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Paul Collingwood hit a valiant 74 and England's last-wicket pair defied Australia for 40 minutes to clinch a draw in the first Ashes Test.
England, 20-2 overnight, lost three further wickets inside 90 minutes but somehow clung on in the final stages.
Collingwood's innings lasted 245 balls - five hours and 43 minutes in all.
Then, amid scenes of high tension, with every dot ball roared by a capacity crowd, James Anderson and Monty Panesar kept Australia's spinners at bay.
At an historic ceremony in parliament, Lithuania’s so-called “Iron Lady” has been sworn into office as the Baltic state’s first female president. Dalia Grybauskaite takes over from veteran Valdas Adamkus, who at 82 is retiring after serving two five year terms.
His successor’s straight-talking style and conservative reformist stance are behind comparisons with Britain’s former leader Margaret Thatcher. An ex-finance minister, Grybauskaite has also spent time in Brussels. Her efforts in helping reform the EU’s budget earned her the title European Commissioner of the Year in 2005.
She will be hoping to use her economics experience to help turn things round in Lithuania which has been hit hard by the global downturn. After rapid growth following EU entry in 2004, the country’s economy is expected to shrink by more than 10 percent this year. Lithuania’s new leader certainly has the confidence of her fellow citizens, having won a landslide victory in May’s elections.
The head of the CIA has accused former US Vice-President Dick Cheney of concealing an intelligence programme from Congress, a top US senator says.
The existence of the programme, set up after 9/11, was hidden for eight years and even now its nature is not known.
Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein confirmed CIA chief Leon Panetta told Congressional committees he had abandoned the project on hearing of it.
He said that Mr Cheney was behind the secrecy, Sen Feinstein said.
British National Party leader Nick Griffin has said he no longer wants to see an all-white United Kingdom.
Mr Griffin, who is due to take up his seat as an MEP for the North West, said the idea of a UK without ethnic minorities was "simply not do-able".
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Griffin said: "Nobody out there wants it or would pay for it."
He said claims that he was a fascist were "smears" but said the European Union was "very close to fascism".
Hundreds of illegal immigrants have been forced from their camp in the Greek port city of Patras.
Police bulldozers and around 80 officers took part in the operation. Those living here were mostly Afghans. But the squalid conditions of the camp prompted complaints from local residents.
Those detained have been moved to hotels in the area, the children to a special centre in the north of Greece. It is not clear if they will be deported.
“This has been a successful and effective, even if late, demolition,” said Patras police chief Thanassis Davlouros. “All legal procedures and measures concerning the future of these people have been taken.”
Greece has often been criticised by international organisations and rights groups for the conditions of its dentention centres. But the conservative government said this month it would get tougher on illegal immigration.
Those who arrive here are mainly from Asia and use the Petras port to move on to other European countries. The Greek Prime Minister will meet with his Italian and Spanish counterparts next week to discuss the problem.
Police say nobody was injured during the operation, although a fire did break out. Two immigrants were arrested for arson.
( By New York Times, Asnycnow15)
The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a
secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years
on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the
agency's director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and
House intelligence committees, two people with direct
knowledge of the matter said Saturday.
The report that Mr. Cheney was behind the decision to conceal
the still-unidentified program from Congress deepened the
mystery surrounding it, suggesting that the Bush
administration had put a high priority on the program and its
secrecy.
Mr. Panetta, who ended the program when he first learned of
its existence from subordinates on June 23, briefed the two
intelligence committees about it in separate closed sessions
the next day.Tags ; CIA Cheney Panetta
Gordon Brown has defended the government's Afghanistan strategy, saying it is the right one despite a "dangerous battle" ahead.
By BBC News |UK
The prime minister said it was aimed at preventing terrorism in the UK. Fifteen British soldiers have died in 10 days.
Two men killed on Thursday have been named. The first was Rifleman Daniel Hume, 22, of 4th Battalion The Rifles.
The second was Private John Brackpool, 27, Prince of Wales' Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
© BBC MMIX
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