Prime Minister John Howard, one of the staunchest U.S. allies in the war in Iraq, defied predictions about a close race and won a convincing victory for a historic fourth term on Saturday despite widespread public disagreement in Australia with Howard’s position on the war. With about 77 percent of the vote counted, official figures showed Howard’s conservative coalition had 52.4 percent to the opposition Labor Party’s 47.6 percent, a clear lead in the race for a majority in Parliament’s 150-seat lower house, where the government is formed. The victory ensured that Australia will keep its roughly 900 troops in Iraq. Full Story