Is the Labor leadership issue a bizarre beat-up entirely confected by the news media? Certainly not. Is it an unstable and shifting situation, which may lead to a challenge, and which is notoriously difficult to report? Absolutely. Here are some of the dilemmas:

Gina Rinehart's descent upon Fairfax will be welcomed by all right-thinking Australians. As everyone knows, great wealth automatically confers great wisdom, a clarity of vision light years beyond the feeble witterings of the rest of us. With a fortune of $20 billion or so, there is no one wealthier than La Rinehart.

Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, known for his hardline approach to border protection, is also the former chief executive of Tourism Australia, a one-time Liberal moderate and a devout Pentecostal. So what maketh the man?

We all thought it would be so much better. Having dispatched John Howard, it seemed we were on the cusp of something fine. When I think back to those long, long months of campaigning in 2007 – when Labor took the fight right into Howard’s own backyard of Bennelong – a lot of us dreamed a different dream.

February 4th marks the anniversary of a war America won — but doesn’t care to crow about. When the memory only produces shame and regret, you can understand why. 

How often have you heard someone suggest a magic solution to all our political problems? If only we had fixed four-year federal terms! Why don’t we ban politicians from breaking election promises? Let’s have conscience votes on everything! Increase politicians’ salaries! Cut politicians’ salaries!

Three immovable realities are leading Labor MPs to an unpalatable decision to restore their dumped leader. 

You wouldn't think that poker machines and ethanol have much in common. But the actions of the O'Farrell government in recent weeks have managed to tie them together quite neatly.

The Minister for Hospitality, George Souris, quietly put through a regulation last month that did Clubs NSW a big favour.

WASHINGTON — The international hackers group known as Anonymous turned the tables on the F.B.I. by listening in on a conference call last month between the bureau, Scotland Yard and other foreign police agencies about their joint investigation of the group and its allies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/us/fbi-admits-hacker-groups-eavesdropping.html?_r=1&hp      

It is no coincidence that each week brings news of another manufacturer forced to lay off staff, reduce their hours or shut up shop completely. Confronting a high Aussie dollar and an army of cheap labour overseas, it was the turn of Holden and the manufacturers of Mortein, Reckitt Benckiser, to announce job losses this week. Such events are invariably accompanied by calls for more industry assistance.

Mr President,

Washington's enemy is not "terrorism" but the principle of free speech and voices of conscience within its militarist state.

This month's Supreme Court hearing in the Julian Assange case has profound meaning for the preservation of basic freedoms in western democracies.

Just months ago, as he toyed publicly with announcing his own candidacy, Trump was bad-mouthing Romney. But that, he told reporters, was back before he had really got to know the Mormon millionaire.