US releases 5 Iranian officials held since January 2007

US forces released 5 Iranians in Baghdad held since January 2007

New Zealand defender comes out of retirement for Confederations Cup

WELLINGTON - New Zealand called one of its most experienced international footballers out of retirement Friday to join the squad for next month’s Confederations Cup in South Africa following the withdrawal of captain Ryan Nelsen with a calf injury.

Three-year-old buys $12,200 excavator on website

WELLINGTON - Three-year-old New Zealand girl Pipi Quinlan is pretty smart on the computer - too smart for her parents, who woke up one morning to find she had bought a full-size excavating digger on an auction website for 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($12,200), a newspaper reported Friday.

Couple made millionaires by bank mistake may be in Hong Kong: New Zealand police

WELLINGTON - Two people who fled New Zealand with millions of dollars obtained through a bank’s mistake were believed to have gone to Hong Kong, police said Friday.

Scantily clad women ensure media coverage: Richard Branson

SYDNEY - British tycoon Richard Branson said Friday that having scantily clad women at product launches ensured media coverage.

Australian driver fined for drunken sex act

SYDNEY - Australia’s far-north burnished its reputation for outrageous behaviour Friday when a Darwin court fined a man for driving while having sex with his girlfriend.

Australia confident of India’s CWG security preparation

MELBOURNE - Australia Thursday said they were confident of India’s security preparation for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, but would chalk out their own plan to ensure the safety of the athletes.

Australian man kills wife for waking his dog

SYDNEY - An Australian man strangled his wife for waking up his dog and then went out for a drink at his local pub, a court in Melbourne was told Thursday.

Dentist finds way to make decayed tooth enamel re-grow

SYDNEY - A dentist has found a way to make decayed tooth enamel re-grow, thus eliminating the necessity of fillings.

Australia declares sixth swine-flu case

SYDNEY - Six swine-flu cases have been confirmed in Australia, officials said Thursday.

Three of the victims are brothers under 12 years old, who flew home to Melbourne from the United States after a family holiday in Disneyland in California.

Lee makes a comeback, Symonds dropped from Ashes squad

SYDNEY - Australian pacer Brett Lee has been recalled while Andrew Symonds has got the axe for the Ashes series in July.

Fiji bars human rights body from investigating complaints

WELLINGTON - Fiji’s military regime, which invoked emergency powers last month, has barred the country’s Human Rights Commission from investigating complaints, news reports from the capital Suva said Wednesday.

Australia to select Ashes squad Wednesday

SYDNEY - Australian cricket selectors will announce the Ashes squad

at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Wednesday.

Indians ‘deserving candidates’ for Australian scholarships

NEW DELHI - The Australian government has announced ten merit-based scholarships for students from Asia and Indian scholars are being considered ‘deserving’ candidates.

Nanocomposite material to help maintain bridges, aircraft

SYDNEY - A newly discovered nanocomposite could vastly simplify and boost the maintenance of bridges and aircraft.

Fiji’s neighbours disagree on how to deal with its military regime

WELLINGTON - Differences among Fiji’s Pacific neighbours over how to deal with the island’s military regime emerged Tuesday following top-level talks between New Zealand and Tonga.

Sri Lankan conflict spills over into Australia

SYDNEY - An acid attack on two Sinhalese students in Sydney allegedly perpetrated by Tamils showed racial tension between Sri Lanka’s major ethnic groups had spilled over into Australia, a community leader said Monday.

New Zealand treated me like terrorist, says Pakistani writer

WELLINGTON - Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif, who won a British Commonwealth writers’ prize for his first book, said Sunday he was treated like a terrorist by customs officials when he arrived in New Zealand.

Tait slams CA for losing central contract

MELBOURNE - Speedster Shaun Tait lashed out at Cricket Australia (CA) after losing his central contract, saying it has come as a ‘bit of a kick in the teeth’.

Strong quake rocks New Zealand islands

WELLINGTON - A strong earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale Saturday jolted the Kermadec Islands in New Zealand, officials said.

Shane Watson’s Ashes hopes revived

SYDNEY - Australian all-rounder Shane Watson’s Ashes prospects have been boosted by the news that his groin injury is only minor, but he still faces an anxious wait to see if the selectors are prepared to pick him without seeing him bowl.

More than 99 percent teachers bullied in Australia

SYDNEY - One often hears about bullying among school kids, but an online survey has shown more than 99.6 percent of their teachers also face bullying by principals and executives.

South Pacific herb relieves anxiety, safely

SYDNEY - Often consumed as tea, a medicinal plant from the South Pacific also relieves anxiety, safely and effectively.

Arrested Fiji journalists released

WELLINGTON - Two Fijian journalists were released Monday after being detained for two days for infringing media censorship imposed by the Pacific island country’s military rulers, a media report said.

Two scribes held in Fiji for infringing censorship

WELLINGTON - Two journalists working for the independent Fijilive news website have been arrested, apparently for infringing emergency censorship regulations barring reports that cast a negative light on the Pacific island country’s military rulers, according to reports Monday.

Orangutan aborts ingenious escape plan

SYDNEY - An audacious break-out attempt Sunday at a zoo in Australia saw a 27-year-old female orangutan called Karta disable an electric fence and use a makeshift ladder for her escape, before aborting the attempt.

Australia confirms its first swine flu case

SYDNEY - A woman who arrived back in Australia on a flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane last week has been confirmed as the country’s first swine flu patient.

Injury hit Bracken and Hopes to miss IPL

SYDNEY - Australian cricketers Nathan Bracken and James Hopes will miss the second edition of the Indian Premier League due to knee injuries.

New device helps divers find their way

SYDNEY - Exitpoint, a small, wearable, safety device, helps divers find their way back to their boat or their diving buddy at any time during a dive.

Job surge in Australia: Positive uptick or rogue figures?

SYDNEY - Shocked Australian economists didn’t know whether to jeer or cheer Thursday when official figures showed unemployment falling to 5.4 percent in April from 5.7 percent in March.