Wellington  - A New Zealander who served more than 12 years in prison for the murder of his parents and three siblings, and who was released on bail after a campaign declaring him innocent, went on trial again Friday on the same charges.

David Bain, 36, was freed in 2007 after the Privy Council in London - then New Zealand's highest court - ruled he had been the victim of "a substantial miscarriage of justice" when he was first tried in 1995 and sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in jail.

Wellington  - The director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy, has rejected the "food miles" campaign of some European farmers who say consumers should buy local produce instead of imported foods, according to a news report on Friday.

Their argument says buying food from countries like New Zealand is environmentally unfriendly because of the carbon emissions involved in transporting it to consumers over long distances.

Wellington (New Zealand), Mar. 5 : It has taken four years of toil and reinvention for New Zealand fast bowler Ian Butler to make a comeback to the national squad.

When Butler had the Australian all rounder Shane Watson caught behind by Brendon McCullum under the roof at Melbourne''s Docklands Stadium in December 2004, he never imagined there would be a hiatus of over four years before the New Zealand wicketkeeper helped provide the reconstituted seam bowler with his next one-day international wicket.

Wellington, Mar 5: New Zealand vice captain Brendon McCullum is in doubt for the second one dayer against India, starting on Friday.

The Black Caps wicketkeeper and key batsman has injured his right thumb during the series opener in Napier on Tuesday night.

McCullum badly bruised right thumb when he gloved a ball from medium pacer Grant Elliott at McLean Park.

He had previously broken the thumb.

McCullum will bat in the nets today, but will not keep wickets. Northern Districts wicketkeeper Pater McGlashan will replace him behind the stumps.

Wellington  - Renowned New Zealand opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is credited with keeping a busy city square free of teenage vandals, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Teens do not linger in the centre of Waitakere City because they find the recordings of Dame Kiri's arias and other classics beamed over loudspeakers "so bloody hideous," mayor Bob Harvey told the New Zealand Herald.

He said the effect of classical music on teenagers was like older people "being locked up in a room with hip hop - it would be enough to drive you crazy."

Wellington, Mar. 4 : New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan has had a change of heart about the team touring Pakistan in the wake of Tuesday's terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers.

According to stuff. co. nz, the New Zealand cricket board is yet to take a final decision on the proposed tour to Pakistan later this year, he said today, hours after telling Radio New Zealand that: "We are not going."