ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on August 5, 2025.
Why do some clothes shrink in the wash? A textile scientist explains how to ‘unshrink’ them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nisa Salim, Director, Swinburne-CSIRO National Testlab for Composite Additive Manufacturing, Swinburne University of Technology Ricardo Gomez Angel/Unsplash When your favourite dress or shirt shrinks in the wash, it can be devastating, especially if you followed the instructions closely. Unfortunately, some fabrics just seem to be more prone
Soaring food prices prove the Gaza famine is real – and will affect generations to come
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu via Getty Images The words and pictures documenting the famine in the Gaza strip are horrifying. The coverage has led to acrimonious and often misguided
Governments and police are tackling weapons in public – but they’re ignoring it in our homes
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Ransley, Professor, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University AVN Photo Lab/Shutterstock About half of all serious weapons-related violence in Australia happens at home as part of domestic and family violence. The weapons most used in these incidents are kitchen knives. Yet new laws around the country overwhelmingly
Trump Targets Latino Migrants – Ideology over Humanity
Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage By John Perry and Roger D. Harris By escalating deportations, ending humanitarian protections, and cutting remittances, Trump’s immigration policy threatens to destabilize Latin American economies and exacerbate humanitarian crises. Ironically, this might trigger a new wave of migration. The economic importance of Latinos living and working in the
Trauma, stress and burnout among judges and magistrates could put the whole legal system at risk
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin O’Sullivan, Associate Professor, School of Law, The University of Western Australia Society needs efficient and well-functioning courts. In practice, that means we need judges and magistrates in good mental health. However, a growing body of research shows these judicial officers are living with very concerning levels
Australia’s divorce rate is the lowest it’s been in 50 years. Why?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Allen, Demographer, POLIS Centre for Social Policy Research, Australian National University At first glance, it might seem like good news. Divorces in Australia have dropped to their lowest rate since no-fault divorce was introduced. And on average, marriages are lasting longer. Latest data show 2.1 divorces
Financial stress is on the rise in Australia. Here’s what to do if money worries are affecting your mental health
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Procter, Professor and Chair: Mental Health Nursing, University of South Australia Maskot/Getty Stories about interest rates and cost-of-living often focus on Australians’ hip pockets. But what about the impact on our mental health? The National Mental Health Commission’s most recent “report card” shows financial stress has
Some taxes are inefficient at any level. Even modest reforms will help
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Deputy Director and Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University Teerachai Jampanak/Shutterstock Australia’s tax system has come under scrutiny again ahead of the government’s reform roundtable later this month. Economists argue we could raise the same revenue with less economic harm by relying more
How do you feel about doing exams? Our research unearthed 4 types of test-takers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew J. Martin, Scientia Professor and Professor of Educational Psychology, UNSW Sydney Johnny Greig/ Getty Images If you had to do a test, how would you respond? Would you relish the chance to demonstrate your knowledge? Or worry you were about to fall short of the mark
‘Right to choose’ key to Cook Islands-NZ relationship, says Peters
By Teuila Fuatai, RNZ Pacific senior journalist New Zealand’s foreign minister says Cook Islanders are free to choose whether their country continues in free association with New Zealand. Winston Peters made the comment at a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the constitution of the Cook Islands in Auckland today. Peters attended the community event
Australian media faces existential crisis after realising ‘free Palestine’ might extend well beyond university lawns and Instagram
COMMENTARY: By Clancy Overell, editor of The Betoota Advocate After years of sitting on the fence and looking the other way, the Australian media is today reckoning with the fact that showing basic sympathy towards the starving and war-weary people of Gaza is actually a very mainstream sentiment. This explosive moment of self-reflection has rocked
Chinese national accused under foreign interference law of spying on Buddhists
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A Chinese woman has appeared in the ACT magistrates court on Monday accused of foreign interference, by allegedly covertly collecting information about a Canberra Buddhist association. Police arrested the woman, an Australian permanent resident, on Saturday, after searching homes in
Keith Rankin Analysis – New Zealand’s highly favourable Terms of Trade
Analysis by Keith Rankin. The most important measure of the favourability or otherwise of the international economic environment is called a country’s ‘Terms of Trade’. This label essentially means ‘barter price’, reflecting that international trade is essentially one country’s barter with the rest of the world. (Digression. We note that such ‘barter’ is rarely the
Foot-and-mouth disease would devastate Australia’s graziers if it got in. Here’s how a new vaccine might help
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy J. Mahony, Professor of Animal Health and Director, Centre for Animal Science, The University of Queensland Eric Buermeyer/Shutterstock It sounds innocuous. But foot-and mouth disease is one of the world’s most economically devastating diseases affecting livestock. When this highly contagious virus infects cattle, many develop painful
Krissy Barrett becomes first woman Australian Federal Police commissioner
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Krissy Barrett has been appointed the first female commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, replacing Reece Kershaw, who is retiring ahead of the end of his term. As a deputy commissioner since 2024, Barrett has managed the national security portfolio.
New Trump tariffs: early modelling shows most economies lose – the US more than many
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niven Winchester, Professor of Economics, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The global rollercoaster ride of United States trade tariffs has now entered its latest phase. President Donald Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement placed reciprocal tariffs on all countries. A week later, amid financial market turmoil,
World Athletics’ mandatory genetic test for women athletes is misguided. I should know – I discovered the relevant gene in 1990
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Sinclair, Deputy Director of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute World Athletics president Sebastian Coe recently announced a new rule for women athletes, requiring mandatory genetic tests to verify their biological sex. This test must be done if athletes wish to compete in
Looking to warm up with a sauna this winter? Here are 5 tips to enjoy it safely
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney FreshSplash/Getty Images Sauna bathing is booming in Australia. Once considered a luxury experience or only a Nordic tradition, saunas are now part of the everyday for many Australians. They’re commonly found
NZ is looking for a deal over Trump’s new tariffs – that could come with a high political price
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images When the Trump administration arbitrarily imposed 15% tariffs on New Zealand exports on August 1, up from a previously announced 10%, no one should have been surprised. “Reciprocal” tariffs, based on the difference
