While countries such as Taiwan, China, France, Germany and the United States have extensive plans to support their semiconductor companies, the South Korean government is rare in singling out AI chips for a concentrated push. Seoul will put out a notice this month for two data centres, called neural processing unit farms, with only domestic chipmakers allowed to bid, an official at the Ministry of Science and ICT told Reuters.
Asia-Pacific stocks fell on Friday, slumping toward a second weekly loss as investors fretted about the potential for further Federal Reserve tightening and the effect on the U.S. economy. U.S. short-term Treasury yields held near a one-month high, helping the dollar tick up against major peers, after Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin overnight added to a chorus of hawkish central bank commentary in recent days.
Skating to "Michelangelo 70" and "La Muerte del Angel", Miura launched into a triple axel before landing a massive quad-triple combination to earn 91.90 points, finishing ahead of retiring Canadian Keegan Messing and American Jimmy Ma. The 17-year-old, who won bronze last year, notched two podium finishes at Grand Prix events in the United States and Canada and rebounded in impressive fashion after finishing sixth at the Japan nationals.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the lifting of visa restrictions was "a step in the right direction". "China will actively consider the resumption of short-term visas for South Korean citizens on a reciprocal basis.
South Korea's anti-trust regulator said on Thursday it would impose a combined fine of 42.3 billion won ($33.48 million) on three German automakers for colluding to rig emissions of its diesel cars using software.
($1 = 1,263.4200 won)