Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

These divine melting biscuits, named for the old-fashioned toy, benefit from a sharp, zingy buttercream. Make some this weekend to drop to a friend or simply enjoy at home. They are easy to make, but just try to keep the biscuits all the same size as they have to be sandwiched together. · Ingredients · For the biscuits · - 90ml passion fruit pulp - 175g butter, softened - 90g icing sugar, sifted - 235g plain flour, sifted - 40g cornflour,…

Winston Peters is calling for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, arguing the country is wasting billions while global superpowers ignore the deal. · According to The Country host Jamie Mackay, Peters was blunt: “What’s the use of being in when the US, China, and Russia aren’t there?” · Peters has long criticised the agreement, and with compliance costs estimated at billions of dollars, he is demanding a serious rethink. ·…

Te Pāti Māori seems to be in hiding after allegations surfaced that it used confidential census data to secure an electoral win by just 42 votes. · Broadcaster Duncan Garner calls out Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. Instead of facing scrutiny, she fled to the Cook Islands, marching in a protest that has nothing to do with New Zealand voters. · Rawiri Waititi has vanished from sight, and John Tamihere—the real power behind the party—remains silent. ·…

On the morning of 21 February 1879, an explosion rocked the coal mine at Kaitangata, South Otago. · On the day of the explosion, 47 men were employed at the mine. At first, no one knew how many of them were underground. Debris from the explosion and the presence of fire damp – an explosive mix of methane gas and oxygen – thwarted initial rescue attempts. Rescue parties were unable to enter the mine until about midday. · By early evening, it was…

Most people have absolutely no idea how important having a properly fitting helmet is. Almost every two-wheel rider wears one that's too big because there hasn’t been a proper, standardized way of personalizing helmets to individual head shapes. · Sure, helmet manufacturers offer a variety of sizes (S, M, L, XL) but that’s where the options stop. Not every human head conforms to these industry-standard sizes. But that’s not all – what about the…

People who sit on the low or high side of normal vitamin B12 levels are still at risk of cognitive impairment, according to a new study. The researchers behind the study say we need to rethink the ‘healthy’ range for the vitamin that plays a key role in brain and nerve health. · Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is crucial in DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, nervous system health and function, brain health, and energy production. It’s normally…

Global and European political shifts could push Italy, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, towards a more radical stance. Since 2022, her government has combined hardline domestic policies on immigration and justice with a pragmatic foreign approach. But rising instability in Europe and the return of Donald Trump may reshape its strategy. · With France and Germany facing EU leadership challenges, Italy’s importance to Washington is growing,…

Aspartame has long been marketed as a guilt-free alternative to sugar in popular food products, ranging from zero-calorie Diet Coke to sugar-free Jell-O. It's also had a pretty bad rap, and the artificial sweetener has now been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke in mice. But not everyone's convinced this is as bad as it sounds for humans. · That's from a study published in Cell Metabolism, authored by cardiovascular health…

The jump that won Yvette Williams a gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics on February 20th, 1954 was only 1 cm short of the world record held by Francine (‘Fanny’) Blankers-Koen of The Netherlands. · Williams, like Blankers-Koen, was a versatile athlete, competing successfully in the long jump and high jump, and a range of track events. · Williams broke Blankers-Koen’s long jump record 18 months after the Helsinki Olympics at an athletics…

So the empire strikes back. · Donald Trump’s tsunami of executive orders threatens to wash away the entire “DEI” establishment of the deep state even as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency conducts a thorough financial proctological examination on the books and payment systems of the deep state. · The revelations have been embarrassing, almost stupefying. The sums featured abundant use of that great Babylonian invention: the…