ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 20, 2026.
4 shark bites in 48 hours: how what we do on land may shape shark behaviour
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shokoofeh Shamsi, Professor in Veterinary Parasitology, Charles Sturt University samriley/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC Beachgoers in Australia are on high alert following four shark incidents in New South Wales in 48 hours. On Tuesday morning, a surfer was bitten by a shark at Point Plumer, on the state’s mid-north
Deep sea mining is the next geopolitical frontline – and the Pacific is in the crosshairs
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viliame Kasanawaqa, Doctoral Researcher, Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury When the United States recently escalated its confrontation with Venezuela – carrying out strikes in Caracas and capturing President Nicolás Maduro – the moves were framed as political intervention. But the raid also reflected
Sexualised deepfakes on X are a sign of things to come. NZ law is already way behind
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Mudgway, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Canterbury Yui Mok/Getty Images Elon Musk finally responded last week to widespread outrage about his social media platform X letting users create sexualised deepfakes with Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Musk has now assured the United Kingdom
The way Earth’s surface moves has a bigger impact on shifting the climate than we knew
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Mather, ARC Early Career Industry Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne Our planet has experienced dramatic climate shifts throughout its history, oscillating between freezing “icehouse” periods and warm “greenhouse” states. Scientists have long linked these climate changes to fluctuations in
Why Keir Starmer had to speak out against Trump over Greenland after staying quiet on Venezuela
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Ralph, Professor of International Relations, University of Leeds The Labour government came into office promising to “use realist means to pursue progressive ends”. US president Donald Trump’s recent actions over Venezuela and Greenland have tested Keir Starmer’s ability to deliver on that promise. When the prime
How George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four predicted the global power shifts happening now
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emrah Atasoy, Associate Fellow of English and Comparative Literary Studies & Honorary Research Fellow of IAS, the University of Warwick and Upcoming IASH Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the University of Edinburgh, University of Warwick Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece envisaged a world dominated by three rival blocs that are constantly
Research reveals a surprising line of defence against cyber attacks: accountants
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charlene Chen, Senior Lecturer in Accounting, Macquarie University Egor Komarov/Unsplash When Optus, Medibank and non-bank lender Latitude Financial were hit by separate cyber attacks in the past few years, millions of Australians felt the fallout: stolen personal data, disrupted services and weeks of uncertainty. Each breach raised
Lead, arsenic and other toxic metals abound in tattoo inks sold in Australia – new study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Alexander Donald, Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney Lucas Dalamarta/Unsplash In recent decades, millions of Australians have embraced body art – an estimated 30% of adults have a tattoo. Over a third of those with tattoos have five or more pieces. Trend reporting from industry and lifestyle
A year on from his second inauguration, Trump 2.0 has one defining word: power
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Wolpe, Non-resident Senior Fellow, United States Study Centre, University of Sydney As Donald Trump celebrates the anniversary of his second inauguration as president of the United States and begins his sixth year in office, his greatest asset is power. He covets absolute power. The greatest threat
I think I’m grinding or clenching my teeth. Why? And can anything help?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels Day or night, many of us grind or clench our teeth, and don’t even realise we’re doing it. Here are three questions to ask yourself. At least once a week, do
The yellow-legged hornet eradication is on track – but the next few months are crucial
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phil Lester, Professor of Ecology and Entomology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jonathan Raa/Getty Images New Zealand now has a genuine chance to stamp out one of the most damaging invasive insects to reach our shores: the Asian yellow-legged hornet. But what happens over
Thinking of a tutor for your child? 5 things to consider first
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Zunica, Lecturer in Mathematics Education, University of Sydney SolStock/ Getty Images As the new school year approaches, many parents may be thinking about getting a tutor for their child. Media reporting estimates one in six Australian students get tutoring at some point in their schooling, to
Uncanny, curious and awesome: an expert in psychology breaks down what we feel in the face of Ron Mueck’s sculptures
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa A Williams, Associate Professor, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney Ron Mueck Woman with Sticks 2009 (detail), mixed media, 170 × 183 × 120 cm, Collection Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, acquired 2013 © Ron Mueck, photo: museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, the Netherlands, Antoine van Kaam I
Most UPNG students don’t want independence for Bougainville, new survey shows
ANALYSIS: By Anna Kapil and Stephen Howes It is well known that the people of Bougainville want independence. In the 2019 referendum, 98.3 percent of them voted for it. And in 2025, Ishmael Touroma, a strong advocate of independence, was re-elected to the position of President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, further confirmation of
View from The Hill: Liberals tick off deal on hate crime measures
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra While federal parliament devoted Monday to emotion-filled Bondi condolence speeches, behind the scenes government and opposition inched to a deal to pass on Tuesday Labor’s fall-back measures relating to hate. Late Monday, the Liberal Party room ticked off on the
One year into Trump’s second term – repressive US president on track to join world’s worst press freedom predators
After winning re-election in 2024, Donald Trump promised to be a dictator “on day one”. When it comes to press freedom, he has kept his word, extending the war on the press he launched while running for his first term with grave attacks on access to reliable information worldwide. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which monitors
Life after the ‘Big 4’: are tennis’ modern stars cutting through like they used to?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Joseph Gill, Associate Professor in Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology Tennis’ four Grand Slams (the Australian, French and United States Opens, as well as England’s Wimbledon tournament) attract millions of spectators and billions of viewers each year. Melbourne’s Australian Open
Citizen scientists are spotting more and more rare frogs on private land
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum, UNSW Sydney The green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) Jodi Rowley, CC BY-NC-ND Almost two-thirds of Australia is privately owned. But most of our scientific understanding of how threatened species are faring comes from research done
ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for January 19, 2026
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 19, 2026.
