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While billions of people believe Jesus of Nazareth was one of the most important figures in world history, many others reject the idea that he even existed at all. A 2015 survey conducted by the Church of England, for instance, found that 22 percent of adults in England did not believe Jesus was a real person. · Among scholars of the New Testament of the Christian Bible, though, there is little disagreement that he actually lived. Lawrence…

By winning the light-heavyweight championship, Timaru boxer Bob Fitzsimmons became the first man to have won world professional boxing titles in three weight divisions on November 25th 1903. · Fitzsimmons came to New Zealand with his family from Cornwall as a 10-year-old. Working his father’s blacksmith’s forge developed the powerful arms and shoulders which made him a devastating puncher. · Fitzsimmons arrived in America in 1890. The following…

23 November 1918 · No other event has killed so many New Zealanders in such a short time as the 1918 influenza pandemic. · The second and more deadly wave of a new strain of influenza arrived in New Zealand in October 1918. By the end of the year around 9,000 people across the country had died. Half as many New Zealanders lost their lives in little more than two months than during the entire First World War, and worldwide the pandemic was…

Who would have thought that cottage cheese would make such a creamy delicious desert ? Honestly, people become quite polarised about it, i can eat it from the tub, but i have friends who see it as a reminder of many a failed diet!  · Similar to Greek yogurt, it has a thick, creamy texture and can be enjoyed sweet or savoury. It's also high in protein, making it the perfect secret ingredient in this protein ice cream. And for those of you who…

We’re a nation of dieters. Four in 10 of us claim that we’re trying to lose weight by trying every new diet fad, often without paying much attention to whether they really make scientific sense. In the old days we might have picked up tips from magazines, following step-by-step guides that explained the virtues of everything from cottage cheese to cabbage soup. While weight-loss drugs promise a fast track to losing weight today, the fact…

22 November 1939 · British-born but New Zealand-raised, Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg was a charismatic and popular military leader who later served as governor-general. · Freyberg was awarded numerous honours, including the Victoria Cross, during the First World War. Having retired from the British Army because of a heart problem in 1937, Freyberg offered his services to the New Zealand government when the Second World War began. ·…

Australian food company Vow is working on lab-grown foie gras that not only takes the cruelty out of producing it, but also aims to make a distinctively tastier version of the delicacy. · Foie gras has its origins in Egypt circa 2500 BCE, and is still popular in French cuisine today. It’s basically the enlarged liver of a duck or goose that has been force fed a high-fat diet. This is said to yield a rich, buttery, and delicate flavor; it is…

A Canterbury University lecturer, Associate Professor Mike Grimshaw, has warned that universities face a “crisis level” of functional illiteracy among students. · “We are under-educating but over qualifying,” he says, calling for universities to return to their original role as elite institutions rather than “degree factories.” · “Many of them appear to be functionally illiterate going on the incoherence of their written work,” he said. ·…

The government is keen to include “blue carbon” in its climate targets. This refers to the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, such as seagrasses, mangroves, salt marshes, and the ocean floor. · These ecosystems absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in plants, soil, and sediments, helping to reduce greenhouse gases. · The upcoming Emissions Reduction Plan for 2026–2030 is expected to explore these possibilities,…

Many of the holiday songs played over and over each December were penned decades, or even centuries ago. · For the last two months of the year, it’s nearly impossible to escape the seemingly endless variations of a handful of Christmas carols and holiday songs. This mix of religious and secular tunes can be heard playing on the radio, in stores and in holiday movies. But have you ever wondered where these songs came from, and how they came to…