ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 20, 2026.
Friday essay: ‘red flags’ and ‘performative reading’ – what do our reading choices say about us?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Novitz, Senior Lecturer, Writing, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology What do our reading choices say about us? When teaching creative writing and literature classes, I always ask my students about their favourite genres and current reading in the first week. It is
SA Newspoll shows Liberal wipeout likely; Victorian Morgan poll puts One Nation first on primaries
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 Newspoll has given the Liberals just 14% of the primary vote, four weeks before the state election. And in a Victoria Morgan poll, One
Humanoid home robots are on the market – but do we really want them?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eduardo B. Sandoval, Scientia Researcher, Social Robotics, UNSW Sydney Last year, Norwegian-US tech company 1X announced a strange new product: “the world’s first consumer-ready humanoid robot designed to transform life at home”. Standing 168 centimetres tall and weighing in at 30 kilograms, the US$20,000 Neo bot promises
Is couples counselling right for me and will the therapist take sides? An expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priscilla Dunk-West, Professor of Social Work, Victoria University Should we do couples counselling? Are we happy? Are we both pulling in the same direction? How can we get our spark back? These kinds of questions are normal in a society that places such importance on coupledom, despite
Not just sport and car crashes: debunking 5 myths about traumatic brain injury in NZ
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Jones, Associate Professor of Pediatric Neuropsychology, Auckland University of Technology Touching the lives of an average 110 people each day in Aotearoa, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is much more common than any of us would like it to be. Yet it is often misunderstood, underestimated and
Diversity programs have become a tick-the-box exercise. They need to become more political, not less
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celina McEwen, Senior Researcher in Sociology of Work, University of Technology Sydney Diversity programs are a favourite target of right-wing populists who claim they represent a radical left agenda that is politicising workplaces. Our research shows something quite different. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) isn’t failing because
SpaceX rocket left behind a plume of chemical pollution as it burnt up in the atmosphere
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Schofield, Professor and Associate Dean (Environment and Sustainability in Faculty of Science), The University of Melbourne Space junk returning to the Earth is introducing metal pollution to the pristine upper atmosphere as it burns up on re-entry, a new study has found. Published today in the
Almost half of antibiotic prescribing for surgery is inappropriate, new report shows
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Monash University Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing around the time of surgery and long-term prescribing in aged care are among a mixed bag of findings of a recent report into antibiotic use and resistance in Australia. The report shows while fewer antibiotics are
Dramatic changes in upper atmosphere are responsible for recent droughts and bushfires: new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Over the past decade, southern Australia has suffered numerous extreme weather and climate events, such as record-breaking heatwaves, bushfires, two major droughts and even flash flooding. While Australia has always had these disasters,
More women are professors, but gender gaps continue to plague NZ universities
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hebert-Losier, Associate Professor in Sports Biomechanics, University of Waikato Universities play a crucial role in achieving gender equality, but persistent disparities in leadership, pay and research opportunities continue to shape women’s careers in academia. Globally, only 36% of senior academics are women. In Aotearoa New Zealand,
Why has Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor been arrested, and what legal protections do the royal family have?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francesca Jackson, PhD candidate, Lancaster Law School, Lancaster University Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest comes after the US government released files that appeared to indicate he had shared official information with financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey
The greatest risk of AI in higher education isn’t cheating – it’s the erosion of learning itself
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nir Eisikovits, Professor of Philosophy and Director, Applied Ethics Center, UMass Boston Public debate about artificial intelligence in higher education has largely orbited a familiar worry: cheating. Will students use chatbots to write essays? Can instructors tell? Should universities ban the tech? Embrace it? These concerns are
Why Michelangelo’s ‘Last Judgment’ endures
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities Emerita, College of the Holy Cross Michelangelo’s fresco of “The Last Judgment,” covering the wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, is being restored. The work, which started on Feb. 1, 2026, is expected to continue for
Why the ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ have echoed with public support – unlike the campus of Kent State in 1970
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory P. Magarian, Thomas and Karole Green Professor of Law, Washington University in St. Louis The president announces an aggressive, controversial policy. Large groups of protesters take to the streets. Government agents open fire and kill protesters. All of these events, familiar from Minneapolis in 2026, also
Streetlights in Lagos can boost safety and grow the economy. Why not everyone benefits
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adewumi Badiora, Senior Lecturer, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Olabisi Onabanjo University Nigeria is urbanising at a remarkable speed. Some of the world’s fastest growing cities are in the west African country. With the current rate of urbanisation, Kano, Ibadan, Abuja and Port Harcourt will surpass
Former Fiji prime minister and ex-police commissioner on bail in inciting mutiny case
By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Fiji’s former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and ex-police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho are out on bail after appearing in court, charged with inciting mutiny. The pair appeared for a first call before the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday and were granted bail under strict conditions. Magistrate Yogesh Prasad also issued
‘Antisemitism training’ at universities. Labor’s march to authoritarianism
From curbing protests to controlling what can be said in Australia, state and Federal Labor governments are becoming authoritarian. Next in line is the thought police entering campus. Nick Riemer reports for Michael West Media. ANALYSIS: By Nick Riemer In December, the NSW Labor government gave itself the power to ban street marches for an
Grattan on Friday: Can Angus Taylor get beyond slogans to craft a sound immigration policy?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra This week we pressed the rewind button on the Pauline tape, back to Hanson maxing out with inflammatory statements about Muslims, attracting a blaze of publicity and widespread outrage. Or, given One Nation’s surging polls, have we pushed the fast
Why one of Australia’s most successful TV production companies is being shut down
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hart, Associate Professor, Film Screen & Animation, Queensland University of Technology Members of the Australian screen industry have been shocked to learn one of the nation’s most successful and prolific production companies, Matchbox Pictures – and its subsidiary Tony Ayres Productions – will shut their doors
With more restrictive laws across the country, how can we protect the right to protest?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor of Law, Member of Deakin Cyber and the Centre for Law as Protection, Deakin University, Deakin University In the wake of the Bondi terror attack, multiple state governments have passed laws to restrict mass protests. Most notably, the New South Wales government introduced
