Australia was well behind Britain on recognition of same-sex couples even before Tuesday's vote. Now the contrast is more embarrassing still.
Mission accomplished in Mali?
French forces are now in control of all the towns of northern Mali. But the Americans had an easy time of it in Iraq at first; the hard part comes later.
Failure in Afghanistan?
Australia's mission in Afghanistan is a failure, as Hugh White says, but that failure derives from a much larger failure of American policy.
Two steps forward, one back, for same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage wins a breakthrough vote in France, but David Cameron is having trouble with his party over the same change in Britain.
Israel throws the switch to security
Benjamin Netanyahu is about to embark on the task of building a new governing coalition. Good timing, then, that Israel's security concerns are in the headlines this week, rather than the possibly more troublesome domestic matters.
Google brings North Korea to life
Just weeks after its chairman visited North Korea, Google has unveiled detailed new mapping of the Stalinist nation. It may not come from official sources, but it's still a fascinating resource.
Australia gets used to fixed terms
The prime minister's election announcement shows up just how little flexibility she really had about the timing anyway. Australia has moved close to a fixed-term model without even trying.
Lib Dems get their revenge on electoral reform
Britain's Liberal Democrats succeed last night in frustrating a Conservative move for electoral reform – as a measure of revenge for last year's defeat over the House of Lords, but also due to their own self-interest.
Obama and Senate compete on immigration reform
A bipartisan Senate group comes out with a bold plan for US immigration reform, pre-empting the president's own proposals. But can either of them overcome the Republican rhetoric of "border protection"?
Czechs get a new president
The new Czech president comes from the left but won the support of incumbent Václav Klaus as well as opponents of austerity. It's an interesting combination.
