Since he became Labor leader in late 2006, Kevin Rudd's approval ratings have been remarkable both in their strength and their consistency.
It's a fact that has puzzled many observers who assume this kind of public affection was reserved for only the most charismatic of leaders such as Bob Hawke and Barack Obama.
Australia's honeymoon with Kevin Rudd may be over, but the marriage isn't on the rocks yet. More
Aid dogfight
The debate over aid diversion in Ethiopia seems to me confused, exaggerated and divorced from reality. More
Election test
Tasmanians have been told they have a clear choice in the elections but in reality, they do not. More
Let's hope cricket headlines will focus on the game, not Lara Bingle, this week. More
Just like a painting, you have to stare a while to see what's happening in politics. More
Did Australia hava a better relationship with Indonesia when it was a dictatorship? More
Michael Clarke has come under fire for leaving the NZ tour to be with his fiancee. More
These are strange times for investing; it feels like anything could happen. More
Unemployment. It is one of the most watched, and perhaps least understood, economic figures. More
Is it worth having workers' retirement savings put at risk, and traded at the mercy of the market? More
Geldoff's rejection of aid diversion is ideological. he must know some percentage of aid money does not reach the intended group. This only helps to muddy the waters.
Terence, on Aid dogfight: Geldof and BBC in war of words (via story comment)
I wish Obama luck - he needs it! The US health industry has a lot of money to lose and will go to any length to prevent changes to their cash cow. Both Clintons wanted to introduce health care reform but even Hillary was bought off by industry lobbyists during her senate campaign.
Carolinem, on Quality against quantity in the US health reforms (via story comment)
The Lara Bingle story is the sort of saga that brings out the worst in the media.
A cheering crowd gathers along Fleet Street in Fremantle, all the way up to the lighthouse, to farewell the Queen Mary II as she sailed out of the port on March 14, 2010. (Simon Chan)
Is clinical depression over-diagnosed?
In the National Times, Peter Costello says it is hard to decide whose idea was worse. Tony or Kevin's?
"In this kind of politics if your opponent has a bad idea you try to outflank it. Your opponent has a mildly bad idea so you come up with a more extreme one and race him to the bottom."
ABC does not stand for 'Aunty Beyond Criticism', writes Janet Albrechtsen in The Australian.
"The ABC is there to serve the people who fund it. If it chooses to undermine its raison d'etre by ignoring constructive criticism, there will be greater existential threats ahead for Aunty."
All good things come to an end. Brian Viner, in The Independent, says this one might be timed fortuitously.
"Dubbed Goldenballs by his very own wife, he has always assiduously courted media attention. In other words he is the man with the Midas touch, flying too close to The Sun."
Israel must acknowledge U.S. anger over the plan to build new housing in East Jerusalem, writes Roger Cohen in The New York Times.
"Israel is wrong to mock its constructive critics. They alone can usher the country from the one-state dead end — a vital Israeli interest."
Go behind the scenes with ABC news journalists as they cover the news agenda around Australia.
Share ABC psephologist Antony Green's expertise as he analyses all things electoral.
Articulate is ABC News Online's daily take on arts news and events in Australia and throughout the world.
Thoughts on the news agenda of the day from ABC News journalists and presenters.
The Shallow End is ABC News Online's way of casting a critical eye over entertainment news from Australia and the world.
ABC Sport Online's daily take on the world of sport.
Will lowering the legal limit for alcohol deter offenders from drink driving?
How do we know whether plugs for bookies are paid advertisements or not?
An incredible case of overexposure and overkill by an alleged assassination squad.
Hundreds of dead salmon have washed up on beaches in southern NSW.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Time which is 11 hours ahead of UTC (Greenwich Mean Time)
Rudd would go a lot further if, instead of trying to occupy the middle ground, he took an actively progressive line to increase the gulf between the Govt and the Coalition. Australians have been waiting for Rudd to deliver for a while now.
Mike, on The honeymoon is over (via story comment)