While I am always happy to celebrate any accolades my country and city might garner on the international stage, seeing Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau awarded the top ranking in a recent “most liveable cities” survey left me somewhat flummoxed. In particular, I would argue that many Māori whānau in Auckland do not enjoy the benefits of this Read more
Pope Francis said: “I don’t do any physical activity. “My doctor has recommended it, but my answer is always the same, ‘I don’t have time’.” He enjoys siestas, saying: “As soon as I finish lunch, I go to my room, take my shoes off and lie down fully dressed. Read more
I spent the early months of the coronavirus pandemic feeling desperately claustrophobic. Quarantined in a one-bedroom apartment in New York, I would sometimes imagine my fire escape was a creaky porch in the woods somewhere as I sat outside in the early evenings, listening to my neighbours’ cheer and bang pots for the essential workers Read more
At the height of his 15-year career as a surgeon in the Pacific nation of Fiji, Dr Jone Hawea was performing eight to 10 diabetes-related operations every day – at least two of which were the amputations of limbs. “Our wards are always full of diabetes cases. Sometimes our surgical wards wouldn’t be able to Read more
Americans must move past the health-wealth dichotomy that dominates public debate about how to manage the current pandemic to find a way forward, said a panel of Catholic scholars during a webinar June 2. “Either you want to kill Grandma or you want to destroy the economy and leave millions of people unemployed, and people Read more
People want to make him New Zealander of the Year. He has a twitter account and tweeting his memes and a fan base dubbed “Bloomers”. He has had a song written about him; hand towels bearing his image have sold out, but you can still get the T-shirts and tote bags. Colleagues describe him as Read more
On Saturday The Catholic Bishop of Auckland, Bishop Patrick Dunn, confirmed he had been advised that a parishioner at St Mary’s Church in Papakura was diagnosed with the Covid-19 coronavirus. Dunn said the 5 pm Vigil Mass at St Mary’s on Saturday and the 8.30 am and 10.30 am Masses on Sunday would go ahead Read more
Having a religious faith makes people feel healthier, the latest government figures suggest. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today published data linking religion and health in a bid “to understand the circumstances of people of different religious identities”. It found that people aged 16 and over who had no religion were significantly less likely Read more
The Ozanam House Trust has provided accommodation in Palmerston North for cancer patients and their caregivers since 1967 It was the brainchild of members of the Palmerston North St. Vincent de Paul Society. People requiring treatment for cancer have, until now, had to go to Palmerston North from other mid-north Island places to receive treatment Read more
In our contemporary world, noise pollution has reached dangerous levels. The World Health Organization has argued that “excessive noise” is a serious threat to human health. Studies have shown that excessive exposure to noise not only causes hearing loss but also leads to heart disease, poor sleep and hypertension. In some parts of the world, Read more