Chocolate entrepreneurs say their obsession with controlling every step of production, from the farm to the finished bar, makes for better tasting chocolate, and a more ethical, open relationship with farmers.

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How an Australian man ended up dead in an Israeli prison is now an international issue. There are reports that he may have been recruited to spy for Mossad and then done something to get himself in trouble with Israeli authorities. There are investigations under way in Australia and Israel.

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A combined company worth $11 billion would become the largest U.S. airline. By creating a robust route structure with hundreds of destinations on four continents, the two carriers may be able to attract more frequent fliers, improve service and boost revenues. But what will happen to fares is uncertain.

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Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway already owns Dairy Queen. Brazil's 3G Capital, which is part of the deal to buy Heinz, already owns Burger King.

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It's the peak of the elephant seal mating season on the California coast. That means the SUV-sized, 4,000-pound males duke it out for a chance to mate.

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The decline looks like another sign that the labor market is slowly, steadily, improving.

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The owners of a California condo resort say they went into a unit to do some work and were quickly grabbed by the man who authorities say had already killed three people and was determined to take revenge on his former police colleagues.

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Crowd funding has proved popular for bands raising money to produce a new album and for producers of documentary films. Now scientists are getting into the act, and some are raising money from the very people they're studying.

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Also: The Knight Foundation apologizes; more bad news for Barnes & Noble; and discontinued candy heart slogans.

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A woman was killed Thursday at the home of he South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete. Police tell South African news outlets that Pistorius is the only suspect.

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The movement opposing Bahrain's autocratic monarchy is gaining strength in what has become the longest-running uprising of the Arab Spring. Feb. 14 marks the revolt's second anniversary.

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How antitrust regulators decide whether to block a merger.

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How antitrust regulators decide whether to block a merger.

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In fashion's first hackathon, developers had just 24 hours to build an app for the industry — the finalists will be presented on the runway at New York's Fashion Week. "Right now the industry could really use some innovation," says Decoded Fashion founder Liz Bacelar.

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Forty years ago, New York enacted tough laws in response to a wave of drug-related crime. They became known as the Rockefeller drug laws, and they set the standard for states looking to get tough on crime. But a new debate is under way over the effectiveness of such strict sentencing laws.

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International aid agencies are pouring millions of dollars into a large industrial park on Haiti's north coast. The Caracol Industrial Park is intended to create 60,000 jobs and encourage people to move out of the overcrowded capital Port-au-Prince.

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Directors of both companies have approved the deal, which creates a company worth about $11 billion. It will be known as American Airlines.

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It wasn't that much of a surprise that Senate Republicans refused to end debate on Chuck Hagel's nomination, forcing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to try to find 60 votes to move the nomination forward to a final vote. And it's not clear whether Reid has those 60 votes.

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The environmental organization approved its first act of civil disobedience in its 120 year history. Executive Director Michael Brune said it was time for Obama to "seize this moment on Climate change."

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In the 2010 model year, the most dependable cars and trucks were either new to the market or had been through a major redesign, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates. The finding contradicts the traditional stance that consumers should let carmakers work out the bugs in a new model before they buy.

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