Washington  - The Republican Party released a new television advertisement Tuesday that mocks Germany's adulation with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama during his visit to Berlin last week.

The one-minute video contains interviews with some of the 200,000 people who attended Obama's speech in Berlin Thursday, suggesting his "international fan base" is unfit to judge who is best suited to be US president.

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Washington  - Reaching a Middle East peace deal by the end of the year will be "difficult" but the Israelis and Palestinians are committed to the goal, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday.

Rice's comments came ahead of a meeting planned for Wednesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia in Washington.

Washington  - Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the US Senate, was indicted for failing to disclose corporate gifts worth more than 250,000 dollars, the US Justice Department announced Tuesday.

The 84-year-old Alaskan senator had his home raided earlier this year as part of a wide-reaching corruption probe that has already led to charges against a number of other Alaska state legislators and businessmen.

Washington  - One-time presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is offering one lucky donor a chance to dine with the former first lady herself in an effort to retire her campaign debt.

Clinton sent a mass-mailing to supporters Tuesday offering what her staff has dubbed the "retirement dinner" with a supporter that donates 5 dollars or more to help her pay back some 20 million dollars in outstanding bills.

Washington  - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama plans to spend some 20 million dollars on a nationwide campaign to gain the support of Hispanic voters, his campaign announced Tuesday.

The money will serve to register and "mobilize" eligible Latino voters through television advertisements, internet outreach and visits by members of Congress to key constituencies around the country, the Obama campaign said.