Pluto gets the boot  —  Pluto no longer a planet, say astronomers  —  PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.

Some in G.O.P. Say Iran Threat Is Played Down  —  Some senior Bush administration officials and top Republican lawmakers are voicing anger that American spy agencies have not issued more ominous warnings about the threats that they say Iran presents to the United States.

In New Method for Stem Cells, Viable Embryos  —  Biologists have developed a technique for establishing colonies of human embryonic stem cells from an early human embryo without destroying it.  This method, if confirmed in other laboratories, would seem to remove the principal objection to the research.

A Matter of Appearances  —  When Judge Anna Diggs Taylor was given the job of deciding whether the Bush administration's wiretapping program was unconstitutional, she certainly understood that she would be ruling on one of the most politically charged cases in recent history.

FDA Eases Limits on Plan B Sales  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Women may buy the morning-after pill without a prescription - but only with proof they're 18 or older, federal health officials ruled Thursday, capping a contentious 3-year effort to ease access to the emergency contraceptive.

Exclusive: Zoellick to Join McCain; Aides Eye Early '07 Campaign Launch  —  Former Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick is planning to join the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain next year, overseeing development of domestic and foreign policy, Republican officials tell TIME.

General: Iran Training Shiite Insurgents  —  WASHINGTON — The Iranian government is training and equipping much of the Shiite insurgency in Iraq, a senior U.S. general said Wednesday, drawing one of the most direct links by the Pentagon.  —  Brig. Gen. Michael Barbero also said it was too soon …

NWA flight disrupted; 12 arrested  —  A passenger on the India-bound plane — the man who first alerted the FBI to Zacarias Moussaoui five years ago — said the tense situation was handled well.  —  WASHINGTON - A Northwest Airlines plane flying from the Netherlands to India was escorted …

Israel may 'go it alone' against Iran  —  Israel is carefully watching the world's reaction to Iran's continued refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, with some high-level officials arguing it is now clear that when it comes to stopping Iran, Israel "may have to go it alone," The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Gaza Captors of 2 Newsmen Pressure U.S.  —  An unknown Islamic group on Wednesday issued a sweeping demand for the release of all Muslim prisoners held in the United States in exchange for two Fox News television journalists seized at gunpoint last week in Gaza.

Relearning Lessons in the War on Terror  —  From the recent Israel-Hezbollah war in southern Lebanon to the jihadists in Iraq's Sunni Triangle to the repeated efforts by Islamists across the globe to trump Sept. 11, what old lessons about terrorism are we in the West finding ourselves having to relearn?

Careers and Marriage  —  Forbes.com published a story Aug. 22 by editor Michael Noer on two-career relationships that provoked a heated response from both outside and inside our building.  Elizabeth Corcoran, a member of our Silicon Valley bureau and principal author of the magazine's current cover story …

Christian Coalition losing chapters  —  Three disgruntled state affiliates have severed ties with the Christian Coalition of America, one of the nation's most powerful conservative groups during the 1990s but now buffeted by complaints over finances, leadership and its plans to veer into nontraditional policy areas.

Evolution Major Vanishes From Approved Federal List  —  Evolutionary biology has vanished from the list of acceptable fields of study for recipients of a federal education grant for low-income college students.  —  The omission is inadvertent, said Katherine McLane, a spokeswoman …

Bush's New Iraq Argument: It Could Be Worse  —  Of all the words that President Bush used at his news conference this week to defend his policies in Iraq, the one that did not pass his lips was "progress."  —  For three years, the president tried to reassure Americans that more progress was being made in Iraq than they realized.

A Rave Against the Mullahs!  —  Iranian youth throw a rave party!  —  You really must play this New Nami single "Faryaad" while checking out these Iranian party pictures just to get a feel for things, HERE … Pictures from a Chaharshanbeh-Souri Celebration in Iran.