ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on November 27, 2025.
Why is bamboo used for scaffolding in Hong Kong? A construction expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher and Sustainable Future Lead, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University At least 44 people have died and more than 270 are missing after a major fire engulfed an apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. The fire, which swept through multiple
Life insurers soon won’t be able to discriminate against you based on your genes
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Tiller, Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics, Monash University FG Trade Latin/Getty A bill that would ban life insurers from discriminating against Australians based on results of genetic testing has been introduced to parliament this week. If passed into law as expected, the
Better policies; better leader: new study reveals why Labor won the 2025 federal election
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Cameron, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Griffith University The 2025 Australian federal election was a resounding win for the Australian Labor Party. Labor won 94 seats in the House of Representatives and a commanding majority. The Liberal-National Coalition was reduced to just 43 seats in the
Your dog is not a doomsday prepper. Here’s why they hide food and toys
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne Have you ever seen a dog focused on nuzzling their expensive treat under a blanket, behind a couch cushion, or into a freshly dug hole in the backyard? You might think they are behaving like
Two teens have launched a High Court challenge to the under-16s social media ban. Will it make a difference?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Beck, Professor of Constitutional Law, Monash University Two teenagers are taking the federal government to the High Court. They argue the ban on social media accounts for under-16s is unconstitutional because it interferes with free political communication. The ban is due to take effect on December
Māori face harsher sentences than NZ Europeans for similar drink-driving offences – with lasting consequences
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Plum, Senior Research Fellow, New Zealand Policy Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology Sandra Mu/Getty Images People of Māori descent account for just a fifth of Aotearoa’s population, but are overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice system. They comprise 37% of people prosecuted by
Fiji MP: Violence against women and girls ‘permeates every dimension of society’
RNZ Pacific Fiji marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls this week with the government saying the day is a reminder that for too many women and girls violence is a daily reality — not a headline or a statistic. The day also kicked off 16 days of activism
Can bigger-is-better ‘scaling laws’ keep AI improving forever? History says we can’t be too sure
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Garland, Lecturer in Applied Mathematics and Physics, Griffith University Milad Fakurian / Unsplash OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman – perhaps the most prominent face of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom that accelerated with the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 – loves scaling laws. These widely admired
Your risk of catching COVID is at its lowest since 2020 – but here’s why you should still get boosted for Christmas
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Baker, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago Joe Raedle/Getty Images As the Christmas season looms, with its crowded end-of-year parties, family gatherings and busy travel schedules, many New Zealanders might be asking a now familiar question: should I get another COVID-19 booster? After nearly four
Rural Australians are 13% less likely to survive cancer. Here’s what needs to change
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charlene Wright, Research Fellow, Equitable Cancer Outcomes across Rural and Remote Australia (ECORRA), Deakin University If you live in rural or remote Australia and are diagnosed with cancer, you’re less likely to survive than someone in the city with the same disease. Our research shows people in
Men earn nearly $10,000 more than women in bonuses and overtime pay, fuelling the gender pay gap: new data
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leonora Risse, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Canberra Men are earning on average A$9,753 more than women each year in the form of performance bonuses, allowances and overtime pay. That’s according to the latest gender pay gap data released on Thursday by the Workplace Gender Equality
Activists slam Mayor Brown’s ‘free beer’ cavalier response to Palestine genocide issue
Asia Pacific Report A news report highlighting Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown yelling “free beer” at pro-Palestine protesters at an Auckland Council governing body meeting on Tuesday has stirred an angry response over the failure to face up to a serious human rights issue. Mayor Brown was called a ”shameful man” by protesters after they were
Vitamin B6 products are set to be restricted. Here’s what you need to know
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vasso Apostolopoulos, Distinguished Professor, Professor of Immunology, RMIT University Lech Pierchala/Pexels On Tuesday, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced a raft of changes to how products containing vitamin B6 are packaged and sold. The TGA decision is based on an extensive review, prompted by widespread concerns earlier
Inflation jumps in October, adding to pressure on government to make budget savings
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra Annual inflation rose to a 16-month high of 3.8% in October, adding to pressure on the government as it seeks to make savings across the public sector. When governments, whether Commonwealth, state or local, increase spending it adds to
Will Help to Buy give first home buyers a leg up? Here’s what we can learn from the UK
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, John Curtin Distinguished Professor & ARC Future Fellow, Curtin University New national figures have reiterated what most already know: buying a home in Australia is more unaffordable than ever. The report from research group Cotality found home prices have risen by almost 50% since
