Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

Public Service Minister Judith Collins is leading a legislative overhaul that would remove diversity and inclusion (DEI) requirements from the Public Service Act. · The proposed changes would no longer require chief executives to “promote” DEI or take it into account when hiring, replacing those provisions with a focus on “merit-based” appointments. · Collins argues that requiring the Public Service Commissioner to consider diversity when…

Auckland Federated Farmers have passed a remit calling for a national debate on whether New Zealand should withdraw from the Paris Agreement. · They argue that current climate policies unfairly penalise farmers while failing to target actual emissions sources. · The call was led by committee member Deborah Alexander and supported by former president Wendy Clark. · Alexander said New Zealand’s participation in the agreement had incentivised…

Economist Professor Gigi Foster delivered a TEDx talk titled The Manipulators’ Playbook at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in October 2024. · It was a bold examination of how, in times of crisis, fear and conformity can be deliberately harnessed by those in power to manipulate public behaviour and silence dissent. · Her message was a call to defend the freedom to question, to challenge authority, and to think independently. · The local…

A question from a curious kid quickly led a team of scientists down a research rabbit hole – one that has now culminated in fascinating new knowledge about our water-wrinkled fingertips. And there's more to this discovery than a cool piece of trivia. · In 2023, Binghamton University biomedical professor Guy German wrote about his team's research into the mechanism that causes our fingers and toes to appear pale and wrinkled after extended…

Bruce Springsteen, Naomi Campbell and Brooke Shields reportedly swear by the one meal a day (OMAD) diet to stay slim. But is it safe? · Fasting has a number of health benefits, including reduced inflammation, improved digestion and focus and improved digestion · it’s the norm to have three square meals a day, and most of us look forward to eating them. One in four of us snack between our meals, and 10 per cent of people average three snacks a…

This is a great dish! · The cold noodles, the crisp vegetables, the sweet chicken, the heat of the dressing. Asian watermelon radish has a stunning pink interior and a great texture but it's fine to use multicoloured or regular radishes instead. · INGREDIENTS · - 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs - 1 lemon-grass stalk - 150ml soy sauce - 50ml rice wine - 40g root ginger, peeled and grated - 6 garlic cloves, grated or crushed - 4½ tbsp…

Following their crushing defeat by the Labour Party in the 1935 general election, the remnants of the United–Reform coalition government met in Wellington on 13–14 May 1936 to establish a new ‘anti-socialist’ party. · The conference in the Dominion Farmers’ Institute Building was attended by 11 members of the Dominion Executive of the National Political Federation (the body that had run United–Reform’s 1935 campaign), 232 delegates from around…

A former Royal Marine has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest to complete the world’s longest triathlon. · During Mitch Hutchcraft’s mammoth expedition, he swam the Channel, cycled through Europe and Asia and trekked across the Himalayas. · The 31-year-old reached the summit of the highest mountain on Earth on Sunday at 7.30am Nepalese time (2.30am BST), eight months after setting off from Dover. · Speaking afterwards, he said: “It was more…

Mexico has sued Google for changing the Gulf of Mexico’s name to Gulf of America for Google Maps users in the United States. · Announcing the legal challenge, Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican president, said: “The lawsuit has already been filed,” without saying where and when it was submitted. · The move comes after Donald Trump instructed the US Board on Geographic Names to change the gulf’s name within hours of taking office, after arguing that…