ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on December 3, 2025.
How Starlink is connecting remote First Nations communities – and creating new divides
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Featherstone, Senior Research Fellow, RMIT University Daniel Featherstone In the Cape York community of Wujal Wujal, local service providers used to hold their breath every time a big storm rolled in. Cloud cover could knock out their satellite internet just when they needed it most. Since
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tim Ayres on the AI rollout’s looming ‘bumps and glitches’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal government released its National AI Strategy this week, confirming it has dropped its earlier proposal for mandatory guardrails for high-risk artificial intelligence (AI). In responding to AI, the government has found itself caught between the unions, which have
Coral reefs have orchestrated Earth’s climate for 250 million years
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate Professor, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney When we think of coral reefs, we picture bright fish, clear water and colourful corals. But reefs have also shaped the planet in deeper ways. Our new study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
The way Australia produces food is unique. Our updated dietary guidelines have to recognise this
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Masters, Adjunct Professor in Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia Mandy McKeesick/Getty You might know Australia’s dietary guidelines from the famous infographics showing the types and quantities of foods we should eat to have a healthy diet. Last updated 12 years ago, the National
When did people first arrive in Australasia? New archaeogenetics study dates it to 60,000 years ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin B. Richards, Research Professor in Archaeogenetics, Department of Physical and Life Sciences, University of Huddersfield The question of when people first arrived in the land mass that now comprises much of Australasia has long been a source of scientific debate. Many Aboriginal people believe they have
It’s not you – some typefaces feel different
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Piovesan, Lecturer in Psychology, Edge Hill University Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock Have you ever thought a font looked “friendly” or “elegant”? Or felt that Comic Sans was somehow unserious? You’re not imagining it. Typefaces carry personalities, and we react to them more than we realise. My work explores
The tiny clue that reveals if an animal has been illegally smuggled
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ricky Spencer, Professor, Western Sydney University Ricky Spencer, CC BY-ND If someone mentions criminal gangs, you might think of drug trafficking or financial crime. But one of the most persistent illegal trades in the world flies largely under the radar: wildlife smuggling. The illegal wildlife trade drains
Adults like to talk about ‘big school’. This can make the change seem scary for some children
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Simpson, Associate Lecturer in Education , Southern Cross University Starting school is a time of great anticipation and excitement for young children and families. The buildup can last for months as children go to orientation days, and families prepare with new uniforms, bags and lunch boxes.
With a sneaky tweak, the government has made welfare recipients guilty until proven innocent
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoe Staines, Senior Lecturer in Law and Social Policy, The University of Queensland In the flurry of action in Parliament House in the final moments of the sitting year, the government passed a bill that escaped the attention of most. New changes to social security law mean
What’s working from home doing to your mental health? We tracked 16,000 Australians to find out
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jan Kabatek, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne Nes/Getty Working from home has become a fixture of Australian work culture, but its effect on mental health is still widely debated. Can working from home boost your mental health? If
The clock is ticking on a golden opportunity for real change in Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute The May 2026 federal budget will mark one year since the Albanese government’s unexpected landslide win at the last election. That budget is arguably the most important one for this term: setting the agenda for the government’s final two years and
Oh. What. Fun. is a light, frivolous Christmas comedy – about motherhood and female rage
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Williamson, Senior Tutor in English, University of Canterbury Prime Video With less than a month to go, the telltale signs that Christmas is coming have begun appearing in shops and malls around the country. Fairy lights and tinsel adorn store displays while Mariah Carey’s All I
Albanese government shies away from tougher recommendations from ‘jobs for mates’ inquiry
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra An independent inquiry has strongly condemned the politicisation of appointments to government boards, declaring present processes have “let down the Australian people” and are not fit for purpose. In her report former public service commissioner Lynelle Briggs has recommended a
Giving men a common antidepressant could help tackle domestic violence: world-first study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Butler, Professor and Program Head, Justice Health Research Program, UNSW Sydney MChromatique – Own work/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY In April 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared domestic and family violence a “national crisis” calling for proactive responses that “focus on the perpetrators and focus on prevention”.
Taking a drug like Ozempic? What you need to know about risks of suicidal thoughts and contraception failure
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University The rise of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro has been nothing short of meteoric. Originally developed to treat diabetes, these drugs are now widely used for weight loss and have become household names. But alongside headlines
Australia’s national AI plan has just been released. Who exactly will benefit?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jake Goldenfein, Senior Lecturer, Law and Technology, The University of Melbourne Igor Omilaev/Unsplash Today, the Albanese Labor government released the long-awaited National AI Plan, “a whole-of-government framework that ensures technology works for people, not the other way around”. With this plan, the government promises an inclusive artificial
Euphemisms and false balance: how the media is helping to normalise far-right views
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Imogen Richards, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Deakin University This year, a series of rallies organised by neo-Nazi groups in Australian cities sparked public outrage and concern about the extreme right. Yet, some media coverage of the rallies downplayed the role neo-Nazis played in what they called “anti-immigration
In 1939, a Royal Commission found burning forests leads to more bushfires. But this cycle of destruction can be stopped
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Zylstra, Research Associate, University of New South Wales, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Curtin University A planned burn near Perth, Western Australia. Posnov/Getty Every year, government workers around Australia start fires in the bush. The idea behind these prescribed burning programs is that removing dry leaves and
What makes a healthy and safe boarding school culture?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Kidson, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic University Nick David/ Getty Images Last week, police confirmed four students at Victorian boarding school Ballarat Grammar had been cautioned over a series of “strappings” of younger students. This followed other allegations of hazings and abuse at the
ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for December 2, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on December 2, 2025.
