Kevin West

A judge granted an emergency request from financially ailing Kmart Corp. for permission to pay an immediate $10 million in back bills to keep its shelves stocked with liquor, a move it said was vital for its economic survival.

P&O Princess Cruises PLC shareholders weighed whether to merge with Royal Caribbean and create a new world leader in the cruise ship business or to delay so they can weigh a takeover offer by No. 1 Carnival Corp.

Unemployment claims in Georgia rose 40 percent from January 2001 to last month, the state Department of Labor said Thursday.

Two teen-agers have pleaded guilty to vandalism at a Rockdale County school, causing more than $200,000 in damage.

A judge in suburban Atlanta has ordered a repeat child molester to undergo chemical castration as part of his sentence.

A former Richmond County sheriff's lieutenant who led the vice squad admitted he extorted money from a strip club owner.

A middle school teacher in northwest Georgia is free on bond after being accused of molesting a child.

A 16-month-old boy died after an electric short caused a fire that gutted his home, authorities said.

Three baseball players at the State University of West Georgia are expected in court Thursday after being arrested on a new charge.

Authorities along the East Coast are looking for two ``Middle Eastern-looking men'' in connection with an alleged attempt to hijack a truck.