Fire crews have contained blazes that were threatening homes in South Australia's
Fleurieu Peninsula and Barossa Valley as lightning strikes sparked spot fires in the

Lance Armstrong played a card, but the powerful HTC Columbia team holds two
impressive aces ahead of the Tour Down Under's decisive stage.

Seventh seed Andy Roddick is through to the fourth round of the Australian Open
after a tough four-set win over Feliciano Lopez.

Treasurer Wayne Swan wants harder-working Australians to be given a tax break.
Unions and business agree.

Retail giants Woolworths and Wesfarmers, owners of Coles, may have to adjust their
plans to buy out smaller rivals and develop new outlets after the federal government

Australian world cycling champion Cadel Evans has already performed far better than
expected at the Tour Down Under, finishing third in a brutally-hard stage three.

(ATTN: ADDS overview in para 2,3; ADDS share price in para 8; ADDS remarks in para
12,13; TRIMS)
By Lee Youkyung

With time fast running out to secure an overseas loan deal, Socceroos winger Mile
Sterjovski may be forced to compromise his World Cup dreams and play out the

Lleyton Hewitt set up a repeat of his 2008 epic against Marcos Baghdatis by powering
past American Donald Young in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday.

A tropical low hovering off far north Queensland has been downgraded from a cyclone
but is expected to reintensify and lash the coastline over the weekend, forecasters
say.