A Kiwi scientist meeting in Brazil with world climate experts discusses a new report assessing what an extra 1.5C of warming would mean for the planet.

Each day we report on a particular problem for the Pacific, showcasing how World Vision has helped. Today, fishing to survive.

Clarke Gayford and Mike Scott visit isolated communities in Papua New Guinea as part of a World Vision fundraiser and find scenes straight out of a horror movie.

Just one thing going wrong had a devastating effect on an entire village in Papua New Guinea.

The people of Rarata village in the Solomon Islands were walking up to 7km every day to quench their thirst.

The Herald's latest appeal with World Vision will help our Pacific neighbours.

Candidate and MP to help raise funds and awareness for Tauranga Women's Refuge

COMMENT: Sometimes, the simplest of statements can touch hearts and change lives, writes Cathy Casey.

The last-surviving member of the trio of women who created the Tino Rangatiratanga flag speaks out about that important time in New Zealand's history. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

COMMENT: The mayors of New Zealand's three most impoverished districts have asked the Prime Minister to establish "demarcation zones".

More than 2800 needy children are already being sponsored by the charity Variety's Kiwi Kids scheme, launched in 2013, and a further 600 are on its waiting list.

Students at Papakura High School are striving to change the community's perception of their school, one of the country's most disadvantaged.

Learn more about The Rising Foundation, a charity helping students from schools like those in Under The Bridge, the Herald's documentary project.

Papakura High School has a falling roll, and as far as results go, it's among the worst schools in the country. But there is hope.

In this video, school staff including principal John Rohs discuss the impact of a variety of social issues on the students.

A team of journalists spent a year inside one of the country's most underprivileged schools filming the Herald's first long-form documentary.

NZ is heading "off the track" on housing, child poverty and imprisonment despite dramatic gains on some other social indicators, a new report says.

Under The Bridge marks the New Zealand Herald's first foray into long-form documentary making.

Child poverty is a multi-headed beast, writes Rachel Smalley. She tells of a visit to the emergency department and an agitated mother waiting for help.

These are the high points from Labour and Greens' State of the Nation speeches this afternoon.

COMMENT: The epic scale of political conflict in the US risks making New Zealand's problems seem trivial, Liam Dann writes.

COMMENT: The only way to achieve high standard of early education will be through Govt restoring per-child subsidies to adequate levels.

COMMENT: Oxfam tells us that the world's richest eight people have as much money as its 3.6 billion poorest people. But what does it really mean?

His comments drew a sharp reaction from beggars in central Auckland yesterday.

Pregnant women living on the streets of Auckland.

COMMENT: If New Zealand was to have a statue at the entrance to Auckland or Wellington harbour, it would likely be a "Statue of Equality" rather than liberty.

Miller Patane's long lost sister "bawled her eyes out" when she saw her long lost brother's photo in the Herald after he was given food by newlyweds.

Barefoot and with his belongings in a bag, Miller was brought to tears by the kindness of a couple on their wedding day. Can you help us find him?

COMMENT: I reckon a little less spent on self, and more on others is the better Christmas spirit. Maybe that's a New Year resolution.

Steve Braunias looks back on a year of thinking dangerously.