Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

Scientists have bred the world’s first horses with CRISPR-mediated genomic edits to enhance their muscle power and speed.Credit: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters · These horses might look like ordinary horses, but there is something highly unusual about their genomes. They are the first of their species to have their DNA edited using CRISPR–Cas9, a technique that cuts the genome at a specific location to change gene expression and achieve a desired…

The advocacy group Resist Gender Education says the Law Commission’s new Ia Tangata report has “declared open season on girls’ rights.” · The report recommends changes to the Human Rights Act that would prevent schools, sports, and public facilities from excluding people of the opposite sex if they identify differently. · Spokesperson Fern Hickson argued the changes would erode the purpose of single-sex schools and safe female spaces, saying:…

Kiwifruit aren’t just a nutritious snack. They’re delicious in this sweet and tart pineapple and kiwi relish to pair with smoky prawn tacos · A great hack for if you are constipated is to eat a couple of kiwi fruits a day. They are full of fibre and the enzyme actinidin, which helps soften things for many people. The trouble is that it can get quite boring eating plain kiwi every day. These tacos are topped with a delicious sweet and tart…

Te Pāti Māori MP Takuta Ferris sparked cross-party condemnation after posting: “This blows my mind. Indians, Asians, blacks, and Pākehā campaigning to take a Māori seat from Māori.” · The remark, aimed at volunteers backing Labour’s candidate in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, Peeni Henare, was widely labelled racist, including by Labour’s Willie Jackson. · TPM issued an “apology” claiming their members are experiencing trauma, in part, from…

Not every invention started with a well-thought-out plan. In fact, some of the products that we use in our everyday lives and were created out of accidents, curiosity or even frustration. From a paddock of dying sheep that became a blood thinner to the pharmacist who almost set himself on fire with a stick, history is filled with stories of accidental inventions that changed the world.   · In this article we explore 10 discoveries that happened…

NZ First has broken ranks with its coalition partners over digital driver’s licences, warning that digital-only ID systems could become “coercive or insecure.” · All six parties in Parliament, including NZ First, supported the Government’s Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill last month, which expands the definition of a licence to include both electronic and physical versions. Associate Transport Minister James Meager stressed at the…

This spicy vegetarian pie is a lovely end of the week meal or wholesome weekend lunch for cooler days. · Don’t skip the jalapeño drizzle, it’s a firm favourite in my home and good also for jazzing up roasted vegetables and soups.  · Ingredients · For the bean base · - 2 tbsp butter, ghee or oil - 2 onions, finely chopped - 2 red or orange peppers, diced - 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped - 1 tbsp dried oregano - 1 ½ tsp ground…

It is easy to imagine how it could happen. A petrel, flying east from the Indian Ocean at the end of the Austral winter, makes landfall at New Zealand’s southern Codfish Island/Whenua Hou. Tired from its long journey, the petrel seeks refuge in the burrow of a green kākāpō: a critically endangered flightless species that is the world’s fattest parrot. · If the seabird intrudes when the kākāpō is primed to breed, the male parrot may attempt to…

As of 1 September, Sweden no longer recommends Covid-19 vaccination for children unless an individual medical assessment finds they are at increased risk of severe disease. · Even then, it is only available with a doctor’s prescription. · Adults are eligible for a single dose only if they are 75 and older, or belong to defined risk groups. · It is a strikingly cautious policy — yet in Sweden, there is no sense of crisis. Public health officials…

A new Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll shows overwhelming public support for a law to cap annual local council rate hikes, with 64 percent of voters in favour and just 22 percent opposed. · Support crossed every political, regional, gender, and age demographic, including a majority of Labour, Green, and Te Pāti Māori voters. · Asked whether they supported the government introducing a rates cap law, voters backed the idea by a margin of nearly 3:1. …