Pregnant women and mothers returning to work from maternity leave are facing illegal discrimination and losing their jobs.

A Henderson tofu maker has become the first Auckland employer to sign up to the living wage campaign, promising to pay its six factory workers at least $18.40 an hour within a year.

Two-storey townhouses and stand-alone houses expected to sell from $400,000 to $700,000 have been unveiled in the first stage of redeveloping 156 Housing NZ sites in Glen Innes.

The mother of tortured Rotorua three-year-old Nia Glassie has been denied parole, with the board saying she remained an undue risk to the community.

Opponents of same-sex marriage are being slammed for distributing leaflets saying legalising the move will result in more incidences of AIDS and syphilis, and see the end of titles such as "husband and wife".

A banned poker machine addict slipped through all SkyCity's safety systems to play his way to VIP status in the casino's high-roller room - blowing $500,000 in the process.

Church leaders are making a last-minute appeal to MPs to protect teachers who believe marriage should only be between opposite sexes even if Louisa Wall's gay marriage bill is passed tomorrow.

"Haven't our common concerns bound us more closely together?" asks David Hill. "Both our cricket teams have been thrashed by India."

A UN body's list of concerns shows how much women are being disadvantaged in NZ, writes Debbie Hager.

Let's look at the facts, writes Alan Freeth. Today, a quarter of children live in poverty in New Zealand.

Simon Chapman says Big Tobacco is losing ground on plain packs but is homing in on less fortunate countries.

The challenge for those in this discussion is to acknowledge and respect the values of others and to be courageous and generous in love, writes Russell Hoban.

There is a lot of hype surrounding the push for gay marriage in NZ, writes Douglas Pratt. Expectations of a momentous change are high.

Religion has always sought to manipulate and dictate the manner in which individuals live their lives, writes Sam Clements. The Marriage Equality Bill threatens many in the church.

The gambling-charity boss overseeing pokies in pubs and bars has launched a blistering attack on the problem-gambling industry.

On Monday the Financial Services Council released a report called "Exploring Underinsurance within New Zealand".

New figures show a sharp rise in gambling problems linked to Lotto, and health officials blame big jackpots.

In the heart of the Waikato, a small health provider dared to step out from the pack. Lotto, warned Hauora Waikato, has dangers.

Looking after children is expensive and most people underestimate the cost, writes David Mayes. That cost is not just in terms of the money we pay out at the time,

After the personal tragedies that marked Vui Mark Gosche's 12 years in politics, he was due for some good news - and there have been some surprising reasons to celebrate.

The return of a Pride Parade to Auckland has been declared a fabulous success.

Having multiple sexual partners is a significant predictor of women turning to drink and drugs in later life, a new study suggests.

NZ First MP Richard Prosser's bid to make a personal statement in Parliament this afternoon about his inflammatory comments about Muslims has been blocked.

Richard Prosser's "stupid" comments that young Muslim men from "Wogistan" should be banned from air travel have created headlines overseas.

Auckland's critical housing shortage worsened again last year - but the gap between population growth and house-building may be closing at last.