Mutiny on Flight 613  —  Passengers refuse to allow holiday jet to take off until two Asian men are thrown off plane  —  British holidaymakers staged an unprecedented mutiny - refusing to allow their flight to take off until two men they feared were terrorists were forcibly removed.

What Next?  —  The debate is over: By any definition, Iraq is in a state of civil war.  Indeed, the only thing standing between Iraq and a descent into total Bosnia-like devastation is 135,000 U.S. troops — and even they are merely slowing the fall.  The internecine conflict could easily spiral …

Annan says U.N. won't 'wage war'  —  UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed to U.N. member states to provide desperately needed U.N. peacekeeping troops for Lebanon and assured them the U.N. force would not "wage war" on Israel, Lebanon, or Hezbollah militants.

The Rise of Shrinking-Vacation Syndrome  —  In August, when much of the world is hard at work trying to do nothing, Jeff Hopkins and his wife, Denise, usually take a week to chase fish in Olympic National Park — a ferry ride and two tanks of gas from here with a boat in tow.

With doublespeaking France, honor gets lost in translation  —  French is the traditional language of diplomacy.  Diplomacy is the art of saying one thing while doing another.  —  In recent weeks, France stepped forward to act as a broker of peace in Lebanon.

The Osama Card  —  Expect the Republicans to use the specter of the terror leader to frighten voters ahead of the elections.  —  It will soon be five years since the 9/11 attacks thrust America into a state of perpetual anxiety, and the man who inspired and masterminded the carnage that awful day remains at large.

Pundits Renounce The President  —  For 10 minutes, the talk show host grilled his guests about whether "George Bush's mental weakness is damaging America's credibility at home and abroad."  For 10 minutes, the caption across the bottom of the television screen read, "IS BUSH AN 'IDIOT'?"

GOP's Financial Edge Shrinks  —  The traditional fundraising advantage held by incumbent lawmakers — which Republicans have regarded as a safety wall in their effort to keep control of Congress — has eroded in many closely contested House races, as many Democratic challengers prove competitive in the race for cash.

Bush: Iraq War keystone in terror fight  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush said Saturday that his administration's determination to remain in Iraq and its efforts to end violence in Lebanon are key to protecting the U.S. from future terrorist attacks.  Democrats countered that Americans …

Gov't fulfills few Katrina promises  —  Nearly half of New Orleans was still under water when President Bush stood in the Crescent City's historic Jackson Square and swore he would "do what it takes" to rebuild the communities and lives that had been laid to waste two weeks before by Hurricane Katrina.

Sunday Talking Head Thread  —  Here's the Sunday Show line-up: (via WaPo) … Well...that could be...interesting...at times.  Although Face the Nation looks like quite the whiny wanker festivus, doesn't it?  —  Reader Sharon sent me this peaceful shot of a heron flying over Lake Michigan.

Arab Media Take Aim At Assad  —  After Bashar Assad called Arab leaders "half men" for failing to rally to Hezbollah's support, state-sponsored media in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have castigated Assad in terms usually reserved for infidels.  His critics have called him a coward and a dead rosebud, among other epithets:

The Trouble When Jane Becomes Jack  —  Shane Caya, right, found fulfillment in making the transition from a woman to a man.  But it meant the end of a relationship with his former lesbian partner, left.  They share custody of a child.  —  SAN FRANCISCO  —  IN the most recent season …

A Tale of Two Pols  —  Back in 1993 when Sen. George Allen (R) was running for Virginia governor, he took a break from a swank fundraising luncheon to kibitz with reporters.  "The soup has fritters in it!" he complained in the same tone he once used to scold someone who handed him what he called …

Verdict Against Iraq Contractor Overturned  —  Occupation Authority's Murky Status Cited  —  A federal judge threw out a $10 million jury verdict against an American company accused of overcharging on an Iraq reconstruction contract after concluding that the now-defunct Coalition Provisional Authority was not a U.S. government entity.