ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 13, 2026.
Why do educated people fall for conspiracy theories? It could be narcissism
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tylor Cosgrove, Lecturer in Psychology, Adelaide University If there are two things the internet loves talking about, it’s conspiracy theories, and who may or may not be a narcissist. Misinformation and conspiratorial thinking are long-running concerns, while narcissism has become TikTok’s favourite armchair diagnosis. Research shows the
Did NZ’s sweeping health reforms deliver on their promise? 3 years on, the verdict is mixed
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arshad Ali, Researcher, University of Otago Dean Purcell/Getty Images When the former Labour-led government unveiled the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) reforms in 2022, it billed them as the biggest shakeup of New Zealand’s health system in a generation. The sweeping overhaul promised to end chronic fragmentation and
The Pout-Pout Fish visually exemplifies contemporary animation – but something is lost in translation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Chand, Senior Lecturer in Illustration and Animation, Adelaide University ; University of Newcastle Like a Photon Creative Adapting the much beloved and best-selling picture book series The Pout-Pout Fish is no easy feat. Staying core to the source material, the new Australian animated movie follows surly
A centuries-old debate on how reptiles keep evolving skin bones is finally settled
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roy Ebel, PhD Candidate in Evolutionary Biology, Museums Victoria Research Institute Rosenberg’s goanna (WAM R95408) with skin bones visible in purple. Roy Ebel Our bones did not begin deep inside the body. They started in the skin, not long after the first complex animals took shape. Ever
Iran protests 2026: our surveys show Iranians agree more on regime change than what might come next
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ammar Maleki, Assistant Professor, Public Law and Governance, Tilburg University Protesters defied a savage regime crackdown to take to the streets to demand change. X Iranians have shown a willingness to pay a devastating price for political change, as protest has consistently been met by the Islamic
It takes many ghosts to make a story: how Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet takes from – and mistakes – Shakespeare
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Flaherty, Senior Lecturer (English and Drama), Australian National University Jessie Buckey as Agnes and Paul Mescal as Shakespeare in the film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet. Universal Pictures Australia In her eighth novel Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell imagines the short life and tragic death of Shakespeare’s only
Yes, those big touchscreens in cars are dangerous and buttons are coming back
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Vladimir Srajber/Pexels In recent years, the way drivers interact with cars has fundamentally changed. Physical buttons have gradually disappeared from dashboards as more functions have been transferred to touchscreens. Touchscreens in
How do airlines set bag and weight limits? An ex-pilot explains new changes on the way
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Heap, Program Director for the Bachelor of Aviation, University of Southern Queensland mtreasure/Getty Images You arrive at the airport in plenty of time to check in. You reach the departure gate early. You board, walking down to your seat – and that’s when you discover the
What causes ‘extreme morning sickness’? What we know, don’t know and suspect about hyperemesis gravidarum
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karin Hammarberg, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women’s Health, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University globalmoments/Getty Most women experience some nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Although this is called morning sickness, it can happen at any time of day. Up to 80%
What is the global water cycle and how is it amplifying climate disasters?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Floods, droughts and heatwaves continue to dominate headlines around the world and in Australia. In the past few days, hundreds of bushfires have ignited in south-east Australia during an extreme
Could Heated Rivalry bring a whole new fanbase to ice hockey – and can the sport embrace them?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University HBO Heated Rivalry has taken the world by a storm. The series tells the story of rivals-to-lovers hockey players Japanese-Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), and their yearslong relationship navigating falling in love
Papua in the Pacific mirror: A path to recognition and reconciliation
Indonesia needs a fundamental shift in perspective: seeing Papuans not as a problem to be managed, but as equal partners and full subjects of their own destiny within the Republic, writes Laurens Ikinia. COMMENTARY: By Laurens Ikinia in Jakarta The island of Papua is a land of profound paradox. Beneath its ancient, cathedral-like forests and
CNMI leaders warn economic slide could affect US strategic presence in Pacific
By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent Leaders in the Northern Marianas have warned that a deepening economic crisis in the US territory could begin to undermine civilian systems that support America’s long-term strategic presence in the Indo-Pacific. In joint letters sent to US President Donald Trump and Admiral Samuel Paparo,
Can the China-Australia relationship stay on track in 2026? This is how experts in China see it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Guangyi Pan, Lecturer in International Political Studies at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney When Labor was returned to power in 2022, the China-Australia relationship began to stabilise after what had been a rocky few years. So, where do things stand now,
Venezuela’s leader may be gone, but his regime remains – with a new chief in Washington
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong US President Donald Trump has insisted the United States will now be “running” Venezuela after US forces bombed the capital on January 3 and whisked Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his
