FORMER Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination yesterday, hours after finishing a disappointing third in the Iowa straw poll.

Minnesota rivals Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann have sparred bitterly in a Republican presidential debate, trying to stand out ahead of an Iowa test vote with huge consequences.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has become the second major Republican to announce a challenge to President Barack Obama in 2012, declaring he will “put America back on a course of greatness”.

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama, whose approval ratings have taken a hit over heated debates on healthcare reform, will address Congress tonight in an attempt to regain control of one of his top legislative priorities.

WITH the bang of a drum and a high-pitched wail, the first funerals began for victims of a teenager’s shooting rampage on the Red Lake Indian Reservation where 10 people died.