Latest Model pictured on her way to winning the Life Direct NZ St Leger (2500m) at Trentham on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images)Gary Vile is tipping a bright future for Latest Model (NZ) (Vespa) following her win in the Life Direct NZ St Leger (2500m) at Trentham on Saturday. Jockey Elen Nicholas, who rode Latest Model to a dead-heat victory at the Upper Hutt track in her only other ride on the mare, was content to sit off the pace during the early stages of the race. While Nicholas feared she may have gone too soon, Latest Model showed her tenacity with a gritty finish and held off the fast-finishing Freebelle to win by a short half head. “She found the line very well at her last start, her first start in open company, and I knew 2500m wasn’t going to worry her.

The incident happened at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway. Photo: supplied/Glenbrook Vintage RailwayOne person has been seriously injured after an explosion in the engine compartment of a steam train at Glenbrook Vintage Railway in Auckland. Fire and Emergency New Zealand sent four trucks to the vintage railway station between Glenbrook and Waiuku in southern Auckland just before 4pm. When firefighters arrived, the blaze was contained inside the engine compartment of the locomotive, a spokesperson said. Hato Hone St John took one person by ambulance to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition.

The incident happened at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway. Photo: supplied/Glenbrook Vintage RailwayOne person has been seriously injured after an explosion in the engine compartment of a steam train at Glenbrook Vintage Railway in Auckland. Fire and Emergency New Zealand sent four trucks to the vintage railway station between Glenbrook and Waiuku in southern Auckland just before 4pm. When firefighters arrived, the blaze was contained inside the engine compartment of the locomotive, a spokesperson said. Hato Hone St John took one person by ambulance to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition.

New Zealand First's Winston Peters during his state of the nation speech. Peters also acknowledged the country was "navigating a chaotic environment" and that New Zealand's economy "isn't where it should be". Energy sector overhaulPeters anchored much of his speech on energy, announcing his party would campaign on splitting up the energy gentailers (generators and retailers). Protests outside Winston Peters' State of the Nation speech in Tauranga. Peters said the latest Covid-19 inquiry highlighted failures by the Labour party.

Police are seeking witnesses to one of two fatal crashes in Southland overnight. The first crash, involving a single vehicle on Winding Creek Rd near Waikaia, was reported to emergency services about 12.40am. In a statement this afternoon Inspector Mike Bowman said officers signalled for a vehicle to stop on Kelvin St shortly before 3am. A short time later, the vehicle was discovered crashed at the intersection of Leet and Kelvin Sts, Insp Bowman said. "If you witnessed the crash, or have CCTV in the vicinity of Wellesley Avenue, Avenal Street or Kelvin Street, please get in touch with police."

Tehran has nearly completely shut down a crucial shipping choke point that has sent global energy prices skyrocketing. As part of that deployment, the Pentagon sent an infantry battalion landing team with more than 800 combat troops backed by helicopters, F-35 fighter jets and armoured landing vehicles. Pentagon officials also decided to speed up the forthcoming deployment of a similar unit, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, from San Diego to depart within days, defence officials said. White House officials have downplayed but not ruled out the possibility of US troops in combat in Iran. By Saturday, he had declared that the conflict he started in the Middle East could soon be the responsibility of his allies.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Channel Infrastructure's Rob Buchanan speak to media from Marsden Point oil refinery. Video / NZ HeraldAlready a subscriber? Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Load moreSign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

A developing deep subtropical low west of New Zealand could bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the country later this week. A developing deep subtropical low west of New Zealand could bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the country later this week. Photo / Duncan BrownA developing deep subtropical low west of New Zealand could bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the country next week. “What we’ve got coming up later in the week is a low coming down out of the subtropics and moving towards the northwest of the North Island,” she said. “There is still some variation between the model solutions as to exactly where that low ends up.”

Tropical Cyclone Narelle has weakened after crossing the coast in northern Australia for the second time as it barrels towards already sodden Top End communities. The cyclone was downgraded to a category-two system on Sunday morning shortly after passing over Cape Shield in remote eastern Arnhem Land. Cyclone Narelle crossed Cape York in far-north Queensland on Friday as a category-four system - the second-highest classification. There is a moderate chance that Narelle redevelops into a tropical cyclone while in the gulf and near the border with Western Australia. Narelle is the first cyclone to hit the area in more than a year and lessons have been learned from previous experiences.

An artist's impression of a short-tailed New Zealand bat, similar to the new Mystacina nymphe species discovered in Otago. Photo: Gavin Mouldey / suppliedA palaeontologist studying fossil fragments in Central Otago has identified a previously unknown, but now extinct, bat. She says the bat has been named Mystacina nymphe - 'nymphe' after the Greek word for a forest spirit. The new nymphe species are related to the modern short-tailed bat, but much smaller, weighing between eight and 10 grams. But working at the St Bathans site in Otago, Hand has found the country once had at least five different species of short-tailed bat.

Police say two people have been seriously injured following reports of disorder in Feilding, in the North Island. A spokesperson said police were called to Stafford St shortly after 7pm yesterday. The spokesperson said one person was found at the scene and another was located nearby in a vehicle, both with serious injuries. Police were working to locate all parties involved, and cordons are in place. Motorists have been advised to avoid the area if possible.

The size of the NZ Public Service workforce, as at December 31 2025, has just been released. The Public Service workforce grew by 1.6% over the previous 12 months. As of December 2025, approximately 13.2% of New Zealand’s working-age population (around 427,236 people) was receiving a main benefit, marking a 12-year high. The, also just released, GDP growth for the December 2025 quarter was 0.2%. Who will, with credibility, propose to shrink the size of government in NZ to a level that allows genuine comparison with the best of the OECD?

Auckland Transport (AT) told the Herald this uptick was not entirely due to a response to the rising fuel prices. “This is more down to more people using public transport rather than a response to fuel prices,” AT said. AT said it was expecting more Aucklanders to use public transport over the coming weeks as fuel prices rose. Amid soaring fuel prices across New Zealand, Auckland recorded its busiest day on public transport in seven years. Auckland Transport director of public transport and active modes Stacey van der Putten told the Herald before the conflict began last month that the cost of public transport was roughly the same as the cost of driving a vehicle in Auckland, but things have changed.

She now helps Kiwis battling the same addictions she has previously, with her clientele also featuring some struggling with sexual addiction. “The most common way sexual addiction manifests in men is through an obsession with pornography and masturbation,” she said. “There has been a lot of research on perceived pornography addiction – ‘the feeling that you’re addicted,’” Taylor says. The mother says her sexual addiction escalated when she was feeling neglected by her partner. Photo / StockThe mother says the Covid-19 pandemic was triggering for her, and her sexual addiction escalated during that time.

Judge Moss said Roger’s uncle described him as “always a difficult child” who was “dishonest, unco-operative and very challenging”. Evidence to back his allegations was presented in the form of a claim for damages as a result of abuse in state care. Judge Moss noted his placement in state care happened before the Oranga Tamariki Act, and before a substantial amendment to the level of supervision of time in state care. Reconnection after mother left family homeThe pair later reconnected, and Roger married and achieved some success. Son acknowledged distress causedHe acknowledged his actions had caused her distress, but Judge Moss said criminal offending had “rarely justified a refusal to make provision”.