Three teenagers from the Tokelau islands disappeared on October 5 while rowing in the Pacific. After an extensive search by the New Zealand air force, the boys' families held memorial services. Yesterday, they were found alive by a fishing boat.

The 29 New Zealand miners missing underground since an explosion last week were declared dead following a second, "massive" explosion.

More bad news in New Zealand: Gas levels at the coal mine where 29 are trapped remain too toxic for rescuers.

A robot is being deployed to search for 29 miners trapped in New Zealand.

Workers today began drilling a test shaft at the site of last week's mine explosion in New Zealand to check deadly gas levels before rescue operations can get under way. 29 men are missing inside the Park River mine. [Guardian]

Thirty-six coal miners are missing following an explosion in a New Zealand mine.

[Hillary Clinton is not at all amused by the indecent proposal she got from a Maori warrior at a welcome ceremony in Wellington, New Zealand, today. Image via Getty]

The driver of a New Zealand train last week was surprised to find a cute house cat stowed away on board. When he approached, the cat viciously attacked him, sending the driver to the hospital and shutting down the train.

We're sorry to say, it's happening. Cult leader, killer, all that. Also today: a movie studio is more powerful than a country, the new Batman movie is just recycling the old title, and Darren Aronofsky loves robots.

Looks like The Hobbit will be filmed in New Zealand after all, despite all the fuss.

Transparency International has released its annual list of the most corrupt countries around the world, and the United States actually did pretty well! It came in at No. 22 out of 178 countries. So who did better than us?

No one really knows, so one director, and possibly one actress, are endeavoring to find out. Also today: NBC orders two dubious sounding pilots, Matthew Weiner has a casting change for his first movie, and trouble in New Zealand.

On Wednesday, 80 pilot whales become stranded on a beach in New Zealand and 50 of them died on the first day. Today, rescuers are transporting the 24 surviving whales by truck to more sheltered waters 30 miles away.

A school in New Zealand last week held a Possum Hunt and Gala, where students shot possums and then competed in a carcass-throwing contest. Answering critics, principal Colin Martin said, "Colyton School is about letting kids be kids."

Christchurch, New Zealand was hit with a "severe" aftershock that further damaged the earthquake-wrecked city.

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has hit New Zealand's second-largest town, with aftershocks ongoing.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse claimed its first victim when a man in New Zealand died during an afternoon screening. Was he murdered... by Taylor Lautner's abs? The autopsy will be carried out tomorrow to find out. [news.com.au via atlasfugged]

Paul Nigel Sneddon of Palmerston North, New Zealand, flipped his car. Police found him drinking a beer, his BAC already three times the legal limit. Said his lawyer, "he had nothing else to... so he had another beer." [Reuters]

Police in New Zealand are investigating claims that parents in one town are setting up backyard brawls between their kids instead of letting them fight in the streets. Not a bad idea! New Park Slope parenting trend coming?

You know how your friends always bring you trinkets back from their vacations? In the 18th and 19th century, those trinkets were mummified human heads. France has just voted to return 15 mummified heads of Maori warriors to New Zealand.