Australian politics heat up – Rudd resigns

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has decided to resigned, CNN reports, after speculation that he might mount a leadership challenge to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Rudd himself was ousted i few years back in a coup by Gillard, who now is lagging in the polls. It has been suggested that Rudd, therefore, might be considering contesting Gillard’s leadership of the governing Labor Party.

Observers predicted a showdown could take place next week when Parliament resumes and Rudd was due to return from an overseas trip. But his sudden announcement in Washington in the middle of the night caught people by surprise.