ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on August 27, 2025.
What’s behind the rise in gun ownership in Australia?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samara McPhedran, Principal Research Fellow, Griffith University Australians have been shocked by the news two police officers were killed in rural Victoria when a 56-year-old man allegedly shot them before fleeing into the bush. Another police officer was injured during the incident, which sparked fresh debate about
Queensland is creating a public child sex offender register. Will it keep people safer?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia The Queensland government will this week table legislation creating Australia’s first public child sex offender register. The Queensland legislation, to be known as Daniel’s Law, was named in honour of Sunshine Coast teenager Daniel
In a post-truth world, what happens if we can’t trust US economic data any more?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marta Khomyn, Lecturer, Finance and Data Analytics, University of Adelaide Chip Somodevilla /Getty We may already live in the post-truth world, but are we about to enter the era of post-truth statistics? Each month, the US employment report is one of the most closely watched releases on
What’s the best way to support autistic kids with mild to moderate delay?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Trembath, Head of Autism Research and Senior Principal Research Fellow, The Kids Research Institute Australia Autistic children with mild to moderate developmental delay will no longer be eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) from mid-2027. Instead, they will be directed to a new support
Interpersonal violence in NZ is a public health crisis, not just a social one – new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Fanslow, Professor in Violence Prevention and Mental Health Promotion, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images More than 60% of women in New Zealand have experienced some form of interpersonal violence – an alarming statistic with serious implications for public health. Interpersonal violence broadly refers
Antony Lowenstein: Israel’s murderous killing spree against Palestinian journalists
By Antony Loewenstein in Sydney The grim facts should speak for themselves. Since 7 October 2023, Israel has deliberately killed an unprecedented number of Palestinian journalists in Gaza. Those brave individuals are smeared as Hamas operatives and terrorists by Israel and its supporters. But the real story behind this, beyond just Western racism and dehumanisation
Samoa general election: Pre-polling kicks off
By Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai, RZ Pacific reporter in Apia, Samoa Pre-polling has kicked off in Samoa today, with around 1700 people expected to cast their votes ahead of Friday’s polling day. At the Tuana’imato Sports Complex in the capital, Apia, the atmosphere was upbeat as special voters began arriving. Special voters include those from Savai’i, the
A key measure used to calculate age pension payments is changing. How will this affect your benefits?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Thorp, Professor of Finance, University of Sydney While discussion was focused on the federal government’s economic reform roundtable last week, a significant change that will mainly affect age pensioners flew under the radar. For the first time in five years, the government will adjust the rates
Driver assist technology saves lives. So why do so many people turn it off?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Ekaterina Chizhevskaya / Getty Images Cars are getting smarter. Today’s vehicles can automatically brake to avoid a rear-end collision, keep themselves centred in a lane, warn of hazards in blind spots
What is psychosocial therapy? And why is the government thinking about adding it to Medicare for kids?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shawna Mastro Campbell, Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology, Bond University Catherine Delahaye/Getty The government is considering new, bulk-billed health checks for three-year-olds, to pick up developmental concerns and refer kids that might need additional support. The detail was buried in the announcement of the new “Thriving Kids”
Why do we ‘like a version’ so much? The history of cover songs, from Elvis to TikTok
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Associate Professor in Media, University of Technology Sydney Wikimedia Ben Platt’s recent cover of Addison Rae’s Diet Pepsi has gone viral on social media. The appeal was the song choice and change in performance style – an unexpected crossover between Platt’s musical theatre background and
NCEA reform: how will schools decide who takes an academic or vocational path?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Maurice-Takerei, Senior Lecturer in Education, Auckland University of Technology The government wants secondary schools to play a bigger role in preparing students for the working world by building vocational education and training (VET) into the curriculum. But a paradigm shift will be required for that to
Swimming in the Seine in Paris: an old pastime resurfaces in the age of global warming
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Moutiez, Doctorante en Architecture et Enseignante à l’École d’architecture de Paris Val-de-Seine, Université Paris Nanterre – Université Paris Lumières Bathing on a hot day in Paris, 1932. Agence Rol / Gallica / BNF As the 2024 Olympic Games drew near, the promise of being able to
Photojournalist resigns from Reuters over its ‘betrayal of journalists’ in Gaza
By Asiye Latife Yilmaz in Istanbul Canadian photojournalist Valerie Zink has resigned after eight years with Reuters, criticising the news agency’s stance on Gaza as a “betrayal of journalists” and accusing it of “justifying and enabling” the killing of 245 journalists in the Palestinian enclave. “At this point it’s become impossible for me to maintain
Iran is under pressure from Australia at a pivotal moment – time is running out to strike a nuclear deal
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University In an extraordinary announcement, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Iran directed at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia, including the firebombing of a synagogue, in an attempt to sow discord and undermine social cohesion in the country.
Palestinian journalists treated like ‘robots’ by Western media, says Gaza reporter in wake of latest Israeli killings
Pacific Media Watch An Al Jazeera journalist who has documented Israel’s trail of atrocities for almost the past two years has condemned Western news agencies covering the war on Gaza as treating Palestinian reporters like “robots”. “You see how Palestinian journalists are treated. There’s no protection when they are alive,” Hind Khoudary told Al Jazeera
View from The Hill: Growing push for early decision on climate policy wedges Ley
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Sussan Ley is resisting growing internal pressure for the Coalition to quickly discuss and determine the future of its policy on net zero. A number of Liberals and Nationals urged the debate be brought forward and the process for decision
For the first time, scientists observed the ‘hidden swirls’ that affect the flow of sand, rocks and snow
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Itai Einav, Professor in Geomechanics, University of Sydney MeSSrro/Unsplash What looks like ordinary sand, rocks or snow flowing in one direction can actually hide swirling currents that move in multiple directions beneath the surface. When grains move in a landslide, most follow the steepest downhill path. This
French PM’s confidence vote hits New Caledonia’s political negotiations
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Prime Minister François Bayrou’s surprise announcement yesterday that he will call for a parliamentary confidence vote in his government is set to further complicate protracted talks in New Caledonia on the French territory’s political future. The announcement comes as French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls
Why do hamstring injuries happen so often and how can they be prevented?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Max Andrews, Associate Lecturer of Sports Science, The University of Queensland In a recent clash against the Melbourne Storm, the Brisbane Broncos endured a nightmare rarely seen in professional sport — three players tore their hamstrings in a single game. Two players, Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam,
