Bloomberg Chinese banks had more than 26 trillion yuan ($3.8 trillion) of wealth-management products held off their balance sheets at the end of December, a 30 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the central bank. The expansion of this form of shadow banking, with money eventually being diverted to quasi-loans and bonds, outpaced the 10 percent growth …

  Bloomberg In the shadows of the Alps, Swiss companies are confronting a new reality: They won’t be adding manufacturing jobs in the country anytime soon — not for humans, anyway. Faced with an unsinkable franc and among the highest average annual wages in the world, Swiss companies looking to expand face a simple choice: add robots or leave. Fragrance-maker …

  DUBAI / Emirates Business The GCC is on course to rapidly evolve into one of the most sustainable and technologically advanced regions in the world due to smart technology, and given this trajectory, there is anxiety that people would become more overwhelmed with keeping up with technology and neglect their personal relationships. However, if used correctly, smart technology improves …