ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 15, 2026.
Streaming platforms give us access to new music, so why are fewer people listening to it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Kelly, PhD Candidate, Department of Design and Society., University of Technology Sydney In September, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) excluded catalogue music (recordings more than two years old) from the Australian bestseller single and album charts. From a marketing perspective this decision is logical, as
Could Viktor Orbán be back in 2030? Why Péter Magyar has a fight on his hands after landslide win
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gerhard Schnyder, Professor of International Management & Political Economy, Loughborough University The mood was jubilant among liberals and pro-Europeans in Hungary and beyond on April 13 as Péter Magyar led the Tisza party to a landslide election victory. His win ended the 16-year administration of Viktor Orbán’s
Worried about feeding your baby solid foods? Here’s what you should know
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lillian Krikheli, Lecturer in Speech Pathology, La Trobe University When you have a baby, mealtimes can be messy and stressful. If you’re a new parent you may be unsure what, when, and how to feed your little one. And you may also worry about choking, particularly when
How microplastics hurt the hidden helpers that keep our coasts healthy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Francis Thrush, Professor of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Walk across a mudflat at low tide and you might notice small, neat mounds of sediment scattered across the surface. These so-called “chimneys” are the calling card of the humble bamboo worm (Macroclymenella stewartensis)
In the face of rampant AI, is ‘data poisoning’ a new form of civil disobedience?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Tanner, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Gender Studies, Monash University The explosion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools has provoked both hopes and anxieties about the potential benefits and harms of this technology. In advanced economies, people are almost equally worried and optimistic about it. This
Searching for a ‘technofix’ to climate change has many dangers. Could radical humility save the planet?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nanda Jarosz, Researcher, Environmental Philosophy, University of Sydney In 1989, environmentalist Bill McKibben announced to the world that nature was dead. Due to the rapid rate and scale of anthropogenic climate change, he argued, the idea of nature as an entity independent of human activity had become
Friendship, honey and the simple life: 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Hale, Senior Lecturer in English and Writing (children’s literature), University of New England Isn’t it funnyHow a Bear likes honeyBuzz buzzI wonder why he does Just over a century ago, the satirical writer and playwright A.A. Milne, suffering from the after-effects of fighting in the trenches
The beloved emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal are now officially endangered. Here’s what can be done
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary-Anne Lea, Professor in Marine/Polar Predator Ecology, University of Tasmania In 1902, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott spotted a large group of large black and white birds at Ross Island, Antarctica. This was among the many milestones of Scott’s famous Discovery expedition: the first breeding colony of
Does your school do mental health checks? They should be regular, not just a one-off
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shane Rogers, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Edith Cowan University Students’ mental health is one of the biggest challenges facing schools. In Australia, half of all adult mental health challenges emerge before the age of 14. It is also estimated that more than 50% of children experiencing mental
When AI starts shopping for you, fashion may be entering a new era of pricing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aayushi Badhwar, Lecturer in Enterprise and Technology, RMIT University Fashion has always been a bit different to other industries. Consumers do not just buy because they need something. They buy because they are bored, influenced or simply browsing. That makes it a perfect space for technologies designed
Justin Bieber’s Coachella performance wasn’t ‘lazy’ – and actually references 50 years of music history
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mike Callander, Lecturer in Music Industry, RMIT University After a four-year break from touring, Justin Bieber is headlining Coachella’s main stage. In a controversial section of the show he sang along to YouTube clips – and at times didn’t sing at all. Up to 125,000 punters attend
How do ionic hair dryers work? Can they do what they promise?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena Wajrak, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Edith Cowan University If you’ve been in the market for a new hair dryer, you’ve likely seen advertising for ionic ones. Some claim to produce negative ions in the millions – with or without the help of added minerals like tourmaline.
Autism diagnoses are up, largely fuelled by the NDIS. What happens next isn’t entirely clear
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Whitehouse, Deputy Director, the Kids Research Institute Australia, Professor of Autism Research, The University of Western Australia Research published earlier this year found the strongest evidence yet that the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has played a key role driving up autism diagnoses
Trust in news rises after years of decline in NZ. What’s behind the shift?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Treadwell, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Auckland University of Technology Public trust in news in has risen for the first time since records began in 2020. According to the latest Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand report, 37% of respondents now trust the news generally, up
Fiji military puts public ‘on notice’ citing national security threats
RNZ Pacific The Fiji military has warned that individuals responsible for “any attempt to destabilise national security” and those who aid “individuals engaged in criminal activity” have been “put on notice”. It comes after the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) confirmed just last Friday that “unknown individuals” had made “unsuccessful” attempts to access its
Liberal candidate draws top of ballot paper in Farrer but faces mammoth battle
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Liberal candidate Raissa Butkowski has drawn top position on the ballot paper for the May 9 Farrer byelection, in a field of a dozen candidates. While she will be at the top of the ballot paper Butkowski, a lawyer with
Auckland council votes to probe sanctioning Israel over war crimes
Asia Pacific Report The planning and policy committee of New Zealand’s largest city today voted decisively to investigate sanctioning companies listed by the UN Human Right Council that are alleged to be complicit with the illegal Israeli occupation and settlements in Palestine Territory. Auckland Council is the local body governing a “super city” with a
Keith Rankin Analysis – Printing Money to Finance this and other Wars
Analysis by Keith Rankin, 14 April 2026. Despite the mega-commentary about the Israel-Iran war, and especially the United States’ participation in that war, almost nothing is being debated about how the war is being funded. I’ll make some comments about Iran later. But we need to focus on the United States, which is by far
The government wants to curb NDIS spending. Here’s how it might succeed
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Bennett, Disability Program Director, Grattan Institute Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has grown too big, too fast. The NDIS is a government-funded program providing support to more than 760,000 disabled Australians. It launched in 2013 as a way to make disability support more accessible and
Why Iran will never break – and Iranians will decide their own future
COMMENTARY: By Kaveh As an Iranian living in New Zealand, I wake up every morning to the quiet green hills and the calm sea, but my mind is always thousands of kilometres away in Iran. The news from home hits differently when you are far away. You feel helpless, but you sometimes also see things
