A global stock rally was stopped in its tracks after new concerns flared that the coronavirus could spread significantly beyond the locked-down cities at the epicentre of the outbreak in China.

The ECB’s growing confidence that the eurozone economy was on the mend may suffer a setback as the continent reels from the economic fallout of the coronavirus, a leading economist has said.

Hon Hai Precision - also known also as Foxconn - cut its 2020 revenue outlook after deciding to impose strict quarantines at its main iPhone-making base, a measure to guard against the coronavirus outbreak that may hurt Apple.

The billionaire founder of Apple’s largest supplier has asked the US company to move part of its sprawling production chain from China to neighbouring Taiwan.

Apple has asked its largest suppliers to consider the costs of shifting 15% to 30% of its output from China to south-east Asia in a dramatic shake-up of its production chain, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper has reported.

Saritha Rai Foxconn is within weeks of starting trial production of the latest iPhones in India as Apple seeks to revive its fortunes in the country.

It is big. It’s far away and they have pollution problems. They live in big cities.

Apple will halve its iPhone X production target for the first three months of the year to around 20 million units, the Asian Nikkei publishing company has reported, sending its shares down around 2.6% at one stage in the latest session.

As of September, it was clearer than ever that production problems meant Apple wouldn’t have enough iPhone Xs in time for the US holidays. The challenge was how to make the sophisticated phone — with advanced features such as facial recognition — in large enough numbers.

Apple and its Asian contract manufacturers are hitting back at Qualcomm with legal claims that try to undermine the chipmaker’s attempt to force them to pay licensing fees.

Apple and computing giant Dell will join a Foxconn-led consortium bidding for Toshiba’s highly-prized chip unit, the head of the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer has said.

Qualcomm has filed a complaint against Foxconn Technology and three other Apple contract manufacturers for not paying royalties, firing the latest salvo in its fight with the iPhone maker.

Three new Nokia devices, the Nokia 3, the Nokia 5 and the Nokia 6, are expected to launch simultaneously in 120 markets this quarter.

A jump in orders for semiconductors ahead of the release of Apple’s newest iPhones helped Taiwan post the first gain in exports in a year and a half. The jump may boost growth in the trade-dependent economy.

A ‘fourth industrial revolution’ is on the way that could lead to millions of job losses in Europe and the developing world, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

Though Apple is one of the biggest and most admired companies in the world, it has never been far from controversy, clashing with rival companies and the authorities down the years.

Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry, which assembles the bulk of Apple’s latest smartphones, saw its December revenues slump by a fifth and full-year sales miss expectations.

Apple is expected to cut production of its latest iPhone models by about 30% in the January-March quarter due to mounting inventories, the Nikkei reported, rattling the nerves of investors in the US giant’s Asian suppliers.

A robot equipped with a “heart” designed to not only recognise human emotions, but react with simulations of anger, joy and irritation, is going on sale in Japan.

Nokia has shot down reports that it will return to manufacturing phones.

More than $AUD8.9bn (€5.8bn) in profits have flown from Apple’s Australian operations in the past 10 years to Apple’s Cork subsidiary, it has emerged.

Apple will investigate allegations by advocacy group China Labour Watch that factories run by Taiwanese supplier Pegatron use underage workers, pay insufficient wages and force employees to work overtime.