ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on August 12, 2025.
Māori wards: how the Hobson’s Pledge campaign relies on a ‘historical fiction’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Hulton Archive/Getty Images The phrase “We are now one people” has resurfaced lately, largely due to a campaign by the Hobson’s Pledge lobby group against the retention of Māori wards at referendums being held as
Whales and dolphins regularly hang out with each other – new study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olaf Meynecke, Research Fellow in Marine Science and Manager Whales & Climate Program, Griffith University drewsulockcreations/Getty As the annual humpback whale migration is underway with thousands of whales passing by the Australian coast, there are reports of dolphins joining the mass movement. But this isn’t a one
How the neoliberalism of ‘Hayek’s Bastards’ changed the world – and fuelled the rise of the populist right
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pollard, Associate Teaching Fellow, Sociology, Deakin University F.A. Hayek, Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Milton Friedman and Murray Rothbard. Vladimír Krupa 81/Gage Skidmore/Bachrach Studios/Ludwig von Mises Institute, via Wikimedia commons, CC BY Neoliberalism has had an enormous influence on the world, driving policy and governance at the national and
How can you be sure your clothing has been produced ethically?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aayushi Badhwar, Lecturer in Enterprise and Technology, RMIT University Naomi Rahim/Getty Images/Canva Today’s consumers are swimming in a sea of information. Products are marketed with big, bold words such as “sustainable”, “ethical” and “organic”. They sound good, they catch our attention, and they make us feel better
Australian workers are likely to change occupations twice in the next 20 years. How do we help them do this?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine de Fontenay, Honorary Fellow, Department of Economics, The University of Melbourne Over the next two decades, the average Australian worker is likely to change occupations at least twice. Rapid technological change and longer working lives mean the days of having “one job for life” are long
Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs linked to rare but serious eye conditions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro (known as semaglutide and tirzepatide) have changed the way clinicians manage diabetes and obesity around the world. Collectively known as
Ethnicity is a powerful indicator of health needs – cutting it from a new GP funding formula is a mistake
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Crampton, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago Getty Images The government’s recently announced new health funding formula for general practices aims to better distribute funding according to patient needs. We welcome the update, to take effect from July next year, and the government’s commitment to
70 years of data show extreme heat is already wiping out tropical bird populations
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Watson, Professor in Conservation Science, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland DeAgostini/Getty Images Human-driven climate change threatens many species, including birds. Most studies on this topic focus on long-term climate trends, such as gradual rises in average temperatures or shifts in rainfall patterns. But
Why Israel’s assassination of Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif and crew threatens all journalists
By David Robie, convenor of Pacific Media Watch I never knew Anas al-Sharif personally. But somehow he seemed to be part of our whānau. We watched so many of his reports from Gaza that it just appeared he would be always around keeping us up-to-date on the horrifying events in the besieged enclave. Although he
Inside an urban heat island, one street can be much hotter than its neighbor – new tech makes it easier to target cooling projects
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan O’Brien, Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Director of the Boston Area Research Initiative, Northeastern University A tree canopy can make a big difference in temperature for people on the street below. The challenge is getting trees where they’re needed most. Andrey Denisyuk/Moment via
What should I eat (and avoid) while breastfeeding? How does my diet affect baby’s milk?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Therese O’Sullivan, Associate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, Edith Cowan University Natalia Lebedinskaia/Getty Images Many people are familiar with the saying that a woman is “eating for two” during pregnancy. Although this is an exaggeration, nutritional needs do certainly increase during pregnancy to support the growing baby.
PSNA calls on Luxon to end ‘support’ for Israel as Australia plans backing for Palestine state
Asia Pacific Report A leading advocacy group supporting Palerstine has called on the government to follow Germany’s lead and suspend New Zealand military support for Israel to continue its mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. Germany and New Zealand were two of the countries to sign a letter yesterday condemning Israel’s plans
Beyond recognition: the challenges of creating a new Palestinian state are so formidable, is it even possible?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Kear, Sessional Lecturer, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly meeting in September, joining the United Kingdom, Canada and France in taking the historic step. Recognising a Palestinian state is at one level
Australia to recognise Palestine state next month at the United Nations
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Australia will recognise Palestine as a state at the United Nations leaders’ week in late September. Unlike some other countries, the government has put no conditions on the recognition, relying on assurances received from
When a beach walk feels like grief: disasters like SA’s algal bloom cut us off from nature when we need it most
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brianna Le Busque, Lecturer in Environmental Science, University of South Australia John White Photos/Getty In March 2025, surfers and swimmers were the first to notice the harmful algal bloom taking hold in South Australian waters. People catching waves at a popular break on the Fleurieu Peninsula later
Want to know how far your new EV can actually go? Take 10–20% off its claimed range
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Transport Technology and Sustainability, Swinburne University of Technology Alexwise/Getty Many electric vehicles (EVs) now come with range estimates of 400–500 kilometres, while some premium models claim ranges of more than 600km. Drivers new to EVs may look at the range figures given by
France’s betrayal of Kanak hopes for independence, Rainbow Warrior, climate crisis and other issues
Pacific Media Watch Pacific affairs and media commentator Dr David Robie reflected on the 1985 Rainbow Warrior mission to Rongelap atoll to help US nuclear refugees and the bombing of the Greenpeace campaign ship by French secret agents in a kōrero hosted by the NZ Fabian Society. His analysis is that far from the sabotage
‘I end up buying less food’: Indigenous people should not have to go hungry to use the internet
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Azadeh Dastyari, Director, Centre for Western Sydney, Western Sydney University Access to the internet is not a luxury. It’s an essential part of life. It shapes how people study, find and do work, access healthcare, stay connected with community and interact with government services. For Indigenous peoples,
