EDITOR'S PICKS

What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger

Alan Kohler

Having worked through the five stages of grief many Australian companies are now getting on with life under a high dollar. Some manufacturers are even thriving, and showing the rest of the country the way forward.

The excess baggage leaving Labor no options

Robert Gottliebsen

Labor is stuck with a Hobson's choice, with no candidate in its ranks able to deliver a modest combination of party stability and electoral appeal.

Premier in a league of its own

Stephen Bartholomeusz

With cash outweighing debt, rising sales across its brands and costs in check, Mark McInnes has Premier Investments in retail's pole position.

Cyprus shoots itself in the foot

Stephen Koukoulas

The Cypriot government has rejected the best option in a bad situation. Unless its problems are confronted and fixed it faces default, bankruptcy and untold misery.

The EU has thrown Cyprus to the wolves

Steve Keen

The European Union’s demand for Cypriot funds will ripple across the continent, stirring Europe’s far right and becoming a major turning point in the campaign to return to national currencies.

Democracy's in trouble with or without Rudd

Rob Burgess

Feverish with leadership speculation, political journalists have blurred the lines around their role in the democratic process. It does parliament, and their readership, no favours.

Everybody's somebody's fool

Michael Gawenda

In the end Simon Crean’s folly overwhelmed his bravery, a diminished Kevin Rudd left his backers out to dry, journalists were shown up and Julia Gillard’s government almost certainly doomed.

Rudd and Co will go back to scheming

Jessica Irvine

With Kevin Rudd’s support improved since February, he and his backers will skulk away to the back bench and wait for their next opportunity. As long as he's in parliament, Rudd remains alternative leader.

Zhou: the man with China's bandaids

John Lee

Central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan has a progressive view on economic reform. Why, then, did the conservative politburo bend the rules to postpone his retirement?

A growing shadow over the iron ore age

Stephen Bartholomeusz

Mine expansions, a move away from infrastructure investment in China and more usage of scrap have Goldman Sachs joining those predicting a nearer iron ore surplus.