Fiji president revokes constitution, no election till 2014

WELLINGTON - Fiji was plunged into political limbo Friday as President Ratu Josefa Iloilo revoked the constitution and sacked the Court of Appeal judges who declared the military government illegal, according to reports from the capital Suva.

Rudd’s short temper triggers exodus of personal staff

CANBERRA - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s short temper and unreasonable demands have triggered an exodus of personal staff and a backlash from public servants.

Recurring nightmares linked to Earth’s magnetic field

LONDON - Stopped watching horror movies because of recurring nightmares? Well, don’t give up on your ‘telly-diet’, for the reason behind the eventful nights is the Earth’s magnetic field.

Indian Australians family sues accused murderer for trespass

BRISBANE - Indian Australians Vijay and Shirley Singh have decided to sue the man accused of brutally killing their three children almost six years ago - for trespass.

Hayden to bat for Queensland’s oil-spill affected Moreton Bay

BRISBANE - Former Australian Test opener Matthew Hayden has kickstarted a campaign to restore Queensland’s image after the oil spill that disfigured Moreton Island.

Australia’s koala clinic a big tourist draw

PORT MACQUARIE - Among the many images from the bush fires that recently swept through the Australian state of Victoria was one of a koala bear being rescued by a fireman. Sam, as the bear became known, had pink-coloured bandages on its paws and was handed over to a carer.

‘House of the Dead: Overkill’ named most profane in video games’ history

MELBOURNE - A computer game called ‘House of the Dead: Overkill’ has made a Guinness World Record for being the most profane in the history of video games.esigned for the family-friendly Ninetndo Wii console, the game features 189 uses of the F-word.

New “rainbow glow” jellyfish found by scientists

WASHINGTON - Marine scientists have discovered a new species of jellyfish near the waters of Tasmania, which has a “rainbow glow”.

Swede Alshammar breaks butterfly record

SYDNEY - Sweden’s Therese Alshammar broke her own world record Tuesday in the 50-metre butterfly at the Australian swimming championships in Sydney.

Stuart Clark signs six-week deal with Kent

BRISBANE - Injured Australian fast bowler Stuart Clark has signed a six-week deal to play English county cricket with Kent in the hope of making it back to the national squad for the Ashes this year.

Guptill stays calm ahead of Kiwi-India Test series

AUCKLAND - The Black Caps are fighting for credibility against India, and new recruit Mark Guptill, is expecting to do his bit for the cause in a calm and steady manner during the Test series that gets underway from Wednesday, the New Zealand Press Association says in a report.

India beat Australia by 16 runs in ICC Women’s World Cup

SYDNEY - India on Saturday started its super six campaign in style and thrashed world champions Australia by 16 runs at the ICC Women’s World Cup cricket tournament here.

Hughes likened to Sir Don, but its water of a duck’s back for him

DURBAN - Australia’s new opener Phil Hughes is already being compared to Sir Donald Bradman after scoring two centuries in the Durban Test.

Queen to mark Commonwealth’s 60th anniversary

LONDON - The Queen will mark the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth on Monday, themed as ’serving a new generation’ and will highlight the importance of participation of the young generation for its future.

Symonds has to score in Sheffield Shield final to ensure Ashes berth

MELBOURNE - Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds will have one last chance to stake his Ashes claim when Queensland take on Victoria in this year’s Sheffield Shield final.

India set up a Davis Cup date with Australia

NEW DELHI - After their second-round win over hosts Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), India will now take on 28-times champions Australia at home in the third round of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I from May 8-10.

Symonds reunites with girlfriend

SYDNEY - Controversial Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds is back with girlfriend Katie Johnson with whom he split last month, according to media reports here Monday.

Pakistan women cricketers undergo dope test

KARACHI - Pakistan’s women cricketers, currently preparing for World Cup in Australia in March, underwent dope tests Saturday.

Diwakar scores four goals as India hold Malaysia 5-5

SYDNEY - Skipper Diwakar Ram scored four goals, including a hat-trick, as India juniors fought back to hold Malaysia 5-5 in a preliminary round game of the men’s hockey tournament of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival here Saturday.

South Africa beat Australia in a thriller

MELBOURNE - SOuth Africa recovered in time from a middle-order collapse to pull off a stunning three-wicket victory in the final over in the first One-Day International cricket against Australia here Friday.

Hayden’s future in selectors’ hands

SYDNEY - Australian opener Matthew Hayden’s Ashes hope now rests on the selectors who will meet soon to pick 25 players for the central contract for the 2009-10 season.

Scoreboard: Australia vs South Africa, Day Two, Third Test

SYDNEY - Scoreboard on the second day of the third and final cricket Test between Australia and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground here Sunday:

Scoreboard: Australia vs South Africa, Third Test, Day One

SYDNEY - Scoreboard on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test between Australia and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground here Saturday.

A different Christmas from a different time, recall Anglo-Indians (Feature)

NEW DELHI - Trees decked with homemade decorations adding to the magic of crisp, cold, star-studded nights around Christmas might not be totally lost today, but for Delhi’s Anglo-Indians much has changed down the years.