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Yesterday

A Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) oil refinery. Mismanagement and corruption has crimped Venezuela’s potential as an exporter.

Trump takes ‘drill, baby drill’ global with Venezuelan oil takeover

The US president promised voters cheap energy, but his ambitions to build a Saudi Arabia of the Americas is a step too far for this brand of gangster capitalism.

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From rising revolutionary to Trump’s captive: Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro

The authoritarian leader has withstood previous attempts to oust him but has continued to preside over the collapse of the country’s economy.

December 2025

Rea in 1987.

Chris Rea winced when I mentioned his hits. He shouldn’t have

If you’re driving home for Christmas or stuck in traffic on the way to see your family, there’s a good chance you are humming a song by the singer-songwriter.

As the festive season rolls around, the giving of financial gifts is often a point of interest for retirees and pensioners.

How to tell your adult kids the bank of mum and dad is closed

It’s natural for parents to want to lend a hand as their children make transition to adulthood. But these good intentions can easily spiral into dependency.

Barely a mention of Trump in Epstein files, but this is not the end

From undated, uncaptioned images to blacked-out PDFs, it was hard to make sense of the latest release. One takeaway was how little they mentioned the president.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking to the media at Parliament House on Sunday night.

From triumph to turmoil: Albanese’s ‘perfect year’ unravels in two weeks

The prime minister who promised the Jewish community in November 2023 that antisemitism would not “find so much as a foothold here” is hopelessly exposed.

What has not changed from Trump 1.0 is the famous strategy first articulated by MAGA standard-bearer and former chief strategist Steve Bannon to “flood the zone”.

The one promise Trump has not kept is hurting him the most

At the end of his first year, Donald Trump has a long list of achievements and fulfilled campaign promises. But voters have turned off the president sharply.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage interviews sports promoter Barry Hearn for his end of year Christmas show on GB News. 

Farage’s anti-woke Christmas party brings cheer to angry Britain

The leading politician hit the sweet spots with his loyal followers during a festive broadcast of his Christmas show in Britain.

Police and bystanders attend to victims at Bondi Beach.

How Islamic State has the power to inspire Bondi-style attacks

ISIS is too weakened to seize territory, experts say, but its ability to churn out propaganda aimed at provoking violence against the West persists.

Sydney Sweeney as featured in the American Eagle campaign.

Donald Trump’s war on ‘woke’ splits the fortunes of US brands

The brouhaha around Cracker Barrel and American Eagle shows how deeply US companies are being dragged into America’s culture wars.

Former ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott outside the Federal Court in October.

Shayne Elliott’s lawsuit against ANZ: another case of poor judgment?

The former chief executive is not the first aggrieved employee to claim he was hard done by. He won’t be the last if the bank doesn’t fix its culture.

Interest rates are (likely) going up in 2026. Chalmers could be blamed

Under Labor, federal spending has reached 27 per cent of GDP, the highest since the 1980s (outside COVID). The treasurer has to act or interest rates may rise.

US personnel seize oil tanker Skipper.

‘Next tool will be airstrikes’: Trump’s tanker seizure just the start

Washington is stepping up its campaign against Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, with six more tankers on the radar in moves that have unnerved oil markets.

US President Donald Trump said European countries will be destroyed by rising immigration.

Trump urged Europe to halt migrant ‘decay’. Leaders are now scrambling

Far-right political parties seized on the US president’s withering tirade this week, and most European nations just backed tougher measures to deport migrants.

Australian travellers have enjoyed one of the smoothest paths to sightseeing at Times Square but that is soon to change.

Here’s what Trump’s border guards will look for on your socials

Anti-US rants are likely red flags under new border rules targeting social media. But Australians heading to the US could also be made to hand over their DNA.

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The one word tech companies really don’t want to discuss

The social media ban has been lauded as a good first attempt to loosen the grip of big tech on children. But a bigger issue is hiding under this Band-Aid.

Donald Trump’s Warner Bros meddling comes with added nepotism, given it appears he is helping light the way for a buyer featuring his son-in-law.

The Netflix-Paramount fight goes all the way to the White House

In an unsurprising plot twist, Donald Trump is involved in the battle for Warner Bros Discovery. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is backing Paramount’s bid.

Anika Wells at the 2024 AFL Grand Final

‘Minister for scarves’ learns a lesson about judgment

Anika Wells has broken no rules with her enthusiasm for attending sporting events. It’s her judgment that is being questioned.

Kerry Packer at the 1991 print media inquiry.

CEOs navigate Senate minefield with expert help

A conga line of bosses from Australia’s biggest companies are increasingly asking former political staffers to help them prepare for Senate committee appearances.

Donald Trump wants allies like Australia to challenge China’s state-subsidised economic model that produces many more goods than it needs at home and sends them around the world.

Trump sees China more as an economic rival than a military threat

The US is more inward-looking, more disdainful of multiculturalism and no longer a defender of democratic values. But it still has its eye on China.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/Analysis-1qu