Evening Report

Source: Asia Pacific Report By Kaya Selby of RNZ Pacific Cash set aside to host the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in New Zealand next year may fall short of what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) expected it to cost. RNZ Pacific has received a document from MFAT under the Official Information Act (OIA) that puts potential operating costs at $30 million over two years, as of March. Budget 2026 set aside $20 million over that time to host PIF.

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) Art by Jaime Bran Have you ever tried to talk to someone while underwater? No matter how loud you might shout, it always sounds muffled. But why? As with many things in our bodies, the answer lies with evolution. Humans evolved on land, and our ears are adapted to collect and interpret sound travelling through the air. Unfortunately, this makes our ears pretty much useless underwater. Most mammals can either hear well only in air (dogs, humans) or water (whales).

Source: Asia Pacific Report Pacific Media Watch Once again, the Strait of Hormuz is at the centre of the latest escalation in the war between Iran, the United States and their allies, reports Al Jazeera’s media watchdog The Listening Post. The ceasefire collapsed just days after millions of Iranians took to the streets last week to pay homage to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) Imagine your elderly father is in an aged care home. It’s Friday afternoon, and he’s run out of his regular Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) blood pressure medication and he can’t get an appointment with the GP. Currently, the registered nurse (RN) at the aged care home can assess his blood pressure to see if it’s stable, and administer medication prescribed by a doctor. But the RN cannot issue a new prescription. From October 1, this will change.

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) John W. Banagan/Getty On Thursday, up to 200 workers at mining giant BHP’s Port Hedland export terminal will take protected industrial action for eight hours. This will mark the first strike action at the company’s iron division since 2000. Port Hedland is home to the world’s largest bulk export port. It’s previously been estimated a full shutdown could cost BHP up to A$120 million in revenue per day.

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) Getty Images New Zealand’s education system is undergoing its largest overhaul in decades, with new curricula, rewritten qualifications and greater accountability for schools. But as policymakers focus on lifting standards, another challenge is building: how to support the rising number of students struggling in mainstream classrooms. Over the past decade, the number of students outside mainstream school has doubled to almost 15,000.

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) YoungNH/Getty In Germany, Japan and the United States, famous carmakers are in trouble. One reason is intense competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers – and growing public demand for EVs. The automakers who dominated the 20th century have largely failed to shift to electric. Volkswagen was once the biggest carmaker in China. Now it only has a bit part. In June, it announced plans to cut 100,000 jobs worldwide.

Source: The Conversation – USA Sen. Lindsey Graham holds a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8, 2013. AP Photo/ Evan Vucci Since South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death on June 11, 2026, much of the commentary has focused on his evolution from Donald Trump critic to Trump ally. But focusing on that transformation misses the broader pattern that defined his political career.

Source: The Conversation – Canada As homelessness increases around the world, more unhoused people are turning to parks and other urban green spaces to seek shelter. However, these places are also home to animals that live in and around urban areas. This sets the stage for potentially dangerous interactions between humans and urban wildlife such as coyotes. Unhoused people face the risk of contracting disease from wild animals, while animals can be displaced by human presence.

Source: The Conversation – USA On July 14, 2026, “Gus,” one of the most complete specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex, went to an as yet unidentified buyer for US$50.1 million. This auction at Sotheby’s set a record for most valuable fossil ever sold. Another dinosaur has entered the luxury collectibles market, a reminder that even Earth’s deepest history can be sold to the highest bidder.