IN WHICH THE LEFT BIFFS BOTH THE END OF THE WORLD AND THE END OF HISTORY:

Snow delights residents of Baghdad (Elizabeth Stewart, January 11, 2008, Guardian Unlimited)

Snow fell on Baghdad today for the first time in living memory, delighting residents who declared it an omen of peace. [...]

Murtadha Fadhil, who works for the traffic police, huddled under a balcony to keep dry, and declared the snow "a new sign of the new Iraq".

He said the phenomenon was a sign of hope and purity. "We hope Iraqis will purify their hearts and politicians will work for the prosperity of all Iraqis," he said.