ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 24, 2026.
Cuba has survived 66 years of US-led embargoes. Will Trump’s blockade break it now?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Trapani, Associate Lecturer of History and International Relations, Western Sydney University After toppling Venezuela’s leader earlier this year, the Trump administration has turned its sights on Cuba. The near-total blockade of the island is now posing the greatest challenge to the government since the Cuban missile
Two new federal polls have One Nation gaining on Labor
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 Two new federal polls by DemosAU and Fox & Hedgehog have the combined primary vote for Labor and the Greens dropping as One Nation continues to surge.
Prohibitive policies drove organised crime in Australia 100 years ago. It’s happening again
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Martin, Associate Professor in Criminology, Deakin University Organised crime has a long history in Australia. For more than a century, criminal groups have accumulated vast fortunes, committed countless acts of intimidation and coercion and, at times, extreme and spectacular violence. In the process, they have become
Buying a car? Here’s what you need to know about new safety ratings
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Most people know about car safety ratings and many take them seriously when choosing a new car. In Australia and New Zealand, safety ratings are issued by the Australasian New Car
These shoes are best for hip and knee arthritis, according to science
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kade Paterson, Associate Professor of Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Melbourne People with hip and knee osteoarthritis are advised to wear “appropriate footwear” to minimise their pain. Does that mean heels are out? Does it matter if you wear runners or something a little stiffer? How about
The Moment: Charli XCX is the ultimate chronicler of contemporary pop stardom
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Pember, Assistant Professor of Film and Television Studies, University of Warwick “Want to go again?” a choreographer asks Charli XCX at the start of the mockumentary The Moment. It’s the latest entry in the pop star’s rapidly expanding cinematic empire, propelled by the stratospheric cultural impact
3D-printed ‘ghost guns’ are not as untraceable as criminals think – new study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgina Sauzier, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Chemistry, Curtin University 3D-printed guns are a growing threat to public safety. The blueprints used to make these firearms can be found online, making them easily accessible. With a relatively cheap 3D printer and a quick web search, anyone could print
Roger Fowler’s legacy – and the Polynesian Panthers connection
Polynesian Panther Party Legacy Trust The Polynesian Panthers met Roger Fowler in the early 1970s when Ponsonby was home to the largest urban Pacific population in Aotearoa. He helped establish the Ponsonby People’s Union for Survival and ran several much needed community focused programmes like a food co-op, tenant’s rights advice and support. He was
We studied primary care in 6 rich countries – it’s under unprecedented strain everywhere
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Primary care – the kind delivered by general practice (GP) clinics – is the backbone of every health system. When it works, we barely notice it. It keeps people healthy, detects
Calls for a boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are growing, but how realistic is one?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Western University The next major international sporting event, the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is already garnering international scrutiny. There have been numerous calls to boycott it. Calls for a boycott
Scrapping business class could halve aviation emissions – new study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milan Klöwer, NERC Independent Research Fellow, University of Oxford Air travel is famously one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and the number of air passengers keeps increasing. Electric planes and “sustainable” aviation fuels are still a long way off making a dent in the industry’s emissions
Misconduct in public office: three reasons why the case against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is so complex
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hazell, Professor of British Politics and Government & Founder of the Constitution Unit, UCL Following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for possible misconduct in public office, both the palace and the government will be hoping that his case might be brought to a swift conclusion. There
Desperate, intelligent, irreverent: in Big Kiss, Bye-Bye, Claire-Louise Bennett breaks up with illusions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgia Phillips, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Adelaide University In Burnt Norton, the opening section of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, the poet moves down a passage “we did not take” and passes through a door “never opened” to arrive in a mythic rose garden. Here, in the thorny cradle
Why are the phrases ‘globalise the intifada’ and ‘from the river to the sea’ so contested?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Kear, Sessional Lecturer, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney In the aftermath of the Bondi terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration that killed 15 people, the New South Wales government is moving toward banning phrases it argues incite hatred. The Queensland government has
What are your options if you can’t afford to repay your mortgage?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura de Zwaan, Senior Lecturer, School of Accountancy, Queensland University of Technology After just three rate cuts in 2025, interest rates have risen again in Australia this year. It’s unwelcome news for many borrowers – particularly those still struggling with the increasing cost of living. Currently, the
Reality check: America’s Next Top Model docuseries never apologises for abuse of contestants
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Trelease, Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology If you’ve spent much time on the internet, you probably know how to yell “I was rooting for you!” The clip from “Cycle 4” (iykyk) of America’s Next Top Model which aired in 2005 went uncontrollably
Delving into ‘deep time’: what NZ’s ancient past reveals about its present
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James S. Crampton, Professor of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington We know Aotearoa New Zealand is home to many geographically and biologically special features. Yet few of us know it also has its very own measure of “deep time”. Known as
One of the biggest stars in the universe might be getting ready to explode
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology One of the largest known stars in the universe underwent a dramatic transformation in 2014, new research shows, and may be preparing to explode. A study led by Gonzalo Muñoz-Sanchez at the National Observatory of
Can blood tests really detect cancer?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John (Eddie) La Marca, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) If you’re feeling worn out or have suddenly lost some weight, your doctor might send you for a blood test. Blood tests are a common way
When feral cats are away, potoroos and bandicoots are more likely to play
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University All animals need to eat to survive, grow and reproduce. To do so, they also need to avoid being eaten. This is a big challenge for many of Australia’s native mammals,
