Boohoo! A mass murderer who killed his three young sons during a rampage fuelled by a relationship breakdown has taken the New Zealand Parole Board to court, raising the possibility of bias after being denied release from prison 14 times. Raymond Wahia Ratima, 55, was jailed for life in 1992
The word for today is… retribution (noun): 1: recompense, reward 2: the dispensing or receiving of reward or punishment especially in the hereafter 3: something given or exacted in recompense, especially punishment Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : With its prefix re-, meaning “back”, retribution means literally “payback”. And indeed we usually
The Dinner Club in Napier, run by Jane Morgan, has been providing meals for displaced families in Hawke’s Bay since Cyclone Gabrielle in February. Read more here. Discuss it on The BFD. If you would like to access exclusive Member content or just remove the ads to make your
The word for today is… empirical (adjective): 1: originating in or based on observation or experience 2: relying on experience or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory 3: capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment 4: of or relating to empiricism Source : Merriam
Matthew Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing in the hit series Friends, has died. He was 54. The Emmy-nominated actor was found dead of an apparent drowning in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home Saturday (local time), according to the Los Angeles Times and celebrity website TMZ, which
he word for today is… lacklustre (adjective): : lacking in sheen, brilliance, or vitality : dull, mediocre Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Lacklustre may describe things that are dull, but the word itself is no yawn. In its earliest uses in the early 17th century, lacklustre usually described eyes that were dull or
The word for today is… frisson (noun): : a brief moment of emotional excitement : shudder, thrill Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A chill down one’s spine isn’t always a sensation of fear or suspense. As Daniel Marenco writes, “What is most exciting about literature is how much it surprises us
The toddler at the centre of a homicide died without an official name. Despite being known by whanau as Ruthless-Empire Souljah-Reign Rhind Shepherd Wall, Stuff understands the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) rejected the name and was working with the family to find a suitable alternative when he was killed.
The word for today is… balmy (adjective): 1a: having the qualities of balm : soothing b: mild, temperate Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Aromatic ointments and fragrances are literally, balms: healing substances and soothing scents with the power to ease both mind and body. The original balm, what Latin-speakers referred to as
It’s a dead horse, no one cares: Diggers have moved onto the site of Auckland’s Alexandra Park raceway where champion racehorse Cardigan Bay is buried – in what some trotting supporters have called a “desecration”. The grave site and surrounding land is being turned into a car park. The
The word for today is… slake (verb): intransitive verb 1 archaic : subside, abate 2: to become slaked : crumble transitive verb 1 archaic : to lessen the force of : moderate 2: satisfy, quench 3: to cause (a substance, such as lime) to heat and crumble by treatment with water : hydrate Source : Merriam
Oh dear, how sad, never mind: Three’s 7pm news and entertainment show The Project looks set to finish up at the end of the year, Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ have announced. Hosted by Jesse Mulligan, Kanoa Lloyd and Jeremy Corbett, the show has held the 7pm spot on Three
The word for today is… eructation (noun): : an act or instance of belching Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Eructation is simply a fancier, and some might argue a more decorous, word for “belch.” “Eructation” was borrowed from Latin in the 15th century; the verb eruct, meaning “to belch,” followed in the
Lloyd, mate, no one cares. Even in his early school years, Lloyd Burr knew he was gay. Burr was never interested in games of “catch and kiss” with girls. From 6 years old, he used to think, ‘do I get to catch the boys and kiss them?’ Burr, a political
The word for today is… futile (adjective): 1: serving no useful purpose : completely ineffective 2: occupied with trifles : frivolous Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Futile broke into 16th-century English as a Latinate borrowing from Middle French. The Latin derivative, f?tilis, was used to describe things that are brittle or fragile
The word for today is… inkling (noun): 1: a slight knowledge or vague notion 2: a slight indication or suggestion : hint, clue Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Inkling has nothing to do with ink, whether of squid, tattoo, or any other variety. Originating in English in the early 16th century, inkling
