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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

U.S. expands Anbar model to Iraq Shiites  —  KUT, Iraq - American commanders in southern Iraq say Shiite sheiks are showing interest in joining forces with the U.S. military against extremists, in much the same way that Sunni clansmen in the western part of the country have worked with American forces against al-Qaida.

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 …

In Bush Speech, Signs of Split on Iran Policy  —  While scrutiny this week focused on the debate over troop strength, President Bush also used the occasion to turn up the pressure on Iran, using his speech on Thursday to stress the need to contain Iran as a major reason for the continued American presence in Iraq.

Antiwar Protest Held in Washington  —  Thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Washington today, from near the White House to the Capitol, where they planned to stage a "die-in" to demonstrate their fervant opposition to the war in Iraq.  —  Protesters and counter-protesters started …

Greenspan bashes Bush policies  —  Former Fed chair says administration put politics before sound economics  —  WASHINGTON - Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, in his new book, bashes President Bush for not responsibly handling the nation's spending and racking up big budget deficits.