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The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has ended the parliamentary year on a high, passing the long-promised nature laws and celebrating a wedding. But inflation is moving in the wrong direction, far-right populist sentiment is on the rise, and gambling and housing reform are continuing to fester. Does Labor have a plan to confront these big social and economic challenges? Guardian Australia political editor Tom McIlroy and chief political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy join Nour Haydar to discuss what lies ahead for Labor as the sun sets on the 2025 parliamentary year

More than 250 languages were spoken across Australia before British colonisation. Now only half are still in use as a result of policies that suppressed and prevented First Nations people from speaking their mother tongues. Indigenous affairs reporter Ella Archibald-Binge travels to two communities including her country to hear from elders, teachers and students about efforts to revive native languages and close the education gap

Ever since she was elected opposition leader, Sussan Ley has faced strong criticism from within her party and across the parliament. Some commentators even predicted she’d be out of the job already. But she has made it to the last sitting week of parliament for the year. On the other side of the aisle, the Albanese government managed to meet their own deadline to legislate changes to outdated nature laws – by settling on a deal with the Greens. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Ley about her disappointment over the long-awaited reforms, Barnaby Joyce resigning from the Nationals and why she thinks ‘it’s never been about me’

Erika Kirk – the widow of Charlie Kirk, the rightwing activist killed in Utah in September – has indicated she would be willing to support JD Vance in a 2028 presidential bid. Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, invites senior Republicans on to her podcast for discussions with conservative women. And the Trump administration is developing baby-boom policies it hopes will help gain the backing of women in the midterm elections. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi about the Republican drive to win over women

This week, senator Pauline Hanson donned a burqa in parliament and refused to remove it, attracting significant attention. Bridie Jabour talks to the editor, Lenore Taylor, the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, and the national news editor, Josephine Tovey, about political stunts and how the media should cover them.

Porepunkah shooting suspect Dezi Freeman remains missing three months after he allegedly shot and killed two police officers, and wounded a third. Justice and court reporter Nino Bucci tells Reged Ahmad about the unease felt by those living in the Victorian town, and police theories of where Freeman could be

First there was a 28-point plan pushed by Trump last Wednesday, as a solution to end almost four years of a war that has devastated Ukraine and killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. By the weekend, there had been a redraft. A slimmed down 19-point proposal. This time seemingly less skewed towards Russia. By Tuesday, at a summit in Abu Dhabi, US, Russian and Ukrainian officials were hammering out a third version. The Guardian’s Russian affairs reporter, Pjotr Sauer, told Nosheen Iqbal what it has been like to watch these twists and turns

Israel’s latest strike in Beirut on Sunday, which killed at least five people and wounded 28, has dramatically escalated existing tensions in the region and left many in Lebanon anxious about what may follow. Beirut-based journalist William Christou speaks to Nour Haydar about the Lebanese government and Hezbollah’s responses to the strike and Israel’s ongoing presence in south Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreement.

New figures released over the weekend show the cost of the Bureau of Meteorology’s website redesign has ballooned to $96.5m. Technology reporter Josh Taylor tells Nour Haydar how this happened, how it compares with other website redesigns and why the environment minister is asking for an explanation

Max Rushden is joined by Geoff Lemon, Ali Martin and Jim Wallace to discuss Australia’s humbling defeat of England in the first Test in Perth that ended three days early

A Queensland coroner has found that the three members of the Train family behind the 2022 Wieambilla shootings were not terrorists, but instead killed two police officers and a neighbour due to their shared ‘persecutory’ delusions. Queensland state reporter Andrew Messenger speaks to Reged Ahmad about the coroner’s findings into what happened that day and whether anything could have been done to prevent it

Author and columnist Sean Kelly says despite Labor’s overwhelming majority and an opposition largely consumed by its own infighting, there are signs that Anthony Albanese’s government will waste the opportunity handed to them by the Australian people. Kelly talks to Guardian Australia political editor Tom McIlroy about his new Quarterly essay, which examines the Labor party’s move away from idealism towards pragmatism. And the former Rudd and Gillard staffer argues that while Albanese’s caution has won him two elections, it could also become the prime minister’s greatest weakness

In an incredible U-turn, Donald Trump this week signed a bill directing the justice department to release more files from the investigation into the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It comes amid a huge bust-up with his former firebrand loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has led the calls for him to release the documents. Is this the start of a Maga breakdown? And where will this increasingly hostile row between them go? Jonathan Freedland speaks to Rolling Stone reporter Nikki McCann Ramirez about how the former allies fell out and what will happen next with the Epstein files

Liberal party leaders around the country are facing challenges, from Sussan Ley in Canberra to Mark Speakman stepping down in New South Wales – all while the party struggles to maintain relevance, diversify its base and win votes. Bridie Jabour talks to the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, and deputy editor Patrick Keneally about whether the Liberals have what it takes to bounce back

Max Rushden and Geoff Lemon are joined by Ali Martin and Andy Bull to look ahead to the hotly anticipated first Ashes Test in Perth. Australia are beset by injuries, but England’s record on the bouncy pitches of Western Australia is atrocious

The Coalition has abandoned net zero and announced its new energy policy, promising to strip emissions reductions from the objectives of the electricity market operator and focus on lowering consumer prices. The climate and environment editor, Adam Morton, and Reged Ahmad factcheck the opposition’s new energy claims and discuss why dropping net zero is dragging the country backwards in the battle against climate change

Australia exports more arms and ammunition to the United Arab Emirates than it does to any other country in the world. And just this week Team Defence Australia holds a prime slice of real estate at a weapons fair in Dubai. But human rights advocates are calling on the government to suspend defence exports to the country over reports it’s arming a militia responsible for mass killings in Sudan. Senior reporters Ben Doherty and Henry Belot tell Nour Haydar about Australia’s growing role in the global weapons trade.

Ben Smee, Guardian Australia’s Queensland correspondent, has been reporting on the national crisis of domestic and family violence, as well as the culture and attitudes inside the Queensland police, for years. In the final episode of this special Full Story investigation, Broken trust looks at how police are failing to learn from their own mistakes. Guardian Australia can reveal allegations from a former senior Queensland detective who has accused police of covering up their own failures in cases in which vulnerable women died after seeking police protection, and alleges she was ordered to ‘protect the organisation’s reputation at all costs’

Ben Smee, Guardian Australia’s Queensland correspondent, has been reporting on the national crisis of domestic and family violence, as well as the culture and attitudes inside the Queensland police, for years. In the first episode of this special Full Story investigation, Broken trust uncovers exclusive new evidence in the case of Hannah Clarke and her children. It looks at serious police failings in the lead-up to the murders that were overlooked by the coronial inquest and not investigated by homicide detectives

Ben Smee, Guardian Australia’s Queensland correspondent, has been reporting on the national crisis of domestic and family violence, as well as the culture and attitudes of Queensland police, for years. In this special Full Story investigation, Broken Trust can reveal exclusive new evidence in the case of Hannah Clarke and her children, a domestic and family violence homicide that made national headlines. The series looks at serious police failings in the lead-up to the murders that were overlooked by the coronial inquest and not investigated by homicide detectives

Just when Donald Trump thought he could celebrate the end of the longest government shutdown in US history, the Democrats had a trick up their sleeve. They released another batch of emails, some from the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who wrote that ‘of course he knew about the girls’, referring to Trump. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian’s George Chidi about why the Epstein files will not go away and how the saga is likely to unfold over the next few weeks

The housing crisis is getting worse. Prices are going up at the fastest rate in almost four years and, as more Australians are being locked out of the market, many are struggling to pay the rent. The government knows the scale of this crisis but progress has been slow.Bridie Jabour talks to the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, deputy editor Patrick Kennelly and the national news editor, Josephine Tovey, about whether the government has found the right solutions to fix the housing crisis

Who is pushing Trump to send the US navy to Venezuela? With Andrew Roth and Tom Phillips

It took nearly five hours, but Liberal MPs emerged from today’s party meeting with a decision on whether to drop net zero. And while leader Sussan Ley is holding off until tomorrow to announce the final outcome, senior Liberal sources say 28 speakers wanted to jettison the 2050 target entirely, 17 expressed a desire to retain it in some form, while four were on the fence. Chief political reporter Dan Jervis Bardy tells Nour Haydar what happened inside the meeting, what tomorrow’s outcome means for the future of the Coalition, and whether Sussan Ley’s leadership is on the line

Over the weekend, a neo-Nazi rally overtly targeting Jewish people took place in front of New South Wales parliament. Reporter Jordyn Beazley speaks to Reged Ahmad about why NSW police allowed the protest to take place and if it can be stopped from happening again

Complaints about the editing of a Donald Trump clip in a BBC documentary about the January 6 riots have led to the resignations of the broadcaster’s director general and the head of news

In a month’s time, the Albanese government’s under-16s social media ban will come into effect. But popular gaming platform Roblox, where children are exposed to inappropriate or violent content and grooming, is not covered under the ban. Senior correspondent Sarah Martin joins Nour Haydar to talk about her chilling experience posing as an eight-year-old girl on the popular online platform.

The Queensland health minister has issued a new order banning the prescription of puberty blockers for transgender patients, just hours after the state’s supreme court ruled the government’s first attempt was unlawful. It is now the only state to have banned gender-affirming care for transgender children. But parents say they are not backing away from the fight. Reged Ahmad speaks with Queensland correspondent Ben Smee and state reporter Andrew Messenger about whether Queensland’s ban on puberty blockers is ideologically driven You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

What does the fall of El Fasher mean for the future of Sudan? Kaamil Ahmed reports

Speaking at Cop30 in Brazil, the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said the ‘consensus is gone’ on tackling the climate crisis. An apt assessment, as this week Australia’s two major political parties have had starkly different commitments on climate action. The minister for climate change and energy, Chris Bowen, speaks to Guardian Australia’s political editor, Tom McIlroy, about Labor’s free solar power scheme for some homes and the Coalition’s continued infighting on emissions targets

Winning victory on the back of a campaign that preached a message of affordability, and never backing away from his principles, Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of New York City. His surprise win has been hailed as a path forward for Democrats around the US who are struggling to connect with the American people. Back in Australia, the Coalition continues to tear itself apart. The Liberals are poised to ditch their net zero pledge after conservative powerbrokers urged Sussan Ley to follow the Nationals in dumping the emissions reduction target. Bridie Jabour speaks with the editor, Lenore Taylor, deputy editor Patrick Keneally and the national news editor, Josephine Tovey, about what Australian political parties could learn from Zohran Mamdani

This time last year, no one had really heard of him. Now, Zohran Mamdani is the first Muslim, millennial and person of south Asian heritage to run America’s largest city. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Ed Pilkington about Mamdani’s historic win, his challenge to the president, and what the Democrats should take away from a successful night at the ballot box

There’s been no shortage of big businesses making headlines for the wrong reasons. But how much does a company crisis really cost those at the top? Senior reporter Henry Belot speaks to Nour Haydar about the enduring culture of paying big bonuses to company executives, despite community outrage over company conduct

Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast examines the US president’s moves to build a US$300m ballroom at the same time as a government shutdown leaves millions of poor Americans facing a possible freeze on their food stamps. The Guardian’s Washington bureau chief, David Smith, speaks to Reged Ahmad about how the construction project is revealing a stark wealth divide and whether the Democrats can seize the moment

Guardian US writer Adam Gabbatt and columnist Mehdi Hasan explore how Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani has come from nowhere to the brink of becoming mayor of New York City

Protests on an outback road in the Northern Territory have refocused attention on Pine Gap, the secretive US satellite base near Alice Springs. The protesters have tried to block workers from accessing the facility, which they claim is aiding Israel’s genocide in Gaza.Nour Haydar speaks with senior reporter Ben Doherty about the rising resistance to Pine Gap, and the questions the spy base raises about Australia’s complicity in alleged crimes abroad

Former UK prime minister Tony Blair gave hand-me-down shirts to his chief of staff Jonathan Powell, Jacinda Ardern’s chief of staff reveals the former New Zealand PM loves crime TV, and Arthur Sinodinos still can’t call John Howard by his first name. These are just some of the personal revelations to come out of a new book called The Right Hand: Conversations with Chiefs of Staff to the World’s Most Powerful People. Its author, Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks, speaks with Reged Ahmad about the influential and unelected powerbrokers who have had a front-row seat to history

The Guardian talks to protesters in Nepal, Madagascar and Morocco – as well as Chatham House fellow Dr Nayana Prakash – about the gen Z movements toppling governments across the world

Less than an hour before Donald Trump met the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, to discuss a deal that could end the trade war between the two superpowers, the US president posted on Truth Social that he had directed the Pentagon to match Russia and China in nuclear weapons testing. Jonathan Freedland speaks to Jonathan Czin, the former director for China at the National Security Council, about why Trump did this and whether he or Xi left South Korea feeling the strongest

A report by the Centre for Public Integrity has accused the Albanese government of ‘leaning into a culture of secrecy’. Labor’s record on transparency also featured in parliament this week after independent ACT senator David Pocock led a revolt against the government for failing to produce a key report into ‘jobs for mates’.Bridie Jabour talks to the editor, Lenore Taylor, and the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, about whether the Albanese government is failing to live up to its own expectations on transparency

In the age of streaming and playlists, it’s rare for an album to make global headlines, but Lily Allen’s latest release has done just that. West End Girl by the English singer-songwriter appears to concern her divorce from US actor David Harbour, with its detailed description of an open marriage destroyed by an affair with a woman called Madeline. YouTube Shorts host Rafqa Touma talks to deputy culture editor Sian Cain about the power of the breakup album, the rise of non-monogamy and why West End Girl has hit a nerve

Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast examines why more people are falling prey to cults and whether the current laws are strong enough to help vulnerable people who might be lured in. Victoria correspondent Benita Kolovos speaks to Reged Ahmad about why more ‘modern’ cults are using new methods to recruit and promising ‘simple answers to complex problems’

Parliament is back and the political fight over long-awaited legislation updating the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act is expected to dominate debate. Political reporter Dan Jervis-Bardy tells Nour Haydar why the government is racing to negotiate a deal with either the Coalition or the Greens to fix Australia’s broken nature laws

For weeks now, thousands of Sydneysiders have queued for up to hours at a time, hoping to cash in on the soaring price of gold. Investors view the precious metal as a safe haven during times of economic uncertainty and despite fluctuating prices, gold is having its biggest rally since the 1970s. Economics editor Patrick Commins joins Reged Ahmad to break down what ‘gold fomo’ says about the state of the global economy

Australia’s welfare system is often described as a safety net for the most vulnerable, so what happens when that safety net is yanked away? Analysis released earlier this year suggests that hundreds of thousands of Centrelink payments have been illegally cancelled since 2020, with many more suspended. Inequality reporter Cait Kelly speaks to Nour Haydar about the automated system linked to the cancellations, and the human toll of a broken system

The art detective Arthur Brand on why thieves may have targeted the Louvre jewellery and why time is of the essence if it is to be found in one piece

Millions of people across the US attended No Kings protests against Donald Trump last weekend. The president publicly denied he wanted to be a king, but he posted an AI-generated video of himself dressed as one, flying a fighter jet and dumping excrement on protesters. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the political scientist Barbara Walter about the tactics the Trump administration is using against protesters

After finally meeting with Donald Trump, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese passed another political test and returned home with a win. Domestically, the Coalition continued to battle over net zero and generate its own headlines for all the wrong reasons. Bridie Jabour talks to editor Lenore Taylor, national news editor Josephine Tovey and head of newsroom Mike Ticher about what Albanese’s and Sussan Ley’s two very different weeks tells us about the state of Australian politics

After just 40 days at the reins of Nottingham Forest FC, Australia’s much-celebrated English football manager Ange Postecoglou was sacked on Saturday. It means ‘Ange’ now takes away the unfortunate title of the shortest-ever permanent managerial appointment in the history of the English Premier League. Sports writer Martin Pegan speaks to Reged Ahmad about the events that led to the move and what’s next for one of the most polarising figures in football

After a storm of new allegations and headlines, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Andrew – King Charles’s younger brother – will no longer hold his royal titles. It’s the latest development in a controversy that’s haunted the British monarchy for years. In this episode of our global news podcast Today in Focus, Helen Pidd and Zoe Williams unpack the scandal that shattered royal tradition, and why so many questions remain unanswered