Mau Moko, a book by four University of Waikato scholars, has won a category in this year's Montana New Zealand Book awards.

NATIONAL Australia Bank has pulled the plug on a possible $1 billion purchase of ABN Amro's local stock broking business.

THE slowing economy and rising bad debts could erase earnings growth at our major banks, Citigroup has warned.

THE lawyer for a woman accused of stealing her internet lover's seven-year-old son has told a Melbourne court she fears for her safety in custody.

THE global aviation industry will consolidate into a few, very large players as carriers struggle to cope with fuel costs, says Qantas CEO.

WORLD oil prices eased in Asian trade today as initial signs showed Tropical Storm Dolly would likely have limited impact on energy production in the Gulf of Mexico, dealers said.

OIL production in Australia has already peaked and the alternative fuels industry needs to be dramatically ramped up in response, an expert research group says.

AUSTRALIA'S biggest banks earned a combined $5.5 billion in six months from fees charged to customers, a 9 per cent rise on the same half last year.

A US citizen accused of helping to launder a $US2.5 million ($2.56 million) commission from the then Australian Wheat Board (AWB) is the latest arrest in a trade scandal in India.

TURBULENT economic times have hit Queensland's biggest surfboard maker, which has closed its Gold Coast plant and moved production offshore.

OZ Minerals, the cashed-up group created by the merger of Oxiana and Zinifex, says share price volatility has made some potential takeover targets more attractive.

THE Tokyo Stock Exchange has suspended futures and options trading due to a computer system glitch, the latest in a series of technical problems.

THE Queensland Court of Appeal has reserved its decision in an appeal against a district court judge's decision to drop child sex charges against convicted pedophile Dennis Ferguson.

TAXPAYERS should be incensed at having to foot the bill for Jayant Patel's living costs while he is on bail, Queensland Liberal Leader Mark McArdle says.

MORE dead seagulls have been found as pollution specialists continue investigating the mystery deaths of more than 140 gulls at Woodman Point, south of Fremantle.

THE latest victim of Brisbane's notorious bikeway sex assaults has revealed how her accused attacker was finally brought undone by a cry for help.

A 13-YEAR-old girl pleaded guilty today to the train station assault of a woman who died 36 hours later.

A COUPLE accused of starving a six-year-old boy and tying him to a cot may have abused him for up to two years - not a month as first thought - prosecutors said today.

MEMBERS of the public cannot be trusted to give convicted pedophile Dennis Ferguson a fair trial, a court has been told.

A POLICE officer drew his gun during the arrest of 17-year-old twin sisters in their home because he feared for his safety, a court has been told.