BERNE (AFP) - Applauded by Switzerland's business sector, the country's free-trade deal with China is heavy with symbolism, coming as Beijing locks horns with the European Union in a raft of commercial disputes.
NEW YORK (AFP) - US credit card giants Visa and Mastercard sued retailers that rejected a multibillion-dollar settlement over transaction fees and asked the court to rule the fee practices weren't illegal.
HONG KONG (REUTERS) - The chairman of Hong Kong's Mercantile Exchange is under police investigation, the government said on Friday, as three other men were charged with possessing false documents including a fake cheque for US$460 million (S$573 million) following a probe into alleged irregularities at the shuttered exchange.
SHANGHAI (REUTERS) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang criticised the European Union over its plans to investigate alleged anti-competitive behaviour by Chinese mobile telecom equipment makers and to impose punitive import duties on solar panels from China, state media reported.
NEW YORK (REUTERS) - The S&P 500 declined for a third day on Friday, with the three major United States (US) stock indexes posting their first negative week since mid-April on lingering concern that the US central bank may scale back its stimulus measures to support the economy.
