ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 7, 2026.
Growing EV popularity is leading to queues at fast chargers. Could a kerbside charger network help?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bjorn Sturmberg, Senior Research Fellow, Battery Storage & Grid Integration Program, Australian National University The war on Iran has made crystal clear how shaky our reliance on fossil fuels is. It’s no surprise electric vehicles and transport have become more appealing. In Australia, sales of electric vehicles
Hormuz closure threatens the global food supply – why grocery price hikes are coming
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aya S. Chacar, Professor of International Business, Florida International University The global energy crisis caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is only the beginning of the economic cost of the war with Iran. I study how institutions affect businesses and supply chains, and I
Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise to join Global Sumud Flotilla mission to Gaza
By Brett Wilkins Greenpeace International has announced that the MY Arctic Sunrise — one of its largest vessels — will be taking part in the upcoming Global Sumud Flotilla relaunch in order “to directly challenge Israel’s ongoing blockade of aid to Gaza”. The green group said the Arctic Sunrise, an icebreaker that’s been part of
What is ‘muscle memory’ and can I improve mine?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celia Harris, Associate Professor in Cognitive Science, Western Sydney University Whether it’s riding a bike or knitting a sweater, there are some tasks you do without thinking. These are commonly associated with “muscle memory”, the idea your body can remember how to perform complex tasks and, over
Almost 200,000 New Zealanders are now living with long COVID – where is the government plan?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Donne Potter, Professor of Public Health, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University A high prevalence of long COVID is perhaps the starkest reminder that the pandemic is far from over. The latest New Zealand Health Survey confirms the impacts of the COVID pandemic continue, six
‘Vegan leather’ isn’t as sustainable or eco‑friendly as brands might claim
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caroline Swee Lin Tan, Associate Professor in Fashion Entrepreneurship, RMIT University In a high-end fashion store or luxury car showroom, the term “vegan leather” sends a strong message of quality. For many shoppers, it promises the look and feel of real leather without using animal skins. As
‘Never have I felt so dependent on … feelings of one administration’, says NZ’s Willis on Trump and Iran
RNZ News New Zealand’s Finance Minister says she has “never felt so dependent on the actions and feelings of one administration and its leaders”, as concerns grow about the fuel shock triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. And the Prime Minister has called the US President’s foul-mouthed threats to Iran “unhelpful” and the US’
What is CREC and how does it shape Pete Hegseth’s religious rhetoric?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Perry, Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Baylor University Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s conservative evangelical religious beliefs drew attention even before his confirmation hearings in January 2025. He is a member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches – CREC – whose beliefs have been influenced by a
Can medicinal cannabis help kids’ autism, ADHD or Tourette’s? Here’s what we know so far
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Efron, Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne In the past ten years or so there has been a lot of interest to see if medicinal cannabis can help children with emotional and behavioural problems – the ones associated with conditions such as autism,
Australia’s alpine ash forests are now officially endangered. Can we save them?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Fairman, Forest and fire scientist, The University of Melbourne The tall alpine ash forests in Australia’s high country have lived in a delicate relationship with fire for tens of thousands of years. Intensifying fire seasons are threatening this balance to the extent the Federal Government has
Could NZ’s next Christchurch Call be a push for fairer, safer AI?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Lensen, Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington For New Zealanders, artificial intelligence (AI) is fast becoming as much a part of everyday life as smartphones and social media did before it. According to the recently released 2026 InternetNZ Internet
This little-known government scheme can help retirees tap into $3 trillion of housing wealth
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katja Hanewald, Associate Professor in Risk & Actuarial Studies, UNSW Sydney For many Australians, most of their retirement wealth is tied up in their home. A simple, well-designed program to tap into those trillions in home equity could help boost their retirement incomes. Such a program exists.
All The President’s Men at 50: one of the finest films about investigative journalism ever made
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Nighttime. A dim and dingy car park. Woefully inadequate fluorescent lights flicker and buzz overhead. Two men stand in half-shadow. One is barely visible, his face almost entirely swallowed by darkness. His voice is low
By avoiding means testing, the government is giving handouts to the rich
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Breunig, Professor of Economics and Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Australia is a global success story. The structural reforms in the 1980s and ‘90s of liberalising trade, floating the dollar and reducing government involvement in the economy
From Jurassic Park to dreams of AI doom, pop culture shapes science more than we like to admit
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, and Founder of Popsicule, ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub, Australian National University The relationship between science and pop culture often looks like a one-way street: scientific
‘No kings’: What Americans can learn from other nonviolent civil activism movements
ANALYSIS: Introduced by Robert Reich From time to time, I post transcripts I’ve come across of particularly insightful conversations. Here’s one that’s particularly relevant to the US “No Kings” Day protests at the weekend. Recently, The Conversation hosted a webinar in which executive editor and general manager Beth Daley interviewed John Shattuck, professor of practice
Monsters of war – the men who have put the world at risk
The war in Iran is in its second month. A war started by a criminal defendant, a convicted felon, and a blackmail network that explains everything Western leaders won’t say. Michael West Media reports. COMMENTARY: By Andrew Brown Two men are mainly responsible for the war on Iran. And then there are those — such
NZ’s Peters called on to stress Palestine ‘open wound’ with Rubio
Asia Pacific Report Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has appealed to Foreign Minister Winston Peters to stress to the Palestine genocide “open wound” in his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington this week. Co-chair Maher Nazzal of PSNA said in a statement the international crisis in West Asia “must be reined in”
Mass Easter resignations within Tahiti’s pro-independence ruling party
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A rift within French Polynesia’s ruling party Tavini Huiraatira deepened during Easter weekend with a mass resignation from a group of 14 members. The resignation was tendered by a group of young members of the local Territorial Assembly. In their resignation letter, the members of the
At least five Papuans reported dead as violence explodes in Dogiyai
RNZ Pacific Reports from West Papua say as many as five people have been shot dead in Dogiyai regency in an alleged retaliatory attack after a policeman was killed. A joint police and military operation was launched in the regency in Indonesia’s Central Papua province to respond to the killing, by apparent stabbing, of a
