GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Militant groups have agreed to suspend attacks as they near a formal truce deal with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (search) and await Israel’s response, a senior Palestinian official said Monday. The militants’ promise came after Israeli leaders said Sunday that Israel is ready to hold …

Despite the famous link between ALS and baseball great Lou Gehrig, a new study shows that there’s no medical link between the disease and physical activity. Researchers found no association between increased physical activity and the risk of developing ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Those results contradict several previous studies that …

KUWAIT CITY – The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait (search) warned its citizens Monday that an individual or group of people are driving around the small country with the intent of attacking Westerners. “The Embassy is issuing this urgent message because it has received credible information that an individual or individuals …

This is a partial transcript of “The Big Story With John Gibson,” January 5, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. Watch “The Big Story With John Gibson” weeknights at 5 p.m. ET JUDGE ANDREW NAPOLITANO, GUEST: Thirty-six Americans are confirmed or presumed killed by the South Asia tsunamis (search). …

WASHINGTON – As President Bush (search) pushes Social Security reform, his ambitious tax reform agenda may already be in trouble, say an increasing number of congressional sources and tax experts. The White House is about to name an advisory panel on tax reform, but that may be the last movement …

CHICAGO – Troubled doughnut maker Krispy Kreme (KKD) will restate earnings for the last three quarters of fiscal 2004 in the wake of allegations the company padded shipments to hide declining sales over the last two years. Its shares sank nearly 17 percent. The once high-flying food company and restaurant …

BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Parliament (search) is expected to give wide endorsement to the European Union’s first-ever constitution Wednesday, making it the third European legislature to ratify the treaty which aims to streamline how the EU works. The 732-member EU assembly, meeting in Strasbourg, France, was to give its …

LA CONCHITA, Calif. – Rescue workers, buoyed by word late Wednesday that everyone believed to be missing following a deadly mudslide has now been accounted for, continued to dig through a giant pile of mud and debris nonetheless, seeking to make sure that no one was overlooked. The final three …

ATLANTA – Freezing rain and sleet coated parts of the Southeast with a layer of ice Saturday, canceling hundreds of airline flights, knocking out power to thousands of customers and shutting down sections of every interstate highway in the metro Atlanta area. Three weather-related traffic deaths were reported, two in …

President Bush renewed his call for expanded use of health savings accounts Wednesday. He also called on Congress to pass a controversial insurance law that would allow business associations to band together to buy medical coverage. Bush told an audience at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., that …