Auckland, Aug.16: An Auckland adrenaline junkie has cracked the world bungy jumping record for most jumps in 24 hours, making 103 jumps in 10 hours.

Wellington - Six Australian climbers were believed to be trapped in poor weather Friday on New Zealand's Southern Alps after setting off an emergency beacon, officials said.

A helicopter with a specialist alpine rescue team was standing by in the village at the foot of 3,745-metre Mount Cook and awaiting a break in the weather to take off, a Rescue Coordination Centre spokesman said.

Officials ruled out sending a ground party into the mountains because of the risk of avalanches.

Wellington - New Zealand will lift a ban on Fiji's military strongman Frank Bainimarama next week so that he can face criticism at a meeting where regional leaders are expected to demand why he is reneging on a promise to hold elections next year, officials said on Wednesday.

Bainimarama, who ousted Fiji's elected government in a bloodless coup in December 2006, and two of his senior ministers, will be allowed to transit through Auckland on their way to Niue for the Pacific Islands Forum meeting on August 19-20.

Wellington - New Zealand police are seeking a man with an odd habit - he urinates into a parking building coin machine, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

"He pees up in the air in a big arc, so it goes in the coin slot and out the hole where people collect their tickets," Detective Daryl Moore told the Dominion Post. "It's absolutely disgusting."

Wellington  - New Zealand joined international calls for a ceasefire in South Ossetia on Monday, with Prime Minister Helen Clark expressing deep concern about the hostilities and loss of life as we

Wellington, August 11 : A new research has determined that shutting the door and staying inside the home does not offer any protection from the effects of air pollution, as the indoors is just as polluted as the outdoors.

According to a report carried out in www. stuff. co. nz, the research was conducted by Christchurch-based researchers working for Otago University in New Zealand.

“Essentially, pollution reaches people’s lungs even if they stay inside on high pollution days,” said lead researcher Michael Epton.

“There is no escape from wood smoke pollution, particularly in older wooden houses during winter temperature inversions in Christchurch, or anywhere else,” he added.