SYDNEY: The New Zealand city of Wellington today withdrew its bid to host the 2006 Commonwealth Games, leaving only Australia's Melbourne in the running, organisers said.

Bid chief Kerry Prendergast said, ``Quite simply it boils down to an unacceptable financial risk for the region, huge difficulties preparing the technical bid and a significant funding gap,'' she said.

Mutola sets world seasonal at 800 meters

MALMO (SWEDEN): Maria Mutola of Mozambique ran a world seasonal best of 1 minute, 58.16 seconds Wednesday night to win the women's 800 metres in the Brogalan indoor meet.

``I'm delighted,'' said Mutola after only her third indoor race of the year. ``I had expected to run a 1.59, not faster.''

Mutola clocked a 1:56.36, four-hundredths of a second faster than the world record set in 1988, last year but was disqualified for stepping out of her lane.

Tyson hearing

WASHINGTON: Mike Tyson's probation officer says he will ask an Indianajudge next month to consider punishing the heavyweight fighter further following his sentencing in Maryland for assaulting two motorists.

``There's a feeling back here in Indiana he needs to be held accountable for the violation of probation,'' George Walker, chief of probation in Marion County, Indiana, said.

Tyson, 32, was sentenced by a Maryland judge last week to a year in prison on a no-contest plea to kicking one motorist and punching another after a minor three-car accident in Gaithersburg, Maryland, last August.