The United States and China held the inaugural meeting of their bilateral Board of Trade on Friday, just days before US President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen. “Today, the Office of the US Trade Representative, alongside the @USTreasury, held the first official US-China Board of Trade meeting with our Chinese counterparts,” the US Trade Representative (USTR) said on social media. “The Trump Administration looks forward to continuing our engagement with China...

The Treasury secretary blamed the department for not sanctioning the Singaporean firm and said that Nvidia employees should be held accountable if they sidestepped the law.

Left-leaning journalist Kara Swisher criticized President Trump’s response to former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s scandal involving an extramarital affair with a suspected Chinese spy, saying the president is downplaying the seriousness of the allegations. “He has to say nothing's going on here … because if there were, he's in real trouble,” Swisher told CNN’s Kaitlan...

The head of Hong Kong’s Catholic diocese has asked all of the city’s parishes to hold special masses and prayers to mark the first anniversary of the deadly Tai Po fire later this month. Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan invited parishes to offer mass for the deceased on November 26, one year after the blaze broke out, according to a notice issued by the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Liturgy Commission on Friday. The inferno at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate raged for more than 43 hours, killing...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale inflation cooled a bit last month yet remains elevated, evidence of stubbornly higher prices that have soured Americans on the economy and fueled big gains for Democrats in the midterm elections last week. The Labor Department’s producer price index — which captures inflation before it reaches consumers — rose 0.3% from...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is pointing the finger at Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the Trump administration's failure to place Nvidia customer Megaspeed on a U.S. trade blacklist for national security concerns. When pressed Friday over who was behind the decision, Bessent told CNBC, "Treasury, War, USTR [U.S. Trade Representative] and State … were in...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is pointing the finger at Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the Trump administration's failure to place Nvidia customer Megaspeed on a U.S. trade blacklist for national security concerns. When pressed Friday over who was behind the decision, Bessent told CNBC, "Treasury, War, USTR [U.S. Trade Representative] and State … were in...

US President Donald Trump will press Southeast Asian economies to join Pax Silica, his campaign to China-proof AI and chip supply chains, when he attends the Asean summit in Manila next week. According to people familiar with the matter, artificial intelligence and critical minerals will top his agenda at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering, his first trip abroad since his party’s bruising midterm defeats. In particular, he is expected to urge regional leaders to sign up for AI...

President Trump on Thursday nominated two officials each to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Trump nominated Democrat Kristin Johnson and Republican Steven Levine to the SEC, with their respective terms set to expire in 2029 and 2030. Johnson previously served as a commissioner at the CFTC, after...

President Trump on Thursday nominated two officials each to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Trump nominated Democrat Kristin Johnson and Republican Steven Levine to the SEC, with their respective terms set to expire in 2029 and 2030. Johnson previously served as a commissioner at the CFTC, after...

Hong Kong’s construction industry is facing mounting public scrutiny following a string of scandals involving substandard work, defective installations and questionable maintenance practices. From malfunctioning hospital lifts and missing fire-safety components in lift door frames to defective columns at a railway station and structural flaws in residential projects, the incidents have raised concerns over construction quality, regulatory oversight and accountability. Secretary for Development...

Jensen Huang’s abrupt resignation from Nvidia has cast uncertainty over the US chip giant’s multibillion-dollar investments in open-source artificial intelligence, while potentially depriving Chinese developers of one of their most influential advocates in Washington. His departure could prompt Nvidia to scale back spending on open-weight models and their supporting infrastructure, analysts said, although strong commercial incentives would likely keep the company committed to the broader...

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before Congress amid bipartisan concerns about the Nvidia spy scandal and the agency's enforcement of chip export controls. Lutnick has "proactively agreed to appear voluntarily" before the Senate Banking Committee, spokesperson Kristen Eichamer said in a statement. Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) sent letters to both...

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to testify before Congress amid bipartisan concerns about the Nvidia spy scandal and the agency's enforcement of chip export controls. Lutnick has "proactively agreed to appear voluntarily" before the Senate Banking Committee, spokesperson Kristen Eichamer said in a statement. Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) sent letters to both...

A global outage for Microsoft web services continued to disrupt email accounts and some other applications worldwide on Friday, while the broader stock market remains unsteady.

Two environmental samples taken from Hong Kong’s Mai Po nature reserve have tested positive for the “highly pathogenic” H5 avian flu virus, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has said. A department spokesman said that a research team from the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health had confirmed the positive tests on samples collected on Wednesday as part of regular surveillance. “The AFCD is closely monitoring the situation of the birds in the Mai Po nature...

China and the United States have a shared interest in preventing artificial intelligence (AI) from being misused, but differing views over what constitutes a serious safety incident could complicate efforts to build a bilateral communication mechanism, according to analysts. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that Washington and Beijing should cooperate on AI risks while harbouring no illusions about their differences. He noted the two governments had established a new dialogue...

Trivia buffs: can you get a perfect score in the interactive superquiz?

Hong Kong education authorities have ordered a nursery in Kowloon Tong to submit a report after it allegedly failed to explain why a two-year-old pupil had a large bump on the back of his head after classes. The Education Bureau said it was highly concerned about the incident at Cannan Kindergarten (Waterloo Road) and had told the school to submit a report. “Upon receiving the complaint from the parents, the bureau immediately contacted the parents and the school to understand the situation and...

Microsoft is still working to restore access to its services after a massive global outage impacted dozens of its services on Thursday. The company said early Friday that it is “seeing encouraging recovery progress,” according to a statement shared on social media.  “Some users may still experience intermittent issues as recovery actions continue,” it reads....

Microsoft is still working to restore access to its services after a massive global outage impacted dozens of its services on Thursday. The company said early Friday that it is “seeing encouraging recovery progress,” according to a statement shared on social media.  “Some users may still experience intermittent issues as recovery actions continue,” it reads....

A 14-month-old girl died in Hong Kong on Friday after catching influenza, the third death of a child recorded by the city’s health authorities this flu season. The Centre for Health Protection said that although influenza activity had shown signs of decline since the city entered flu season in late June, it remained above the baseline thresholds. Twenty-nine severe cases involving children have been recorded. Apart from the three who died, two children remained in a serious condition in...

Choi Jong-in, 78, still aches for his friend Jeon Tae-il, who was just 22. When Jeon set himself on fire in the middle of Pyeonghwa Market in Seoul's Jung District on Nov. 13, 1970, Choi was the first to rush to his side, taking off his jacket to smother the flames. “His hair was burning and curling like nylon fabric, his lips were turning inside out, but he sprang back to his feet and shouted, ‘We are not machines!” More than half a century has passed, and one might expect Choi to recount the incident with the composure of an elderly man who has come to terms with life. But for a while, he cannot bring himself to continue. He has never really given an interview about Jeon. While Jeon's mother, the late Lee So-sun (who died in 2011), was alive, Choi says he held back because he did not want to cause her further grief. Even after she passed away and was reunited with her son, he found it too painful to speak. The trauma never entirely left him, but it did not break him. Instead, he turned his guilt over losing Jeon, chairman of the Samdong Friendship Association (Samdonghoe), into a

For some young Korean workers, leaving the office on time matters more than finishing every task, and avoiding the responsibilities of a permanent position can be more appealing than climbing the corporate ladder. These attitudes are emerging among members of Generation Z, who are challenging workplace expectations long shaped by loyalty, overtime and deference to senior colleagues. In a roundtable discussion organized by the Hankook Ilbo, young participants shared their views on work, career advancement and workplace relationships, revealing both generational differences and contradictions in their own approaches to professional life. Their experiences suggest that while younger employees increasingly demand clearer boundaries and more explicit instructions, they sometimes struggle to meet those same expectations when they become responsible for guiding others. Leaving work on time, even with tasks unfinished For Korea's Generation X, now largely in their 50s, staying late at the office was once considered a badge of dedication. In her 2000 novel "A Very Old Joke," acclaimed Korean author

Samsung Guide Dog School, which marks its 33rd anniversary this year, is Korea’s first guide dog training institution and the world’s only guide dog school operated by a single corporation, with its operations fully funded by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance. The school was established in September 1993 by late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee as part of efforts to foster greater understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities. At the time, corporate involvement in guide dog training was unprecedented worldwide. The school became a full member of the International Guide Dog Federation in 1999 and went on to host the organization's general assembly in Korea in 2002. Lee was also honored by the federation that year for his efforts to raise awareness of people with disabilities. Since its first guide dog, Bada, was paired with a visually impaired person in 1994, the school has provided more than 320 guide dogs to visually impaired partners free of charge. Its responsibilities extend beyond raising and training guide dogs. The school also teaches visually impaired partners how

Completing professional training does not mean a guide dog is immediately ready to accompany a visually impaired person. The dog must first be matched with a suitable partner, and the two must learn to walk and live together. Few understand this process better than Yoo Seok-jong of Samsung Guide Dog School. Born with a visual impairment, Yoo now lives with his fifth guide dog. Drawing on his own experience, he helps visually impaired people find dogs suited to their needs and lifestyles. During an interview at the school in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 2, Yoo was accompanied by Gori, a 5-year-old demonstration dog. Yoo's own guide dog was at a veterinary clinic after falling ill that morning. Friendly and sociable, Gori normally helps introduce visitors to guide dogs and accompanies visually impaired people on trial walks. Yoo said one of the most important factors in matching a guide dog with a prospective partner is walking speed. "The person's walking speed needs to match the dog's natural pace," he said. "Trying to force either one to adjust can be difficult." Temperament is equa

As Jerry, a Labrador retriever, approached a crosswalk, he came to a stop at the curb. His trainer, Keum Jung-hun, had given no command. Jerry simply recognized the boundary between the sidewalk and the road and stopped on his own. Keum pressed a small device, producing a sharp click. Known as a clicker, the tool signals that Jerry has performed a task correctly. "It means he did a good job," Keum explained. "Verbal praise takes time, but a clicker lets us mark the exact moment he does something right." Jerry is an almost 2-year old guide dog in training. The Korea Times met him during a training session at Samsung Guide Dog School on Nov. 2. The school in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is fully funded by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance. After six to seven months of professional training, he has passed his final walking assessment and is now completing the remaining steps before being paired with a visually impaired partner. Accompanying Jerry and Keum on their morning training walk outside the school grounds near Bundang Central Park in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, revealed that guide dog tr

The memory business has rarely had it this good, thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Korea’s chipmakers are reporting extraordinary earnings and unusual confidence that the good times will last. SK hynix’s third-quarter operating profit rose more than sevenfold to 83.3 trillion won ($62 billion), an operating margin of almost 80 percent. Samsung Electronics’ rose nearly ninefold to 107.4 trillion won, with its memory business setting records of its own. Across the West Sea, China’s challengers are sharing in the windfall. ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) remains far smaller, but its quarterly revenue rose more than sevenfold to 118.7 billion yuan ($17.8 billion), with a net profit attributable to shareholders of 54.4 billion yuan, reversing years of losses. CXMT and Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) are the twin pillars of China’s drive for memory self-sufficiency, part of Beijing’s broader pursuit of technological independence facing U.S. export restrictions. Fresh capital, new factories and increasingly sophisticated technology are helping them challenge th

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating slipped back to 39 percent this week, a weekly poll showed Friday, amid negative sentiment over his real estate policies and economic concerns. The survey, conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,002 people aged 18 and older, showed that positive assessments of Lee's performance fell 2 percentage points from the previous week, when the figure stood at 41 percent. Lee's approval rating has fluctuated around the 40 percent mark in recent weeks after hitting a low of 37 percent in October. Those who disapproved of Lee's handling of state affairs remained unchanged from the previous week at 50 percent. Real estate policies were cited the most by those who disapproved of Lee's performance at 17 percent, followed by economic and livelihood concerns at 15 percent. Among those who positively assessed Lee's performance, 19 percent cited economic and livelihood issues, followed by diplomacy at 17 percent and communication at 9 percent. The latest survey came amid political disputes over a controversial special counsel bill over allegatio

For the emergency dispatchers staffing Seoul’s 119 hotline — Korea’s equivalent of 911 — every second counts. Yet over the past year, a handful of individuals treated the city’s critical lifeline for fires, accidents, and medical emergencies as a personal bulletin board, a late-night cab service and a sounding board for drunken rants. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday that it had filed criminal complaints against five habitual callers who collectively flooded the 119 emergency dispatch center with 8,710 non-emergency calls and text messages between September 2025 and August 2026. The barrage intensified over the summer. Between June and August alone, the five individuals accounted for 4,034 separate contacts — an average of more than 40 disruptions a day. Among the worst offenders, one individual placed 2,661 phone calls, while another sent 2,886 text messages. According to the Seoul Emergency Operations Center, the nature of the contacts ranged from perplexing to blatantly disruptive. Dispatchers fielded silent calls where nobody spoke on the line, incoherent ra