search) hotel, killing seven people before taking his own life, authorities said. Officers found four people and the gunman dead when they arrived about 1 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel (search). Three …

NEW YORK – Stocks ended mixed Thursday as crude oil futures briefly hit $55 a barrel and Apple Computer shares slipped 5 percent, offsetting strong retail sales data and higher worker productivity numbers. The Dow Jones industrial average (search) was up 21.06 points, or 0.19 percent, to end at 10,833.03. …

OK, first off, I was not flirting with Paula Abdul (search) and I don’t know how to even do it with my eyes as she playfully accused me of, but some will just not believe me. With that out of the way, let me update you on my life in …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Gunmen waylaid a minibus Sunday carrying foreign technicians to their jobs at a mobile telephone company in western Baghdad (search), seizing four Egyptians in the second kidnapping of foreigners in the Iraqi capital within a week. An Iraqi police captain said 22 Iraqi security troops and 14 …

CAIRO, Egypt – Iraqi officials said Sunday that Syrian authorities captured Saddam Hussein’s (search) half brother in Syria (search) and handed him over to Iraq in an apparent goodwill gesture. Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan (search), who was also a former adviser suspected of financing insurgents after U.S. troops ousted the former …

NEW YORK – If Joss Stone (search) isn’t busy, here’s something she could probably win. Janis Joplin’s (search) estate has announced “Search for the Pearl,” (search) a reality TV talent search to find the next Joplin. The 17-year-old Stone sang “Cry Baby,” then teamed with Melissa Etheridge’s vocals and driving …