ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 9, 2026.
These are the 6 key questions the antisemitism royal commission needs to answer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josh Roose, Associate Professor of Politics, Deakin University After weeks of mounting pressure, the government has called a royal commission to look into antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed former High Court judge Virginia Bell to chair the wide-ranging inquiry. It’s required
When bushfires make their own weather
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Sharples, Professor of Bushfire Dynamics, School of Science, UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney Bushfires are strongly driven by weather: hot, dry and windy conditions can combine to create the perfect environment for flames to spread across the landscape. But sometimes the relationship flips: fires can generate their
Pets suffer in extreme heat. An animal welfare expert explains how we can help them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne Anna Tarazevich/Pexels The multi-day heatwave conditions have arrived this summer, with temperatures soaring past 45°C in some regions. While we may head to shopping centres or cinemas to stay comfortable, we need to consider the
PNG’s lethal Tsak Valley raid and deeper crisis over guns, policing, trust in Enga
SPECIAL REPORT: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent A Papua New Guinea police operation in Tsak Valley, Enga Province, in the early hours of Friday, 2 January 2026 — which resulted in five deaths — has prompted calls for an independent investigation following sharply differing accounts of events from police and community sources, as
Hamnet: by centring Anne Hathaway, this sensuous film gives Shakespeare’s world new life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roberta Garrett, Senior Lecturer in Literature and Cultural Studies, University of East London For films and books about Shakespeare’s life, there is little source material to draw on beyond the few known facts of the great writer’s parentage, hometown, marriage, children, property and death. Shakespeare biopics therefore
Greenland is rich in natural resources – a geologist explains why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Paul, Associate Professor in Earth Science, Royal Holloway, University of London Greenland’s concentration of natural resource wealth is tied to its hugely varied geological history over the past 4 billion years. Jane Rix/Shutterstock Greenland, the largest island on Earth, possesses some of the richest stores of
Your dog’s dinner could be worse for the planet than your own – new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Harvey, PhD Researcher, Global Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh; University of Exeter Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock Cutting down the amount of meat we eat helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture. But what about the meat that our pet dogs eat? Our new study shows that
Can we use bees as a model of intelligent alien life to develop interstellar communication?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Howard, Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University Scarlett Howard Humans have always been fascinated with space. We frequently question whether we are alone in the universe. If not, what does intelligent life look like? And how would aliens communicate? The possibility of extraterrestrial life
4 pivotal elections around the world that will pose a test to democracy in 2026
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau, Research Fellow, Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, Flinders University Amid increasing polarisation, disinformation and economic anxieties, the health of representative democracies will be tested in elections across all continents in 2026. There are four pivotal elections that will either reinforce democratic norms
We discovered microbes in bark ‘eat’ climate gases. This will change the way we think about trees
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Jeffrey, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Southern Cross University boris misevic knqZ N qJQk unsplash Boris Misevic/Unsplash, CC BY We all know trees are climate heroes. They pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change. Now, for the first
Despite new tariffs on beef, China is far from closing the door on trade with Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Laurenceson, Director and Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute (UTS:ACRI), University of Technology Sydney Australia has been reminded once again that China isn’t always a reliable trading partner. Last week, on New Year’s Eve, Chinese authorities announced new trade restrictions to protect the country’s domestic beef industry. Effective
How Bluey uses religious parables to teach lessons we all need
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Lawson, PhD Candidate in Ancient Linguistics, School of Theology, Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University Ludo Studios Bluey is a smart show that draws on all kinds of inspirations for its charming stories, including religious ones. My newly published research looks at what Bluey
South Africa’s addressing system is still not in place: a clear vision is needed
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharthi Laldaparsad, PhD Student, University of Pretoria Informal settlement in South Africa. By Matt-80 – Own work, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY “Turn right after the first big tree; my house is the one with the yellow door.” In parts of South Africa, where settlements
‘An extraordinary, charismatic man’: Sir Tim Shadbolt dies at 78
New Zealand former Invercargill and Waitematā mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt died today. He was 78. Sir Tim, who was awarded the Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List, served eight terms as Invercargill Mayor between 1993 and 1995, and again between 1998-2022, and two terms as Waitematā
Jonathan Cook: From Gaza to Venezuela, the US has been unmasked as the serial villain
The path to Caracas — and potentially next to Colombia, Cuba and Greenland, other targets of Donald Trump’s colonial greed– was paved in Gaza, writes Jonathan Cook. ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook For decades, the United States and Israel have stuck closely to their respective, scripted roles in the Middle East: the job of good cop
My home is in a district facing extreme or catastrophic fire danger. What should I do?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah McColl-Gausden, Research fellow, The University of Melbourne The Longwood fire on the night of January 7, 2026 Getty Across Australia there are a number of fire districts facing extreme or catastrophic fire danger ratings in this ongoing heatwave. In Victoria, the Wimmera, Northern Country and North
Victoria bushfires at a glance
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Digital Storytelling Team, The Conversation The Sassafras-Ferny Creek Fire Brigade is dispatched to the Longwood fire on January 7, 2026. Sassafras-Ferny Creek Fire Brigade CFA/Facebook Victoria is bracing for potentially catastrophic bushfire conditions on Friday, with temperatures expected to top 40°C for the third day in a
Photos of attack on Palestine activist’s property ‘censored’ by Facebook
COMMENTARY: By Saige England What happened at New Zealand human rights campaigner John Minto’s home? Let me tell you. Let me tell you that he wrote about it and Facebook took it down. Yep. Wrong after wrong. Minto, national co-chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) advocacy and protest group, has been arrested at
Older people are more vulnerable in heatwaves. Here’s why – and how to stay safe
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Bach, Researcher and Lecturer in Exercise Science, Griffith University solidcolours/Getty Southeast Australia is enduring a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures rising above 40ºC in many areas. For vulnerable people, particularly older Australians, this heat is not only uncomfortable but dangerous. High temperatures can worsen existing health problems
Roads can become more dangerous on hot days – especially for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Munbaik Cycling Clothing/Unsplash During heatwaves, everyday life tends to feel more difficult than on an average day. Travel and daily movement are no exception. But while most of us know rain,
