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Optus offers free data but customers could seek thousands in compensation
The industry watchdog boss warns she is prepared to force Optus into large compensation payments if it refused to settle claims.
Opinion
Telecommunications
How Optus’ response became more damaging than the crisis itself
The big question on every crisis manager’s mind is why wasn’t Optus match fit when it came to handling the debacle.
Sally Branson
Crisis PR expert
Rapist’s release after High Court decision triggers Senate debate
More than 90 people unwanted by other nations could be released after the High Court ruled indefinite immigrant detention was unlawful.
Design crimes in the suburbs and the plan to shake things up
One of the city’s fastest-growing municipalities has declared war on sprawl, with a new housing plan that rails against poorly styled low-rise homes, car-choked streets and a shortage of services.
Opinion
Jacinta Allan
The Suburban Rail Loop offers Allan a rare political opportunity few leaders get
The Labor government may have used up its political capital when it axed the Commonwealth Games, but there’s still a way out of this costly mess.
Annika Smethurst
State Political Editor
New and improved corporate Oaks Day, with a splash of times gone by
As racing clubs such as Flemington’s Victoria Racing Club continue to grapple with the balance of tradition and innovation, Thursday’s time-honoured Oaks reminded punters of bygone eras.
The orchestra conductor: Captain Lanning more at ease calling the shots than facing the crowd
Meg Lanning will be remembered alongside Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as leaders of Australia’s golden eras, albeit without the earnings from the game to match.
Australia give double-ton hero Maxwell extra time to recover from cramp
Following his amazing double century Glenn Maxwell will have until Saturday morning to prove his fitness for the match against Bangladesh in Pune.
Bollywood bangers, bright lights: Where to celebrate Diwali this weekend
Docklands will be transformed into a mini Delhi on Saturday with flowers, dance and colour as thousands of revellers celebrate the festival of lights.
‘An extension of my personal life’: Lisa McCune’s surprise career pivot
With The Garden Hustle, the multi-Gold Logie winning actor will help participants create their ideal gardens.
The myki money you could be giving the government for nothing
About $100 million is sitting on unused and expired myki cards.
At least 10 arrests made amid spate of antisemitism, Islamophobia reports
The premier has called for empathy as supporters of Israel and Palestine condemn defacing of posters on public streets, at community centres and on campuses.
Hamas leaders reveal motive behind October 7 attack
In weeks of interviews, Hamas leaders have explained their calculations, saying “now no one in the region is experiencing calm”.
‘High-end brothel’ used by US politicians and others busted
Doctors, lawyers, accountants, elected officials, tech executives, military officers and government contractors used the service according to prosecutors.
Opinion
China relations
Albanese’s Chinese take-away? Blind trust is still off the menu
The prime minister’s breakthrough visit to China may be a “new starting point”, as his hosts declared, but when it comes to trust, the relationship will be a slow burner.
David Crowe
Chief political correspondent
Opinion
Mental health
Self-diagnosis is on the rise, but is TikTok really to blame?
Unverified information often presented by people with no qualifications is spreading like wildfire on social media. But it’s not all bad news.
Bianca Denny
Contributor
‘Rare view’: A volcano is building a new island in real-time
“It’s hard to know when it will stop, but assuming the eruption continues, the island could grow higher and bigger.”
Editor's Picks
Just in
Spring Racing Carnival
No longer Ladies Day or Blokes Day: The Oaks is finding its feet again
The VRC’s charm offensive during the Melbourne Cup Carnival has turned to Oaks Day, now pitched as a chance for business people to mingle and relax.
Analysis
Fans flock back to the great race: The good, bad and ugly of the Melbourne Cup
If Racing Victoria’s more stringent vetting protocols lead to a perceived drop in quality of international horses but future-proofs Australia’s great race then so be it.
Victoria
Victoria to review Optus contracts after outage
Premier Jacinta Allan said the national outage was “incredibly disappointing” after it caused chaos on Melbourne’s rail network and in hospitals.
Decade in jail for cop impersonator’s bloody burglary
Neil Cairns and Scott Sykes had been viciously beaten with hammers and rendered unconscious by two men dressed as cops.
Exclusive
Public transport
Private investment deal for flagship project mulled to fill multibillion-dollar black hole
Rising infrastructure costs and federal reluctance to fund projects has the Victorian government considering private investment in the Suburban Rail Loop.
Allan was warned about Games cost blowout. A day later she delivered glowing evidence to parliament
The government axed the Games because of cost overruns, which more than doubled the initial $2.6 billion budget.
The phone has been a lifeline for Emily. On Wednesday, it was cut off.
Emily Neophytou is in a neonatal intensive care unit with her daughter and relies on Optus to talk to her family. This is how the telco disconnected customers from doctors, loved ones and even their interior lights.
See and Do
The best shows to stream in November
Our guide to the best of what’s on the streamers and free-to-air television this month.
Critically panned, but a box office smash: The horror movie taking over the globe
How did the film Five Nights at Freddy’s – widely slammed by critics – become a surprise box office smash?
Politics
Pocock and Lambie outflank Labor as they split IR reforms
David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie teamed up with the Coalition to pass some of Labor’s proposed reforms, daring the government to vote against its own legislation.
Business
NAB boss flags more home loan competition as profits hit $7.7b
NAB chief executive Ross McEwan said mortgage competition weighed on the bank’s profitability and that it would probably continue for another six months.
World
Abortion, high heels and insults dominate latest Republican debate
Women’s reproductive rights took centre stage at the latest heated clash between Donald Trump’s biggest White House rivals.
Opinion
Bill Hayden was the leader Labor needed, but Australia never got
Niki Savva
Award-winning political commentator and author
We weren’t prepared for the Optus outage, but we should have been
Paul Budde
Telecommunications expert
Confession: I took my young daughter to the pub. Am I creating a future binge drinker?
Liam Mannix
National Science Reporter
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Property
June 1990 was a bad time to get a home loan. Now it’s worse
An average household buying a typical house would face sky-high monthly mortgage repayments following this week’s interest rate rise.
Our eight favourite luxury homes on the market right now
We’ve rounded up our favourite luxury listings across the country, from landmark old-world glamour to award-winning architecture with glorious views.
Good Food
Lifestyle
‘Women have been waiting for this’: Fashion’s high priestess returns
Former Celine designer Phoebe Philo is back with her own label. Here’s what five Australian style leaders think about the collection.
Culture
Ashley Jensen joins Shetland with big shoes to fill
The Scottish star of Extras, Ugly Betty and Agatha Raisin returns to her homeland to replace Douglas Henshall as the lead detective in the show’s eighth season.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
The orchestra conductor: Captain Lanning more at ease calling the shots than facing the crowd
Meg Lanning will be remembered alongside Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as leaders of Australia’s golden eras, albeit without the earnings from the game to match.
Australia give double-ton hero Maxwell extra time to recover from cramp
Following his amazing double century Glenn Maxwell will have until Saturday morning to prove his fitness for the match against Bangladesh in Pune.
Hawthorn gamble and cut Chad Wingard
Hawthorn have cut injured forward Chad Wingard and promised to add him to their rookie list as clubs made final changes to their lists.
New and improved corporate Oaks Day, with a splash of times gone by
As racing clubs such as Flemington’s Victoria Racing Club continue to grapple with the balance of tradition and innovation, Thursday’s time-honoured Oaks reminded punters of bygone eras.
The A-League problem that has denied players a Socceroos spot
Socceroos boss Graham Arnold has again lamented the late October start to the A-League, with several players in hot form denied the chance to play in World Cup qualifiers starting next week.
This kid was playing against 30-year-olds when he was 16. Now he has the AFL in sight
Colby McKercher is not a name you will see among the fastest sprinters or highest leapers in this year’s AFL draft. But McKercher is a footballer – mind, body and soul.
Updated
Courts
Western Bulldogs ordered to pay child sex abuse victim $5.9m in damages
A Supreme Court jury found the football club failed to adequately protect Adam Kneale from a club fundraising committee member who abused him from around age 12.
Have Your Say
The Melbourne Cup finishing order and what the jockeys thought
The official finishing order for the 2023 Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Of the 23 starters, Right You Are failed to finish.
