Wellington - New Zealand's conservative National Party is poised to hand the ruling Labour-led coalition a resounding defeat at a general election in two days but could still struggle to form a government, according to two opinion polls released Thursday.

The polls showed the National and Labour blocs running neck-and- neck in voter support with every chance that the indigenous Maori Party could hold the balance of power after Saturday's general election.

Wellington - Single women have a problem finding a husband or partner in New Zealand - they outnumber men.

There are 35,000 more women in the prime marrying age group of 20 to 45, according to Statistics New Zealand and the situation is so bad that a 32-year-old Kiwi woman has as much chance of finding a partner her age as an 82-year-old.

Wellington - New Zealand's Maori Party, which could hold the balance of power after a general election on Saturday, was buoyed by Barack Obama's victory in US presidential elections, party co-leader Tariana Turia said on Thursday.

"Barack Obama not only represents the strength of black liberation - he represents an impressive commitment to the power of the people," she said.

"The US election results have demonstrated the will of the American people to acknowledge and accept the contribution that African-American people make to their nation," Turia said.

Wellington, Nov 3 : A halloween pizza ad depicting Sir Edmund Hillary dancing in a graveyard has been criticized by his family and friends, who claim it to be in ‘bad taste’.

The animated Hell Pizza ad shows a mostly skeletal Sir Ed, along with actor Heath Ledger and the Queen Mother, emerging from graves to dance to Michael Jackson''s song Thriller.

It was posted on the Internet two days before Halloween, and has been dubbed ‘grotesque’ by Sir Ed''s son, Peter Hillary.

"I think it''s a bit disturbing ... a little grotesque. I don''t think it''s funny and I''m not very impressed," Stuff. co. nz quoted Mr Hillary, as saying.

Wellington - A Halloween pizza promotion depicting Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary dancing in a graveyard has upset his family, news reports said Monday.

The animated commercial, by the New Zealand company Hell Pizza, shows a skeletal Sir Ed, flanked by Australian actor Heath Ledger and Britain's Queen Mother, emerging from graves to dance to Michael Jackson's song Thriller.

Sir Ed and Heath Ledger died in January and the Queen Mother in 2002.

Wellington  - New Zealand veterans of the 1944 Normandy landings, which were a turning point in World War II, vowed Sunday to keep going despite their international organization closing down because too many members have died.

Thirty representatives of veterans from Britain, France, Canada, the United States and New Zealand who took part in the assault on France's northern coast - which remains the largest amphibious military operation ever attempted - held a commemorative service Sunday in Wellington.

The international Normandy Veterans Association (NVA) has decided its membership is falling too fast to continue past the 65th anniversary of the landings in June, said David Christison, president of the New Zealand branch.