The Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus arrived in the Netherlands on Saturday to the delight of thousands of children.

A CYF caregiver has been humiliated after the organisation wrongly suggested she was being investigated for abuse of a child in her care.

Rent increases have made all low-income groups in Auckland except superannuitants worse off in real terms than they were five years ago, according to the Salvation Army.

Editorial: Mayor Len Brown's pursuit of a policy that would see the Auckland Council pay the "living wage" to its staff has drawn a variety of objections.

Our minimum wage is so low about 40 per cent of children living in poverty are not living in beneficiary families, but have low-wage-earning parents, writes Emily Keddell.

There's something rather heart-warming about the growing popularity of the "living wage" movement, writes Brian Rudman. Despite three decades of market economic indoctrination, NZ's underlying sense of fairness and decency remains intact.

Inequality in New Zealand is rising. This is a fact. Damien Grant looks into it.

The Labour Party conference in Christchurch this weekend looks set to approve a remit that will require its list to "fairly represent" gays and lesbians among candidates.

Children's Commissioner Dr Russell Wills has decided to publish his own annual stocktake of child poverty after the Govt spurned his call to publish official measures and targets.

Researchers hunting for the next blockbuster heart drug say levels of enzyme activity checked in their study can help to predict a person's risk of coronary heart disease.

New Zealand is among the top 10 best places to be a woman, according to a worldwide report on gender equality.

A solo mother has had her benefit halved, just eight weeks after having a new baby, because she failed to attend an appointment with Work and Income.

Almost 13,000 parents with dependent children have had their benefits cut for failing work tests in the first 2 years after sole parents first had to look for work.

Jump in arrivals will put further pressure on Auckland and Christchurch housing stocks, says economist.

Chamber of Commerce is offering youngsters a road to a job through pilot pre-employment course.

Editorial: A review of burial laws by the Law Commission has led to drastic and largely unnecessary recommendations.

A trust that sold off a 100-year lease of Auckland's historic Ranfurly veterans' home has called in an outside expert to review the quality of care the veterans are now receiving.

A New Zealand church has been let off the hook for forbidding a gay man from becoming a priest.

Cartoonists moaned when Rowling became Prime Minister in 1974, being unable to caricature him.

Excited Barnardos workers have volunteered to fly in from around the country to staff collection stalls at Beyonce's Auckland concerts this week.

Ex-soldiers could soon get support for psychological issues as well as physical injuries under wide-ranging changes to war pensions.

New Zealand rightly prides itself on being a leader in women's rights. It was ranked sixth out of 135 countries in the Global Gender Gap report for 2011.

The four most physically descriptive English words are sick, dead, drunk and fat.

With Ten Guitars ringing in her ears a veteran publican recalls the six o'clock swill and drinkers' cunning lurks.

A third of people are unemployed, fear losing their job or are in temporary work.

Children's Lego house competition puts focus on Habitat homes for needy families.

Reduced growth figures suggest revision of Auckland's infrastructure plans needed, claims Statistics Minister.

Being able to get one up on potential burglars is a good feeling, says Evan Lockington, a resident of Viscount St, Mangere.