Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

The UAE recently hosted the 7th International Rain Enhancement Forum (IREF) in Abu Dhabi to showcase advancements in cloud seeding and features over 65 global experts. · Alya Al Mazrouei, Director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), described the forum as a “landmark event” shaping the future of weather science. · The UAE receives some of the least rain on earth; less than 100mm a year. Rainfall in the driest…

It has taken a long time for a motorcycle to break the million-dollar barrier at auction, and it was almost done twice within a few minutes today in Las Vegas. · First up, the world record for a motorcycle at auction was obliterated when a 1915 Cyclone V-Twin sold for US$1,320,000, surpassing the previous high prices of $935,000 (a 1908 Harley-Davidson ‘Strap Tank’) and $929,000 (a 1951 Vincent Black Lightning). · Just a few minutes later, a…

A Cold War nuclear missile will remain in service for a total of 94 years thanks to a US$383 million US Navy contract, with Lockheed Martin to modernize the submarine-launched Trident II missile and stretch its life until 2084. · Entering service at the end of the Cold War in 1990, the Trident II missile was developed as one leg of the three-part US nuclear deterrent force and as Britain's entire nuclear deterrent. The three-stage, solid-fueled…

Donald Trump’s tariffs could stop Chinese fashion firms Shein and Temu from flooding the market with clothes and goods at low prices. · Fast fashion giants rely on the de minimis rule, a century-old trade law that lets them to offer their products very cheaply. · The rule allows imports valued at less than $800  to enter the United States duty-free, as long as they are packaged and addressed to individual buyers. · It has boosted e-commerce…

American Lynne Cox swam from the North Island to the South in 12 hours 7 minutes on February 4th 1975. The fourth person to conquer the strait, she battled heavy seas and strong winds. Twice the Cook Strait cargo ferry Aratika hove to alongside her to provide some protection. Cox went on to swim in the sub-Arctic Bering Strait and in Antarctic waters. · The 22.5-km Cook Strait crossing involves braving chilly water, treacherous tides and…

David Harvey, writing for A Halfling’s View examines how media insiders like Duncan Greive (The Spinoff) and David Cormack (Draper Cormack) believe government intervention is the key to saving legacy media from collapse. · Their solutions? Stricter regulation of digital platforms, increased state control, and, in Cormack’s case, outright collectivisation. · But Harvey questions whether these proposals protect press freedom—or threaten it? ·…

Resources Minister Shane Jones calls the government’s plan to double mining exports by 2035 an economic lifeline. · Environmental groups warn it will leave New Zealanders with the clean-up bill. · Jones’ announcement in Waihi was met with some protests, as activists condemned the push for more coal and gold mining. · They argue it contradicts climate commitments and risks handing profits to foreign corporations. · However, Patrick Phelps of…

At the advent of his second term in office, Donald Trump announced his intention to transform the US into “the world capital of artificial intelligence (AI)”. · The great American AI revolution will begin, he declared, with Stargate, the largest project of its kind “by far in history”. · The joint venture between tech firms OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle, will invest $500 billion (£405 billion) in AI infrastructure over the next four years. · But…

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a major festival celebrated at the beginning of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Thought to have originated in ancient China around 3,500 years ago, it is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, marking the end of winter and the beginning of the new year. · The festival typically falls between 21 January and 20 February and is celebrated in the Sinosphere or the…

The Department of Conservation (DOC) has long been seen as both a protector of the nation’s landscapes and an oppressive bureaucracy. · Now, with its proposed Conservation Amendment Bill set for 2026, DOC is pushing policies that critics say embed racial discrimination in public land management. · DOC’s discussion document, Modernising Conservation Land Management, openly promotes race-based entitlements, treating those of Māori descent as…