ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on November 20, 2025.
Auditory illusions: new research discovers how our ears play tricks on us
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Schwarzkopf, Associate Professor of Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Inspired by owls and their amazing ability to find their prey by hearing alone, my team decided to test how good humans are at discerning sounds. We were surprised to find just
Australia cedes COP31 but negotiates role for Chris Bowen and Pacific countries
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia has ceded next year’s United Nations climate conference – COP 31 – to Turkey, but has negotiated a fall back that gives Climate Minister Chris Bowen a prominent role. Under the arrangement, Australia has also secured a pre-COP meeting
As AI leader Nvidia posts record results, Warren Buffett’s made a surprise bet on Google
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Shackell, Adjunct Fellow, Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland; Queensland University of Technology Fortune Live Media, CC BY-NC-ND The world’s most valuable publicly listed company, US microchip maker Nvidia, has reported record $US57 billion ($A88 billion) revenue in the third quarter of 2025, beating
Canberra pandering to Prabowo, while ignoring unrest in West Papua
While Indonesians worry about President Prabowo Subianto’s undemocratic moves, the failures of his flagship “breakfast” policy, and a faltering economy, Australia enters into another “treaty” of little import. Duncan Graham reports. COMMENTARY: By Duncan Graham Under-reported in the Australian and New Zealand media, Indonesia has been gripped by protests this year, some of them violent.
Australia’s algal bloom catastrophe has left more than 87,000 animals dead. What will happen this summer?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jochen Kaempf, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences (Oceanography), Flinders University An underwater bloom of toxic algae has wreaked havoc off the coast of South Australia since mid-March 2025. After eight months, this harmful algal bloom is the longest and one of the most environmentally devastating events ever
Perfectly preserved rock art site reveals 1,700 years of Aboriginal string craft
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynley Wallis, Professor, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University Imagine you’re in south-east Cape York Peninsula, heading north from the tiny town of Laura – population 133. You’re in a dusty four wheel drive, bumping over a rough gravel road to a remote location
Exercising in mid and later life can reduce dementia risk – new study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joyce Siette, Associate Professor | Deputy Director, The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University Centre for Ageing Better/Unsplash For years, scientists have known that moving our bodies can sharpen our minds. Physical activity boosts blood flow to the brain, enhances neuroplasticity and reduces
Perfectly preserved rock art site reveals 1700 years of Aboriginal string craft
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynley Wallis, Professor, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University Imagine you’re in south-east Cape York Peninsula, heading north from the tiny town of Laura – population 133. You’re in a dusty four wheel drive, bumping over a rough gravel road to a remote location
Behind every COP is a global data project that predicts Earth’s future. Here’s how it works
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Hogg, Professor and Director of ACCESS-NRI, Australian National University Arash Hedieh/Unspalsh Over the past week we’ve witnessed the many political discussions that go with the territory of a COP – or, more verbosely, the “Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Is the UK headed for a new prime minister?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Manwaring, Associate Professor, Politics and Public Policy, Flinders University These are troubled times for British Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In July 2024, Starmer’s government swept to power on the back on a landslide win. Labour won 411/650 seats in the parliament, and had a commanding
Australia’s algal bloom catastrophe has left more than 87,000 animals dead, and summer’s approaching
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jochen Kaempf, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences (Oceanography), Flinders University An underwater bloom of toxic algae has wreaked havoc off the coast of South Australia since mid-March 2025. After eight months, this harmful algal bloom is the longest and one of the most environmentally devastating events ever
Brazil is trying to stop fossil fuel interests derailing COP30 with one simple measure
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Downie, Professor of Political Science, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University Pablo Porciuncula/Getty In recent years, more and more lobbyists from the oil, gas and coal industries have taken part in international climate negotiations. Estimates of lobbyist numbers have risen sharply, from 503
View from The Hill: Former Liberal senator accuses ‘the boys’ of using women to undermine Sussan Ley
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Former senator Hollie Hughes has gone on a verbal rampage to defend Opposition leader Sussan Ley, accusing “the boys” who want her job of using prominent female colleagues in their efforts to undermine her. Hughes this week resigned from the
A shameful mandate for force: What the UNSC’s Gaza resolution means in practice
The UN Security Council passed a regime change resolution against Gaza on Monday, effectively issuing a mandate for an invasion force to enter the besieged coastal enclave and install a US-led ruling authority by force. ANALYSIS: By Robert Inlakesh Passing with 13 votes in favour and none in defiance, the new UN Security Council (UNSC)
Regional Pacific student journalists condemn Samoa PM’s ban as ‘deeply troubling’
Pacific Media Watch Regional student journalists at the University of the South Pacific have condemned the Samoan Prime Minister’s ban on the Samoa Observer newspaper, branding it as a “deliberate and systemic attempt to restrict public scrutiny”. The Journalism Students’ Association (JSA) at USP said in a statement today it was “deeplyconcerned” about Samoan Prime
Will social workers in schools stop young people committing violent crimes?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosemary Sheehan, Professor of Social Work, Monash University The Victorian government has announced it will send social workers to 20 of the state’s schools to try to reduce violent youth crime. It will spend A$5.6 million on “targeted” schools next year. The aim is to “intervene early
Real wages have grown – just – over the past year. But they’re still down near 2011 levels
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janine Dixon, Director, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University New data show wages have risen by a bit more than inflation, but overall real wages are still languishing near 2011 levels. Over the year to September, wages rose 3.4% in seasonally adjusted terms. That’s according to the
Violent extremists wield words as weapons. New study reveals 6 tactics they use
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Awni Etaywe, Lecturer in Linguistics | Forensic Linguist Analysing Cyber Terrorism, Threatening Communications and Incitement | Media Researcher Investigating How Language Shapes Peace, Compassion and Empathy, Charles Darwin University Words are powerful tools. Violent extremists know this well, often choosing their phrasing extremely carefully to build loyalty
Nature, carbon, nutrition: 3 ways farming can shift from climate culprit to solution
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Budiman Minasny, Professor in Soil-Landscape Modelling, University of Sydney Meaghan Skinner Photography/Getty Producing and distributing food is responsible for roughly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. But food systems are highly vulnerable to the droughts, floods, fires and heatwaves made more intense by climate change. Agriculture
Roblox set to start checking people’s ages. But it will need to do more to keep kids safe
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University Online gaming giant Roblox has just announced it will start checking users’ ages from early December in an attempt to stop children and teenagers talking with adults. In what the company
