ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on March 3, 2026.
The future remains bleak for corals – but not all reefs are doomed
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Cornwall, Lecturer in Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington A recent report on global tipping points warned that coral reefs face widespread dieback and have reached a point from which they cannot recover. But in our new research, we show this might
What is black sesame? Is it really the new matcha? An expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, Adelaide University Black sesame is the latest plant-based product to go viral, with its appealing colour and nutty taste. Social media is full of claims these dark sesame seeds are better for you than the
Jimpa lovingly follows in the tradition of artwork about fathers who came out of the closet
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Freyne, Senior Producer, Impact Studios UTS, University of Technology Sydney Jimpa is an emotionally nuanced family drama by acclaimed Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde. “Jimpa” is the family nickname for flamboyant and provocative patriarch, Jim (John Lithgow). Born in the early 1950s, Jim came out as gay
Solomon Islands academic warns Pacific economies at risk from US-Israel-Iran conflict
RNZ Pacific A Solomon Islands academic says the US and Israel illegal bombing of Iran is “deeply alarming” and the Pacific region does not need “more global instability” US President Donald Trump warned yesterday that Operation Epic Fury against Iran — “one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever
Dogs can detect trafficked wildlife hidden in shipping containers from tiny air samples
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgia Moloney, Researcher, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Adelaide University Wildlife trafficking is a global crisis impacting at least 4,000 species of plants and animals, including mammals, reptiles, birds, corals and rare plants. A shocking case from 2025 involved the seizure of 3.7 tonnes of pangolin
A court has drawn a clear line on antisemitic hate speech. Here’s what it said
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremie M Bracka, Law Lecturer and Transitional Justice Academic, RMIT University As both the federal government and states across the country pass laws cracking down on hate speech, there’s been much debate about where to draw the line on what can and can’t be said. A Victorian
Open justice no more: how Victoria’s courts are stopping journalists from doing their jobs
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Johan Lidberg, Associate Professor, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University Covering the courts can be a tough gig. The pace is fast, there are many legal considerations to be across, and media outlets are hungry for quality stories, quickly. Our study aimed to capture the
NZ’s opposition leader Chris Hipkins says US-Israel strikes illegal
RNZ News New Zealand’s opposition Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he does not support the United States and Israel’s strikes on Iran. He disagrees with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s stance that it was not New Zealand’s place to comment on the legality of the strikes. Iran and Israel have continued to trade strikes since joint
Keith Rankin Analysis – The Greater Evil
Analysis by Keith Rankin, 2 March 2026. We keep hearing that Iran is an “evil” regime run by “clerics”. This conflation of an unscientific and emotive concept (‘evil’) with a cultural occupation (‘cleric’) is made in the context of picking on an ethnic or religious group of people as inferior. In this context, ‘cleric’ applies
12 reasons why a huge split is opening up in the West over US-Israel’s ‘manifestly illegal’ war on Iran
ANALYSIS: By Nury Vittachi The West is in turmoil over countries’ top legal minds declaring the US-Israel attack on Iran to be illegal, as China did. But Israel-friendly Western politicians, including Starmer, von der Leyen, Albanese, and others are desperately blocking their ears as they try to justify actual war crimes. Here’s what the specialists
The oil price surge is just one symptom of a supply chain network that is not fit for this age of global tensions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maryam Lotfi, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Cardiff University The escalating conflict between Iran, the US and Israel has taken a critical turn. The strait of Hormuz – one of the most important shipping routes for oil and gas – is facing significant disruption. The
Honey from Australian wildflowers has potent power to kill bacteria
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kenya Fernandes, Research Fellow, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney Before antibiotics and antiseptics, healers across ancient Egypt, Greece, and China reached for honey to treat wounds. Archaeological evidence shows humans have been harvesting and collecting honey for thousands of years – and for much of that
Primary care prevents health problems from becoming more expensive – why doesn’t NZ fund it properly?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dylan A Mordaunt, Research Fellow, Faculty of Education, Health, and Psychological Sciences, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Flinders University; The University of Melbourne To most of us, a visit to the local pharmacy feels like a simple transaction: we hand over a prescription slip
Emptying bins and photocopying: nurses’ skills are too often wasted in general practice
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute Australians are living longer, but we’re also living longer with disease and disability. Half of us now have at least one chronic condition. As rates of disease rise, so does demand for health care. In the 40
Australians scorn this fish once adored by monks and kings
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Humphries, Associate Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University In many parts of Europe, the common carp is a prized table fish. But the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is arguably Australia’s most vilified fish. Nicknamed the “river rabbit” for its prolific breeding, carp is blamed for degrading
Australia’s gender pay gap is narrowing – and the public spotlight seems to be helping
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leonora Risse, Associate Professor in Economics, Queensland University of Technology Since 2024, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has been publishing the gender pay gaps of Australia’s largest companies. Now, we have enough data to make some meaningful comparisons – and this public spotlight seems to be
Westeros, Wes Anderson and Sabrina Carpenter meeting the Muppets: what to watch in March
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Corey Martin, Lecturer/Podcast Producer, Swinburne University of Technology From new releases to rediscovered classics, this month’s streaming list is brimming with both spectacle and nostalgia. We see a pared-back return to the world of Game of Thrones, a glossy portrayal of one of America’s most high-profile romances,
Eugene Doyle: Minab school massacre – hands off the children of Iran, Donald Trump
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle When I heard the terrible news that the Americans and Israelis had killed more than 165 children this week in an elementary school in Minab in Southern Iran it took me back to a wonderful day I spent in Isfahan in 2018.
Gordon Campbell: Why the US has no credible reason or credible end game for its war on Iran
COMMENTARY: By Gordon Campbell Funny . . . back when Russia invaded Ukraine, New Zealand didn’t wait for Vladimir Putin to tell us whether his acts of aggression were legal under international law. Instead, we immediately decided the invasion was illegal, and forthrightly condemned Russia’s actions at the time, and ever since. Different story when
‘Explicit aggression’ against Iran needs clear condemnation, envoy tells NZ
Asia Pacific Report Iran’s ambassador to New Zealand says the joint US and Israeli strikes on his country need stronger condemnation, reports TV1 News. Ambassador Reza Nazar Ahari described the strikes as “explicit aggression” and a violation of the UN Charter. “There is no doubt about it, and it deserves a very clear type of