Johann Sebastian Bach's The Art of Fugue is a work of high art. But in keeping with the late works of artists such as Shakespeare, Beethoven and Goya, it contains elements of pathos, humour, gravity, exuberance and tragedy.

The label "Aboriginal activist" is often applied to Aboriginal Australians in the public eye, but it's not a very meaningful descriptor, writes Luke Pearson.

Crunch time has come for Australia's elite cricketers after a breakdown in talks to secure a new pay deal left 230 male and female players unemployed as of Saturday morning. So now the governing body has some serious questions to answer, writes Tracey Holmes.

As this year ebbs away, Malcolm Turnbull's hold on the leadership will become more precarious if there is no lift in those relentless Newspolls, writes Michelle Grattan.

No matter how George Pell's case is resolved the fact he is facing charges at all is the biggest crisis of Pope Francis's papacy and will test the Pope on just how true he is to his vow to be "zero tolerance" on a problem that has dogged the church for decades, writes Lisa Millar.

The world has laughed heartily at North Korea's moon-faced dynastic leader since his rise to power in late 2011, but Kim Jong-un's most successful long-range missile test is drowning out the mirth and forcing a rapid re-think of his intentions, writes Greg Jennett.

Central banks have signalled that nearly a decade of ultra-loose monetary policy is approaching its end, but the Reserve Bank appears to have missed the memo.

It's not just Paul McCartney's $400 concert tickets. There is an avalanche of re-issues, box sets and extras that are taking fans for an expensive ride.

Before cameras even begin to roll, female characters suffer sexism in how they are described on the pages of screenplays. But what can we do to improve this?

Reporting on the disaster in the self-declared state of Somaliland is heart-breaking and infuriating. In a time of science and plenty, children are needlessly dying of disease and malnutrition, writes Africa correspondent Sally Sara.

Australian workers either feel they are going backwards financially or not getting ahead, so whoever can solve the wage-growth puzzle will be best-placed to secure government in 2019, writes Andrew Probyn.

Yet again, we are paying no heed to our farmers. We're stepping over them for a big coal company from another country.

Everything is going Bill Shorten's way, with Tony Abbott rampaging against his colleagues and the Sunday penalty rate cut giving the Opposition Leader a clear policy to sell, Michelle Grattan writes.

Even if Australia decided to invest in ballistic missile defence, it would provide little-to-no protection from a nuclear-armed North Korean ICBM.

If Australians are to eat healthy, unprocessed meats while making sustainable choices, native animals would be an obvious choice, writes Jillian Garvey from La Trobe University.

At this point in their respective presidencies, almost every leader since Harry Truman has been enjoying a honeymoon with approvals in the high 50s and up. The current President has set a record low.

If you listen to the experts, the Reserve Bank is under mounting pressure to lift interest rates, but they're wrong and here's four reasons why it won't happen, according to ABC business editor Ian Verrender.

Ethicists explain why they believe courts should err on the side of a chance of life when deciding the future of seriously ill 11-month-old British baby Charlie Gard.

Space exploration is just about the purest expression of humanity at its glorious, brilliant best — and it makes sense for Australia to be part of it, Andrew P Street writes.

From the fall of Mosul, it would be easy for people to think the campaign against Islamic State is nearly at an end. But that is not the case, writes Rodger Shanahan.

Two embarrassing resignations in five days have politicians scouring their records to check their own citizenship, but the rules about dual citizenship are clear on the nomination form.

The Greens should be pressing Jordan Steele-John, who is in line to take Scott Ludlam's Senate spot, to stay in the seat everyone assumes will come his way, writes Michelle Grattan.

Why is the Australian dollar rising, and can it push even higher from its current levels?

Many backpackers find themselves owing money over their quest to stay in Australia. The deception often begins at recruitment.

Many men live with prostate cancer rather than die from it. Here's the evidence for why they shouldn't jump to surgery.