Brisbane, Australia (dpa) - The confidence of former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis took a minor hit on Monday as the Cypriot crashed out 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to Finn Jarkko Nieminen in the first round of the Brisbane International.

Nieminen preyed upon the injury-hit Baghdatis, who changed coaches in the off-season as he desperately tries to rescue his game.

Baghdatis, the 2006 Melbourne finalist against Roger Federer, admitted that he's not fully recovered from back and other injuries which compromised his 2008 season.

Brisbane, Dec. 8 : Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds is preparing for another feisty Test summer against the South Africans, following last year’s run-ins with Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

According to the Daily Telegraph, there is no love lost between Symonds and South Africans, whom he has labelled as "humourless".

Several of the Proteas top players have vivid memories of clashing with Symonds during Australia''s 2006 tour of South Africa, and some privately admit they cannot stand the controversial all rounder.

BRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 5  -- An Islamic school in Australia announced Friday that it has dropped its ban on singing the national anthem at assemblies.

The decision to ban the anthem at assemblies at the Australian International Islamic College had been made by the principal, who is leaving, school spokesman Keysar Trad told The Courier-Mail newspaper in Brisbane.

"I personally value the Australian national anthem and respect it and do sing it myself," Trad said.

BRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 1  -- Australian prosecutors say a teacher who was his school's child protection officer has been charged with 46 counts of sexually abusing children.

The 59-year-old man, whose identity has been withheld under Australian law, is alleged to have raped and sexually abused 13 girls as young as age 10 at a Roman Catholic primary school in Queensland, The Australian reported Monday.

The man, who is married with children and does not have a criminal record, recently had retired from full-time teaching and returned as a relief teacher in the Catholic school system, police said.

The teacher served as the primary school's nominated "child protection

Brisbane, Dec. 1 : Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has said she would take steps to ensure that David Coker, one of the Australians trapped by terrorists in Mumbai, is nominated for an Australian Bravery Award.

"From everything I''ve seen and read, this young man showed remarkable calm under extraordinary pressure, acted selflessly to protect his girlfriend and deserves recognition for that bravery," Bligh told the Townsville Bulletin.

Sydney woman Kate Anstee, 24, and her Townsville boyfriend David Coker, 23, had been in Mumbai only a day, when a bullet broke Anstee''s femur and exited through the front of her thigh.

Brisbane, Nov. 24 : Test cricketer Andrew Symonds has played down reports of an altercation at a Brisbane hotel last night, saying he did nothing to provoke the incident.

In a statement issued late today, Symonds said a member of the public had "acted unreasonably towards him" as he was drinking at Red Hill''s Normandy Hotel.

Cricket Australia is believed to be investigating the incident.

Symonds was reportedly drinking with Australian rugby league team members at the time, about 12 hours after the Australian cricket team sealed a victory over New Zealand in the first Test at the Gabba.