ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on October 8, 2026.
Apple’s new age verification is a game-changer for kids’ safety online. We need the rest of big tech to follow
As Pornhub embraces Apple’s new age verification in Australia, this could be the start of a broader shift in the tech industry.
Pacific people pay exorbitant prices for energy. Rich countries should back their renewable transition
Electricity in the Pacific is currently among the least reliable and most expensive in the world. Switching to renewables offers huge benefits.
Queensland is leading Australia’s fight against illicit tobacco. Should other states follow suit?
Policies that encourage less tobacco use overall are critical to tackling the illicit tobacco problem.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: why Victoria’s unpredictable election matters nationally
Premier Ben Carroll, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, One Nation’s Colleen Harkin and pollster Tony Barry preview November 28’s closely watched election.
IceCube is built on decades of research into tiny ‘ghost particles’ – but it was the first to find neutrinos coming from deep space
IceCube looks for high energy neutrinos from space. It joins the ranks of complementary experiments that study neutrinos originating closer to home.
New comedy horror series Gnomes understands just how delightfully daggy good Aussie TV should be
New Stan series Gnomes embraces the cultural cringe of Australianness in a way that’s thoroughly disarming.
Australia’s top court puts fossil fuel developers on notice
This win could sour the economic argument for developing new coal and gas projects in NSW, and possibly Australia.
Thinking of taking melatonin to help you sleep? Here’s what you need to know
Your eyes detect when darkness falls, triggering the brain to produce melatonin. But do supplements always have the same effect?
US designates prominent Fiji businessman for advancing ‘China-based interests
By Kaya Selby of RNZ Pacific The United States has designated a prominent Chinese businessman in Fiji for “significant corruption” on behalf of China-based actors. Zhao Fugang, owner of the Yue Lai Hotel in Suva and the Overseas Chinese Service Center located within it, is alleged to be a senior member of a syndicate involved
Tracy Campbell: War on Gaza – unpacking the ‘Year Zero’ fallacy
ANALYSIS: By Tracy Campbell Tracing the illegal land, sea and air siege of the Gaza enclave by Israel: 2006: Hamas elected in the last Palestinian legislative election Israel withheld Palestinian tax revenues and imposed further restrictions on Gaza. Major international donors suspended direct funding to the Palestinian Authority. That summer Israel launched a major attack
We need to stop asking if NZ can afford its superannuation scheme. It’s the wrong question
Limiting the superannuation debate to whether the age of entitlement should be raised crowds out other options for funding a sustainable retirement system.
Many drugs have mirror chemical structures, one helpful and the other harmful – a Nobel-winning discovery allows chemists to make either on demand
From thalidomide to resveratrol, molecules with the exact same chemical properties can have drastically different effects in the body depending on how they’re arranged in space.
Colonisation, not climate change, first primed these forests to burn
For more than 800 years, frequent cultural burning kept this land as stable, open woodland.
Why most health apps are biased even before their first lines of code are written
Apps and wearables are often built on invisible assumptions that might not be relevant to you. A new study shows how we can change that.
Can data centre company Firmus live up to its blockbuster $43 billion listing value? Why some investors doubt it
The October 23 listing could be Australia’s biggest in three decades. Many workers look set to own a piece of Firmus via their super – whether they want to or not.
Beige tones and knit throws? No, we’ve got Scandinavian design all wrong
Scandinavian design is rooted in a philosophy that seems to make life easier. But it’s been turned into a bland colour palette.
The migration debate has a big blind spot: much of regional Australia is shrinking
Limiting our attention to short-term workforce needs ignores a much bigger conversation about what it will take for regional Australia to thrive in the future.
What happens to language when machines start talking back?
AI systems tend to focus on the person speaking – but the listener plays just as big a part in communication.
Our research found a new reason to keep teachers happy – it’s linked to how well students do
New research has linked teachers’ wellbeing to students’ motivation and academic performance.
Microdramas are booming. AI could make it even harder to stop binge-watching
Ultra-short digital content can now be produced, tested and recommended to viewers faster than ever before.