ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 30, 2026.
‘More empowered’: how online gaming benefits people with disability
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Hastas, PhD Researcher, Western Sydney University You are more empowered because you get to be seen for who you are. These are the words of Link*, an online gamer with disability – one of a group of 15 gamers with disability we interviewed as part of
To protect Australians, the federal parliament must push Albanese on gambling reforms
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Democracy Deputy Program Director, Grattan Institute In early April, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced he was finally implementing several restrictions on gambling advertising. The long-awaited announcement was unveiled – or perhaps buried – in Albanese’s National Press Club address on the fuel crisis, held on
Heat and cold alter how animals fight disease. As the climate changes, this knowledge may be vital
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor in Biology, Zoology and Animal Science, Western Sydney University Each animal species has an optimal temperature at which it can metabolise food and its immune system can best fight off pathogens. As our recent research shows, temperature directly affects the immune systems of
Will weakening Treaty provisions in NZ law create more problems than it solves?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carwyn Jones, Honorary Adjunct Professor, Te Kawa a Māui – School of Māori Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington On the face of it, the government’s desire to make references to te Tiriti o Waitangi consistent across all legislation sounds reasonable. As Justice Minister
Dignity and resolve: Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps humanises Palestinian lives
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Kear, Lecturer, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Francesca Albanese, an Italian lawyer and scholar, is the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, comprising the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Her job is to report to the UN
20,000 stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz face missile fears, exhaustion and isolation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudio Bozzi, Lecturer in Law, Deakin University As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drags on, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization has sounded the alarm over a related humanitarian crisis: the plight of the crew stuck on ships at or near the strait. Up to
The cradle of Earth’s rich ocean life was a massive coral reef system 20 million years ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandre Siqueira, ARC DECRA and Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow, School of Science, Edith Cowan University New research published today in Science Advances reveals that the largest expansion of coral reefs in the past 100 million years happened about 20 to 10 million years ago, between Australia and Southeast
Wastewater data suggests meth use is at a record high. Here’s why we don’t need to panic
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Lee, Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne based), Curtin University Data from Australia’s wastewater drug monitoring program suggests methamphetamine use (also known as speed, ice or crystal meth) is at a record high. Cocaine is also up. MDMA may be levelling off. Heroin
‘I don’t believe no screens is possible’: how parents manage devices and little kids
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Milford, Research Officer, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University; Curtin University; Federation University Australia Parents are told to avoid screens altogether in the first two years of a child’s life. At the same time, digital devices are part of everyday family life used for
The UAE is leaving the OPEC oil cartel. What could that mean for oil prices?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Cross, Assistant Professor of Econometrics & Statistics, Melbourne Business School The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that on May 1, it will leave both the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the larger OPEC+ group. By withdrawing, the UAE will now be able
Sending women to the ‘Khia Asylum’ is music’s latest cruel trend. But it reflects an old historical bias
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University What do Bebe Rexha, Katy Perry, Meghan Trainor and Rita Ora all have in common? They’re all trapped in the “Khia Asylum”. The Khia Asylum (pronounced “kye-ah”) is a metaphorical space carved out for famous music artists
UAE’s departure from Opec tells a story about the limited future of oil production
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adi Imsirovic, Lecturer in Energy Systems, University of Oxford The decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave the oil producers’ cartel Opec after 59 years is more than a symbolic break. It highlights a growing divide among major oil producers over how to respond to a
Why omega-3s may be vital to getting the most out of your daily workouts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fernando Naclerio, Professor in Strength and Conditioning and Sports Nutrition, University of Greenwich Most people know omega-3 fish oils are good for health – especially heart health. But what many people might not realise is that these friendly fats can also be beneficial to your workouts. Research
The Iran war has depleted supplies of tungsten, a critical mineral for the world’s militaries
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gavin D. J. Harper, Research Fellow, Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements & Critical Materials, University of Birmingham The US and Israel’s conflict with Iran has drained munitions at an astonishing rate. This is placing pressure on the supply of a crucial metal: tungsten. Tungsten is used in
Why your brain turns against you during arguments – and what to do about it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trudy Meehan, Lecturer, Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences My ex once told me, mid-argument, that I was the most unempathetic person he’d ever met. It was a low blow. I’m a clinical psychologist. Empathy is literally my job. What
How King Charles charmed the US while taking digs at Trump
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Murphy, Director of History & Policy at the Institute of Historical Research and Professor of British and Commonwealth History, School of Advanced Study, University of London King Charles’s speech to the US Congress – only the second such address by a British monarch – demonstrates how
An affordable vision: how a modest investment in NZ’s eye health would make a big difference
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucy Goodman, Research Fellow, School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Few things matter more to us than our eyesight. We fear losing it even more than some life-threatening conditions. Yet for many New Zealanders, access to routine eye care remains out
Wenda calls on Indonesia to halt crackdown on peaceful Papua protests
Asia Pacific Report A leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has called on Indonesian security forces to halt their crackdown on peaceful protest in the wake of this month’s massacres in Dogiyai and Puncak. Interim president Benny Wenda accused Indonesian authorities of suppressing peaceful action in order to “stoke a cycle
Albanese government’s latest attempt to make tech giants pay for journalism is needed but carries big risks
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, La Trobe University The government’s plan to fund Australian journalism through a levy on digital platforms rests on a sound premise: a healthy democracy depends on reliable information. But this latest attempt — following the shortcomings of the News Media Bargaining
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Antony Green on how Farrer’s ‘breakout’ by-election will make history
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Early voting is now in full swing for the coming Farrer election on May 9. The by-election is being framed as a temperature check of the right in federal politics, given the rise of One Nation and the collapse of
