Bamyan, Afghanistan  - Nowhere else in the eastern military command sector in Afghanistan do foreign troops patrol in baseball caps instead of helmets.

While the eastern epithet is more administrative than physical - the mountainous Bamyan province is about as central as you can get in the country - and despite the occasional roadside bomb, it's a pocket of relative peace in a country mired in conflict.

"Bamyan is still the most stable and secure province in Afghanistan," said Colonel Richard Hall, commander of the 140-soldier Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) from New Zealand that is deployed here. "This allows us to get on with our job instead of worrying overtly about the security situation."

Paris/Wellington  - Three people died and four were missing and feared dead in the crash of an Airbus A320 jet on Thursday into the Mediterranean Sea during a test flight.

The aircraft plunged into waters just off the French coast after taking off in late afternoon with a crew of seven from Perpignan, France, where the plane was being overhauled.

The plane belonged to Air New Zealand and had been leased to the German carrier XL Airways for the last two years. It was to have been returned in the coming days to Air New Zealand.

Wellington  - Air New Zealand confirmed Friday that one of its Airbus A320 jets had crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off France with seven people aboard.

Wellington, November 27 : A 28-year-old Christchurch man may have created a Guinness World Record for the Longest Journey by Skateboard after travelling 12,159km.

Rob Thomson completed his journey in two-and-a-half years.

He had worn out three pairs of shoes, three sets of wheels, and three skateboard decks by the time he arrived at his parents'' Halswell home.

He had also endured three crashes over the 12,159km expedition.

Thomson spent 15,000 dollars during the 850-day trip, and returned home with a debt of 1000 dollars, which he planned to pay off by writing a book about his adventures.

Wellington - New Zealand has protested to Britain about a proposed huge increase in the departure tax charged air passengers, fearing it will hurt the tourist industry, already suffering from a slump in visitor numbers because of the international financial crisis, news reports said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister John Key said he told his British counterpart Gordon Brown the increased tax on long distance passengers was a "significant concern" to New Zealand when the two men had talks in London on Tuesday.

Wellington, Nov 25 : Rihanna has revealed that her new tattoo, inspired by traditional Maori designs, ‘hurt like hell’.

The 20-year-old pop star and her 19-year-old partner Chris Brown both got the new tattoos during their recent New Zealand tour.

The couple reportedly had the tattoos done on their hands and wrists backstage during their two sold out shows at Auckland''s Vector Arena.

"It''s tribal. It represents strength and love," the NZPA quoted her, as saying.

"It''s their traditional way of tattooing. I always wanted (one) ... (But) it hurt like hell," she added.