ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on October 19, 2026.
As French protests escalate into riots, they may prove a gift for Marine Le Pen’s right-wing party
What started as protests about conditions in French schools has widened into riots about cost of living – and taken hold in other European countries, too.
Democrats remain clear favourites to gain control of Congress at midterms
US President Donald Trump’s net approval is below what any past president since Harry Truman had at this point in their term, with Joe Biden the closest at -11.7.
NZ’s climate in ‘uncharted territory’, with more extreme weather events ahead
A new report shows New Zealand faces a future of more frequent extreme droughts, heatwaves, floods and fires, with inevitable losses of infrastructure and property.
Advocacy group condemns joint Australian military training with Indonesia and ‘silence over Papua’
Asia Pacific Report The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) has condemned Australia and Indonesia conducting joint military exercises while Indonesian security forces have been conducting military operations against Papuan civilians. About 1000 Australian Defence Force (ADF) military personnel with a similar number of Indonesian soldiers have been taking part in Exercise Keris Woomera 26 which
Verbatim theatre uses the real words of real people. But can an edited truth ever be real?
After God, now playing at Circa Theatre, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, follows Stuart McKenzie’s quest to grapple with questions of faith and certainty
Vanuatu PM Napat may face fresh no-confidence motion in November
RNZ Pacific reporters Prime Minister Jotham Napat’s government could be staring down a potential leadership challenge in a fortnight’s time when the Vanuatu parliament session resumes on November 5, local media is reporting. Napat, who was elected as the country’s new prime minister in February 2025, is the country’s fifth prime minister in as many
There’s a hidden bias affecting what we know – and don’t know – about nature
What drives scientists to uncover nature’s mysteries is curiosity. But what are they curious about?
If we want a better Australia, we need to raise the GST – and cut income taxes
If we make better use of the GST, and offset it with tax cuts, we’ll have a fairer tax system that can adapt to an ageing population.
Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian data centres may change how we see disinformation
Russia’s push for ‘digital sovereignty’ concentrated online services in a few physical sites – and that creates a vulnerability.
Advice around children’s screen use can be overwhelming. There is no single ‘right’ approach
Advice around screens is no longer just about avoiding harms, but maximising benefits for your kid. No wonder some parents feel like their heads might explode.
Prolapse is common after pregnancy and later in life. Here’s what to look out for
Pelvic organ prolapse may develop and worsen after pregnancy and childbirth, around menopause or because of lifestyle and genetic factors.
A botanist weighs in on our love-hate relationship with crepe myrtles
Lots of people love the crepe myrtle but others think of them as an inadequate and over-planted species. Some even refer to them as ‘crap myrtle’. But is that fair?
Video game film adaptations used to be huge flops. Now studios can’t get enough
From Mario to the new Street Fighter film, the video game-to-film pipeline is now bursting open – and there are several reasons for it.
What Australia could learn from its Southeast Asian neighbours about power and the changing global order
Southeast Asian countries have a more pragmatic view of the great power contest between the US, China and Russia.
Natural hazards don’t obey electoral cycles. The next government faces crucial choices
New Zealand is a hazard-prone country and exposure to risk is rising. The choices the next government makes may be among the most consequential of the next decade.
Data centres: Opposing them and developing them are not the only two choices
The question is not whether Canada builds more data centres, but what it asks of them before they draw on public systems and local landscapes.
How Canada can better track what happens to trafficked wildlife after they’re seized
When wild animals are illegally imported to Canada, the law is clear about what happens to perpretrators. It fails to address how they are cared for after seizure.
Why the ugly history of IQ testing matters for AI and education
To figure out what AI may be understood as replacing, we need to examine intelligence as a historical and dangerous idea — rather than as a biological fact.
Alberta and Québec referendums test Canadian unity amid hostility from the U.S.
The Alberta and Québec independence referendums, motivated by vastly different concerns, will nonetheless create uncertainties for both provinces.
Blood pressure rising: over 50% of Nigerians we tested had hypertension and over 65% didn’t know it
Millions of Nigerians are living with hypertension without knowing it – and the gaps in diagnosis and care run deep.