“Papua has been living a nightmare of unimaginable violence for over half a century. “No one cares about the tragic fate of the Papuan minority, who suffer from the injustices of the ruling powers and the Indonesian military, who accuse them of being separatists,” said Father Alexandro Rangga. Speaking by phone from Jakarta, the 37-year-old Read more
A mature, thoughtful conversation about Te Tiriti o Waitangi would be timely, but the Act party should not lead it. At the last election, it was the only party to propose a referendum on this subject, and 91.6 percent of the electorate did not support them. It had no democratic mandate to enact its ideas Read more
An alluring young woman sporting a 1950s-style polka-dot halter dress leans toward the camera across the kitchen counter, the epitome of retro chic. In a soothing, gentle voice, she informs us that a relative is in town and has been craving bubble gum. Rather than doing what nine out of 10 people would do, which Read more
Antidepressants have helped millions of people worldwide since the 1950s. But have you ever wondered what happens to these drugs once they leave our bodies? We wanted to study the effects of pharmaceutical pollution on freshwater fish. Our new research shows even low levels of the antidepressant fluoxetine – sold under the brand name Prozac, Read more
We who’ve entered our so-called golden years can recite for you the usual prescriptions for extending our lives and for improving the quality of those lives while we’re here. Doctors tell us. Medicare tells us. Our insurance companies tell us. Watch your waistline, exercise, keep your mind active, socialise, go for your medical checkups. But Read more
There is a small faith-filled Anglican parish community in the Christchurch seaside suburb of New Brighton which, despite its meagre resources, daily offers the poor and the homeless food, a hot drink, clothing options and other essential resources. I don’t think they know much about ideology nor give much time to studying it. But they Read more
Taken as a whole, the online Catholic world can look more like an abstract pointillist painting than a coherent landscape. To borrow the imagery of Isaiah Berlin, the internet environment encourages us to think like foxes rather than hedgehogs. Virtual discussions roam over many small things (e.g., the kerfuffle last spring over Harrison Butker’s graduation Read more
In early September Pope Francis has scheduled two busy weeks of travel. He will visit Indonesia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and Singapore. No doubt some Australians will grumble that he passed so close without dropping in to visit us. For the 87 year-old Pope such travel will be arduous. His determination to continue visiting Read more
At the age of 87, Pope Francis will embark on an 11-day trip to Southeast Asia that will test both his physical health and the core messages of his pontificate, focusing on the poor, the environment and a Catholic Church at the margins. The papal trip, which will take place Sept. 2-13, presents the most Read more
Penrith head coach Ivan Cleary (pictured) surely couldn’t have left the team’s coaching box after their 22-18 loss to Canberra last weekend without a quick glance at his son and injured halfback, Nathan. After an injury-riddled season to date, the premiership-winning coach will be itching to bring his star back onto the field to reinforce Read more