New Zealand

New Zealand’s ruling Labour Party seems set to form a new minority government after the Electoral Office confirmed on Saturday it has the biggest number of seats in the nation’s Parliament. Labour took 50 seats in the September 17 election, two more than the main opposition National Party, final election results show.

All Blacks Doug Howlett and Marty Holah have renewed their contracts with the New Zealand Rugby Union for at least another two years, taking them past the next World Cup in France. Winger Howlett has committed himself to Auckland and the All Blacks until the end of 2009.

Veteran all-rounder Chris Cairns has been dropped from the New Zealand one-day cricket team to tour South Africa next month, but has vowed to recapture his form to achieve his dream of playing in the 2007 World Cup. Coach John Bracewell said on Monday the 35-year-old Cairns was not chosen due to ”issues with his cricket fitness”.

New Zealand sailors suffered genetic damage from their exposure to radiation during nuclear tests held in the Pacific in the 1950s, a scientist leading a new research study said on Friday. A total of 551 New Zealand Navy sailors witnessed nine nuclear tests in 1957 and 1958 at close quarters, wearing only white cotton hoods and dark glasses to protect themselves from the blasts.

All Blacks flanker Jerry Collins will miss the Tri-Nations rugby decider against Australia after receiving a two-week ban on Sunday for punching in the crucial 31-27 Test win over South Africa. Collins was cited for punching replacement Springboks fly-half Jaco van der Westhuyzen after a brawl broke out following a scrum in Saturday night’s match in Dunedin.

What is the right age to start driving a car? The deaths of four teenagers in a horrific high-speed crash on a suburban street has revived the debate in New Zealand where 15-year-olds can legally take the wheel. It is one of the lowest minimum driving ages in the world, introduced 80 years ago when licensing began to ensure that youngsters living on farms could drive to and from work.

Jonah Lomu’s rugby comeback has taken an unexpected detour with his appointment to the coaching staff of the New Zealand first division provincial team North Harbour. Lomu’s return to top play after a life-threatening kidney ailment began and ended in a benefit match for former England captain Martin Johnston at Twickenham in June.

Uncapped halfback Kevin Senio has been called into the All Blacks squad for the Tri-Nations rugby Test against Australia on Saturday, replacing the injured Byron Kelleher. Kelleher suffered a head injury in Saturday’s 22-16 loss to South Africa in Cape Town.

Britain’s Union Jack will continue to adorn New Zealand’s flag for some time yet, after a pro-nationalist group abandoned a petition for a change, news reports said on Thursday. The campaigners said they had collected only 100 000 signatures, well short of the 270 000 they needed to force a referendum on the issue.

Life is tough for New Zealand women in their thirties. There just aren’t enough men to go round. There have long been more women than men in New Zealand’s population, which is now around four million, but the problem has got worse in recent years, according to a new report by accounting firm KPMG.

New Zealand’s Parliament on Tuesday called on the national cricket team to abandon a tour to Zimbabwe, in a symbolic gesture a day after the team left for Africa to prepare for the series. Prime Minister Helen Clark introduced the resolution, which expressed grave concern at human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

That television set in the corner really is an idiot box, New Zealand researchers have found. A 30-year study of more than 1 000 children has found that those who watch the most TV are least likely to go to university and get a degree. The seven percent of children who watched the box for under an hour daily were the most qualified by the time they were aged 26.

A clear directive from New Zealand’s government could halt its national team’s cricket tour to Zimbabwe next month without financial penalty, International Cricket Council (ICC) president Eshan Mani has said. Mani’s message is seen as offering the government a means to stop the tour without resorting to legislation.

The New Zealand government has formally asked the International Cricket Council to ban Zimbabwe from its touring schedule because of appalling human rights abuses taking place there, Minister of Foreign Affairs Phil Goff said on Wednesday. The New Zealand cricket team are scheduled to play a series in August in Zimbabwe.

Flyhalf Daniel Carter scored two tries among 33 individual points to lead the All Blacks to a 48-18 win over the British and Irish Lions in the second rugby Test Saturday and a 2-0 victory in the three-Test series. Carter produced his most potent performance in the number 10 jersey for New Zealand, outshining his famous opposite Jonny Wilkinson who contributed only eight points before leaving the match with an injured shoulder.

The All Blacks say they have adopted a ”we’re second, they’re first” mentality to avoid over-confidence going into the second rugby Test against the British and Irish Lions here on Saturday. After demolishing the Lions 21-3 in the first Test, the All Blacks have every reason to feel confident of wrapping up the three-Test series in the second match.

All Blacks captain Tana Umaga has been in touch with Lions opposite Brian O’Driscoll after the first Test incident on Saturday which left the Irish centre with a dislocated shoulder, ending his rugby tour of New Zealand. O’Driscoll had previously accused Umaga of causing his injury in an off-the-ball spear tackle which, he said, was ”unnecessary and outside the rules and regulations of the game”.