New Zealand

Asian share markets fell sharply on Friday 6 Nov after a steep sell-off in US technology stocks the previous day. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 dropped 5.5% early, Seoul's Kospi fell as much as 8.8% and triggered a 20-minute trading halt, and Taiwan's TAIEX lost more than 8%. US Nasdaq fell 5.52% and the S&P 500 fell 4.4% on Thursday, wiping out about $2.5 trillion in tech market value. Earlier, on 4 Nov, markets had reacted to early US midterm results pointing to Democrats taking the House and possibly the Senate. Brent crude fell to $103.54 a barrel and WTI to $96.04.

A new Lancet Commission report outlines 17 major catastrophic health threats that could persist to 2100, noting that two of them might lead to human extinction. It highlights preventable drivers such as obesity, poor diets, low education, income inequality, mental health issues, smoking and unhealthy ageing, alongside broader risks like pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, climate change, air pollution and armed conflict. The authors also warn that nuclear war and malicious uses of artificial intelligence, including biological weapons, pose existential dangers, and they urge governments to adopt policies that look beyond short electoral cycles and national borders.

Bat Week, a global celebration of bats, runs from 24 Oct to 31 Oct 2026. Bats make up about 20 % of all mammal species. India has 135 documented bat species, seven of them classed as threatened on the IUCN Red List, while 35 more are listed as data deficient or unassessed. Rohit Chakravarty of Bat Conservation International says fewer than 50 researchers in India focus on bats, which he says creates an urgent need for more study. A New Zealand project, Finding Franklin Bats, involves more than 180 volunteers and six staff from local Indigenous communities.