Sydney  - The 31 containers lost overboard when the Pacific Adventurer was buffeted by a storm off Australia's east coast a week ago would be hard to recover, an expert said Wednesday.

The Navy mine hunter HMAS Yarra was sent to look for the lost boxes of ammonium nitrate after an aerial survey failed to find them.

Greg Boller from the ocean-monitoring firm Tide Tech said the containers could have travelled 700 kilometres from the scene of the accident and be nearer Sydney than Brisbane.

Sydney  - Severance payments worth more than a year's base salary would need shareholder approval under proposed changes outlined Wednesday by Australian officials.

"The community has been rightly offended by the excessive golden handshakes in firms where directors and executives are rewarded for poor company performance," Treasurer Wayne Swan said.

"The government's reforms will empower shareholders to more easily reject such payments where they are not in the interests of the company, the shareholders or the community," he said.

Under current law, there is no need for shareholder approval until a termination payment is valued at more than seven times a base salary.

Sydney, Mar. 17 : New Zealand inched closer to its quest for a place in the final of the Women''s Cricket World Cup by defeating India on Tuesday by five wickets at the North Sydney Oval here.

Despite India's 207 runs in 49.4 overs, the 78-run opening partnership between Pulford and Haidee Tiffen put Kiwis on course for victory.

Anjum Chopra (52) and Mithali Raj (21) pulled India out of trouble and managed to get over-200 score for the second time in the tournament.

Sydney, March 17 : Scientists have developed a new computer-driven technique that makes use of a code hidden in tiger stripes to help them identify poached pelts of the endangered animals.

Poachers and illegal traders have pushed many tiger species to the brink of extinction, slaughtering them for their coveted pelts.

But each tiger's markings are unique, like a fingerprint.

Now, according to a report by ABC News, a new computer-driven technique can match images of live animals with illegally traded skins, identifying when and where poachers made their kills.

Sydney - The Australian Navy was called in Monday to look for 31 containers that fell overboard when the Pacific Adventurer fell victim to a cyclonic storm off Brisbane last week.

As well as losing half its cargo of ammonium nitrate, the Hong Kong-owned ship spilled oil over 60 kilometres of beaches in Wednesday's accident.

Authorities have impounded the 180-metre vessel in Brisbane harbour and begun legal proceedings against the captain and the ship's owner, Swire Shipping Ltd.

The Queensland state government is demanding compensation for cleaning up the oil spill and for any loss of tourism earnings through hotel room cancellations.

Sydney, Mar. 16 : Having lost their last match to India by 16 runs, a vengeful Australian women''s cricket team today pummeled Pakistan into submission by 108 runs.

Needing a victory to maintain their slim hopes of making next Sunday''s final, Australia finished on 6-229 and made their best start of the tournament after winning the toss.

Openers Shelley Nitschke (56 off 64) and Leah Poulton (47 off 86) compiled the host nation''s first century partnership of the tournament, adding exactly 100 in 20.3 overs.