ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 30, 2026.
NZ’s finance industry is required by law to treat customers fairly – but how do we define ‘fair’?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Liu, Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Most of us would agree fairness is a good guiding principle in life. Actually defining and applying it in the law, however, isn’t quite so simple. Since March last year, New Zealand’s
AI is failing ‘Humanity’s Last Exam’. So what does that mean for machine intelligence?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kai Riemer, Professor of Information Technology and Organisation, University of Sydney Egor Komarov/Unsplash How do you translate ancient Palmyrene script from a Roman tombstone? How many paired tendons are supported by a specific sesamoid bone in a hummingbird? Can you identify closed syllables in Biblical Hebrew based
Australia needs to get real about Trump’s changing America
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Davos speech should unsettle Australian strategic thinkers, who have been raised in the belief the US alliance is the unshakeable foundation of Australia’s regional security. Carney’s point –
What is Nipah virus? And what makes it so deadly?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Monash University An outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus in India has put many countries in Asia on high alert, given the fatality rate in humans can be between 40% and 75%. Several countries, including Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, have introduced
Rethinking Troy: how years of careful peace, not epic war, shaped this bronze age city
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephan Blum, Research Associate, Institute for Prehistory and Early History and Medieval Archaeology, University of Tübingen Imagine a city that thrived for thousands of years, its streets alive with workshops, markets and the laughter of children, yet that is remembered for a single night of fire. That
Welcome to the ‘Homogenocene’: how humans are making the world’s wildlife dangerously samey
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Williams, Professor of Palaeobiology, University of Leicester Pigeons are well-suited to urban living, and are outcompeting distinctive local species around the world. Wirestock Creators / shutterstock The age of humans is increasingly an age of sameness. Across the planet, distinctive plants and animals are disappearing, replaced
Are You Dead? China’s viral app reveals a complex reality of solo living and changing social ties
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pan Wang, Associate Professor in Chinese and Asian Studies, UNSW Sydney Qianlong / AP A Chinese personal safety app called Are You Dead? – recently rebranded as Demumu – has gone viral in recent weeks, attracting widespread media attention. Behind its sudden popularity lie deeper social transformations,
We know how to cool our cities and towns. So why aren’t we doing it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By A/Prof. Elmira Jamei, Associate professor, Victoria University This week, Victoria recorded its hottest day in nearly six years. On Tuesday, the northwest towns of Walpeup and Hopetoun reached 48.9°C, and the temperature in parts of Melbourne soared over 45°C. Towns in South Australia also broke heat records.
‘Bold’. ‘Elegant’. ‘Introverted’? How words describing wine get lost in translation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allison Creed, Lecturer and Curriculum Designer, Cognitive Linguistics, The University of Melbourne karelnoppe/Getty I recently watched a participant at a wine tasting freeze when asked for their opinion. “It’s … nice?” they ventured, clearly wanting to say more but lacking the specific vocabulary to do so. The
Dog parks are an unexploited arena for a television dramedy – so now we have ABC’s Dog Park
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hart, Associate Professor, Film Screen & Animation, Queensland University of Technology ABC Raise a paw if your dog ever helped you to meet a new two-legged friend? The premise of ABC’s Dog Park capitalises on the fact pet ownership in Australia is increasing, with canines being
Australia’s invitation to Herzog sparks protest plans over Gaza genocide
Asia Pacific Report Australia’s decision to host Israeli President Isaac Herzog next month has sparked criticism and a wave of planned protests, as Israel remains under international investigation over its war in Gaza, reports One Path Network. Legal cases are underway at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), examining
Grattan on Friday: 2 aspirants who are unlikely to suit the times vie for the Liberal leadership
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Liberal manoeuvrings for an assault on Sussan Ley’s leadership don’t lack transparency. As members of the Liberal Party gathered in Melbourne on Thursday to attend the memorial service for former colleague Katie Allen, leadership aspirants Andrew Hastie and Angus
The IDF in West Bank, the US in Afghanistan, or ICE? Take your pick
COMMENTARY: By Viet Thanh Nguyen Is this the IDF in Gaza or the West Bank, or the US military in Afghanistan or Iraq, or ICE in Minneapolis? The answer is that this is ICE in Minneapolis. But the fact that it’s hard to tell whether it’s the IDF or the US Army or ICE is
Pacific at risky crossroads – Gaza vs the urgent drug crisis at our door
COMMENTARY: By Ro Naulu Mataitini An invitation from a distant warzone landed in Suva earlier this month. The United States, with Israel’s endorsement, has asked Fiji to send troops to join a proposed International Stabilisation Force in Gaza. For a nation proud of its United Nations peacekeeping legacy, this whispers of global recognition. Yet, it
With Iran weakened, Trump’s end goal may now be regime change. It’s an incredibly risky gamble
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Australian National University; The University of Western Australia; Victoria University The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran are once again on the brink of a major confrontation. This would have terrible ramifications for both countries, the region
The government wants to track your medicines – here’s why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Prictor, Associate Professor in Health Technology Law, The University of Melbourne On Wednesday, the federal government announced plans to reform how medications are dispensed and tracked, aiming to reduce unsafe use, stockpiling and “doctor shopping”. This will include two stages. First, the government will require all
The government wants to track your medicines – here’s why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Prictor, Associate Professor in Health Technology Law, The University of Melbourne On Wednesday, the federal government announced plans to reform how medications are dispensed and tracked, aiming to reduce unsafe use, stockpiling and “doctor shopping”. This will include two stages. First, the government will require all
The government wants to track your medicines – here’s why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Prictor, Associate Professor in Health Technology Law, The University of Melbourne On Wednesday, the federal government announced plans to reform how medications are dispensed and tracked, aiming to reduce unsafe use, stockpiling and “doctor shopping”. This will include two stages. First, the government will require all
Why are some young people attracted to gangs and what are some evidence-based solutions?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Benier, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash University Olegs Jonins/Unsplash Reports that Victoria Police are issuing anti-association orders to “youth gang members” has sparked fresh debate about how to best deal with youth gang violence in Australia. These orders have previously been used to reduce the presence
ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for January 29, 2026
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 29, 2026.
