Star National

A coroner has criticised a disability service for not urgently addressing a mother's safety fears for her autistic, non-verbal son later found dead in a pond at his home in rural Gisborne.

October's severe storm caused many outages in the South Island, including North Canterbury where 8000 connections were lost.

The bounce back is above expectations, suggesting the country may be turning an economic corner.

ACT leader David Seymour is promising to reignite the Treaty principles debate next year, saying he'll never move on from his vision for equality in New Zealand.

Mountain safety advocates are calling for people to consider their skill level before attempting an ambitious climb after the bodies of two climbers were recovered.

Large hailstones covered the ground at Dunedin Airport on Thursday afternoon.