Yesterday
Japan’s enduring fascination with kamikaze pilots
Japanese tourists still flock to memorial sites to remember the young men who crashed their planes into Allied warships.
- Alexander Wooley
This Month
Australian bosses hooked on migrants, global survey shows
A global survey has found that rather than investing locally, Australian employers want migration to do the heavy lifting to fill skills shortages.
- Michelle Bowes
Tariffs alone won’t strengthen industry, Nippon Steel boss warns Trump
At the heart of the debate is whether an acquisition of US Steel by a company based in Japan, a crucial Washington ally, would weaken the American steel sector.
- Harry Dempsey
These 10 charts show how our region is preparing for war
Alarm over China’s ‘one-sided’ surge in military spending has prompted a regional arms race – and Australia is part of it.
- Andrew Tillett
December 2024
Vic Libs get new leader; ASX extends advance; Nissan merger ‘terrible’
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
- Analysis
- Electric vehicles
Why the Nissan-Honda merger is a ‘terrible thought bubble’
The tie-up would create the world’s third-largest car maker by sales. But the deal appears driven more by desperation than strategic thinking.
- Jessica Sier
How this Aussie golf pro got the ear of billionaire Masayoshi Son
An injury led Paul Jones to the fairways of country Victoria and on to the upper echelons of Japan’s most intriguing technology investor at SoftBank.
- Jessica Sier
Japan’s car industry consolidates: Honda and Nissan reveal merger plan
The Japanese car giants will merge to create the world’s third-largest automotive group by 2026, as the two companies struggle to keep up with global competitors.
- Jessica Sier
- Opinion
- World politics
Why the world’s leading democracies are in crisis
The majority of G7 governments are now so burdened with domestic political problems that they are incapable of steering their own countries – let alone the free world.
- Gideon Rachman
Foxconn throws curveball in Nissan-Honda merger talks
The iPhone maker has thrown a potential spanner in the works by approaching struggling Nissan about acquiring a stake, according to sources and media reports.
- Nicholas Takahashi
- Analysis
- Cars
Merge or die: Honda-Nissan talks mark pivotal moment in painful transition
Japanese discussions signal industry-wide consolidation as carmakers struggle with electric vehicle transition costs and growing competition from China.
- Updated
- Jessica Sier
Honda, Nissan consider merger to take on Tesla, China EVs
Such a deal would create an automotive rival to Toyota that would effectively consolidate the Japanese car industry into two camps.
- Updated
- Chester Dawson
Japanese giant in mega housing deal with Mirvac
The deal marks the next wave of Japanese investment in Australian property as trading companies seek out opportunities.
- Michael Bleby
Bluey heads to the big screen in global release
The Walt Disney Co and BBC Studios announced a film based on the hit Australian series will arrive in cinemas in 2027.
- Brooks Barnes
- Opinion
- Mining
Critical minerals manufacturing dream tempered by harsh reality
Falling prices mean Australia’s ambitions to develop the industry and downstream processing are on pause. Is this a waiting game, or is it all over?
- Jennifer Hewett
South Korea’s leaders seek calm after president impeached
Political leaders and the central bank tried to reassure allies and markets of stability, after the president was suspended for trying to impose martial law.
- Heekyong Yang and Josh Smith
- Analysis
- Political unrest
South Korean upheaval rattles US plan to counter China
There are questions over whether a new government in Seoul might complicate Washington’s efforts under Donald Trump to counter the rise of China as a military superpower.
- Edward White, Christian Davies, Leo Lewis and Demetri Sevastopulo
NAB offloads rest of MLC to Nippon, new life insurer Acenda created
MLC Life Insurance will merge with the local subsidiary of Resolution Life to create Acenda, after Nippon Life bought Resolution for $US8.2 billion.
- James Eyers
Synagogue attacked; AusSuper’s $1 trillion woe; Murdoch Christmas bash
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Why you’ll be eating KFC for Christmas in Japan
A finger-lickin’ good bucket of fried chicken and strawberry shortcake were not what our former foreign correspondent was counting on.
- Michael Smith