ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 2, 2026.
What is Benjamin Netanyahu’s end game in the Iran war?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Kear, Sessional Lecturer, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran is now into its second month. Despite spectacular early successes, the resilience of Iran’s government and military has meant the US and Israel have lost
Offenders serving community sentences are more likely to keep jobs, earn more – new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peer Ebbesen Skov, Associate Professor in Economics, Auckland University of Technology When should offenders be sent to prison and when is it better to keep them in the community under close supervision? New Zealand confronted that choice in 2007 when it introduced home detention, community detention and
As the Iran war disrupts supplies, will it affect access to medicines?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Janetzki, Lecturer in Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Adelaide University As the conflict in the Middle East disrupts fuel, shipping and food supplies, many are starting to ask if they will be still be able to get their medicines if the war drags on. Australia’s medicine supply chain
I hate it when other adults ‘parent’ my kids. What can I do?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christiane Kehoe, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne Long weekends often bring family and friends together in a mix of generations. Somewhere between the egg hunt and hot cross buns this weekend, there might be a moment where another adult steps in to “parent” your
We can’t implant our brains in robot beavers – but Hoppers gets a lot right about animal science
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Lynne Hendershott, Lecturer in Biological Anthropology, Australian National University Hoppers is a deceptively simple story that opens up complex ethical and scientific questions. Jerry (Jon Hamm), the mayor of Beaverton, has marked a forest glade for destruction, so commuters can save four minutes of drive time.
New Stan film Whale Shark Jack is a kid-focused tribute to WA’s awe-inspiring coastline
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ellie McFarlane, PhD Candidate, School of Media & Communication, RMIT University Whale Shark Jack is Stan’s heartfelt, kid-focused addition to the Australian wildlife movie canon. Its brief run time and ambitious mix of genres means some elements are under-cooked. Nonetheless, the film shines as a love letter
Iranian president calls on American public to challenge US war motives
By Ali Hashem in Tehran This is a war of narratives with the United States administration trying to push forward its narrative of “victory” while the Iranian administration or establishment is trying to push its narrative of being suppressed and under attack. The Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, has clearly said in an open letter to
Is free public transport a good idea? It depends on who gets on board
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Petrol prices in Australia have risen sharply over the past six weeks. In early February, prices in major cities were around 160–180 cents per litre. By mid-March, they had increased to
Want to be a citizen scientist? Here are 5 ways to get involved
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miki Perkins, Environment & Energy Editor, The Conversation Ever wondered what it might feel like to spot giant spider crabs while you’re snorkelling? Or check plants for the circular holes that indicate native bees are collecting nest materials? Citizen science relies on people like you – more
Selling stolen art is tricky, so why even bother heisting it? An expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anja Shortland, Reader in Political Economy, King’s College London It took less than three minutes for an organised crime gang to steal a Renoir, Matisse and a Cezanne painting collectively worth around €9 million (£7.8m) from a private museum near Parma, Italy in March 2026. This is
Bigger storms, more often: new study projects likely future rainfall impacts on NZ
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Muhammad Fikri Sigid, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Science, University of Waikato In the aftermath of the latest bout of extreme rainfall across New Zealand’s upper North Island, there were some familar scenes. Submerged pastures. Silt carried by swollen rivers and piled against bridges. Floodwaters surrounding homes whose
Trump risks falling in to the ‘asymmetric resolve’ trap in Iran − just as presidents before him did elsewhere
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Walldorf, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Wake Forest University Little has seemingly gone as Washington planned in the war against Iran. The Iranian people have not risen up, one hard-line leader has been replaced by another, Iranian missiles and drones keep hitting targets across the
A New York Times critic used AI to write his review – but criticism is deeply human
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bec Kavanagh, Senior Tutor in Publishing & Creative Writing, The University of Melbourne An author and freelance journalist has admitted to using AI to help him write a book review for the New York Times. Alex Preston’s review of Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s novel Watching Over Her, published by
As NASA launches a crewed Moon mission, Australia is once again playing a critical role
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Moss, Senior Lecturer in History, UNSW Sydney On April 1 2026, NASA is sending astronauts back around the Moon. And Australia will play a critical role in helping them get there. Four astronauts will launch from Florida, bound for the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft. Similar
Housing construction costs are already rising, increasing risks of builders going bust
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lyndall Bryant, Senior lecturer, QUT Centre for Justice, School of Econmics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology For Australia’s building industry, higher fuel costs since the start of the Middle East war have been just the start of the pain. Countless construction products are made with petroleum-based
Unethical brain rot: why are millions watching AI fruits have affairs on TikTok?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niusha Shafiabady, Professor in Computational Intelligence, Australian Catholic University If you’ve spent much time on TikTok recently, you may have noticed a strange new type of AI brain rot taking over: fruit dramas. These AI-generated short dramas feature odd-looking anthropomorphic fruit characters engaging in a range of
This common antidepressant helps people cut back on methamphetamine – new study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca McKetin, Associate Professor, National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Methamphetamine – more commonly known as meth, crystal or ice – is a highly addictive, stimulant drug. An estimated 7.4 million people in the world are dependent on it or “addicted” to it. They face
Toxic blooms and invasive clams are forcing a rethink on the Waikato River
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Hartland, Adjunct Associate Professor in Freshwater Biogeochemistry, Lincoln University, New Zealand The Waikato is New Zealand’s longest river, central to the identity and practices of Waikato River iwi and a source of drinking water for nearly half of the country’s population. It is also becoming a
We have the proof that logging makes Tasmania’s forests more flammable
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania In 1967, catastrophic bushfires in Tasmania killed dozens of people – and very nearly destroyed Hobart. A year later, W.D. Jackson, Professor of Botany at the University of Tasmania, published a short but very influential article
Does AI mean more uni students are plagiarising their work?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Guy Curtis, Associate professor, The University of Western Australia People using other peoples’ ideas, words and creations without acknowledgement is a widespread problem. Plagiarism occurs everywhere from restaurant menus to political speeches and music. Within academia, plagiarism is seen as a serious breach of integrity for scholars
