COMPANIES

The global insurance industry is bracing itself for a $600 million hit for 2014 in the aftermath of the two Malaysia Airlines tragedies and the seizure by rebels of the Tripoli airport in Libya.

Apple said on Thursday that it would replace all iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus that have bent as a result of placing it inside pants pocket for a period of time.

Even if Philippine shopping giant SM had removed the offensive rape joke T-shirt from its flagship store in Megamall, the apparel continues to be available online.

Apple Inc has done "extremely well" in the eyes of analysts who maintained an Outperform or Buy rating on Apple's stock. Apple has set a new record for iPhone opening weekend sales at 10 million units.

A photo of a T-shirt with an offending message became viral on Facebook and other social media sites after Filipinos criticised the manufacturer for its rape joke. The strong negative sentiment about the said apparel led Philippine mall giant SM Supermalls to pull out the item from its shelves.

About 700 miners or 7 per cent of the 10,000-strong workforce of BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) deployed in Queensland would soon lose their jobs.

A Chinese e-commerce giant broke the 2010 IPO record set by another Sino firm, the Agricultural Bank of China, when it raised $22.1 billion capital via the share launch. On Monday, Alibaba Holdings Group (NYSE: BABA) raised $25 billion after underwriters sold 48 million more shares.

Hungry Jack's launched Flame Their McOpoly to rival Macca's Monopoly campaign.

Apple Inc (AAPL) is predicted to have a strong opening sales weekend in retail stores around the world. Some analysts projected lower sales figures due to limited supplies and high demand.

Jack Cooksey is officially the first owner of the Apple iPhone 6 in Australia by lining up all night on Thursday in Perth. However, when he was interviewed by the Today Show, his precious mark in Australian tech history was almost removed because the smartphone dropped to the floor as the nervous gadget owner struggled to open the box.

In 2000, Softbank of Japan invested $20 million in Alibaba.com, which was not known yet in the global tech circle. Masayoshi Son, the chief executive of Softbank, is reaping the fruit of his investment decision as shareprices of Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) surge ahead of its initial public offering on Friday, Sept 19.

A new startup in the US is offering handsome male servants who would pamper their employers in the tradition of butlers for $125 per hour. The firm, aptly named ManServants, was established by two young female entrepreneurs. Some of their man servants are former strippers.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE: BABA) increased the price range of its initial public offering scheduled to launch on Friday, Sept 19. The new price range of $66 to $68 from the previous $60 to $66 is an indicator of the strong demand for shares of the e-commerce portal founded by former teacher Jack Ma.

Pizza Hut Mount Waverley branch offered a free small animal if customers bought 10 large pizzas.

The Web sites of Australian carriers Telstra, Vodafone and Optus, and Cupertino-based Apple crashed because of the huge volume of demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Six months after Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370 mysteriously disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board, the head of the Indonesian Police Force claimed he knew what happened to the missing Boeing 777 jet but did not provide any further details.

Apple's new products has impressed Goldman Sachs analysts who raised their price target of Apple stock and earnings forecasts. Apple Pay may be promising in Australia.

Optus Australian subscribers could expect better TV, Internet, phone and data transmission with the successful launch of the carrier's Optus 10 satellite on Friday morning. The Ariane 5 rocket launched the satellite from the European space centre at Kourou, French Guiana.

BRW named on Friday a software firm about to launch a HipChat app for Apple watch as the best placed to work in Australia. The award is based on feedback from over 28,000 workers polled by BRW and a culture audit.

An online petition is collecting signatures to shutter the Naked Sushi catering company in British Columbia, Canada, because of its flagship service in which diners eat sushi that is piled on top of a naked female model's body. Feminist groups in Canada denounced the Japanese firm for treating women's body as just as object and only emphasises the sexual role of women in society

Telstra said on Thursday that as part of its expansion, the carrier's 4G coverage would be accessible to 90 per cent of Australians. The telco would also widen its 700MHz commercial trials to include selected zones in Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin, Bundaberg, Yamaba and Sarina when the 700Mhz offering is switched on next week.

Russia has pulled out its troops from Ukraine, NATO said there still remained 1,000 troops on the ground.

The rage now among men who love to live their sexual fantasies but probably couldn't find a female sex partner willing to do what they want is to buy a realistic love doll. Priced at a minimum of $2,000, the doll manufactured by a Japanese firm, Oriental Industry, may find competition within a decade from sex robots.

Because of the many perks enjoyed by Google employees, ranging from gourmet food to gym to laundry facilities, some wise workers manage to go around the giant tech firm's policy that no one should live in its office.

Telcos are riding on the expected consumer frenzy created by the Wednesday launch of Apple's iPhone 6. Telstra is enticing smartphone enthusiast to buy the flagship device from it and get extra credit and download data.

French telco giant Orange is considering a buy-out of Spanish telcos Jazztel and Yoigo if ever these two firms would be placed on the block, said Orange CEO Federico Colom.

The launch of Samsung's new products like the Galaxy Note 4 did not deter analysts from increasing their price target for Apple stock. Apple shares are expected to rise after the company's "Fab Fall" Sept. 9 event.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Holdings starts on Monday, Sept 8, its roadshow for the company's initial public offering (IPO) expected to raise as much as $24 billion, documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday showed. The roadshow kicks off in New York.

Duff beers are said to encourage children and adolescent to grab a bottle.