Wellington  - A 29-year-old woman who gave birth on an international flight to New Zealand last month admitted Thursday to abandoning the baby girl in an aircraft toilet.

Karolina Maika was convicted and discharged after the Manukau District Court was told she was suffering a major depressive episode.

The judge heard that she had concealed her pregnancy because the child was conceived out of wedlock, which would have caused shame and embarrassment to her family and village in the Pacific island state of Samoa.

Wellington  - Two Italian sailors stranded on their crippled yacht in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for three days were rescued Thursday by an oil tanker that steamed 800 nautical miles to their aid, New Zealand authorities reported.

The Rescue Coordination Centre said the tanker, Hellespont Trooper, lifted Pietro Fresi, 64, and his son, Vittorio Fresi, 34, to safety at 8:30 am Thursday (2030 GMT Wednesday).

Wellington - The family of a 78-year-old Indian immigrant, said to have lived by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, was Thursday mourning his death in an apparent road rage incident.

Jasmatbhai Pancha Patel died in Auckland Hospital Wednesday afternoon, a day after he was pulled from his car and beaten following what witnesses described as a minor vehicle collision in suburban Mount Albert.

Patel emigrated to New Zealand 33 years ago and lived with his two sons, their wives and five grandchildren, helping at the family fruit market, news reports said.

Wellington, Apr. 8 : New Zealand cricket team coach Andy Moles has admitted that one of the most annoying aspects of his first summer as New Zealand coach was the side''s inability to make solid starts at the crease.

The former opening batsman said the opening partnership remains a prime concern.

Seven tests into his reign an opening combination are yet to produce a stand of 50 runs. The discarded duo of Jamie How and Aaron Redmond came closest against Australia in Adelaide when they put on 46 in the first innings.

Wellington, Apr. 7 : Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today praised his squad for gelling together to effect a series triumph in New Zealand after 41 years, and added that it had set a benchmark for future Indian teams to achieve.

"It''s a fantastic atmosphere [in the dressing room], can''t get better. We have set the benchmark. Next time when we come to New Zealand, people expect you to win. You have achieved something that''s big, but the tough part is to maintain it, to sustain it. It never gets easy for a cricketer," said Dhoni.

Wellington, Apr. 7 : New Zealand cricket selectors have taken a gamble by selecting injury-prone all rounder Jacob Oram in their Twenty20 World Cup squad today.

Oram played no part in the three-test series against India because of an Achilles tendon strain. He is currently playing for Central Districts in the State Championship final against Auckland at Christchurch.

The fickle English climate had presented a challenge in selecting the side.