ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on March 5, 2026.
What this year’s Tropfest winning film tells us about mothers in the screen industry
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sheree Gregory, Senior Lecturer Human Resource Management, University of Newcastle Lianne Mackessy’s film Crescendo won top prize at this year’s prestigious Tropfest short-film festival – a significant personal and industry milestone. The film’s central figure mirrors Mackessy – a women navigating the imperfect, complicated and often chaotic
Paralympic politics: how Russia, Belarus and Israel sparked opening ceremony boycotts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Anderson, Professor of Sports Law, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne The opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics takes place on Friday but geopolitical tensions have spurred some countries, including the Czech Republic, Finland and Ukraine, to boycott the opening ceremony. The
‘Centimetre perfect’: how commentator Dennis Cometti became footy’s favourite voice
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania On the eve of the 2026 AFL season, players and fans are mourning the loss of legendary commentator Dennis Cometti. Cometti passed away in Perth on Wednesday after battling Alzheimer’s disease and dementia for several
NZ’s rising house insurance premiums warn of a system under strain
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Havelock, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau New Zealand’s Treasury has just launched a review of household insurance affordability – and it could not be timelier. Amid another summer of weather disasters around the country, it emerged one insurer had temporarily stopped
Australia and the ‘Epstein Coalition’ – invasion of Iran a disaster
It’s only Day Five of the war, but surely the epic stupidity of Australia so cravenly backing the US-Israeli invasion of Iran is evident by now. Michael West Media reports. COMMENTARY: By Michael West We are led by fools and sycophants. The illegal, unprovoked invasion of Iran is not just garden-variety stupidity. This is stupidity
The Liberal Party’s current woes are many. Sidelining Victoria is one of them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Monash University The recent elevation of Angus Taylor to leader of the Liberal Party generated an expected avalanche of commentary. The reactions ranged over most points of the compass. In some, Taylor was depicted as a final leadership throw of the
Australia can no longer be complacent about Trump’s America. It’s time to chart a new course
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Bisley, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University., La Trobe University Australia faces a more complex and dangerous world than at any time since the threat of Japanese invasion during the second world war. The global economy is
Australia now has 137 urgent care clinics. Are they working?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Russell, Professor of Primary Care Research, Monash University Since 2023, 137 Urgent Care Clinics have opened across Australia, in all states and territories. They’re usually located within or partnered with a general practice, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation or a community health centre. Last week,
New fossil reveals the weird ‘tooth cushions’ of an apex predator from 425 million years ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian Choo, Postdoctoral Fellow in Vertebrate Palaeontology, Flinders University Roughly 425 million years ago, in the warm seas over what is now southern China, there lived a metre-long bony fish with jaws full of clusters of spiky teeth. Long extinct, this predatory fish (Megamastax amblyodus) was an
Even if Australians won an extra week of leave, we’d need to make sure they could take it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shae McCrystal, Professor of Labour Law, University of Sydney Do your holidays always feel too short? Or are you a parent struggling to juggle the demands of school holidays with the leave you’re allowed to take? On Wednesday, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) launched a
‘Fry now pay later’: tracing a century of skin cancer messaging in Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew J. May, Professor of History, The University of Melbourne In 1981, a jingle played out across Australia, encouraging us to “Slip, Slop, Slap!” In 2023, the jingle was added to the National Film & Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia registry in recognition of the way the
NZ wants to double foreign student revenue by 2034 – but does it have capacity?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cristóbal Castro Barrientos, PhD candidate, NZ Policy Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology On the face of it, New Zealand’s push to expand international education looks like an easy win for economic growth. Government targets, announced last year, aim to nearly double revenue to NZ$7.2 billion by
Labour-National standoff aside, the India-NZ trade deal is a blueprint for real growth
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rahul Sen, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics and Finance, Auckland University of Technology In an increasingly uncertain world, where the global balance of power is tilting toward Asia, a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with India promises access to a booming market and “southern anchor of stability”
New Zealand ‘shameful’ over Iran stance, says Peace Movement Aotearoa
Peace Movement Aotearoa “One can oppose a hateful regime and, at the same time, oppose an unjustified and dangerous military intervention,” says Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. “I once again call for immediate de-escalation, respect for international law, and the urgency of resuming dialogue.” While some governments around the world have easily managed to express
Commercial flights will be your best way out of Middle East, Wong tells stranded Australians
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Australian government has deployed six “crisis response” teams to the Middle East to help deal with the consulate overload caused by the huge number of Australians stranded by the conflict that has spread far and wide in the region.
Israel’s ‘Iron Beam’: why laser weapons are no longer science fiction
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Dwyer, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania As conflict escalates following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Iran’s subsequent retaliatory strikes, reports have emerged that Israel may have used laser weapons to shoot down rockets fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon. While the
Alternative Jewish Voices: Stop this Iran catastrophe!
Alternative Jewish Voices — Sh’ma Koleinu We, Alternative Jewish Voices, deplore Israel and America’s illegal war of aggression against Iran. We also condemned the repression of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but that does not justify this war. International war will only bring — is already bringing — more civilian death and destruction. We support the right
In a heatwave, a cool library or shopping centre is a lifeline. Do we need more climate shelters?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abby Mellick Lopes, Professor, Social Design, Faculty of Design and Society, University of Technology Sydney Many of our homes and workplaces were built for a milder climate that no longer exists. As Australia braces for more days above 40ºC and hot nights, many homes – especially older
Australian economy picks up speed, but managing inflation and rates is getting harder
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra Australia’s economy grew at its fastest annual rate in almost three years in the December quarter, rising 2.6%, although this is still modest growth by historical standards. Gross domestic product (GDP) for the quarter rose 0.8%, picking up from
Iran’s missile mayhem show the limits of Middle East defences
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Professor, Operations Research, Brock University The Israeli Operation Roaring Lion and the American Operation Epic Fury started early on Feb. 28 when both countries began attacking Iran. Their airstrikes killed Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while striking military targets and cities across the
