Wellington  - A woman gave birth Thursday during a flight to Auckland from Apia on the Pacific island of Samoa and then left the baby behind when she got off the plane, news reports said.

An Auckland Airport spokeswoman was quoted by the Stuff news website as saying that a member of the Pacific Blue airline staff found the baby after the plane landed after the four-hour flight and passengers disembarked.

Police were investigating whether the baby had been abandoned.

Wellington  - New Zealanders Beryl Baguley and Matilda "Tilly" Hanlon celebrated their 100th birthday Thursday, claiming to be the world's oldest living identical twins.

The pair, who live separately in towns near Auckland on North Island, celebrated with about 60 family members and friends at a party in a club.

They received letters of congratulation from Britain's Queen Elizabeth, who is also queen of New Zealand, and Prime Minister John Key.

Wellington  - A large amount of permanent Antarctic ice could melt in the next 100 years, raising sea levels around the world by up to 1 metre as the earth's climate warms, a New Zealand scientist said Thursday.

"If you live in Bangladesh, New Orleans, Miami or Wellington, this is a significant issue in terms of timing and adapting to the change in climate," Professor Tim Naish, director of Victoria University's Antarctic Research Centre, told Radio New Zealand.

Wellington  - A tourist from the Czech Republic was airlifted to hospital on Wednesday after being trapped by falling rocks during a guided tour on New Zealand's Fox Glacier, police said.

The man, in his mid-20s, was seriously injured. Three others with him on the tour organised by the Fox Glacier Guiding company escaped injury.

Hamilton (New Zealand), Mar. 18 : India was 29 without loss in their first innings in reply to New Zealand''s 279 at stumps on day one of the first cricket test at Hamilton's Seddon Park today.

Virender Sehwag (22) and Gautam Gambhir (6) safely negotiated the seven overs available before stumps, the Waikato Times reported.

Captain Daniel Vettori top scored for his side with 118 - his third test century - while Jesse Ryder brought up his maiden test ton the ball before his dismissal for 102 ended the innings.

Ishant Sharma was the leading Indian bowler with four for 73 from 19.2 overs.

Ryder had a few nervous moments on 98 as number 11 batsman Chris Martin had to bat out five balls from spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Auckland (New Zealand), Mar. 18: The Auckland home the legendary mountaineer Sir Ed Hillary has been sold at an auction for 1.9 million dollars.

Auckland property developer Graham Wall purchased the home in which Hillary lived in for over 50 years.

Wall told media he was not buying the property for himself but on behalf of a client, who he refused to identify.

He said he had "no idea" what the new owner would do with the property.