Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

The ACT Party pushed to remove the Treaty of Waitangi clause from the Education and Training Amendment Bill, but was blocked by coalition partners. · The clause, which requires school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, will now be reviewed as part of a broader government workstream. · ACT leader David Seymour said the clause should have been dropped outright and claimed it reflects a political project to reshape New Zealand’s…

This simple cake requires little more than stirring, baking and eating! · As less air is incorporated with ‘all-in-one’ cakes – instead of spending time beating the butter and sugar together, everything is combined from the outset – some baking powder is added, even though self-raising flour is used. · Ingredients · - 150g self-raising flour - 1 tsp baking powder - 30g good-quality cocoa powder - 150g soft light-brown sugar - 2 tsp…

The world's largest-known dinosaur mating display area may have been found hiding in plain site at Colorado's Dinosaur Ridge site. · Once a tidal flat, this region would have been periodically flooded millions of years ago. · Past studies had already identified a few "lekking" spots here—areas where dinosaurs are thought to have performed elaborate courtship displays, similar to those seen in modern birds like sage grouse or manakins. ·…

The government is signalling the clock is ticking on Ngāpuhi Treaty talks, with Treaty Minister Paul Goldsmith warning negotiations “can’t be as long as forever” and should conclude by 2040. · NZ First’s Shane Jones, who is drafting a Member’s Bill to force a single Ngāpuhi settlement, said taxpayers had already spent “well beyond $20 million” and could not afford endless delays. · The bill would block smaller hapū-based deals and require one…

New Zealand’s Year 7 immunisation programme uses behavioural science tactics, common to “nudge theory”, to influence parental decisions around consent and personal medical disclosure. · The programme invites parents to make a choice about the Boostrix vaccine (a tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough booster). · Parents are given an initial information sheet explaining the process. They are told that students will watch a video in class about…

Reducing our intake of a single amino acid called methionine, which we get from the food we eat, could help protect against disease and promote healthy aging. Now, scientists have developed a world-first method of studying the effects of this critical compound. · Amino acids are the fundamental building blocks of proteins, and 20 of them play vital roles in a range of human bodily functions. Nine are termed “essential” amino acids because the…

This vibrant salad is packed full of health-boosting ingredients and can be easily adapted to your tastes · Add some variety to your midweek lunches with this easy recipe  · This is a very substantial dish, packed with a host of health-boosting ingredients. It’s also super-adaptable, so feel free to add or swap in some of the optional additions listed below to adapt it to your tastes and add some variety to your weekly lunches. ·…

Alternating between a standard calorie-restricted diet plan and one high in fat and sugar, which can result in regaining lost weight and then some, is not just down to psychology and behavior. This kind of weight-loss sabotage – or yo-yo dieting – has a surprising biological driver: The gut. · Researchers from the Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), the French research Institute for…

Using new radiocarbon dating on ancient footprints found preserved in the gypsum-rich ground in White Sands, researchers have now confirmed that humans roamed North America 23,000 years ago. The finding solves a years-long debate questioning the age of these footprints. · The issue of when humans first arrived in North America has long been controversial, sparking considerable debate around the validity of fossil dating technologies. Back in…

Australasians are among the highest per-capita users of cocaine and ecstasy in the world, according to the United Nations’ 2025 World Drug Report. · The report shows that about 3 percent of New Zealanders and Australians aged 15 to 64 used cocaine in 2023, nearly twice the usage rate in the Americas and almost triple that of Europe. · New Zealand and Australia rank as the most lucrative per-capita cocaine markets, the report says. · Wastewater…