As Beyoncé once said, "Who runs the world? Girls". But it seems like the makers of cartoon emojis have missed the memo.

The internet has different rules for likeability than in real life, and when I say "different" I mean regressive.

Emerge Aotearoa wins tender to supply short-term housing for individuals or families for up to 12 weeks.

A longstanding union goal of lifting the minimum wage to $15 an hour may finally be achieved today.

The In Work Tax Credit fails children and is a policy that cannot be justified, writes Michael Timmins. Its operation is so complicated and ultimately punitive in that its costs outweigh any supposed benefits.

The Salvation Army's annual stocktake on New Zealand's social health has earned high credibility. It owes this to its recognition of progress as well as problems.

All families have elements of dysfunction. This may range from homicidal violence to petty gossip and frustrations, writes Peter Lyons.

Govt aims to let drug be grown for medical or scientific use, but more change is needed, writes Alex Wodak.

Disputes between neighbours bring out the worst in people - like divorces often do. Or money, Alan Duff writes.

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.

The child poverty crisis in Aotearoa is serious, writes Sue Bradford. No nice words or fancy messaging can alter the fact that until power is confronted and very different jobs, welfare and housing policies set in place, nothing will change.

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.

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

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

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.

Statistics show Americans have a far greater chance of being shot dead in shootings perpetrated by their fellow Christian Americans than in terrorist attacks by Muslims, writes Paul Thomas.

The locations of young people who are most at risk of having poor outcomes later in life have been revealed - as have the gaps in support for them.

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.