TORONTO – The Canadian government introduced its contentious same-sex marriage (search) bill in Parliament on Tuesday, seeking to legalize gay marriage nationwide over the objections of the Roman Catholic Church and other conservative clergy. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, upon introducing the bill, said the legislation reflected the spirit of Canadian …

JERUSALEM – Responding to death threats against government ministers, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (search) ordered law enforcement agencies Sunday to crack down on Jewish extremists opposed to the planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Cabinet ministers said the charged climate is reminiscent of the period before the 1995 assassination …

WASHINGTON – Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. (search), the largest U.S. brewer, said on Wednesday quarterly profit rose, but domestic market share slipped and the company forecast a tough year for growing profit in its beer business. Rising costs and increased promotions to stimulate sales volume will weigh on profit in the …

WASHINGTON – Administration officials refused Wednesday to set a timetable on troops returning home from Iraq. Democrats pressed for a departure strategy amid climbing American casualties. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld (search) told House and Senate committees that progress was being made in training Iraqi security forces but there was …

WASHINGTON – A year ago, an activist group from the Seattle area gave Howard Dean (search) a thin, golden statue of a backbone. The Oscar-like award honored the former Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont governor for standing up against the Iraq war and other Bush administration policies. Now, as Dean …

NEW YORK – The former finance chief of WorldCom Inc. (search) testified Thursday that the company called off 2001 merger talks with Verizon after he and CEO Bernard Ebbers (search) worried Verizon officials would discover WorldCom’s cooked books. Scott Sullivan (search) testified there were concerns that Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) …

This is a partial transcript from “The O’Reilly Factor,” Feb. 10, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. BILL O’REILLY, HOST: In the “Personal Story” segment tonight, our pal, Geraldo Rivera (search), as you may know, is an attorney as well as a FOX News correspondent. Now last week on …

Menopausal hormone therapy (search) may make stroke more likely and more severe. The latest study shows that this therapy raises stroke risk by 29 percent and makes death, disability, or dependence after stroke 56 percent more likely. The news comes from a review of 28 studies with a total of …

WASHINGTON – Twenty senators from farm states have written to Japan’s ambassador in the United States, urging his country to follow up on its promise to lift an import ban on American beef (search). The letter, sent Wednesday, also raised the possibility of a trade battle if Japan does not …

This is a partial transcript from “The O’Reilly Factor,” Feb. 18, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. Watch “The O’Reilly Factor” weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET and listen to the “Radio Factor!” BILL O’REILLY, HOST: In the “Unresolved Problem” segment tonight, right now the only college …