WASHINGTON – Senior U.S. military commanders have become so pleased with events in Iraq that they expect troop levels (search) to drop to about 100,000 by early next year, depending on the persistence of the insurgency and local security-force training, defense sources confirmed to FOX News. “We’re hitting our goals,” …

WASHINGTON – President Bush, brushing aside a stall tactic by Sen. Trent Lott (search), R-Miss., appointed the nine-member commission that will determine military bases closings without waiting for Senate confirmation. Bush made the appointments while the Senate was in recess, the White House (search) announced Friday night. The recess appointments …

PARIS – Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (search) said Tuesday he was saddened by the 2001 terror attacks on the United States, but he condemned the U.S. response — the invasion of Iraq — saying that war and terror have the “same roots.” Khatami was speaking at a conference in Paris, …

NEW YORK – The Eric Breindel Memorial Foundation has announced a deadline extension to April 29 for applications for the 7th Annual Eric Breindel Award. The award, in memory of the New York Post editor and columnist, includes opinion journalism, news coverage and online articles. The award, which recognizes the …

WASHINGTON – Bloated budget deficits pose a danger to the nation’s long-term economic health, Federal Reserve (search) Chairman Alan Greenspan (search) warned anew Thursday. He issued a fresh call to policy-makers to move swiftly to put the government’s fiscal house in order. Greenspan only very briefly touched on the economy’s …

WASHINGTON – Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (search) pressed the U.S. to threaten Iran (search) with international sanctions, warning Iran was quickly approaching a point of no-return in its nuclear program. The White House said it agreed that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons “under the guise of a civilian program” …

PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Hasbro Inc. (HAS), the nation’s second-largest toy maker, said Monday it swung to a loss in the latest first quarter from year-ago profit, due to lower revenue and higher costs. Quarterly losses totaled $3.7 million, or 2 cents per share, compared with earnings of $6.5 million, or …

VATICAN CITY – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (search) of Germany, the Vatican’s chief overseer of doctrine, assumed the name Benedict XVI (search) Tuesday after he was elected pope of the Roman Catholic Church following one of the shortest conclaves in history. Ratzinger — one of the closest friends and advisers to …

NEW YORK – A man suspected of raping at least 25 women in three states has been arrested in a 1973 rape after DNA tests on the victim’s underwear linked him to the attack, prosecutors said Tuesday. Clarence Williams (search), 58, was connected this month to the 1973 rape of …

WASHINGTON – The White House has vowed to plow ahead in its efforts to get John R. Bolton approved as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations despite an unexpected setback and a charge by the Senate minority leader that Bolton is a “damaged piece of goods.” The Senate …