ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 3, 2026.
Polls are snapshots, not predictions: how to read them critically this election year
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Research associate, Public Policy Institute, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau With nine months to go, how much can opinion polls tell us about the general election on November 7? Short answer: not much. Based solely on polls, no one could have predicted the past
We ate space mushrooms and survived to tell the tale
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Eating the space mushrooms for the first time. Author provided, CC BY-SA The mushrooms spread out on the chopping board seemed normal enough. They were rich and dense, and had a strong earthy aroma. In
Why regularly taking laxatives over the long term can be a bad idea
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University Photo by Anna Shvets/Pexels If you’ve ever been constipated you may have tried laxatives. They’re easy to get without a prescription and often help get things moving. Certainly a lot of people use laxatives and some
Academics call for divestment from NZ pensions fund implicated in Gaza
COMMENTARY: By Vincent Wijeysingha Will maximising investment returns override ethics? That is the question the tertiary sector posed to UniSaver, the academic equivalent of KiwiSaver, now revealed to invest in Israeli weapons and military intelligence. In 2024, some 400 university staff appealed to UniSaver to divest from such companies. The fund initially ignored the call.
Keith Rankin Analysis – A Black Sheep to Rule them All
Analysis by Keith Rankin. It’s great that there is a new season (Season 9) of William Ray’s podcast series Black Sheep, which looks at contributors to New Zealander history, many little known, who were of dubious or ambiguous character. Here I draw attention to a black sheep who I think trumps them all, Edward Arthur
Tiny radio transmitters reveal a hidden survival tactic in birds
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Barratt, PhD Candidate, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University White-backed swallow in Sturt National Park. Alice Barratt, CC BY-NC In Sturt National Park, near Tibooburra in central Australia where temperatures can range from freezing to nearly 50°C, there lives a small bird with a
Our study shows younger siblings spend more time on screens than big sisters and brothers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danusha Jayawardana, Research Fellow in Health Economics, Monash University Atlantic Ambience/ Pexels Where kids are born in a family can be important. But it is not just about who gets more grown-up privileges or parental pressure. Research tells us firstborn children, on average, tend to do better
Australia’s Pacific worker scheme is far from perfect – but we can make it better
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Mares, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme (PALM) is a crucial source of workers across regional Australia. About 32,000 people from nine Pacific nations and Timor-Leste work in Australia under PALM. Over seven months
From statement sleeves to the codpiece: 5 fashions which should come back from Tudor England
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace Waye-Harris, Early Career Researcher in History, Adelaide University Portrait of Elizabeth I of England, 1588. Woburn Abbey/Wikimedia Commons There are few dynasties in history as well-known as the Tudors. From Henry VIII’s six wives to Elizabeth I’s defeat of the Spanish Armada, the Tudors continue to
As Australia’s online harm crackdown reshapes the debate, NZ must find its own path
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Henry, Associate Professor in Screen, Flinders University Getty Images Around the world, lawmakers are grappling with how to better protect young people from online harms such as cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and AI-generated “deepfake” images. Recent reforms overseas – notably Australia’s landmark move to restrict young people’s
What is Israel’s Herzog doing in Australia – who invited him, and why?
ANALYSIS: By Andrew Brown Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, is due to arrive in Australia next Sunday. Why is a foreign Head of State asked to help heal an Australian community after an Australian tragedy? Australia is being asked to accept something extraordinary as if it were normal. Who invited Isaac Herzog in the first place,
View from The Hill: Littleproud and Ley turn on the music for another attempt at the two step
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Nationals Leader David Littleproud easily saw off a token move to spill the party leadership on Monday. But he is now under immense pressure to reach a deal with Liberal leader Sussan Ley to put the Coalition together again. With
NSW is ditching good character references in sentencing. Will the rest of the country follow?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vicki Lowik, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, CQUniversity Australia New South Wales is set to become the first jurisdiction in the country to end the use of good character references in the sentencing of convicted criminals. The government will introduce a bill
New data show where the parties got their money from in the lead-up to the 2025 election
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Democracy Deputy Program Director, Grattan Institute The Conversation, CC BY-SA Australia’s political parties set new records in funds raised and spent in the lead-up to the 2025 federal election. Now, nine months later, Australians finally get a look at who funded the parties’ election campaigns.
Does coffee raise your blood pressure? Here’s how much it’s OK to drink
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle Olga Pankova/Getty Images Coffee first entered human lives and veins over 600 years ago. Now we consume an average of almost two kilos per person each year – sometimes with very specific preferences about blends and
ASIC flags $40 million in refunds after review of risky financial products
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Lee, Associate Professor in Property and Real Estate, Deakin University Australia’s corporate regulator has secured refunds of A$40 million to more than 38,000 investors in risky financial products, following a review of the industry. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) raised concerns that marketing of
