ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 21, 2026.
Our efforts to halt global forest loss aren’t working: new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Taylor, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University The loss of our forests is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Forests are key to curbing carbon emissions and protecting the plants, animals and humans that call Earth home. However,
Wondering if you’re a ‘light’ or ‘deep’ sleeper? The science isn’t that simple
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Sansom, Research Associate, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University; Research Associate, Centre for Healthy Ageing, Murdoch University Not everyone can sleep through rumbling traffic or a spouse’s incessant snoring. If you do, you may pride yourself on being a “deep” or “heavy” sleeper. If
New plastic film covered in thousands of tiny pillars can tear apart viruses on contact
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elena Ivanova, Distinguished Professor, Physics, RMIT University Think of how many surfaces you touch every day, from your kitchen bench to the hand rail on the bus or train, your work desk and your phone screen. A range of nasty viruses and other germs can easily spread
3 reasons the war between the US, Israel and Iran is headed for a frozen conflict
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Genauer, Academic Director, Public Policy Institute, UNSW Sydney With a shaky ceasefire in place between the US, Israel and Iran – and little progress on talks to resolve the complex issues at the heart of the war – where is this conflict going? The most likely
From Fleabag to Vladimir: why has breaking the fourth wall has become so common?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Munt, Associate Professor, Media Arts & Production, University of Technology Sydney In the opening moments of Vladimir, Netflix’s new erotic drama series, the protagonist M (Rachel Weisz) is sprawled on a couch in her negligee, writing in her notepad. She leans towards the camera, then stares
Girls in bands: two 90s rock icons on romance, ruthlessness and boring men
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Evans, Adjunct Researcher, English and Writing, University of Tasmania In the 1990s, Melissa Auf der Maur played bass in two of the decade’s most notable rock bands: Hole and Smashing Pumpkins. Her new book, Even the Good Girls Will Cry: My 90s Rock Memoir, documents this
Despots, brutality and the quest for a home: The Hair of the Pigeon explores suffering and love
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin John Brophy, Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing, The University of Melbourne Mohammed Massoud Morsi is a master storyteller and it is no surprise that the manuscript of his new novel won the prestigious 2025 Dorothy Hewett Award. He brings stories to light that unsettle stereotypes and
Robert Menzies fostered Australia’s love of home ownership, but the romance is souring
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Director, Vice-Chancellor’s Centre for Public Ideas, University of Canberra “Australia is the small house,” the architect Robin Boyd reflected in his book Australia’s Home in 1952. “Ownership of one in a fenced allotment is as inevitable and unquestionable a goal of the average Australian as
Birds and monkeys in the Amazon share information via ‘internet of the forest’: new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ettore Camerlenghi, Associate Research Fellow, Avian Behaviour, Deakin University You might go for a walk in the forest to disconnect from work and calm your nerves after a busy week. The chirping and calls of birds in the canopy above might be exactly what allows you to
The Coalition wants NDIS reform to focus on 3 things. Here’s what this would mean for users – and the budget
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Libby Callaway, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre and Occupational Therapy Department, School of Primary and Allied Healthcare, Monash University The government is expected to announce further changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) this week, focused on containing the rising number of
Overheated cows, flooded highways, and now a fuel crisis: why Australia’s food system is in big trouble
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anja Bless, Lecturer in Sustainability and International Relations, University of Technology Sydney Australia has long been proud of its food production. The nation produces enough to feed 75 million people – and exports 70% of its produce. But this position isn’t guaranteed. Intensifying climate change is putting
Why Melbourne council workers are escalating from skipping bins to a full strike
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shae McCrystal, Professor of Labour Law, University of Sydney Have you ever gone out to bring in your wheelie bin after collection day only to find it still full? That was the situation facing residents of three Melbourne councils this month after council workers missed collections on
Australia has access to 20,000 migrant teachers, but is not using them. Why not?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sun Yee Yip, Lecturer in Teacher Education, Monash University Australia needs more teachers. It ranks among the worst-performing countries in the OECD for teacher shortages. This is particularly so for public schools. As of December 2025, there was a reported shortfall of 2,600 teachers in Victoria and
The fake disease that fooled the internet — and what it says about all of us
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan R. Goodman, Assistant Research Professor, Psychiatry, University of Cambridge Until a few years ago, no one had heard of bixonimania. Then, in 2024, a group of scientists posted findings online announcing the condition, which they claimed affected the eyes after computer use. However, the scientists had
Our Large Hadron Collider results hint at undiscovered physics
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Barter, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh Recent findings from research we have been carrying out at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern in Geneva suggest that we might be closing in on signs of undiscovered physics. If confirmed,
How Bruce the half-beak kea weaponised his disability to become the alpha bird
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ximena Nelson, Professor of Animal Behaviour, University of Canterbury Bruce the kea is missing his entire upper beak. Yet he is the alpha bird of his circus (the apt collective noun for a group of New Zealand’s famously playful alpine parrots). As our latest research shows, Bruce
Paris has successfully cut noise pollution, but urban birds still can’t sing at their natural pitch
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Mennill, Professor and Associate Dean of Science, University of Windsor When Rachel Carson wrote the environmental classic Silent Spring in 1962, she warned that unchecked human impacts might create a silent future. Forty years later, biologists uncovered a striking effect of noise pollution on songbirds. They
Cities helping cities rebuild: How local partnerships are shaping Ukraine’s recovery
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tamara Krawchenko, Associate Professor, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe recently called for local and national authorities to work together to help Ukraine recover and rebuild four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the
Fiji police confirm murder probe launched into death of man in military custody
By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalist The Fiji Police Force has launched a murder investigation following the death of wellknown drug pusher Jone Vakarisi, who died in military custody on Thursday. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro told RNZ Pacific that “investigators are gathering intelligence to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the victim’s death”. “The
NDIS changes to be unveiled on Wednesday will provide budget’s biggest cuts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government on Wednesday will unveil the biggest source of cuts in the May 12 budget, when it announces a sweeping overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It wants to get the $49 billion-a-year scheme, now growing at
