+ The painful slide is just starting—ABOUT $70 billion was wiped off Australian share values last week because of the mess in Greece. [Link to media]

+ It's a beautiful day for Bono—ROCK star Bono, Russian tycoon Yuri Milner, and Mark Zuckerberg's college roommate Dustin Moskovitz have billions of reasons to "like" Faceb...

+ Facebook logs on to Wall Street—MARK Zuckerberg, wearing his trademark hooded sweatshirt, remotely rang the bell to open trade overnight on the Nasdaq. [Link to media]

+ Billions wiped from share market—THE Australian share market has surrendered all its gains this year after tumbling again yesterday as fear and loathing gripped investors. [Link to me...

+ Closing rank, not stores—RETRAVISION is fighting to rebuild confidence in its brand after the group's  head office acknowledged it had "issues with cash flow". ...

+ Eye Corp on the chopping block—TEN Network has revealed it is in talks to sell outdoor advertising business Eye Corp as it moves to make a dent in its $300m debt. [Link to media]

+ Leg-up for Billabong chair—BILLABONG founder Gordon Merchant has moved to quash speculation chairman Ted Kunkel may be forced off the board. [Link to media]

+ Testing resilience of your portfolio—INVESTORS rattled by the stock market slump should take the advice of billionaire Warren Buffett and seek refuge in companies with an economic "m...

+ Euro crisis wipes $88b off local market—UPDATE: NEARLY all of the gains on the stock market this year have been wiped with the ASX 200 dropping almost $20 billion alone today. [Link to me...

+ Qantas denies sky high card fees—QANTAS has hit out at claims it rakes in $100 million a year charging passengers to use their credit or debit cards to book flights. [Link to media]

+ Retravision sees nothing but trouble—RETRAVISION, the electrical goods retailer, is in crisis talks after admitting it was paying suppliers in "dribs and drabs". [Link to medi...

+ Eurozone crisis wipes $100b off local market—UPDATE: ALL of the gains on the stock market this year have been wiped away with the ASX 200 dropping more than $100 billion dollars today. [Link to ...

+ Float earns Zuckerberg billions—FACEBOOK has raised $16 billion in a public offering that valued the company at $104.2 billion, making its founder incredibly rich. [Link to media]

+ Buffett makes big bet on small papers—BILLIONAIRE Warren Buffett's holding company has unveiled plans to pour millions of dollars into a chain of small newspapers. [Link to media]

+ ASX sinks on opening—ALL of the gains on the stock market this year have been wiped away with the benchmark ASX 200 dropping more than 1.5 per cent. [Link to media]

+ How can I buy Facebook shares?—AUSSIE investors are likely to be frozen out of one of the biggest share offerings of all time when Facebook joins the stock market. [Link to media]

+ Australia's next top boss revealed—VIRGIN Australia has been knocked from top spot as the most attractive employer to work for. So who took the prize? [Link to media]

+ CBA chief offers Lehman squash—GLOBAL financial markets will not suffer a meltdown if Greece is expelled from the eurozone, the CBA chief says. [Link to media]

+ Billa-gone? Tide turning for Ted—BILLABONG founder Gordon Merchant has refused to publicly back the retailer's chairman. [Link to media]

+ BHP breaks off from joint venture deal—BHP Billiton is turning its back on a joint venture after announcing it is axing plans to spend $80 billion on expansion. [Link to media]

+ Nation well placed in LNG market—AUSTRALIA should be the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas by the end of the decade, a petroleum company chief says. [Link to media]

+ Inflation will stay low as rates fall—THE Reserve Bank has been sending out conflicting signals on what is happening in the economy and the likelihood of rate cuts. [Link to media]

+ Market slips, but eurozone fears ease—UPDATE: THE Australian share market closed slightly lower today as concerns about Greece's future in the eurozone eased. [Link to media]

+ Supermarkets and petrol retailers warned—AUSTRALIA'S competition watchdog has warned that the major supermarkets and petrol retailers are in its sights. [Link to media]

+ Centro signs deal with billionaire—CENTRO Retail Australia has sold half-ownership stakes in three of its shopping centres to billionaire Stan Perron for $690.4 million. [Link to media]

+ BHP backs away from joint venture—BHP Billiton is turning its back on a silver, lead and zinc joint venture project in north Queensland amid doubts over its potential. [Link to media...

+ Share market gives up early gains—UPDATE: THE Australian share market had lost value by noon today, following weak overnight leads from the US and Europe. [Link to media]

+ IAG may pull out of Britain—UPDATE: INSURANCE Australia Group could pull the pin on its loss-making UK operations within the year. [Link to media]

+ Miners rebound to give market a lift—AUSTRALIAN stocks opened higher today, with gains among the big miners helping defy a weak lead from offshore markets. [Link to media]

+ Macquarie buys German gas assets—A CONSORTIUM led by Macquarie has acquired the gas network of German energy giant E.ON for $4.1 billion. [Link to media]

+ CBA profit grows, but shares tumble—UPDATE: CBA has posted strong quarterly profit growth, but concerns about  margins pushed the stock down in early trading today. [Link to media]

+ CBA on track for $7 billion profit—THE Commonwealth Bank has posted a quarterly profit of $1.7 billion - but says higher funding costs reduced margins. [Link to media]

+ Markets caught up in Greek tragedy—STOCK markets around the globe have lurched into a violent tailspin amid fears Greece will be thrust out of the eurozone. [Link to media]

+ Glum forecast takes its Toll—SPOOKED shareholders sent the price of Toll Holdings shares down 15 per cent after the logistics giant warned of a sharp drop in earnings. [Link to ...

+ BHP steps back from $80b splurge—MINING giant BHP Billiton will take a sledgehammer to its plans to spend $80 billion expanding in Australia. [Link to media]

+ Two-speed trading for Westfield—WESTFIELD Group has recorded sluggish first quarter sales growth in Australia as consumers continue to tighten their belts. [Link to media]

+ CSR sees light through gloom—BUILDING products company CSR has weathered the housing downturn to return a profit of $76.3 million. [Link to media]

+ BHP calls off $80b expansion plan—UPDATE: BHP Billiton chairman Jacques Nasser has backed away form the mining giant's promise to spend $80 billion on growth projects. [Link to media]

+ Wages growth within RBA target range—WAGES growth cooled slightly in the March quarter, but not enough to impact any Reserve Bank interest rate deliberations. [Link to media]

+ Greek crisis fallout wipes $70b off ASX—UPDATE: FEAR that Greece will be evicted from the eurozone has seen almost $70 billion wiped off the Australian stock market this month. [Link to m...

+ Call to give casual workers annual leave—CASUAL workers should be given annual leave and employees should not be kept in unstable work long-term, an ACTU report recommends. [Link to media]

+ Offshore woes take heavy toll on ASX—AUSTRALIAN stocks opened sharply lower today after a poor night on Wall Street and ongoing troubles in Europe. [Link to media]

+ Dislike! GM says Facebook ads don't work—GENERAL Motors has withdrawn its $10 million Facebook advertising account, saying the ads are not effective. [Link to media]

+ Demand still strong, says Westfield—WESTFIELD Group says sales are up in its Australian shopping centres as demand for retail space remains strong. [Link to media]

+ CSR gloomy about housing outlook—BUILDING products group CSR fears Australia's housing construction industry will remain in the doldrums in the year ahead. [Link to media]

+ Dollar down as Greek talks fail—THE dollar is three quarters of a US cent lower after talks between Greece's political parties failed. [Link to media]

+ We've lost urge to splurge—AUSTRALIAN consumers are among the most concerned in the world and plan to curtail spending further in coming months, research shows. [Link to media...

+ Vaccinate us from euro sting—THE company tax rate should be slashed to 20pc to boost productivity and counter a 15-year downturn, David Murray says. [Link to media]

+ PacBrands left at altar—PACIFIC Brands has joined the roll call of companies warning sales are sliding as consumers keep a firm grip on the purse strings. [Link to media]

+ Banks under new pressure—CHASTENED Wall Street banking titan JPMorgan Chase has parted ways with its investment chief as it fights to restore its reputation. [Link to media]

+ Coke: it's us or imports—MAJOR retailers will determine the fate of our food industry with their choices of local or imported products, says Coke chief Terry Davis. [Link to m...

+ We're fair, Coles tells inquiry—COLES has defended its private label strategy at a Senate inquiry into the state of Australia's food processing industry. [Link to media]

+ Property sales the key to Kresta profit—BLINDS and curtains maker Kresta expects property sales to bring it back to profitability this financial year. [Link to media]

+ CCA strikes deals with global brewers—UPDATE: COCA-Cola Amatil today signalled its intent to move back into beer production and distribution in Australia. [Link to media]

+ RBA cut to counter banks' rate hikes—THE RBA's surprise decision to slash its cash rate this month was partly a response to banks charging higher home loan interest rates. [Link to medi...

+ Dollar back below parity amid Greek fears—THE Australian dollar has fallen back below parity with its US counterpart as fears mount that Greece will exit the eurozone. [Link to media]

+ Greek turmoil weighs on share market—AUSTRALIAN stocks opened lower today, with investors wary as the political gridlock in Greece dominated trading. [Link to media]

+ Pacific Brands takeover off the table—SHARES in Pacific Brands plunged today after the company said there was no prospect of a takeover any time soon. [Link to media]

+ Coke expects more fizz in profit—COCA-Cola Amatil expects a higher underlying profit in the first half of the 2012 calendar year, despite tough trading conditions. [Link to media]

+ EU pleads with Greece to stay the course—UPDATE: EU leaders have promised to stand by Greece provided it sticks to its bailout terms and maintains its austerity program. [Link to media]

+ Dollar falls into the dropzone—THE Australian dollar has tumbled below parity with the greenback for the first time this year as another bout of anxiety engulfs the globe. [Link to ...

+ Swan's olive branch to big-wigs—TREASURER Wayne Swan has moved to rebuild bridges with Australia's corporate cream after last week's backflip. [Link to media]

+ Dulux ready to walk away from Alesco—PAINT maker DuluxGroup has vowed to abandon its bid for Alesco if the takeover target tries to ratchet up the offer price. [Link to media]

+ Resources rock telco, bank gains—AUSTRALIAN shares have closed slightly higher, driven by gains in the telecommunications and financial sectors. [Link to media]

+ Mood sombre as tax looms—NEARLY two thirds of private companies feel their business will cop a hit from the carbon tax, new research shows. [Link to media]

+ Falling dollar won't affect prices - yet—UPDATE: THE Australian dollar is losing purchasing power, but imports are likely to stay cheap - for a while at least. [Link to media]

+ Telcos and banks give market a lift—UPDATE: AUSTRALIAN shares closed slightly higher today, driven by gains in the telecommunications and financial sectors. [Link to media]

+ Housing activity stabilising after falls—A RISE in new home loans is a sign the housing sector is stabilising, and recent interest rate cuts could give it a boost, economists say. [Link to me...

+ Jobs at risk as Game collapses—ENTERTAINMENT retailer Game has gone into administration, leaving the future of 500 employees across 92 stores at risk. [Link to media]

+ Dollar falls below parity, then rebounds—UPDATE: THE Australian dollar dropped below parity with its US counterpart but has since moved back above the key level. [Link to media]

+ 'Fickle' pricing costly for Incitec Pivot—EXPLOSIVES maker Incitec Pivot blames  "fickle'' world pricing in its fertiliser division for a 13 per cent drop in profit. [Link to media]

+ ASX holds ground despite offshore falls—AUSTRALIAN shares were slightly higher at noon today as the local market held its ground despite falls on Wall Street and in Europe. [Link to media]

+ Australian dollar falls below parity—THE Australian dollar has fallen below parity with the US dollar for the first time in almost five months. [Link to media]

+ Dulux prepared to drop takeover bid—UPDATE: PAINT maker DuluxGroup says it will walk away from the  Alesco takeover if its target tries to ratchet up the price too much. [Link to me...

+ Chevron signs another Japan gas deal—CHEVRON Australia says it has signed a deal to sell liquefied natural gas  from its WA Wheatstone project to a Japanese firm. [Link to media]

+ Chinese move gives share market a lift—AUSTRALIAN stocks opened firmer today, buoyed by the Chinese central bank's actions to support lending in a key trading partners. [Link to media]

+ Stability vital for LNG projects—UNCERTAINTY about Federal Government policies could put billions of dollars worth of liquefied natural gas projects at risk. [Link to media]

+ NAB to raise $500m through debt issue—NATIONAL Australia Bank will raise up to $500 million by issuing subordinated notes to investors. [Link to media]

+ Dulux paints brighter picture for future—PAINT maker DuluxGroup's first-half profit has fallen, but it expects the full-year result to be higher than last year's. [Link to media]

+ Chevron sells 80 per cent of Aus LNG—A FOURTH Japanese power company is the latest customer to sign up for US giant Chevron's gas from the huge Wheatstone field  off WA. [Link to med...

+ NAB says more cuts on way—BANKS expect their mortgage profits will continue to be squeezed and that the Reserve will keep lowering rates, NAB'S chief said. [Link to media]

+ Mine your own business—WEALTH from the resources boom should not be redistributed, a new report commissioned by the oil and gas sector has warned. [Link to media]

+ Facebook fever rises ahead of IPO—FACEBOOK frenzy spreads ahead of the market debut, with Zuckerberg's hoodie to Instagram sparking controversy.   [Link to media]

+ Boss sorry for 'oxygen thieves' email slur—CHUBB Security boss forced to apologise after forwarding an email to staff which described them as "oxygen thieves". [Link to media]

+ The good, bad and the unpredictable—THE "good" Budget supposedly opened the door to rate cuts. Then the "good" unemployment numbers slammed it shut. [Link to media]

+ The good, bad and unpredictable—THE "good" Budget supposedly opened the door to further interest rate cuts. Then the "good" unemployment numbers slammed it shut....

+ Taking the pain out of tax time—Tax time is less than two months away. What should we be doing now to make it less painful? Our financial experts answer your questions. [Link to medi...

+ China, Europe spark market turbulence—US stocks took a beating last week, only to face more turbulence from Europe as Greece grapples with rising political uncertainty that could cost the ...

+ Storm warning on the horizon—A FRESH credit crisis may be looming, with Standard & Poor's warning a "perfect storm" could send funding costs soaring for banks. [Link...

+ Similar cut, similar tune at ANZ—ANZ has become the last major bank to lower its lending rates, cutting standard mortgages and business rates by 37 basis points. [Link to media]

+ The mother of all sacrifices—ON the eve of Mother's Day celebrations, it is becoming increasingly clear that many Aussie women are still losing out on finances. [Link to media]

+ Watchdog warns on carbon tax—THE ACCC has called on small businesses to dob in rivals who are blaming the carbon tax for unreasonable price increases. [Link to media]

+ Nason takes chair at Foxtel—TELSTRA executive and former Racing Victoria chief executive Robert Nason is the new chairman of pay-TV company Foxtel. [Link to media]

+ US bank woes weigh on share market—UPDATE: THE Australian share market closed lower today after some bad news about America's largest bank spooked investors. [Link to media]

+ ANZ follows suit with partial rate cut—ANZ has followed the other big banks and held back some of last week's official rate cut, lowering its mortgage rate by only 37 basis points. [Link ...

+ Wozniak at the core of Apple's success—STEVE Wozniak designed his first computer for fun and resigned himself to having "almost no chance of having a girlfriend or a wife". [Lin...

+ Watchdog warns of carbon tax rip-offs—THE competition watchdog says it has already come across businesses using the imminent carbon tax to gouge consumers. [Link to media]

+ Sluggish market loses more ground—UPDATE: AUSTRALIAN shares were lower at noon today after a sluggish week of trading on the local market. [Link to media]

+ Shares start flat as investors wait—AUSTRALIAN stocks opened flat today as market players waited for key economic data from China. [Link to media]

+ Jobs jump set to stop RBA rate cut—AN interest rate cut next month is off the agenda as employment figures reveal the jobless rate has tumbled, economists say. [Link to media]

+ NAB aims to keep home rate down—NATIONAL Australia Bank is sticking with its commitment to have the lowest standard mortgage rate among major lenders. [Link to media]

+ Optus to contest footy app decision—OPTUS chief Paul O'Sullivan has vowed to prove "the law is on our side"  over football broadcasts on smartphones. [Link to media]

+ Top third quarter for News Corp—NEWS Corporation shares have rallied after the group revealed its third-quarter net profit had surged by almost half. [Link to media]

+ Rio Tinto may scrap local projects—MINING giant Rio Tinto has flagged cutting some of its multi-billion dollar Australian expansion projects as costs soar. [Link to media]

+ Jobless fall gives share market a boost—UPDATE: THE Australian share market closed higher today, boosted by a better-than-expected unemployment rate. [Link to media]

+ NAB winning customers, but at a cost—UPDATE: NATIONAL Australia Bank's six-month profit is up to a record $2.83 billion as it beats its rivals on customer growth. [Link to media]

+ Rio Tinto's confidence grows—RIO Tinto chairman Jan du Plessis had good news for shareholders at today's AGM - their commodities outlook has improved. [Link to media]

+ Caltex expects refineries to improve—CALTEX is hoping for a fall in the Australian dollar to help in its expected improvement in margins on its Sydney and Brisbane refineries. [Link to me...

+ Part-time better than the alternative—ANALYSIS: PART-time jobs are the new trend across Australia's patchwork economy. And Victoria is at the epicentre of it. [Link to media]

+ Share market defies global slump—AUSTRALIAN shares opened slightly today, higher despite sharp falls on Wall Street and on European markets. [Link to media]

+ Optus on the rise in competitive market—OPTUS has lifted its annual net profit by 1.5 per cent to $787 million, despite intense competition from its telco rivals. [Link to media]

+ News Corp posts strong profit rise—GLOBAL media giant News Corporation has reported a 47 per cent lift in third-quarter net profit, thanks to a number of one-off gains.   [Link t...

+ British woes hurt NAB bottom line—NATIONAL Australia Bank's half-year profit has fallen 15.5 per cent due to its underperforming operations in Britain. [Link to media]

+ Business chiefs slam 'broken promise'—BUSINESS leaders have criticised the Government for breaking its promise to cut company tax, warning it could cost jobs. [Link to media]

+ Credit where due but some doubt—CREDIT-rating agencies have given the Budget a clean bill of health, but warned the Government may struggle to achieve a surplus. [Link to media]

+ Warning of flight price take-off—THE airport and tourism industries say Budget measures will make flying more expensive and time-consuming. [Link to media]

+ Parity looms for Australian dollar—THE Australian dollar is tumbling back towards parity, falling more than a cent against the greenback yesterday. [Link to media]

+ Government backflip no miner sin—THE mining sector says the Federal Government's backflip on the corporate tax cut has added to investment uncertainty. [Link to media]

+ European fears weigh on share market—UPDATE: THE Australian share market closed lower today amid concern over the uncertain future of European austerity measures. [Link to media]

+ Optus edges closer to 10m customers—OPTUS added 80,000 customers in the three months to the end of March, taking its total to nearly 9.5 million. [Link to media]

+ Optus edges closer to 10,000 customers—OPTUS added 80,000 customers in the three months to the end of March, taking its total to nearly 9.5 million. [Link to media]

+ Business feels let down by Budget—THE business sector has restated its disappointment that the Federal Government shelved a company tax cut in the Budget. [Link to media]

+ Shake-up at the top for David Jones—UPMARKET department store David Jones has announced new executive roles and the loss of a number of senior positions. [Link to media]

+ Ford suffers as Falcon sales plunge—FORD Australia has recorded its worst financial result, a $290 million after-tax loss as Falcon sales continue to plunge. [Link to media]

+ Ratings agencies positive on Budget—THE three major international credit ratings agencies have welcomed the Budget plan to return to surplus - but warn it may be hard to achieve. [Link t...

+ Ratings agencies postive on Budget—THE three major international credit ratings agencies have welcomed the Budget plan to return to surplus - but warn it may be hard to achieve. [Link t...

+ Market lower after Budget tax blow—AUSTRALIAN shares opened lower today after falls on Wall Street and the absence of an expected company tax cut in the Budget. [Link to media]

+ Ex-Target chief to run Billabong—SURFWEAR retailer Billabong has appointed former Target managing director Launa Inman to its head role. [Link to media]

+ Budget falls short for retailers—RETAILERS have slammed the Budget, saying it has fallen short for them and the government is penalising business. [Link to media]

+ Top end's tax bill to fund surplus—CORPORATE Australia will have to do the heavy lifting to deliver the Federal Government's promised $1.5 billion Budget surplus. [Link to media]

+ Reaction to the Federal Budget—TEN business and industry leaders, including the ACCI's Peter Anderson, give their reaction to the 2012 Federal Budget. [Link to media]

+ Heavy road users under the pump—THE wheels keeping the economy moving face a major speed bump in the shape of a $698 million fuel tax rise affecting heavy transport. [Link to media]

+ Dollar hops on roller-coaster—THE Australian dollar tumbled almost a cent against the greenback in the hours ahead of the release of the Federal Budget. [Link to media]

+ Minor players lose out in blame game—BUSINESSES will miss out on promised company tax relief with Treasurer Wayne Swan last night laying the blame on the Opposition. [Link to media]

+ Trade deficit hurt by floods and strikes—UPDATE: AUSTRALIA'S trade deficit has extended into its third straight month, but economists say a return to surplus is likely. [Link to media]

+ Leighton companies win $700m contracts—TWO subsidiaries of construction giant Leighton Holdings have won $700 million in new contracts in Indonesia and Australia. [Link to media]

+ Share market reclaims some lost ground—UPDATE: THE Australian share market closed higher today, in the wake of better-than-expected trading on US and European markets. [Link to media]

+ Centro Retail in trading halt—Centro Retail Australia has gone into a trading halt pending an announcement on settlement over its $200 million class action. [Link to media]

+ CBA cuts fixed rate home loans—THE Commonwealth Bank of Australia is cutting interest rates on its one- and three-year fixed home loans by up to 0.34 percentage point. [Link to me...

+ Mining giants lead share market higher—UPDATE: AUSTRALIAN shares were slightly higher at noon today, bouncing back after better-than-expected trading on Wall Street. [Link to media]

+ OneSteel name change approved—ONESTEEL shareholders have voted in favour of changing the company's name to Arrium. [Link to media]

+ Australia's trade deficit widens—AUSTRALIA'S trade deficit widened in March, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said today. [Link to media]

+ Etihad cancels orders for Airbus A350s—ETIHAD Airlines has cancelled more than half of its original order for the new-era Airbus A350 as development of the aircraft is delayed. [Link to med...

+ Share market opens in positive mood—AUSTRALIAN shares opened slightly higher today after European markets had a change of heart about France's new president. [Link to media]

+ Facebook buys smartphone start-up—FACEBOOK has ramped up its focus on mobile lifestyles with the purchase of "social discovery" start-up Glancee. [Link to media]

+ Property drop imperils surplus—AUSTRALIA'S property market continues to languish, putting pressure on the Federal Government's plan for a Budget surplus. [Link to media]

+ Market, dollar cop an Eiffel—MORE than $28 billion has been wiped from the Australian share market amid fresh concerns about the eurozone debt crisis. [Link to media]

+ Rebuilt chemical maker seeks spark—ORICA has suffered a 4 per cent slide in first-half profit after paying heavily for ammonia leaks at a key plant. [Link to media]

+ Alesco awaits bid details from Dulux—ROLLER-door maker Alesco says it hasn't receive a formal takeover offer from DuluxGroup,  a week after its suitor unveiled plans for a bid. [Link...

+ Doubt over ANZ job ad figures—ANZ will investigate statistics used for its benchmark survey on job advertising, warning a glitch has thrown results into doubt. [Link to media]

Last new 20/5/12 12:04am.