BUSINESS

Two companies that manufacture products for women are under criticism for the advertisements they recently released supposed to be female-oriented.

Instead of an 11-year record high unemployment rate of 6.1 per cent that economists forecast on Wednesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics surprised Aussies with a different figure. The number of jobless Aussies actually went down, rather than up, as 18,100 new jobs were created in March.

As Apple prepares to release its latest products for 2014, investors and Apple observers may focus their eyes on the company of CEO Tim Cook as he takes center stage.

Local stocks continued their upward trajectory today, consolidating at the best levels we've seen since June 2008. The All Ordinaries Index (XAO) added 17.2 points or 0.3 per cent by the close to finish at 5477.5 points.

The recent World Economic Outlook from the International Monetary Fund has seen a significant growth from the advanced economies based on global activity.

Toyota Motor Corp announced on Wednesday of a massive recall involving 6.4 million vehicles worldwide after at least five defects were found, ranging from faulty airbags and seat rails to defective windshield wipers.

Veet has pulled out the series of ads that were called “sexist” by disgruntled viewers. The hair removal brand’s newest campaign, “Don’t Risk Dudeness,” has outraged women around the world for implying women who have hairy legs and armpits can be mistaken for men.

The Australian sharemarket is continuing to improve, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) 0.5 per cent firmer and near a six-year high. No sectors are escaping the gains, with at least modest improvements felt across the board. So far this month, local stocks have improved by 1.65 per cent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday urged global governments as well as the world's numerous pharmaceuticals to lower down and make affordable the prices of cure pills for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as the agency released its first ever global Hepatitis C treatment guidelines.

KGI analysts Ming-Chi Kuo notes Apple Inc’s Q3 product launch

Tokyo Electric Power has started pumping radioactive groundwater from the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant as a preventive measure to curb further leaks in the facility.

We witnessed more green on screen for the US equity markets overnight as the FOMC minutes beat down any thought of an early rates rise in the Fed funds rate.

In US economic data, wholesale sales rose by 0.7% in February with inventories up 0.5%. The sales data was short of forecasts centred on a 1.0% increase. The weekly index of mortgage activity fell 1.6% with purchases up and refinancing down.

Interest in the medical marijuana business continues to grow after two U.S. states and a few countries had legalised the trade. Also expected to expand as a result of that development is the physical space to legally cultivate cannabis.

The resumption of pings received by the Australian ship Ocean Shield has provided a ray of hope in the month-long search for the missing Malaysian Airline Boeing 777 jet which mysteriously disappeared on March 8 with 239 people aboard while on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

Did Australian voters made a mistake when they elected the Coalition to power in September 2013? Aussies who found themselves jobless the past six months since Tony Abbott became prime minister are probably asking that question as the jobs market became tighter.

The Australian sharemarket had its best day in two months, with the All Ordinaries Index (XAO) ending 1 per cent firmer by the close. The ASX200 Index finished not too far off a six-year high and is 75 per cent higher than the lows hit in March 2009. At its best, local stocks were up 1.2 per cent today and the low was hit on the open, with the XAO up 0.6 per cent. All sectors improved, with some solid gains from the miners and banks helping most.

Australian retailer David Jones Ltd has agreed to be bought by South Africa's Woolworths Holdings Ltd. for A$2.15 billion ($2 billion), ditching a way higher offer lodged earlier by rival Myer Holdings Ltd at A$3.4-billion ($3.09-billion).

Exactly a month after it went missing, Malaysia Airlines MH370 still has yet to be found. The combined forces of 26 nations still have yet to find definite pieces of evidence leading to its possible wreckage site. All that remains conclusive is the millions of dollars thrown into the search and retrieval operations.

Finnish security experts, with Google researchers, warn netizens of a bug exposing users’ passwords

The Ebola virus outbreak now enveloping West Africa could take months before it gets totally eradicated, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Hair removal brand Veet’s newest campaign, “Don’t risk dudeness,” has sparked outrage for apparently being sexist.

With the growing popularity of anonymous social apps like "Secret" and "Whisper," Facebook seeks to provide anonymity to its users.

A Forbes contributor suggested for investors to avoid Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock

Windows 8.1 users will be able to migrate to 'Windows 8.1 Update' starting 08th April 2014. According to Microsoft, this is a mandatory and recommended update for Windows 8.1. Failure to install this Update will prevent Windows from patching the system with any future updates from May 2014. Although the Windows 8.1 Update is set out to be a security update, it packs a lot of new features. This update is available for both MSDN and TechNet subscribers.

Financially strapped Tokyo Electric Power Co, operator of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, has been slapped a US$1 billion lawsuit by the 79 US sailors who were the first respondents to the crisis three years ago. The sailors claimed the operator lied about the high level of radiation in the area as they carried out their humanitarian mission.

The local share market has tested five year highs in early trade, with every sector well supported.

After McDonald’s outlets were blacklisted in Canada for violating the Temporary Foreign Worker programme, it has been argued that Canadian workers have worse work ethics than their foreign counterparts.

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) dropped 1.7 per cent at $522.66 as of April 7 as U.S. tech stocks continued to slide in the stock market. Despite the continued fall, options traders still expects the iPhone maker to bounce back as indicated weekly call options, according to analyst reports.Options traders are positive that the new products of Apple Inc will drive the world's most valuable company after it bounced back from its worst monthly loss in 12 months.