Golfing great Greg Norman will tee off with a host of sporting big shots in a
celebrity tournament next week to support Victoria's bushfire victims.

Insurers have been put on notice by the federal government to quickly deal with
claims by fire and flood victims in the wake of the disasters in Victoria and
Queensland.

Negotiations on the federal government's $42 billion stimulus plan appear to have
stalled just a day out from a Senate vote on the package.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will not deliver a report card on the government's efforts
to close the gap between black and white living standards this week as promised.

Australia's latest golf star Katherine Hull was in awe on Tuesday as she
contemplated back-to-back victories in a bid to ramp up her claim to inherit Karrie

Cochlear Ltd, the world's leading maker of hearing implants, has upgraded its
earnings guidance after posting a 22 per cent lift in interim net profit.

China has blasted Australia for making "ill-founded" comments about Tibet after
Canberra raised the issue during a review of Beijing's human rights record in
Geneva.

Two senators whose votes are crucial to the passage of the federal government's $42
billion economic stimulus package want concessions before they give their support.

Public donations for bushfire victims have topped $30 million in just two days in an
unprecedented outpouring of generosity and community spirit.

People escaping the Victorian bushfires have criticised emergency services for not
warning them of impending disaster.