According to the data compiled by the European Patent Office, the number of applications related to self-driving cars filed in Europe was 3,998 in 2017, growing more than threefold from 922 in 2011. 　Samsung Electronics holds the largest number of patents between 2011 and 2017, 624, with US company Intel ranking second with 590.　US chipmaker Qualcomm held 361, followed by Samsung Electronics’ smaller rival LG Electronics at 348 and Germany’s Bosch with 343. 　The figures show that information an

Japanese stocks plunged Tuesday and other Asian markets declined following heavy Wall Street losses triggered by President Donald Trump’s criticism of the US central bank.The Nikkei 225 fell by an unusually wide margin of 5 percent to 19,155.14. The Shanghai Composite Index ended off 0.9 percent at 2,504.82 after being down as much as 2.3 percent at midday. Benchmarks in Thailand and Taiwan also declined.Markets in Europe, Hong Kong, Australia and South Korea were closed for Christmas. (Yonhap)W

　South Korea’s gaming industry is the world’s fourth largest in sales, but none of the local companies rank among the top producers, a report said.　According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, the industry’s sales came to $5.76 billion in October, ranking fourth behind $34.4 billion for China, $31.53 billion for the US and $17.71 billion for Japan.　However, Korea would rank higher if internet connections are taken into consideration.   　For example, the internet-linked population in South Kor

The US dispute with China over a ban on tech giant Huawei is spilling over to Europe, the company's biggest foreign market, where some countries are also starting to shun its network systems over data security concerns.Some European governments and telecom companies are following the US's lead in questioning whether using Huawei for vital infrastructure for mobile networks could leave them exposed to snooping by the Chinese government. Bans in Europe could significantly increase the financial pr

After almost 10 years, Wall Street's rally looks like it's ending.Another day of big losses Friday left the US market with its worst week in more than seven years. All of the major indexes have lost 16 to 26 percent from their highs this summer and fall. Barring huge gains during the upcoming holiday period, this will be the worst December for stocks since 1931.There hasn't been one major shock that has sent stocks plunging. The US economy has been growing since 2009, and most experts think it w

　Microsoft’s Satya Nadella was named the best CEO of 2018, according to compensation, culture and career website Comparably.　Other big names in the top 10 include Home Depot’s Craig Menear, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Saleforce’s Marc Benioff.　Comparably asked employees to rank their CEOs using a numerical scale and received nearly 10 million ratings from employees at more than 50,000 US companies, the report said. 

Elon Musk on Tuesday took a break from futuristic electric cars and private space travel to unveil a low-cost tunnel he sees as a godsend for city traffic.The billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX late Tuesday put the spotlight on the a 1.14 mile (1.8 kilometer) tunnel created by his Boring Company for about $10 million.The sample tunnel is part of Musk's vision to have an underground network that cars, preferably Teslas, can be lowered to by lifts, then slotted into tracks and propelled along at

China has announced a 90-day suspension of tariff hikes on $126 billion of US cars, trucks and auto parts following its cease-fire in a trade battle with Washington that threatens global economic growth.The tax agency said the suspension that takes effect Jan. 1 is intended to carry out the agreement reached by Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping during a Dec. 1 meeting in Argentina.The agency said Beijing will suspend a 25 percent import charge on $66 billion of cars and trucks and a 5 perce

TOKYO (AP) — A Tokyo court ruled Tuesday that Nissan Motor Co.'s former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, and another executive will remain in custody through Dec. 20, more than a month after their arrest. Their detention could continue for months more under the Japanese legal system.  The Tokyo District Court said Tuesday that it had rejected a protest filed by Ghosn's lawyer against the prolonged detention.The court decision comes a day after Ghosn, fellow Nissan executive Greg Kelly and Nissan Motor we

　According to Ad Age’s list of the world’s 100 largest advertisers, Samsung pumped $11.2 billion into its advertising and sales promotion in 2017, up 13 percent from the previous year.　Industry insiders say the increased spending was aimed at improving the company’s image after the highly publicized recall of the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016 due to battery explosions. It is the first time that Samsung has topped the list. 　Consumer goods corporation Procter & Gamble ranked second, spending $10.5 billio

NEW YORK (AP) — US chipmaker Qualcomm says it’s won an order in a Chinese court banning some Apple phones in China as part of a long-running dispute over patents.Qualcomm said Monday that the Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court in China has granted preliminary injunctions ordering four Chinese subsidiaries of Apple to stop selling and importing iPhones.It’s not immediately clear what the full scope of the ruling is. While Qualcomm says the ban covers iPhones 6S through X, Apple says all iPhone mo

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A jailed Chinese technology executive will have to wait at least one more day to see if she will be released on bail in a case that has raised US-China tensions and complicated efforts to resolve a trade dispute that has roiled financial markets and threatened global economic growth.Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and daughter of its founder, was detained at the request of the US during a layover at the Vanco

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States.China demanded her immediate release, and a former Canadian envoy to China warned the case might lead to retaliation by the Chinese against American and Canadian executives.Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday. (AP)The arrest took place on th

BEIJING (AP) — Buy more US exports? Done. Tinker with technology tactics that irk Washington and other trading partners? Maybe. But scrap those plans, seen by Beijing as a path to prosperity and influence? Probably never.The agreement by President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a cease fire on tariffs postpones the threat of more disruption for China’s exporters and their Asian suppliers. Some economists said Xi might be ready to negotiate in earnest.Still, Beijing gave n

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Table talk at President Donald Trump’s dinner meeting Saturday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping will undoubtedly have a global impact.What they agree on — or don’t — will likely move markets up or down, determine whether the world economy gets some relief from destabilizing trade tensions and cast judgment on the wisdom of the American leader’s hard-nosed trade tactics.Trump and Xi are seeking a way out of a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies, while