TEHRAN, Iran – Iran rebuffed a request by the U.N. nuclear agency chief in talks Thursday that it suspend uranium enrichment, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted his country will not retreat “one iota.” The chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, looked much less optimistic after the four hours of talks with Iran’s top …

LONDON – George Michael, who announced his first tour in 15 years Friday, says he’s feeling fine, despite a recent drug arrest and car mishap. Media scrutiny of the pop star has run high since he was found slumped at the wheel of his car at Hyde Park Corner in …

DENVER – Trains and buses were rolling again early Monday after a weeklong transit strike sent thousands of commuters across the Denver area scrambling for rides to work. The Regional Transportation District‘s 1,750 union mechanics, bus drivers and train operators walked off the job April 3 after rejecting a contract …

CHICAGO – Estrogen pills raise older women’s risk of blood clots, but not as much as supplements that also contain progestin, according to new data from a landmark government study on more than 10,000 women. The study is the most rigorous to date to link estrogen-only pills with blood clots …

Amid repeated calls from lawmakers for a shift from employer-to-consumer-driven medical coverage, health insurer Cigna this week announced plans to expand its line of health savings accounts for small businesses. The Bloomfield, Conn.-based firm had previously reserved the plans for larger companies. Click here to visit FOXBusiness.com’s NEW Small Business …

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Visa International and Finnish cell phone maker Nokia Corp. (NOK) jointly released the world’s first credit card payment pilot system in Malaysia, allowing consumers to shop and pay using their mobile phones. The “Mobile Visa Wave Payment Pilot” project marks the first step in plans to …

NEW YORK – Jerry Lewis‘ next acting gig is no laughing matter. This fall, the 80-year-old comedian will play the homeless uncle of Richard Belzer‘s police Detective John Munch in a guest spot on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” an NBC spokeswoman said Monday. In the episode titled, “Uncle,” …

BEIJING – China on Friday released a panda bred in captivity into the wild for the first time, and the animal scampered into a nearby bamboo forest where he will be monitored via satellite. Xiang Xiang, a 4-year-old male raised at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in Sichuan province, …

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Waving American and Mexican flags, hundreds of Hispanics rallied downtown Tuesday to oppose immigration reform proposed by Congress. About 450 people marched in a block-wide oval, and many clutched homemade signs opposing a bill passed by the U.S. House in December that would make illegal immigrants felons. …

CHICAGO – Cigarette maker Philip Morris USA Thursday said it agreed to suspend shipments to customers that states find have illegally sold cigarettes over the Internet or by fax, mail or telephone. The unit of Altria Group Inc. (MO) reached the agreement with attorneys general in 33 states and other …