Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

The Miss Pacific Islands beauty pageant was supposed to show that the area is “stronger and happier when we are unified”. · Instead, it descended into a regional crisis after allegations of vote rigging, online death threats and the judges being prevented from leaving the Solomon Islands by police. · Before the finale, contestants had said that the glamorous week-long pageant – which featured a sarong parade instead of swimsuits, and…

Traditional banks require land as collateral for mortgages, but Māori freehold land cannot be sold or seized, making it ineligible for standard lending. This has long been a barrier to homeownership for Māori families. · Hikurangi Enterprises, a community-led social enterprise in Te Tairāwhiti (the Gisborne district), builds affordable, transportable homes. Kaenga Hou, a trust focused on innovative financing, enables families to access these…

With president Trump announcing the start of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is set to sit down with senior US officials, including vice-president JD Vance, on the sidelines of this week’s Munich Security Conference. A common theme has emerged during the numerous interviews he has given to Western news organisations over the last few weeks: while Ukraine is ready for peace talks with Vladimir…

Around this time of year, the British Library’s reference team are often asked about the earliest known Valentine, supposedly a poem in their collection which was sent by the 15th-century prince Charles d'Orléans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. If you search online for ‘earliest known Valentine’ you will see this claim appearing on various websites. As you might be able to guess, the story doesn’t fully check out.…

Fancy a tasty curry, but don't want to slave over the hob in the summer heat? Try this super tasty, full of flavour curry that you cook in the microwave. It's easy yo make and packs the curry punch you crave! · Ingredients · - 1 onion - 2 garlic cloves - 1 medium-large green chilli - 3cm piece of ginger - 1 tbsp tomato purée - 2 tbsp flavourless oil or butter - 2 tbsp garam masala - 700g chicken thighs, skinless and boneless - 2 ripe…

There's a growing body of evidence that gold nanoparticles can offer significant, targeted weight loss that focuses on fat (lipid) tissue, without affecting muscle structure. What's more, there are added health bonuses, including anti-inflammatory properties and improvements in blood glucose levels. · Scientists from Egypt's Alexandria University have furthered what we know about gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), demonstrating that weekly doses have…

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains one of the world’s most resource-rich yet chronically unstable nations. Despite vast reserves of lithium, coltan, gold and cobalt—critical to the global technology sector—the country is mired in economic exploitation, violent conflict and political turmoil. · Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized large areas of mineral-rich eastern DRC in an offensive that has killed thousands and displaced vast…

Human history is filled with stories of people trying to cheat death. · While no one has managed to defeat death yet (or if they have, they've yet to reveal themselves), people have gone to extraordinary lengths and deployed bizarre tactics to try and give themselves extra years of life or even immortality. · “I call anti-aging medicine the second oldest profession,” says S. Jay Olshansky, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the…

Birds-of-paradise are known for their bright and colourful plumage, but it turns out they are even more dazzling than previously thought. · Researchers have found 37 of the 45 species show biofluorescence – in other words, patches of their plumage or other body parts absorb UV or blue light, and emit light at lower frequencies. · “At a minimum, it would make these biofluorescent areas brighter – a yellow feather may be more green-yellow, a…

The Pukearuhe redoubt was 50 km north-east of New Plymouth. Its military settlers protected the overland route north to Mōkau and had also cleared bush for farms. This outpost was isolated and vulnerable, but as there had been no fighting in north Taranaki for some years there was little concern for the safety of its inhabitants. · On Saturday 13 February, 1869 a Ngāti Maniapoto war party led by Wetere Te Rerenga shattered this illusion of…