Giuliani will skip August straw poll  —  New Yorker plans "non-traditional" caucus run  —  Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani plans to skip the Ames straw poll in August, but compete to win the leadoff Iowa caucuses, a gamble by the former New York Mayor on a "non-traditional" caucus campaign and a first for Iowa.

Officials: Turkey troops hunting Kurds in Iraq  —  The last major Turkish incursion into northern Iraq was in 1997, when about 50,000 troops were sent to the region.  —  The officials did not say where the Turkish force was operating in northern Iraq, nor did he say how long they would be there.

Transcript: Third G.O.P. Debate  —  The following is a transcript of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates debate hosted by CNN, WMUR-TV and The New Hampshire Union Leader.  The participants were Senator Sam Brownback, the former Virginia Gov. James Gilmore, the former …

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Can He Unleash the Force?  —  Like all young superheroes, Barack Obama has to learn to harness his powers.

In Saudi Arabia, a view from behind the veil  —  As a woman in the male-dominated kingdom, Times reporter Megan Stack quietly fumed beneath her abaya.  Even beyond its borders, her experience taints her perception of the sexes.  —  Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — The hem of my heavy Islamic cloak trailed over floors that glistened like ice.

Democrats Hope to Expand Rights at Guantánamo  —  A day after two military judges ruled against the Bush administration's system for trying terrorism detainees, Democrats seized on the rulings on Tuesday as evidence that Congress should restore the right of those held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to challenge their detentions.

Support for Senate Immigration Bill Falls, 49% Prefer No Bill At All  —  Public support for the Senate immigration reform bill has slipped a bit over the past week.  A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Monday and Tuesday night found that just 23% of voters now support the bill while 50% are opposed.

Scores Up Since 'No Child' Was Signed  —  Study's Authors Unsure Whether to Credit Law for Gains  —  The nation's students have performed significantly better on state reading and math tests since President Bush signed his landmark education initiative into law five years ago, according to a major independent study released yesterday.

Murdoch, Ailes, Weymouth Pump Bloomberg At Breindel Awards  —  "I'm sworn to secrecy," Rupert Murdoch told The Observer as he was leaving the New-York Historical Society's auditorium last night.  But: "We're making progress," the News Corp. chief added.  —  Mr. Murdoch hosted …

JUNE 6TH WILL ALWAYS BE "D-DAY"  —  It actually started on June 5th.  And it almost didn't start then.  The weather had turned bad.  A great storm had blown in from the Atlantic.  High wind and high seas had forced ships of all kinds back into bays and inlets.  Low clouds made it impossible for aircraft to find landmarks.

Steven Gilliard Jr., 42, Dies; Founder of Liberal Political Blog  —  Steven Gilliard Jr., a political journalist who found his calling as a combative and influential blogger on the left, died on Saturday in Manhattan.  He was 42.  —  He died after having been hospitalized …

Is U.S. Safer Since 9/11?  Clinton and Rivals Spar  —  The Bush administration's efforts to thwart terrorism at home have created a fissure among the three leading Democratic presidential candidates, with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton coming under attack for saying that America is safer …