Thinking of breaking up with the booze? Addiction specialist and psychiatrist Xavier Mulenga tells Bridie Jabour the common reasons people think they can’t quit and the steps you can take to reduce your alcohol intake You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

The yes campaigner and author has had a hard year. After a heartbreaking voice to parliament referendum result and sustained attacks from the media, Thomas Mayo had to pick up the pieces and find a way forward. He tells Reged Ahmad how he found light in a dark time You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

How do you tell a story that makes people laugh and what do you do when the joke lands flat? James Colley, a comedian and writer on ABC’s Gruen, tells Reged Ahmad why comics love a whinge and how he turns his life into laughs You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson have dominated the breakfast slot in Sydney for almost two decades. But their show’s recent expansion into the Melbourne market has tanked. And while they have a reputation for crude language and stunts, the conversations that are broadcast continue to raise questions about how the show skirts decency standards. Senior correspondent Sarah Martin and reporter Kate Lyons tell Nour Haydar how Australia’s highest-rating radio program gets around broadcast regulations You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

The Shincheonji church is an international Christian sect which started in South Korea. But the group is being accused of bizarre recruitment strategies at a number of Australian universities and former members have made allegations of ‘coercive control’ tactics that include love bombing and sleep deprivation. Medical editor Melissa Davey speaks to Reged Ahmad about the experiences of families of current members, as well as former members, about life on the inside You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Blue whales are the largest animals to have ever lived but they were once hunted to the brink of extinction. The international community only agreed to stop hunting them in 1965 when they numbered fewer than 200. Now scientists are using new methods to learn whether the number of blue whales in the wild is increasing – and they are seeing and hearing promising signs. Reporter Luca Ittimani speaks to marine mammal acoustician Brian Miller about the whale’s Antarctic resurgence You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

What happens when the human body is treated like a machine – pushed to its limit – for the sake of a company’s efficiency standards? Former and current staff at Woolworths allege that the supermarket has been cracking down in a way they describe as ‘bullying’ and unsafe, something the company’s supply chain arm denies.Reged Ahmad asks investigations reporter Ariel Bogle if Woolworths’ warehouse tactics are putting employees’ health and safety at risk

For many years political leaders have condemned violence against women and expressed platitudes about the need for change. But government policies to reduce gender-based violence have failed and frontline services say they are severely underfunded. Journalist and coercive control educator Jess Hill speaks to Nour Haydar about the major paradigm shift that governments still need to make

This year the gap between the rich and the poor widened in Australia – as the housing crisis deepened and the cost of living hit hard. But while there were moments of despair, there were also times of joy that may give us reason to be hopeful for 2025. Bridie Jabour talks with editor in chief Lenore Taylor, head of newsroom Mike Ticher and national news editor Jo Tovey about the highs and lows of 2024 and and what to expect next year

Prince Andrew is in trouble again, this time for meeting a businessman who has denied spying for China. In parliament, it has sparked fears about how far the British establishment has been infiltrated by spies. In Beijing, there has been outrage. For Prince Andrew, it has led to him missing Christmas dinner at Sandringham with the rest of the royal family. It is fair to say the accusation that the Chinese businessman Yang Tengbo has been spying for China has caused a serious stir. Dan Sabbagh and David Pegg report