Catholics in San Francisco are now able to donate to their local church using a free iPhone app. The “digital collection plate” stems from a partnership between the Archdiocese of San Francisco and Evergive. It is also available on Android. The app also simplifies creating new donation categories for special causes, be they for Nepal Read more
A new study from the University of California Los Angeles suggests that the birth control pill may thin areas in a woman’s brain. The results of study involving 90 women were published in April in the journal “Human Brain Mapping”. About half the women in the study were using the combination form of oral contraceptives Read more
There needs to be a shake-up in the charity sector to ensure greater transparency and remove the tax advantages enjoyed by for-profit arms of large charity groups, public policy think-tank The New Zealand Initiative says. The organisation’s latest report, Giving Charities a Helping Hand, analysed over a decade of regulatory change in the sector. It Read more
The mother of a 6-year-old boy hit by a car as he walked to school believes he owes his life to the actions of a Sikh man who removed his turban to stem the bleeding. Daejon Pahia was struck by a four-wheel drive as he crossed Manuroa Rd in Auckland just before 9am on Friday, Read more
A senior member of a religious sect wants to turn one of New Zealand’s most picturesque locations into a private residential retreat and tourism eco-village. Allan Tibby, from the World Vaishnava Association, is seeking investors to fulfil his dream. Tibby is a charismatic holy man, who claims to be privy to a secret knowledge that Read more
The Vatican has concluded its first treaty that formally recognises the State of Palestine. The treaty is an agreement on Catholic Church activities in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The agreement will be signed by representatives from both entities in the near future. Vatican officials stressed that although the agreement was significant, it did Read more
Cuban President Raul Castro said he is so impressed by Pope Francis that he could be persuaded to return to the Catholic Church. Mr Castro and his brother Fidel suppressed the church in communist Cuba for more than half a century. President Raul Castro had a private meeting with the Pope in Rome on Monday. Read more
An art installation which has temporarily turned an historic Venice church into a mosque has upset city officials and Catholic authorities. Muslims have been allowed to pray inside the Santa Maria della Misericordia church, which was converted to a mosque by artist Christoph Buchel. The installation is Iceland’s official entry into the Venice Biennale and Read more
A landlord is charging Filipino workers up to $145 a week for a single bed in a seven-bedroom house. The Hornby house, in Christchurch, has 20 beds. Six of them are bunk beds. Two are in a small sleepout. The workers said the house was full at one point last year. A recent visit found Read more
In the wake of all the #BachelorNZ Twitter rants, ill-fitting dresses and koala poo, it’s time to step back and question what The Bachelor represents. The Bachelor reinforces the idea that the value and success of women hinges on their desirability to men. Presented through the lens of the male gaze, their attributes seem limited to Read more