Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda  —  American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.  —  After being forced from its strongholds in the west …

US Pentagon doubts Israeli intelligence over Iran's nuclear programme  —  Pentagon chiefs fear that Israeli plans for an attack on Iran's nuclear programme will fail to destroy the facilities because neither the CIA nor Mossad knows where every base is located

Election 2008: Rhode Island Presidential Election  —  Rhode Island: Obama Enjoys Big Lead in Blue State  —  Barack Obama leads John McCain 55% to 31% in Rhode Island, according to the first Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state since the primaries.

Sniffer dogs to wear ‘Muslim’ bootees  —  Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence.  —  Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives.

John McCain: ‘I hate the bloggers’  —  John McCain, Town Hall Meeting, Merrimack, NH 12/29/07  —  Hey right wing bloggers.  I think he's talking about you too. … I'm giddy with the thought that he isn't very fond of me.

re: Civics  —  A totally crazy Saturday-morning thought: Wouldn't George W. Bush make an awesome high-school government teacher?  Wouldn't it be something if his post-presidential life would up being that kind of post-service service?  How's that for a model?  Who needs Harvard visiting chairs and high-end lectures?

Obama backs late, mental-health abortion  —  Sen. Barack Obama clarified his position today on mental-health exceptions to late-term abortions, saying he supports such exceptions and that comments he made during a recent magazine interview shouldn't be interpreted as opposing them.

Obama: Rest assured, I'm still fully committed to abandoning Iraq  —  Flip-flop-flip: … That last bit, feigning shock that people are paying close attention to what the Democratic nominee says about the signature foreign policy issue of the campaign, must be the most precious bit of shinola …

Americans' unhappy birthday: ‘Too much wrong right now’  —  Even folks in the Optimist Club are having a tough time toeing an upbeat line these days.  —  Eighteen members of the volunteer organization's Gilbert, Ariz., chapter have gathered, a few days before this nation's 232nd birthday …

McCain Battles a Nemesis, the Teleprompter  —  LAS VEGAS —Senator John McCain was performing relatively smoothly as he unveiled his energy plan.  —  He managed to limit the mechanical hand chops and weirdly timed smiles that can often punctuate his speeches.

Why Fly When You Can Float?  —  The view inside the cabin of a Zeppelin NT during a flight over southern Germany.  The dirigible can carry 12 sightseers.  More Photos >  —  PARIS — Imagine gliding in a floating hotel over the Serengeti, gazing down at herds of zebra or elephants …

The political establishment and telecom immunity — why it matters  —  Nancy Soderberg was deputy national security advisor and an ambassador to the United Nations in the Clinton administration.  Today, she has an Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times defending the FISA bill and telecom amnesty.