The Exclusive Brethren has asked its members to pray for the Inland revenue department (IRD) after a breakthrough settlement in a tax dispute. In a prayer agenda, the Exclusive Brethren church told its 45,000 worldwide members it had received a “favourable settlement” in a dispute over schools’ fees. “Outcome – NZ IRD matter – a Read more
Rohan West, an expat New Zealander, has released his debut novel Broken Vows, inspired by his maternal grandparents’ romance, which began when they met at Mt St Mary’s Seminary in Taradale after the the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake. “Napier, Hawke’s Bay and the earthquake play a significant part in the book,” said West. His grandfather, Read more
John Maguire (54), head of technology and dean of Kavanagh College in Dunedin, has been appointed principal of Nelson’s Garin College. Mr Maguire said it was his first principalship and he was excited about the new leadership role. “I see it as a real challenge and an opportunity for me to get my feet under Read more
A controversial billboard that has now been defaced twice lives on to tell a Remuera church’s original message. The second attack on the billboard was discovered early this morning. The words “Islam Hates Us” had been stuck over the original caption, “I don’t like losers”, which had been written in a speech bubble coming from Read more
Clinton Hinga has spent more than a decade behind bars. The 30-year-old was released from prison more than a year ago. He says he’s been on the straight and narrow since and credits that to Destiny Church’s Man Up programme. “I was on a cycle of drugs, gang life, street life, jail life, thug life Read more
Henry Van Thio, who lived in Dunedin from 2011 until last year, has been sworn in as second vice-president in a historic moment for Myanmar – formerly known as Burma. Only two years before his swearing in, he was working at Silver Fern Farms’ Finegand freezing works, while his wife Anna Sui studied towards a PhD Read more
The former Anglican and Catholic Bishops of Hamilton are both to receive the University of Waikato’s highest honour Archbishop Sir David Moxon and Emeritus Bishop Denis Browne will be recognised for their outstanding leadership and contributions to the Waikato community at the University’s graduation ceremony in April. They will both receive honorary doctorates. Sir David Read more
Four Kiwis who went to last year’s synod on the family have welcomed Pope Francis’s wide-ranging new apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family. In a statement released through the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Cardinal John Dew, Bishop Charles Drennan, Dr John Kleinsman and Sharon Cole spoke on Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). Read more
Ali Lauitiiti left the Warriors in 2004. In a recently published book Lauitiiti reveals the then chief executive, Mick Watson Watson instructed a staff member to escort him off the premises and the conclusion of a meeting. The then 24-year-old had been called to meeting and asked to list his priorities in life. On a Read more
A Wellington nun’s vegetable garden has been bulldozed because it was no longer viable to keep it going. Sister Loyola Galvin, 96, and her garden captured the hearts of New Zealanders in a documentary Gardening with Soul. She tended to her garden at the Home of Compassion in Wellington for over 15 years, The garden Read more