ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 11, 2026.
How do Winter Olympians train compared to summer games athletes?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monica Kelly, Lecturer in Applied Sport Science Practice, Deakin University The Australian Olympic Committee has sent its second-largest Winter Olympics team of 53 athletes in ten sports to Italy for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Every athlete has a unique story of how they got to the
An illegal bioweapons lab was found in a Las Vegas garage. It’s a warning for Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Walker-Munro, Associate Professor (Law), Southern Cross University FBI In Las Vegas last week, two people were admitted to hospital “deathly ill” after being exposed to “possible biological material, including refrigerators containing vials with unknown liquids” at a suburban home. Law enforcement quickly scrambled, taking down an
Liberals facing wipe-out in South Australian lower house: new poll
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A South Australian Fox & Hedgehog state poll has the Liberals facing a possible wipe-out in the lower house, losing seats to Labor and One Nation. One
Exercise can be as effective as medication for depression and anxiety – new study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil Munro, PhD Candidate in Psychology, James Cook University Organic Media/Getty Depression and anxiety affect millions of people worldwide. While treatments such as medication and psychotherapy (sometimes called talk therapy) can be very effective, they’re not always an option. Barriers include cost, stigma, long waiting lists for
Are video game developers using AI? Players want to know, but the rules are patchy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Byers, PhD Candidate & Research Assistant, Faculty of Engineering & IT, The University of Melbourne Grandfailure/Getty Images As with all creative industries, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been infiltrating video games. Non-generative AI has been in the industry long before things like ChatGPT became household names.
Importing gas locks NZ into fossil fuels for longer – just as clean energy surges
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Purdie, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images The government’s announcement this week that it would move ahead with plans for a new facility to import liquefied natural gas (LNG), potentially as early as next year, was framed as a way
Australian sport still has a gender-based violence problem. Our new guide might help tackle it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsty Forsdike, Principal Research Fellow and Associate Professor, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University Davide Aracri/Unsplash Research shows gender-based violence in sport is widespread: between a quarter and three-quarters of women within sport report experiencing some form of psychological, physical or sexual violence during their
A new wave of romance scams is washing across the internet – here’s how to stay safe
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Jan, Professor of Information Technology and Director of Artificial Intelligence Research and Optimization (AIRO) Centre, Torrens University Australia Maria Korneeva/Getty Images Romance scams are among the most emotionally damaging forms of cyber crime because they combine carefully manufactured intimacy with financial theft – the scammers go
Serious incidents in childcare centres are still rising. Why?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harper, Lecturer, School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney The number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services – including long daycare – is increasing. According to a new Productivity Commission report, there were 160 such incidents per 100 services in 2024-25. This
What exactly is inflation, and are interest rates the only option for dealing with it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Hartigan, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Alexander Spatari/Getty Images Just when we thought it was safe to return to the supermarket aisle, it seems inflation has come back to bite us again. Worse, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) predicts it will linger for
Funding surgery and hormones for trans people can save Medicare millions: new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne Frazao Studio Latino/Getty Transgender and gender-diverse (“trans”) people have worse mental health compared to the general population. As a result, they’re more likely to use mental health services, such as
My kids (and I) hate sandwiches, what can I pack for lunch instead?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology Antoni Shkraba Studio/Pexels School is back and, with it, the daily task of packing a lunchbox. If your child is coming home with uneaten sandwiches, you’re not alone. They’re easy to make and transport, but sometimes the last
Menopause: our study revealed how it affects the brain, cognition and mental health
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Cambridge The menopause was associated with poorer sleep, increased mental health problems and even changes within the brain itself. Gladskikh Tatiana/ Shutterstock Menopause is a key period in a woman’s life. This transition is often accompanied by wide-ranging
5 New Zealand music acts keeping te reo Māori alive and rocking
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca J Evans, Lecturer and Researcher in Music Psychology, Auckland University of Technology Instagram Looking back over 2025, one of the most powerful events for New Zealanders was the reclaiming of the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest haka at Eden Park. The crowd was diverse.
Christchurch terror appeal: why now, and what is really being decided?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kris Gledhill, Professor of Law, Auckland University of Technology Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images The New Zealand Court of Appeal is this week hearing a case that is unusual in a number of respects. The person bringing it is Brenton Harrison Tarrant, the 35-year-old Australian man convicted and sentenced
Local governments provide proof that polarization is not inevitable
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Hall, Associate professor of Political Science, Rochester Institute of Technology Local officials get to participate in events such as ribbon cuttings, celebrating projects they may have helped make happen. NHLI/Eliot J. Schechter via Getty Images When it comes to national politics, Americans are fiercely divided across
Was the violent Sydney protest avoidable, and what can police and demonstrators learn?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Bronitt, Professor of Law, University of Sydney The police role as a “thin blue line” between public order and chaos was tested in Sydney’s CBD on Monday night. Videos have captured the violent clashes between police and some of the thousands of protesters who gathered at
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tony Barry on why a new Liberal leader isn’t a quick fix
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal Opposition is in dire straits. Sunday’s disastrous Newspoll had the Liberals on 15% primary vote, with the Nationals at 3% – well below One Nation on 27%. Despite the Coalition reuniting over the weekend, it’s yet to provide
Unpacking Bad Bunny’s Superbowl show – an alternative joyful vision for America
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Consuelo Martinez Reyes, Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies, Macquarie University EPA/John G. Mabanglo Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) made history this weekend as the first Superbowl halftime headliner to sing only in Spanish – that too at a moment when
Bunnings decision may open door to facial recognition surveillance free-for-all
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margarita Vladimirova, Sessional Academic, Faculty of Law, Monash University A seemingly minor decision handed down last week by the Administrative Review Tribunal may open the door to widespread use of facial recognition technology in shops and other privately owned spaces in Australia. The decision held that Bunnings
