ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on October 13, 2026.
Eight dead in September violence at Papua New Guinea’s troubled Porgera
By Kaya Selby of RNZ and Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific Details are emerging of violence which left at least eight people dead at Porgera Valley in Papua New Guinea’s Enga Province, in an incident for which local people have pointed blame at PNG’s Kumul 23 elite tactical police unit. The police have denied that
The Pacific Islands are changing. What happens to cultural heritage when the people have to leave?
As sea levels rise, Tuvalu is creating opportunities for its people to migrate to Australia. But the places left behind are still full of cultural history.
From Melbourne to Madrid, housing is shaping modern politics. But who benefits?
Housing crises across advanced economies are reshaping political loyalties, but which parties reap the rewards is hard to predict.
Just politics or the ‘opposite of clever’? The risks and rewards of strategic voting
Vote splitting and parliamentary overhangs are not unheard of in New Zealand elections. But making them a deliberate campaign tactic is different.
Doing end-of-year exams? 5 foods that are good for brain health – and what to avoid
Your muscles need fuel during exercise, and during sustained mental effort your brain needs energy, too. What you eat, and when, can affect how you feel and perform.
We can’t block a livestream, but Australia could ban execution footage from the US – to an extent
No country is an island when it comes to potentially harmful content online.
Possessed nuns and sexual deviance: the history behind Ken Russell’s highly-censored film The Devils
The 1971 film is soon to be re-released as a full director’s cut – its controversial lost scenes finally revealed.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Frydenberg plans to keep speaking out
The former treasurer and deputy Liberal leader said he’s still deciding whether to make a political comeback, which he’ll announce in the new year.
Only structural change will fix NZ’s glaring health equity gap – what voters should know
Māori and Pacific people carry a disproportionate burden of preventable disease. Concerned voters should look beyond parties’ headline pledges on health.
Just 6 in 100 Australian truckies are women. Here’s what would get more behind the wheel
A new report finds the trucking industry urgently needs tens of thousands more drivers – yet it hasn’t built the conditions for women to safely stay.
Cannabis hospitalisations up 49% in a decade, new study shows
More people are ending up in hospital after using cannabis than a decade ago, and psychosis rates are rising. Here’s what can explain the rise.
How does a honeybee stinger actually pump venom? First-ever video shows it in action
The stinger is effectively a fully autonomous micro-pump, but it works in an unusual way.
Hooked on tuna: People have been harvesting these ocean predators for 44,000 years
Bones in archaeological sites, ancient rock art, paintings on frescos and vases, written historical records and ethnographic accounts all helped researchers recreate a deep history of people and tuna.
What colleges and universities need from donors to thrive
Philanthropy, which covers an average of 10% of college and university budgets, can help schools and the students who attend them weather today’s tough times.
3 things we need to get right ahead of extreme bushfire risk this summer
Prevention is only part of the picture. Australia needs a better plan for housing those displaced by disaster and supporting them on the long journey to recovery.
Over 40 years ago, a mystery vigilante released a fungus to control blackberry in Australia. But why?
Blackberries have long been a problem for Australian farmers and bushwalkers. But who would have illegally released a fungus as a biological control?
300 glaciers have disappeared from the American West since the mid-20th century – the survivors have a few things in common
A new study compared the glaciers in the Lower 48 states today against historical data from the mid-20th century. The results show the region’s vulnerabilities as temperatures rise.
Deadly fungi are harming Australia’s wild reptiles. This is how to stop the spread
People who love Australia’s reptiles could unwittingly carry deadly fungal diseases from one animal to another. But this is easy to prevent.
California is taking a beating from an unusually destructive 2026 hurricane season
Tropical storms rarely survive in the cool water off California, but waves from storms far to the south can still damaged coastal areas. And flooding rain can sweep in.
A global report gives NZ tertiary education a pass – but hides another side of the story
New Zealand’s tertiary figures look healthy on paper. But they lean heavily on migrants’ qualifications, while fewer young people raised here go on to study.