FREE TO AIR TOP GEAR Channel Nine, 7.30pm CHANNEL Nine's desire to hitch itself to the Top Gear franchise is a no-brainer. Even on the nation's least-watched channel, SBS, it regularly attracted 1 million viewers. The show comes with a massive back catalogue and is an ideal fit for a network that still..read more

BUCHAREST. The US is to build a scaled-down missile defence shield in Romania by 2012 despite objections from Russia.

AUSTRALIA can be happy it avoided the fate of fellow Asian qualifier North Korea, which faces Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast in the World Cup group stage, but in reality the Socceroos have been done few favours by the draw.

1. South Africa, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Netherlands.

Alexandra Maria Lara's life is a far cry from the Romania of her youth, reports Helen Barlow.