December 2025
Test of faith: Inside Labor’s rethink after Bondi
Pollsters warn that while gun laws are popular, Labor risks a backlash if it ignores fears regarding migration and radical ideologies.
The barrage of risks facing Australian superannuation in 2026
Australian Retirement Trust expects the RBA to hike rates in late 2026 as global “sticky inflation” becomes the new economic reality. But that’s not the only threat.
Can you beat our experts’ 21 predictions for 2026?
Financial Review writers share their predictions for the new year – from artificial intelligence and interest rate rises to Donald Trump’s peace prize chances.
Why the sixth generation of Coopers is expanding beyond beer
While most family empires crumble by the third generation, the Coopers are entering their sixth, armed with a new boss and a strict rule book for the next heirs.
‘One reform at a time’: Chris Bowen’s ambitious policy plan
At a difficult moment for Labor’s green transition, Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has expanded his responsibilities. Will it come back to bite him?
6 minutes and 11 seconds: Anatomy of Australia’s deadliest terror attack
A minute-by-minute reconstruction of the mass shooting at Bondi, where a joyful Hanukkah celebration became the site of Australia’s deadliest terror attack.
The battle to claim back Bondi
When Richard Hasten went to pick up his grandson’s pram from the scene of the massacre, it had bullet holes in it. For him and countless others, Bondi will never be the same.
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.
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.
The breakthroughs that led to the AFR’s biggest stories of 2025
Our reporters take you beyond the headlines and behind the scenes to reveal how they broke some of this year’s standout stories.
Will the Bondi massacre be Australia’s reckoning for radical Islam?
Antisemitism is a key tenet of radical Islam, which poses a challenge for Western nations like Australia.
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.
Albanese fails on transparency – by some metrics worse than ScoMo
His path to power was paved with pro-integrity rhetoric, but in office Anthony Albanese has succumbed to secrecy and executive control.
Trump says Europe is in trouble. Does he have a point?
The US president has shocked European leaders with promises to meddle in their democracies to save the continent from “civilisational decline”.
Is a $25k ‘professional buddy’ the answer to loneliness?
Loneliness is big business. New high-end concierge services offer companionship for wealthy seniors, filling a void left by loss and distance.
Teens prepping for social media ban consider the unthinkable: phone calls
Under 16s are getting ready for the impending prohibition by downloading new apps, getting VPNs, fake IDs and even exchanging phone numbers.
$13 an hour, no training: Thousands of apprentices struggle to finish
Future earnings are lucrative, there are 300,000 job vacancies and the jobs are (mostly) AI-proof. Why aren’t young people racing to start a trade?
Is the Australian economy firing up or hitting a wall?
The answer will determine the direction of the Reserve Bank’s next interest rate move. Opinions are divided.
‘Years in the making’: Why Chinese warships will keep heading our way
Another Chinese flotilla is moving south, underlining that Beijing’s presence near Australia is no longer an anomaly, but a strategic warning Canberra can’t ignore.
Why 17-year-olds could be locked out of social media
Age-gate’s margin of error will leave some older than 16 locked out of social media apps (and let some 15-year-olds in).