Follow live coverage as Counties Manukau host Taranaki at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe in round five of the National Provincial Championship. Read...

Follow live coverage as North Harbour host Bay of Plenty at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland in round five of the National Provincial Championship. Read...

Critics fear a new law in Texas will prove discriminatory - but officials say it is vital to combat `adversaries`. Read...

With an average age of 24, Tony Popovic’s squad for Australia’s Soccer Ashes showdown with New Zealand suggests a new dawn is upon the national team, as the fight for World Cup spots begins. Read...

Chinese national Tingjun Cao was jailed for life for killing Bao. Read...

The country`s sole carillonist, Timothy Hurd, has been playing the bells - 74 of them, totalling 70 tonnes - for about 40 years. Read...

Audrey Werro finishes first in the women`s 800m at Diamond League Zurich, claiming a national record as Britain`s Georgia Hunter Bell claims second with a personal best. Read...

The Department of Conservation (DOC) has chosen One New Zealand (One NZ) as a new National Conservation Partner, bringing mobile services and industry-leading technology to the frontline of conservation. Read...

The government spent $10 million to do up a bell tower, but is now getting rid of the only person who plays it. Read...

The Government is proposing several changes to the laws governing the sale and supply of alcohol, including making it easier to allow bars to open during major sporting events.  Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee today unveiled proposed reform of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, claiming it focuses on “restoring fairness and practicality to the system without compromising public safety”.  Among the changes, soon to be introduced to the House, was a “fairer” licensing process which would only allow objections to a licence application to come from those residing in the same council area.  It would also allow applicants a right of reply to any objectors.  The changes would enable hairdressers and barbers to supply small amounts of alcohol to customers without a licence, a change previously announced by the Government.  Premises like wineries, such as breweries and meaderies, and distilleries, would also be allowed to hold both on- and off-licences to support cellar door sales.  Digital identity credentials would be considered approved evidence of age for alcohol purchases under the new bill.  The reform also addressed calls for a simpler process to allow bars and other venues to open and serve alcohol outside their licensed hours during major sporting events.  It was an issue raised almost every time a sporting event like a World Cup was being held outside typical hours and would require the Government to pass special legislation each time to allow pubs to open.  McKee’s reform would enable the responsible minister to declare a “stand-alone exemption” to licensing requirements for national televised events.  This would be achieved through the Order in Council legal instrument, in which members of the executive advised the Governor-General to give effect to a government decision.  McKee’s bill was expected to be introduced to the House in the coming months and reach select committee by the end of the year.  Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangarei and the Herald in Auckland.  Read...