Northern Territory firefighters fear three deliberately lit fires would reach homes and could threaten lives before they managed to bring it under control.

(AAP) Ford Australia took another hit on Friday when its president Bill Osborne resigned soon after the announcement that 350 jobs would be lost at Victorian plants.

(AAP) A NSW woman has become the first Australian to have a heart valve replaced without open heart surgery in a procedure set to revolutionise cardiac treatment for the frail and elderly.

(AAP) The coalition has lost its traditional position as the party of choice on defence and security last year, helping Labor win the election, a new study reveals.

(AAP) The ANZ has become the second of the Big Four banks to promise to pass on to customers any cut in official interest rates, as Treasurer Wayne Swan hinted at action to force its competitors to

(AAP) The death of a Brisbane-based veterinarian from the Hendra virus has sparked calls for a broad-ranging public inquiry into biosecurity in Queensland.

(AAP) Geelong has pointed to the controversial surface at Sydney's ANZ Stadium as the reason they could be forced into late injury withdrawals for Sunday's match against North Melbourne.

AAP - A senior vet at a Brisbane clinic hit by an outbreak of Hendra virus has died from the illness.

AAP - Qantas Ltd expects a 41 per cent fall in profit this financial year as the airline faces the headwinds of rising fuel costs and a slowing global economy.

AAP - The baby humpback whale stranded in a Sydney waterway will be euthanased some time tonight, wildlife authorities say.