Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

New Zealand has not imposed visa restrictions on IDF soldiers or reservists, despite claims in Israeli media that military service in Gaza led to visa denials. · Immigration New Zealand (INZ) clarified that Israelis, like all applicants, must meet immigration criteria, but military service alone does not serve as grounds for rejection. · INZ explained that visa applications were declined due to failure to meet standard requirements, such as…

31 January 1921 · Piloted by Captain Euan Dickson, the first flight of the Canterbury Aviation Company’s new airmail service left Christchurch at 8 a.m., carrying several hundred letters to Ashburton and Timaru into the teeth of a south-westerly gale. · George Bolt had made the first official airmail flight in New Zealand, from Auckland to Dargaville, in December 1919. The Canterbury Aviation Company hoped to go one better with a regular…

If money doesn’t buy you happiness, what does? It was a question plaguing financier Sahil Bloom as he drove his Lexus Coupe (with scarlet leather seats) home, where an expensive bottle of wine was waiting. · On the surface, everything was rosy. “At the age of 23, I left college straight into a six-figure salary at a private equity firm,” says Bloom. “I had the promise of millions and millions in the future from carried interest, a…

A compelling new study is building on a growing body of evidence showing a common exercise supplement used to build muscle may also confer beneficial mental health outcomes. The small trial demonstrated how adding creatine to a course of cognitive behavioural therapy can lead to greater reductions in depressive symptoms after eight weeks compared to patients receiving psychotherapy alone. · The world of exercise supplements is filled with…

Fragments of the asteroid Bennu, carefully collected and ferried to Earth by a robotic spacecraft, contain the building blocks for life, NASA announced today. · NASA ‘fist bumps’ an asteroid to reveal Solar System’s secrets · Not only does Bennu contain all 5 of the nucleobases that form DNA and RNA on Earth and 14 of the 20 amino acids found in known proteins, the asteroid’s amino acids hold a surprise. On Earth, amino acids in living…

Today, the Senate confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. swiftly devolved into a political battleground, with partisan tensions overshadowing any serious examination of Kennedy’s qualifications. · Intended to assess his suitability, the hearing became a spectacle of accusation and counter-accusation, leaving little room for meaningful dialogue. · Kennedy, who has long advocated for drug safety and transparency in medical practices, has…

30 January 1911 A 1910 amendment to the Gaming Act banned bookmakers from New Zealand racecourses, other public places and hotels. The bookies were farewelled after the last race at Takapuna, as a band played appropriate tunes such as ‘We Parted on the Shore’. · Bookies were private entrepreneurs who displayed the odds they were offering to the punters they hoped to outsmart. They came under increasing pressure from the late 19th century as…

Global efforts backed by the United Nations to work out a treaty for ending plastic pollution stalled last month as the 175 countries attending the meet in South Korea bickered over concerns driven by competing economic interests. · The problem, one of the biggest environmental issues confronting the world today, meanwhile continues to grow. · While a political or legal solution may elude the world, scientists and engineers are making good…

As he left office, outgoing US President Joe Biden claimed that the USA was on the road to oligarchy.  · Shortly thereafter, Trump’s inauguration saw some of the wealthiest businesspeople in the world lined up brazenly ahead of his cabinet and other political appointees.  · This parade of wealth and the mutual genuflection between political and business power appear to signal a new age of proximity, if not collusion, between the two.  · While…

Whether you’re relaxing in the backyard, or serving it up for the family after work, a great salad is the summer staple. The combination of tender marinated chicken with sweet juicy caramelized nectarines is just perfect. · Ingredients: · Chicken · - 4 chicken breasts, batted out to flatten (skin is optional, I prefer to leave it for the flavour it brings!) - zest of two lemons - 3 tablespoons lemon thyme leaves, finely chopped - 3…