Republican, Democratic Presidential Contests Strikingly Similar  —  Sen. Fred Thompson surges into tie with John McCain for second in GOP contest  —  PRINCETON, NJ — With no incumbent president or vice president running for the 2008 presidential nominations, it is perhaps not surprising …

Gaza's Christians fear for their lives  —  Christians living in Gaza City on Monday appealed to the international community to protect them against increased attacks by Muslim extremists.  Many Christians said they were prepared to leave the Gaza Strip as soon as the border crossings are reopened.

Pirated "Sicko" surfaces on YouTube  —  NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Moviegoers interested in seeing Michael Moore's U.S. health-care expose, "Sicko," could find it easily on YouTube this weekend.  —  Two weeks before its June 29 opening, a 124-minute version of the film was available …

Petraeus: Iraq 'Challenges' to Last for Years  —  Conditions in Iraq will not improve sufficiently by September to justify a drawdown of U.S. military forces, the top commander in Iraq said yesterday.  —  Asked whether he thought the job assigned to an additional 30,000 troops deployed …

U.S.-Led Airstrike Kills 7 Children in Afghanistan  —  U.S.-led coalition forces killed seven children in an airstrike against a suspected al-Qaeda hideout in Afghanistan on Sunday, adding to a civilian death toll that has become an increasing source of tension between the coalition and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The Long View in Iraq  —  Let's face it folks, things are not going to be measurably better in Iraq by September.  —  To continue reading this article, you must be a subscriber to TimesSelect.  Log in now.  —  What is TimesSelect?  —  Newspaper subscribers, upgrade to TimesSelect for free now.

Climate change behind Darfur killing: UN's Ban  —  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the slaughter in Darfur was triggered by global climate change and that more such conflicts may be on the horizon, in an article published Saturday.  —  "The Darfur conflict began as an ecological crisis …

Their Own Defense  —  D.C.'s Clubby Attorneys Keep Corporate Work in the Flock  —  In the beginning, there was Bob.  —  Twenty years ago, lawyer Robert S. Bennett represented Boeing in a huge government bid-rigging investigation.  Conflicts barred him from handling all the work himself …

Rezko cash triple what Obama says  —  During his 12 years in politics, Sen. Barack Obama has received nearly three times more campaign cash from indicted businessman Tony Rezko and his associates than he has publicly acknowledged, the Chicago Sun-Times has found.

Now what about those Duke professors  —  We know about Mike Nifong, and it looks like he's going to get his comeuppance.  Yet the question remains: Why would a seasoned prosecutor like Nifong flout the rules in so many ways in the Duke case?  Why would he publicly describe the Duke lacrosse players as …

Taking On Biggest Donors, McCain Takes a Big Risk  —  A ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee like Senator John McCain could normally bank on a bonanza of campaign contributions from the defense industry, especially if he was under pressure to raise money fast.

Ludicrous lawsuits  —  I WAS once sued in state court by a disgruntled reader who accused me of calling him a "crackpot."  Fortunately, the suit went nowhere; the plaintiff's nutty, hand-scrawled complaint was apparently all the court needed to dismiss the case.

The Great American Pants Suit  —  A judge pins a $67 million value on a pair of trousers—his own.  —  When attorney Roy Pearson filed suit demanding $67 million from the Chung family, whose Washington dry cleaners had mishandled his pair of trousers, he must have felt he was sitting pretty.

On S.E. Iowa trek, Romney keeps the focus on family  —  He also says he would increase spending for the nation's armed forces.  —  Burlington, Ia.  - Long-haired rocker Ted Nugent prepared to take center stage at the Burlington Steamboat Days on Sunday night, but first it was short-haired …