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Trump Vexes New Zealanders by Claiming One of Their Proudest Historical Moments for America 

British scientists Dr. E.T.S. Walton, left, and Dr. F.D. Cockroft, right, stand with Lord Rutherford outside the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge, UK, May 2, 1932. (AP)
British scientists Dr. E.T.S. Walton, left, and Dr. F.D. Cockroft, right, stand with Lord Rutherford outside the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge, UK, May 2, 1932. (AP)
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Trump Vexes New Zealanders by Claiming One of Their Proudest Historical Moments for America 

British scientists Dr. E.T.S. Walton, left, and Dr. F.D. Cockroft, right, stand with Lord Rutherford outside the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge, UK, May 2, 1932. (AP)
British scientists Dr. E.T.S. Walton, left, and Dr. F.D. Cockroft, right, stand with Lord Rutherford outside the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge, UK, May 2, 1932. (AP)

Among other false and misleading claims in US President Donald Trump's inauguration addresses on Tuesday, his declaration that Americans “split the atom” prompted vexed social media posts by New Zealanders, who said the achievement belonged to a pioneering scientist revered in his homeland.

Ernest Rutherford, a Nobel Prize winner known as the father of nuclear physics, is regarded by many as the first to knowingly split the atom by artificially inducing a nuclear reaction in 1917 while he worked at a university in Manchester in the United Kingdom.

The achievement is also credited to English scientist John Douglas Cockroft and Ireland's Ernest Walton, researchers in 1932 at a British laboratory developed by Rutherford. It is not attributed to Americans.

Trump’s account of US greatness in one of Monday's inauguration addresses included a claim that Americans “crossed deserts, scaled mountains, braved untold dangers, won the Wild West, ended slavery, rescued millions from tyranny, lifted millions from poverty, harnessed electricity, split the atom, launched mankind into the heavens and put the universe of human knowledge into the palm of the human hand.”

New Zealand politician Nick Smith, the mayor of Nelson, where Rutherford was born and educated, said he was “a bit surprised” by the claim.

“Rutherford’s groundbreaking research on radio communication, radioactivity, the structure of the atom and ultrasound technology were done at Cambridge and Manchester Universities in the UK and McGill University in Montreal Canada,” Smith wrote on Facebook.

Smith said he would invite the next US ambassador to New Zealand to visit Rutherford’s birthplace memorial “so we can keep the historic record on who split the atom first accurate.”

A website for the US Department of Energy's Office of History and Heritage Resources credits Cockroft and Walton with the milestone, although it describes Rutherford's earlier achievements in mapping the structure of the atom, postulating a central nucleus and identifying the proton.

Trump's remarks provoked a flurry of online posts by New Zealanders about Rutherford, whose work is studied by New Zealand schoolchildren and whose name appears on buildings, streets and institutions. His portrait features on the 100-dollar banknote.

“Okay, I’ve gotta call time. Trump just claimed America split the atom,” Ben Uffindell, editor of the satirical New Zealand news website The Civilian, wrote on X. “That’s THE ONE THING WE DID.”

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Pakistani Sculptor Turns Scrap into Colossal Metal Artworks

Sculptor Ehtisham Jadoon spray paints a model of Optimus Prime, a film character from Transformers, made from scrap metal at his studio. Farooq NAEEM / AFP
Sculptor Ehtisham Jadoon spray paints a model of Optimus Prime, a film character from Transformers, made from scrap metal at his studio. Farooq NAEEM / AFP
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Pakistani Sculptor Turns Scrap into Colossal Metal Artworks

Sculptor Ehtisham Jadoon spray paints a model of Optimus Prime, a film character from Transformers, made from scrap metal at his studio. Farooq NAEEM / AFP
Sculptor Ehtisham Jadoon spray paints a model of Optimus Prime, a film character from Transformers, made from scrap metal at his studio. Farooq NAEEM / AFP

Sparks fly and metal groans in a cavernous workshop on the outskirts of Islamabad, where Pakistani artist Ehtisham Jadoon fuses discarded car parts into colossal pieces inspired by "Transformers" movies and dinosaurs.

The 35-year-old sculptor's studio brims with cogs, chains, hubcaps and engine parts as his hulking creations -- a lion with a mane of twisted steel, a giant Tyrannosaurus rex and a towering Optimus Prime -- take shape.

"I have always been fascinated by metal objects," Jadoon told AFP after assembling the 14-foot (4-metre) "Transformers" character, his biggest creation yet.

"When I see metals in scrap, I imagine forms in which it could be utilized."

It took Jadoon and his team months of welding and warping to fashion his Optimus Prime, with over 90 percent of its parts sourced from discarded vehicle pieces.

The arms are forged from motorbike springs and gears, its shoulders are curve from car rims, the spine is molded from a fuel tank and its knees are pieced together with chains and suspension parts.

Even its piercing eyes are crafted from vehicle bearings, completing a sculpture that is both intricate and awesome.

"Whenever I see an object, I visualize a form," Jadoon said.

"I could imagine a block transforming into a shape, so I simply solve the puzzle and bring it to life."

- 'Waste becomes valuable' -

Jadoon, a former martial artist who once worked in the steel fabrication business, has never formally studied art. He designs his gargantuan models spontaneously while working.

He told AFP he has to visit a doctor almost every week due to sparks affecting his eyes and burns on his hands and arms, yet he insists this is the only work in which he can channel the energy of his training as a fighter.

Jadoon's work primarily focuses on crafting giants, beasts and powerful forms, which he describes as a reflection of aggression.

"Setting the anatomy and proportions requires visualization from multiple angles and repeated adjustments," he said.

Every week, Jadoon tours scrapyards in Islamabad, sifting through tons of discarded metal in search of pieces that fit into his imagination and then become sculptures.

"What is waste to us became something valuable in his hands," scrapyard owner Bostan Khan told AFP.

"It's incredible to witness."

Varieties

Scientists: Humans – Not Mimmo the Dolphin – Need Managing in Lagoon

The dolphin named Mimmo swims in the San Marco Basin, amid growing concerns about the impact of tourism on marine life, in Venice (Reuters) 
The dolphin named Mimmo swims in the San Marco Basin, amid growing concerns about the impact of tourism on marine life, in Venice (Reuters) 
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Scientists: Humans – Not Mimmo the Dolphin – Need Managing in Lagoon

The dolphin named Mimmo swims in the San Marco Basin, amid growing concerns about the impact of tourism on marine life, in Venice (Reuters) 
The dolphin named Mimmo swims in the San Marco Basin, amid growing concerns about the impact of tourism on marine life, in Venice (Reuters) 

Italian scientists monitoring the movements of a dolphin in the Venice lagoon have said humans are the ones who need managing, rather than wildlife.

Known as Mimmo, the bottlenose dolphin has been spotted on several occasions since it made its first appearance in June last year, prompting a research team from the University of Padova to spring into action, according to The Guardian.

While the animal has delighted tourists and residents with its acrobatic leaps, animal and environmental activists began a “save Mimmo” campaign amid fears it could be killed by the propellers of boats that crisscross the busy lagoon.

The scientists have now published a study in the journal Frontiers in Ethology, outlining their monitoring activities and the dolphin’s movements over several months.

“We present the case of one of the most charismatic animals in one of the most iconic cities: a solitary dolphin in Venice,” said the article’s senior author, Guido Pietroluongo, a conservation veterinary pathologist at the University of Padova’s department of comparative biomedicine and food science.

Pietroluongo added that the team’s observations documented the animal’s “remarkable adaptation to an unusual context” while highlighting “the need to manage human behavior to ensure its welfare.”

Bottlenoses are the most common species of dolphin in Italian waters and although they usually move around in pods, in recent years there have been several cases of solitary dolphins in the Adriatic who leave their pod and flock to coastal or urban areas.

Mimmo was first seen by Manuel Tiffi, a water-taxi driver, on 23 June 2025. He told Corriere della Sera that the dolphin often swam “right in front of the bow.”

Tiffi said water-taxi drivers reported sightings to warn people to be careful. “But the animal seems to have no fear,” he added.

Historically, dolphins have taken up residence in the Venetian lagoon and adapted to living there.

But while Mimmo’s behavior since its arrival has been “typical of the species," humans present a problem, the scientists said, with the greatest risk coming from them acting inappropriately towards the animal, especially through irresponsible driving of boats.

The scientists said that measures controlling speed and keeping boats at a safe distance were required.

“What is truly unusual is not the dolphin’s presence, but the persistent difficulty humans have in respecting such animals today,” said Giovanni Bearzi, who has been studying Adriatic dolphins for four decades.

He added: “We need to appreciate the opportunities to coexist with and enjoy wildlife. Historical and contemporary documentation clearly shows that dolphins have accompanied human maritime activities for millennia, yet we still struggle to coexist with them appropriately.”

Varieties

Jeddah Waterfront Tops List of Tourist Destinations During Ramadan

Jeddah Waterfront (SPA)
Jeddah Waterfront (SPA)
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Jeddah Waterfront Tops List of Tourist Destinations During Ramadan

Jeddah Waterfront (SPA)
Jeddah Waterfront (SPA)

Jeddah Waterfront has emerged as a leading tourist destination during Ramadan. The site offers a comprehensive experience that combines entertainment, sports, arts and hospitality.

The promenade extends along the Red Sea. It provides visitors with an ideal setting for evening walks after iftar in a calm atmosphere and pleasant weather. Subtle nighttime lighting enhances the ambiance and reflects the spirit of the holy month, the Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday.

The waterfront also features international art installations displayed along the coast. Works by artists such as Henry Moore and Joan Miró add a cultural dimension and reinforce the site’s status as a landmark in Jeddah.

The number of visitors peak during late evening hours. Families gather under Ramadan-themed illuminations in a lively social setting. Some visitors choose later hours to enjoy the calm sea and its shimmering reflections.

The surrounding hospitality sector supports the destination’s appeal. Nearby hotels offer views of the Red Sea and help increase accommodation capacity during Ramadan. The area also includes cafés, restaurants, and secure children’s play zones within open green spaces.

The increase in tourism activity at Jeddah Waterfront during Ramadan reflects efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of national destinations. It also reinforces Jeddah’s position as a key visitor hub in line with Vision 2030 objectives.