ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?

1. The developer of Victoria's desalination plant will pay workers up to how much above industry standards?

Phone tap reveals bugs in plan to save koalas

THE former fashion designer Prue Acton, who is campaigning to save a koala colony from logging in a south-east forest, has discovered a bugging device in her phone.

Film of the week

Rating: 3.5/5 THE INFORMANT! (M, 108 minutes). On general release

Telstra's rivals furious at freeze on access price

THE competition watchdog has enraged Telstra's competitors by freezing the prices they pay Telstra for access to millions of home phone lines.

Watchdog's decision to freeze Telstra fees angers competitors

THE competition watchdog has enraged Telstra's competitors by freezing the prices they pay the telecommunications company for access to millions of home phone lines.

Liberals tear down the house

MALCOLM Turnbull last night was defiantly clinging to his collapsing leadership as he fought to deliver the emissions trading legislation in the wake of a mass exodus of senior figures from his front bench.

Calling John: a party divided turns to the old master

JOHN Howard has left Canberra, but being John Howard, he has not quit the political action €” even as the riven and restive colleagues he left behind cannot seem to come to terms with his legacy, or decide who and what to be in his absence.

Fire teams not ready, inquiry told

THE region where most deaths occurred on Black Saturday did not have an experienced incident management team in place until after the deadly Kilmore East fire had begun.

Relatives wait anxiously for news of disaster victims

NEWS of toppled buildings, entombed survivors and buried children is trickling from earthquake-hit Sumatra to Indonesians living in Melbourne.

Now it's a game of smash the pinata

THE Rudd Government is proving to be relentless, almost ruthless, in the taming of Telstra.

New Optus BlackBerry Plans

Two Optus Blackberry plans offer unlimited email from $9.99.

Survey To Plan For Disasters

A SURVEY of Hunter residents affected by the June long weekend storms reveals that more than one in five had their electricity cut for more than 48 hours, while one in 10 had their phone lines cut for 48 hours or more.

Accc Puts Wood On Telstra

THE competition watchdog has attempted to force Telstra to reveal plans for a high-speed broadband network after launching a public inquiry into whether the existing rules for competitors' access to phone lines need to change.

Accc Makes Public Call To Telstra

THE competition watchdog has attempted to force Telstra to reveal plans for a high-speed broadband network after launching a public inquiry into whether the existing rules for competitors' access to phone lines need to change.

Erase Those Laugh Lines And Join The Aliens

I'M sitting in the waiting room at the dermatologist's office. The receptionist is on the phone, speaking to a patient who is trying to make an appointment time. She is not talking loudly but I am sitting very close to her desk.