THERE were warnings of an exodus of directors from public company boards after the corporate regulator won the landmark Centro case.

FEDERAL court judge John Middleton has ruled that Centro's directors needed only questioning minds to spot billion-dollar mistakes.

THE Federal Court has served a timely warning to directors that they are ultimately responsible for the company's financial accounts.

EVERY non-executive director in the country needs to sit down with John Middleton's judgment on the Centro Eight.

DUBAI. You know the story. It was the world's biggest Ponzi property scheme.

THE listed fund manager Abacus Property Group has formed a $600 million joint venture with Chicago-based property investor Heitman.

CHARTER Hall Office REIT has confirmed Melbourne-based retail billionaire John Gandel has raised his stake in the trust to 5.15 per cent.

WESTFIELD chairman Frank Lowy is expected to make a full recovery after surgery for a bile duct stricture, the shopping mall giant said today.

CENTRO executives broke the law by signing off on reports that did not disclose billions in short-term debt, a landmark court ruling said.

THE supermarket giants are slashing prices in a cutthroat war for your shopping dollar - but which one is the cheapest?

POTENTIAL renters are being warned of an online scam that could cost them thousands of dollars.

EXPERTS in the US say sugar should be identified alongside alcohol and tobacco as a health danger, and governments should tax it.

THE US owner of a Honda hybrid car has won a lawsuit against the automaker because the car didn't deliver 21km per litre as stated.

ECONOMISTS expect the housing sector to remain soft for a while longer after new data showed building approvals continue to decline.

AUSTRALIAN super funds could shift their investments away from carbon-intensive industries under a push to more social responsibility.

THE nation's big banks will infuriate customers if they fail to pass on an interest rate cut in full, Wayne Swan says.

THE supermarket giants have been given the green light to continue with aggressive discounting, with worse to come.

SPECIALIST urges homeowners to find a better deal if lenders don't pass on rate cuts as banks try to explain how rate decisions are made.

LEADERS meeting with PM Lucas Papademos to consider demands by Greece's creditors for tougher austerity measures.

AUSTRALIA'S big four banks may look to shed more jobs to counter losses in revenue, BoQ chief executive Stuart Grimshaw says.

THE nation's big banks will infuriate customers if they fail to pass on an interest rate cut in full, Treasurer Wayne Swan says.

THE Australian dollar eased back below 107 US cents but after trading within a tight range as the market awaited key jobs data from the US.

Unions say the NSW government should use its leverage as a major customer and lobby Westpac against plans to slash 560 jobs.

NICKEL miner Panoramic Resources has launched a $40 million takeover bid for base metals explorer Magma Metals, sending the target's shares soaring.

AUSTRALIAN shares edged lower to a weaker finish as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of key US employment data.

CHINESE state-owned Beijing Guoli Energy Investment is to take a $20 million stake in Queensland-based Cuesta Coal ahead of its listing this year.

SHARES in Magma Metals have skyrocketed after nickel miner Panoramic Resources launched a $40 million takeover bid for the base metals explorer.