Radio National Breakfast

Today we learn a little more about what John Howard's government faced in 2005 ... with the annual release of hundreds of cabinet documents by the National Archives.

They show a government spooked by terrorism in Bali and London ... and troubled by racial disharmony that boiled over on Cronulla Beach in Sydney.

• Guest: Philip Ruddock, Attorney-General in 2005, and a senior member of the Howard cabinet
• Producer: Jason Whittaker

A new year brings cheaper medicine for many Australians.

The cost of medication covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme drops from $31.60 to $25 today ... that's a 20 per cent discount which the federal government says will collectively save Australians more than $200 million a year.

• Guest: Professor Trent Twomey, Pharmacy Guild of Australia President 
• Producer: Jason Whittaker

The crowds packed the best vantage points on the Harbour foreshore, the fireworks were spectacular, the images were beamed around the world - but this was a New Year celebration with a difference.

Two weeks after the Bondi terror attack Sydney welcomed in 2026 with a minute of silence for the victims and amid a heightened police presence.

• Guest: Yasmin Catley, New South Wales Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism
• Producer: Jessica Lukjanow

From today, fuel and grocery retailers selling essential items are required to accept cash- under new federal laws aimed at protecting Australians who still rely on it.

The government says you "should be able to pay with cash if you need to"... even as its use continues to decline across the economy.

• Guest: Danny Price, Co-founder and Managing Director of Frontier Economics 
• Producer: Jessica Lukjanow

Lapland in northern Finland is revered as the home of Santa Claus- and of course Rudolph and the other reindeer that underpin the Christmas myth.

But one reindeer herder says his animals are being killed in record numbers by wolves... and farmers and scientists in Finland say the surge in deaths could be linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.

• Guest: Juha Kujala, a reindeer farmer at Kuusamo, near Lapland, in Finland
• Producer: Anne Barker

Holidays and warmer weather see Australians flock to beaches and waterways.

But the revelry comes with a traditional warning - the Christmas to New Year period is the deadliest for drownings.

• Guest: Dr Jaz Lawes, National Research Manager at Surf Life Saving Australia
• Producer: Isadora Bogle

On paper it made sense- charge those climbing Mount Everest a deposit- which they get back if they don't pick up on their descent some of the rubbish littering the world's highest mountain.

But Nepal has now abandoned the scheme, admitting it hasn't worked... and the deposit will be replaced with a non-refundable "clean-up" fee.

• Guest: Andrew Lock, Australian mountaineer
• Producer: Anne Barker

Dozens of aid agencies face being permanently banned from working in Gaza, after failing to comply with new Israeli registration rules. 

Israel says the measures are needed to stop militant groups- such as Hamas or Islamic Jihad- from infiltrating these aid groups... but organisations such as Medicins Sans Frontieres- or Doctors Without Borders- warn the ban will put lives at risk.

• Guest: Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's Policy Lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territories 
• Producer: Anne Barker 

As we prepare to welcome the new year... some Australians might be considering starting a new hobby or planning an adventure in 2026.

One woman who's already done something rather unusual in pursuit of adventure is Stella Thurbon ... who earlier this year completed a 270-kilometre leg of the Bicentennial National Trail with nine goats trotting behind her.

• Guest: Stella Thurbon, hiker
• Producer: Isadora Bogle 

A number of sunscreens were either recalled or paused from sale in Australia this year, after concerns were raised about their SPF claims.

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world... ... so as we look to lather up in the coming months, how confident can we be that what we're applying is keeping us safe? 

• Guest: Dr Deshan Sebaratnam, dermatologist and UNSW conjoint associate professor
• Producer: Isadora Bogle