In 1898 New Zealand was favoured with a visit from Sydney and Beatrice Webb. This English couple were early members of the Fabian Society, a progressive political movement that was an important driver in the formation of the British Labour Party.

Ghetto kid turned presidential hopeful Ben Carson is in New Zealand to help celebrate as the Duffy Books in Homes scheme turns 20.

There are children in New Zealand living in circumstances that are not much different from those in the slums of Delhi, says Jonathan Boston.

Editorial: Book launches can be a trap for unwary authors. Eager to gain the maximum publicity for their work, they face an ever-present temptation to gild the lily.

The poorest Kiwi children are now no better off than some children in the slums of India, a leading author says.

The richest 10 per cent of New Zealanders are wealthier than the rest of the population combined, according to figures cited by Oxfam NZ.

Changing the geography of poverty within NZ will take generations, according to health policy researchers. So which areas of the country are the most deprived?

The desperate residents of a besieged district of Damascus are expected to run out of food today.

Some British teachers are taking food to give their pupils breakfast every day because they are too hungry and exhausted to learn, says a new report.

At least 10 residents and police officers were injured yesterday as authorities ousted squatters from an abandoned building just steps from Rio's Maracana stadium.

Not charity, just work - the mission statement of Ethical Fashion Initiative couldn't be clearer.

IDFC and Bandhan Financial Services have won the first licenses awarded in a decade to set up banks in Asia's third-largest economy.

The Bangladesh city of Chittagong has been on the radar of Kiwi sports fans as the Black Caps play their T20 World Cup pool games there.

Obfuscatory. A word I want to repeat, Miranda-like, because it feels so good dropping out of my mouth.

A global survey has found that one in every six Kiwis ran out of money for food in 2011-12 - more than in all except eight other developed nations.

Statisticians have discovered thousands more children and the elderly living in poverty than have been reported previously.

The number of Kiwi kids in poverty jumped by 60,000 in the recent global recession - twice as much as previously reported.

At a first glance, Housing Minister Nick Smith's announcement of a warrant-of-fitness scheme on state homes seemed like a step forward that was as significant as it was welcome.

In 1998, journalist Barbara Ehrenreich decided to see if she could get by working unskilled, low-wage jobs, a tradition dating back to George Orwell and Jack London.

The combined wealth of the 85 richest people in the world is the same as the combined wealth of the world's poorest 3.5 billion, writes Toby Manhire.

Pope Francis challenged business leaders assembled in Davos today to do more for the poor and ensure 'humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it.'

The measurement of child poverty is complex, hard to understand and has become a highly polarised matter, says John Dew.

Next year is election year and all the parties have an opportunity to show us their commitment to children, writes Russell Wills, Children's Commissioner.