AFP, GENEVA: Luxury Swiss watchmakers, gathering this week at the industry's premier annual show in Geneva, hope 2017 will finally mark the end of two crisis-hit years of falling sales. Many top-flight brands, used to running their ateliers at full throttle, have resorted to laying off workers in…

AFP, BEIJING: China's largest chip maker has announced it will invest $30 billion to build a new semiconductor factory, as the world's second largest economy seeks to reduce its dependence on foreign technology. The state-owned Tsinghua Unigroup will open the facility in the city of Nanjing…

AFP, COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has failed to attract bids from international airlines to privatise its loss-making flag carrier, but will continue its efforts to salvage the company, a minister said yesterday. The government received nine offers for Sri Lankan but none were from a major international airline…

AFP, HONG KONG:  Shanghai stocks jumped yesterday after China’s economy enjoyed its first growth pick-up in two years, but traders in most…

AFP, LONDON: British retail sales unexpectedly slumped 1.9 per cent  in December from the previous month, sending the pound sliding as Friday’s official data fed into fresh worries over Brexit. “The monthly picture... shows that all main retail sectors saw a decrease in the quantity…

AFP, BEIJING:  As Donald Trump prepares to take office as the 45th president of the United States Friday, Beijing will be watching closely amid fears…

AFP, BEIJING: China’s economy grew last year at its slowest rate in more than a quarter-century but while yesterday’s data pointed to much-needed stability, Beijing is bracing for an uncertain outlook that could see a trade stand-off with Donald Trump. After a tumultuous start to 2016, the…

AFP, SAN FRANCISCO:  Uber has agreed to pay $20 million to settle charges that the ride-sharing company exaggerated claims about driver pay and new car financing, US regulators said on Thursday. The money paid by San Francisco-based Uber Technologies will be used to provide refunds to affected…