Lorde has confessed she has been hurt by social media barbs about her and boyfriend James Lowe, but a man singled out for criticism says she needs to "harden up" and not take it personally.

The partner of a jetboater killed after hitting a tree is traumatised after a shocking high-speed tragedy marred a summer outing on a Hawke's Bay river yesterday.

Not too long ago in Whangamata, locals near the beach might have peered out their kitchen window and seen a little girl walking down the street, lugging a surfboard twice her size.

The Christmas holiday break is a great time to take stock, regroup and think about the shape of your business for the year ahead. Tax risk management should form a part of those reflections.

A 9-year-old Papamoa girl who dragged a young boy from the surf has shrugged off her hero status and says she was just doing what she has been trained to do.

Ill-prepared families are dumping elderly relatives at hospitals before going on their holidays in a practice known as "granny dumping".

The strange debate this year about whether Dan Carter should give way to Aaron Cruden in the All Blacks led Paul Lewis to compile a XV of those either pensioned off too early or who left the stage before time.

Herald on Sunday photographers Doug Sherring and Michael Craig documented moments of joy, grief and high drama in 2013. These are some of their favourite pictures from the year.

Lying flat on the dirt in a Namibian desert, Stephen Belcher was just 30m away from a hunting leopard.

Cado is a playful puppy, full of life and energy and always smiling. He came to the SPCA in mid-2013 and is hoping to have an owner by the time 2014 rolls in.

It was the Domestic Goddess who was on trial in the Isleworth Crown Court (and in the Court of Public Opinion), rather than her former personal assistants, writes Paul Thomas.

Wet weather, a serious crash and the post-Christmas rush combined to bring bumper-to-bumper congestion on long sections of highways.

Labour's David Cunliffe faces a conundrum - how to convince New Zealand voters it's time to break away from the "old economic orthodoxies" when the data shows the country is poised for a relative boom, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

In our final weather video for 2013 we bring you the latest forecast for Christmas Day across New Zealand, plus the prediction for the days following. There is some good news for farmers and those who need rain water – but holidaymakers may question the timing! We also take a look at a great photo from Toronto Canada, following freezing rain there earlier today. Plus – the Live Santa Tracker is back at WeatherWatch.co.nz!

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko and her long-time coach Guy Wilson have split. Wilson has overseen Ko's rapid rise to the top of the women's game.

Let's use present momentum to develop sectors that have the potential to transform New Zealand's economy.

The pressure on Auckland councillor Cameron Brewer has eased after it was found that a free trip he took to Port Douglas was declared in the council gift register in 2011.

Editorial: If the IRD is known for unilateral and unexplained actions against its targets, Customs inhabits a peculiar twilight zone at the border.

Residents of an inner-Auckland pensioner flat complex are shocked that their landlord Housing NZ is trying to interest developers in a real estate deal.

The Herald has walked the docks to catalogue the opulent visitors to the City of Sails.

The parents of an American teenager missing at sea on the stricken yacht Nina are vowing to stay Downunder until she is found alive.

Matt Cairns just wanted to go for a quick swim to cool off before he got married on a sunny Gisborne Saturday.

When Santa packs his sleigh in the next couple of days, it's fair to assume he won't be needing a lot of space for parcels for one Len Brown.

Where should Ross Taylor sit among New Zealand's finest test batsmen? Right up with the best, quite clearly.

'Tis the season of comfort and joy. But if your weekend is looking crazy, uncomfortable and joyless, here are our tips for de-stressing.