Welfare rolls have risen in Canterbury for the first time since reconstruction work began after the 2011 earthquake.

There is no poverty in New Zealand because the poor are not living in slums. Some people in so-called poverty even have cars and ovens, writes Jenesa Jeram.

What has caused today's hard-heartedness? Three decades of neo-liberal politics has changed Kiwi outlooks, writes Martin Thrupp.

The self-plagiarist tries to take undeserved credit for the work as new and original when they know the material was derived from a previous source, writes Deborah Hill Cone.

The other day, a custom-built 'Wash Against Waste' trailer which is designed to wash reusable items at events was stolen, writes Sam Judd. Such crime can be a real blow for an organisation.

Over the years, I've been privileged to gain insights from visiting schools on our literacy programme, which is now past its 21st birthday.

Dressing in feminine clothes can be a sensuous pleasure, says Dr Colin Cremin - and he wants the right to enjoy it as a man.

A third of people in need of food parcels this Christmas are new, showing a "reflection of the child poverty stats".

Sentenced to death, a lawyer set out to gain the right to choose how she would die.

It's a simple formula: buy a delicious lunch, and a hungry child will get one too.

The latest report tells us 29 per cent of children lived in poverty in 2014, up from 24 per cent the previous year. About 14 per cent live in material hardship, lacking several of the items most New Zealanders would consider essential.

An alarming number of Auckland families are being forced to live together in one house so they can afford rent and living expenses.

The number of NZ children living in households earning below 60 per cent of the median household income has almost doubled.

The Government has a long-term plan of introducing "milestone payments" for non-government providers which improved the social outcomes of their tenants.

One of New Zealand's biggest aged-care providers is believed to have been picked by Auckland Council to take over managing the council's 1412 pensioner flats.

Donald Trump has stepped up his war of words with British officials over what he calls the UK's "massive Muslim problem".

There is a scene in the 2013 film Escape Plan where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone face off against one another in a canteen.

A growing number of highly qualified, professional women in their 40s and 50s are struggling to get into the job market.

Pensioners, disabled people and low-income families will benefit from a surprise Government decision to fund 508 social housing units in Auckland.

A NZ photojournalist who has just completed a powerful campaign about forbidden love and suppressed identity has been honoured for his work.

Crowd behaviour has again become an issue.

Growing numbers of Kiwis risk becoming homeless in old age because of falling home ownership rates, rising rents and static housing subsidies, the Salvation Army says.

A journalist and the national police chief are among 21 Kiwi men who are championing a campaign to end inequality between men and women by 2030.

Expatriate Kiwis are more likely to favour changing the flag than people still living in NZ - but they are much less keen on abandoning the monarchy.

KidsCan charity is literally close to home for Manukau student Vika Pasa.

More than 30,000 New Zealanders had their benefits cut last financial year for travelling overseas without letting officials know.

A "hikoi for homes" in Auckland today may be the forerunner of social unrest on a greater scale.

Everything's accelerated these days, and the same must be said for grief online.

Are rock bands running scared from Europe? Foo Fighters, Deftones and Prince have all cancelled tours following the Paris attacks.

Global fashion house Moschino has made a Barbie, but that's not what sparked interest in the ad announcing her arrival.