‘A national crisis’: Business backs Bondi royal commission
A group of business leaders from banking and super, retail and media have become the latest group to back a royal commission into the Bondi terror attack.
Super’s ‘boring’ options outperform with 9.1pc gain
That would make the third year in a row of above-average growth for the balanced investment option and a “really good outcome for investors”.
Luxury hospitality pivot helps Paspaley family as pearl sales take hit
New accounts for the Pearl Corporation of Australia offer a glimpse into the sprawling empire that now stretches from aviation to a hotel in New York.
ASX wobbles into 2026 as tech stocks, miners slip
The Australian sharemarket is trading flat in the first session of 2026, as a weak Wall Street and a downgrade from one gold miner nudge some sectors lower.
40 dead, Australian injured in upmarket Swiss ski resort bar fire
A further 114 people were hurt, most seriously, police said, as the crowded Le Constellation venue morphed from a scene of New Year’s revelry into tragedy.
Ukraine fakes commander’s death, tricks Russia into paying bounty
Denis Kapustin, one of the most prominent anti-Putin Russians fighting on behalf of Ukraine, was reported dead this week, assassinated by a drone on the front.
‘Absolutely horrendous’: Tragic start to 2026
The tragedies began on Thursday when a 25-year-old woman was hit by a wave and knocked into a tidal rock pool before further waves swept her into the ocean.
Chanticleer
SUMMER LONG READS
EDITOR'S PICKS
How the fire that killed 40 in an upmarket Swiss resort bar started
A barmaid, carried on the shoulders of a colleague, held a sparkler-topped bottle above her head near the basement’s ceiling, setting it alight, witnesses said.
SpaceX supplier buys into $3.6b Nickel Industries project
The ASX-listed nickel miner and processor says the deal with South Korea’s Sphere Corp could open up more opportunities to supply the US aerospace market.
This suburb is already bursting at the seams. Now AUKUS is coming
Western Australia’s Rockingham feels more like a coastal country town than outer suburbia, but the arrival of AUKUS could change everything.
Human rights commissioner backs royal commission into Bondi attack
Lorraine Finlay has become the first government-appointed official to openly back a royal commission into the massacre that claimed the lives of 15 people.
UK hacker who ‘barely finished school’ wins visa by breaching DFAT
Jacob Riggs, 36, hacked into the site in less than two hours to show he had the expertise required for a rare permit given only to highly skilled professionals.
Rear Window columnists Mark Di Stefano and Hannah Wootton look back on the action-packed year that was and ahead to what 2026 might bring.
Jetsetting, love scandals and hypocrites: Rear Window’s 2025
Companies
China imposes beef quotas, now all eyes on Australia’s EU trade deal
The Australian Meat Industry Council said it was “extremely disappointed” and warned beef exports to China could fall by about a third from recent levels.
ACCC forces WiseTech divestment over monopoly fears
The Richard White-led technology group will offload software business Expedient after customers flagged concerns its ownership would make it too dominant.
Cash cow: WA dairy booms thanks to billionaire Gina Rinehart’s backing
Bannister Downs, run by third generation dairy farmers, Suzanne and Mat Daubney, is the cream of the crop in a struggling industry.
Santos misses end-of-year deadline for first Barossa LNG cargo
The $6.1 billion gas project is one of two large growth projects that the oil and gas producer is relying on for a kick-up in production in 2026.
Discount chain Cheap as Chips to be sold as administrators called in
Administrators from WLP Restructuring have been appointed to run the business and oversee the sale of 44 of its 47 outlets to rival Choice The Discount Store.
Macquarie to inject $500m more into UK’s Southern Water
The fresh capital lifts the commitment to the UK utility – to bolster its finances and protect its credit rating – to more than $1.8 billion in the last year.
Antony Catalano says loss-making View Media Group can IPO in 2027
After the latest accounts revealed tens of millions in losses, Catalano said his and Alex Waislitz’s real estate business was soon expected to break even.
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Markets
ASX set for soggy start to 2026 as inflation threat looms
A retreat in precious metals and crude prices is likely to weigh on resources stocks and the broader sharemarket on the first trading day of the year.
Sovereign funds push into technology as assets swell to $22.5trn
Overall, such vehicles ploughed $US66 billion into investments in artificial intelligence and digitisation in 2025, according to Global SWF.
US stocks stumble into year-end, silver slumps anew
The S&P 500 falls 0.7 per cent in low volume in final trading day of the year, paring its 2025 gain to 16.4 per cent; US 10-year yield spikes to 4.17 per cent.
Wall Street’s biggest winners and losers in 2025
Three of the index’s top 10 performers were data storage companies, which are among the main beneficiaries of the hundreds of billions of dollars in AI spending.
CME lifts precious-metal margins again after price swings
The decision is an effort by the exchange to calm trading after an historic year-end surge in volatility across precious metals markets.
Opinion
Without a Bondi royal commission the nation is imperilled
This country, if it is to continue to be what we thought it was, must ask itself – and answer truthfully – some very hard questions about this lightly sleeping evil.
Judge
Fix the electricity system in 2026 by returning to first principles
Electricity is not a policy construct. It is physics – and the physics have not changed since Michael Faraday and the steam engine, writes Stephen Anthony.
Economist
Australia must learn from the UAE’s zero tolerance for extremism
As the government develops its response to Islamist terrorism, it should look closely at countries that have already confronted and contained it.
Former MP
Albanese’s Bondi shooting royal commission excuses are implausible
The reasons put forward by the government for rejecting such an inquiry are the same they used with COVID-19. It all reeks of political protection, writes Phillip Coorey.
Political editor
I survived Bondi. Now a royal commission is critical
The prime minister has spoken often about social cohesion and national unity. This is the moment for leadership to match rhetoric, writes Arsen Ostrovsky.
Lawyer
If Jews flee in fear, none of us will feel safe
Like Middle-earth after the elves depart, Australia would still function, still thrive in many ways. But we would be poorer in spirit, narrower in memory, and less luminous.
Tech leader
Politics
The moment that marked the beginning of the end for John Howard
Newly released cabinet papers from 2005 reveal the seed that sowed the destruction of the Howard government and divisions over the deployment of troops.
‘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?
Victorian treasury warning over razor-thin $700m operating surplus
Donald Trump’s tariffs did not hit the Victorian economy as badly as treasury first feared, but the new taxes still pose a significant risk to the state.
George Brandis joins legal experts calling for Bondi royal commission
Judges, lawyers and academics have supported calls for a federal royal commission into the Bondi attack, but Labor maintains ‘experts’ are against the proposal.
‘Deal with antisemitism’: Julie Bishop joins calls for royal commission
Anthony Albanese has doubled down on his opposition to a federal royal commission into the Bondi terror attack and growing antisemitism despite mounting pressure.
World
LVMH’s Belmond blames Carlyle unit for fatal Machu Picchu train crash
In a letter to the office of the prime minister, it said Inca Rail had transited through an unauthorised part of the tracks, leading to the head-on collision.
Trump shares editorial critical of Putin after setback in talks
The New York Post lists Russia’s support for Iran, and its backing for Venezuela, to argue that “across the world, Russia is opposing Trump’s agenda”.
Drummers pound in the new year as others mark 2026 with defiance, hope
A countdown to midnight was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Russians celebrated in snowy Moscow. In Japan, temple bells rang.
‘Mediocre’: Trump celebrates French citizenship for George Clooney
In a Truth Social post, the US president also used the news to criticise France’s open borders, while referring to Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
‘Furious’: Queen Camilla recalls being groped on a train as a teen
Camilla said she decided to speak up because domestic violence has been a “taboo subject” for so long that most people don’t realise how bad the situation was.
Property
Home price growth is losing steam after an 8.6pc jump in 2025
Sydney’s dwelling values have grown faster than the national average $71,400 gain, but December’s data shows this year could be quite different.
Hotel market set to soar in 2026 as foreign cash pours in
A jam-packed events calendar and growing international interest in Australia’s hotel market could see transaction volumes rise above this year’s in 2026.
The $135m mansion that topped 2025’s suburb records
A raft of luxury residential sales across Australia’s capital cities this year smashed peak prices in many blue-chip neighbourhoods.
Lawrence Myers sells $85m mansion to take Sydney’s 2025 trophy crown
James Packer’s lieutenant sold his lavish Rose Bay mansion just days out from Christmas in the harbour city’s priciest deal of the year.
Billionaire Lederer wins battle for control over $270m property fund
The white flag from fund manager Elanor ends a six-month tussle over a fund it runs. Meanwhile, Lederer is stepping up his involvement in commercial property.
Wealth
Private school fees hit $50,000 in Sydney, break new levels elsewhere
With private school fees rising quicker than inflation, key Sydney schools will eclipse $50,000 next year.
How 3 investors found their Goldilocks number
What proportion of income should go to investments? We asked a university student, a communications professional and a financial adviser about their approach.
Dump these 2 assets right now (and buy these surprise stocks)
The resilience in many assets in 2025 despite Donald Trump’s ructions means investors should offload some of their winning positions and diversify in 2026.
Technology
France aims to ban under-15s from social media: report
President Emmanuel Macron wants to follow Australia whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms came into force in December.
OpenAI offers $828,000 salary to protect humans from rogue AI
The maker of ChatGPT is recruiting for a “head of preparedness” to address the fast-evolving technology’s rising threat.
Royel Otis star fails in bid to unmask anonymous Reddit accusers
Leroy Bressington, better known as Royel Maddell, had asked a US court to force the social media platform to hand over names, emails and other details.
Work & Careers
How to AI-proof your job applications in 2026
AI cover letters are getting dumped in the virtual trash. Here’s what the experts say will get your foot in the door.
Start early, switch off devices: How to manage stress like a CEO
Exercise is the key, but Australia’s corporate leaders have a raft of other tips, tricks and hobbies to help them hold it together.
Life & Luxury
Inside Sam Kerr’s lavish wedding to fiancee Kristie Mewis
The Matildas and Chelsea striker married Kristie Mewis at a private mansion outside Perth on New Year’s Eve.
Our reviewer’s top streaming picks
In a great year for premium TV, the standout theme was the re-emergence of the science fiction genre with shows that were inventive and dynamic.
The album that almost ruined Pink Floyd remains their masterpiece
Fifty years ago, everything about “Wish You Were Here” arrived as if perfectly formed. In reality, it was a nightmare to record. This is how it came together.
Sydney rings in 2026 with hope, defiance and huge firework show
More than 1 million people gathered to watch Sydney’s fireworks with a tribute to people who lost their lives in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
Illegal fireworks become scourge of NYE celebrations
Hundreds of illegal fireworks were set off across Victoria and NSW injuring revellers overnight, while police arrested more than 50 people for a range of offences.
