Troubled Fund-Raiser's Wallet Matched His Need to Please  —  Norman Hsu was desperate for invitations to glitzy Democratic Party galas in California and private political dinners in New York.  But once he got in, Mr. Hsu, a 56-year-old apparel executive, seemed awkward and out of place …

Israelis 'blew apart Syrian nuclear cache'  —  Secret raid on Korean shipment  —  Uzi Mahnaimi in Tel Aviv, Sarah Baxter in Washington and Michael Sheridan  —  IT was just after midnight when the 69th Squadron of Israeli F15Is crossed the Syrian coast-line.  On the ground, Syria's formidable air defences went dead.

Alan Greenspan claims Iraq war was really for oil  —  AMERICA's elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil.  —  In his long-awaited memoir, to be published tomorrow, Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure …

Michael Mukasey to be Attorney General...  And conservatives should be happy.  —  THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned that retired federal judge Michael B. Mukasey is the leading candidate to replace Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.  President Bush is expected to announce the nomination as early as Monday.

More than 190 arrested at D.C. protest  —  WASHINGTON - Several thousand anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where more than 190 protesters were arrested.  —  The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war.

Sparse Schedule for Thompson on Trail  —  At his second campaign stop of the day on Friday, just after 2 p.m., Fred D. Thompson was deep into a riff on the benefits of high-quality American health care.  —  "It's allowing us to live healthier lives and to live longer," Mr. Thompson …

PROTESTS AND COUNTER-PROTESTS IN DC  —  Anti-war, anti-troop and anti-American protesters turned out in Washington today, led by International ANSWER, a Communist front organization.  The turnout doesn't seem to have been very impressive; news accounts say there were "thousands" of protesters.

Angry savers force Northern Rock to be sold  —  Northern Rock, the crisis-hit bank under siege from thousands of its customers, was preparing itself last night for a sell-off, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.  —  One plan being worked on by City bankers was to divide the company's £100 …

Gingrich plots revenge on Clintons  —  Firebrand Republican threatens last-minute White House run to end primary 'chaos' - and stop Hillary  —  One of the most divisive figures in American politics during Bill Clinton's presidency is contemplating a 'wild-card' run for the White House …

Arctic ice melt opens Northwest Passage  —  PARIS - Arctic ice has shrunk to the lowest level on record, new satellite images show, raising the possibility that the Northwest Passage that eluded famous explorers will become an open shipping lane.  —  The European Space Agency …

Rumsfeld: 'I Have Not Even Attempted' To Follow What's Going On In Iraq, Too Busy 'Arranging My Papers'  —  In an interview with Fox News last night, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld — one of the key architects of the Iraq disaster — was asked whether he currently …

Ailing lender's checks bounce  —  Checks sent out by the troubled American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. to pay the property taxes of more than 70 homeowners in the Baltimore metropolitan area have bounced, local officials said yesterday.  —  Baltimore City received bad checks for 53 properties - a total of about $63,500.

Attacking the Dead: Conservative Support for the Troops  —  Barely a week after the death of Montana soldier Yance Gray, Dave Rye is attacking him, suggesting that he was neither intelligent enough to have written an editorial expressing discontent about the war nor able to escape the clutches of liberal propagandists:

Pentagon: Rudy Ad's Use Of Petraeus Image Done "Without His Consent"  —  Rudy's new political ad attacking Hillary Clinton features multiple pictures of General Petraeus in uniform — but now the Pentagon says that the General "has not condoned" the use of his image in Rudy's ad or any other political ads …

The GOP's savior?  —  Rank-and-file Republicans clearly aren't satisfied with their already-enormous presidential field.  Shortly after Fred Thompson's announcement, activists started wondering whether David Petraeus might be available.  Or maybe Jeb.  Or even Newt.  —  Well, wait no more.