Business

Business deals Deal secured after authorities had rejected plan to buy machine tool company Asian private equity firm MBK Partners is set to acquire a Japanese aluminum components maker after it failed to buy Makino Milling Machine due to rejection by authorities. TOKYO — Asian private equity firm MBK Partners is set to acquire major Japanese aluminum components […]

Energy Telecom ties up with two South Korean startups, targets annual sales of over $640m SoftBank plans to develop and manufacture battery cells and battery energy storage systems that will first be used for its own AI data centers. TOKYO — SoftBank Corp. has launched a battery business in Japan to help meet growing electricity […]

Electric vehicles Companies seek to expand Japan’s EV market; Japanese production under consideration Autobacs operates approximately 1,200 stores around the world, selling automotive accessories as well as used cars. Chery ranked 12th globally in new vehicle sales in 2025. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters) RISAKO KOJIMA and RYOSUKE HANADA May 11, 2026 12:06 JST Updated on May 11, […]

Taiwan tensions Offhand remarks a key risk; European grandee offers reassurance during Taipei visit Anti-landing spikes on Taiwan’s Kinmen, across from the Chinese city of Xiamen: Anything U.S. President Donald Trump tells China’s Xi Jinping about Taiwan will be scrutinized. (Anadolu via Getty Images) THOMPSON CHAU and PAK YIU TAIPEI/NEW YORK — Taiwan is bracing for the summit between […]

Markets AI boom lifts Kioxia stock price 24 times, year on year Kioxia Iwate’s Kitakami plant in northern Japan is seen here in March 2024. The maker of memory chips has seen its share price jump 24 times, year on year. (Photo by Koji Uema) TOKYO — Japanese memory chip maker Kioxia has come to symbolize […]

Iran was Output could halve this year if government does not act: Agriculture Department A Filipino farmer sprays fertilizer on his rice crop. Many farmers fear the energy crisis and the looming El Nino will leave them out of pocket. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Getty Images) NUEVA ECIJA, Philippines — Elvira Fadriquelan, 60, has […]

Currencies Rally comes amid criticism of reliance on depreciation to fuel exports China’s onshore yuan touched 6.79 per dollar in morning trading on May 11, its highest point since February 2023.  © Reuters SHANGHAI — China’s currency on Monday hit a fresh three-year high against the dollar, underscoring the yuan’s momentum ahead of a key summit […]

Finance Government-backed lenders face rising asset and loan risks after stellar Q1 profits Bank Mandiri, Indonesia’s largest lender by assets, is among state-owned banks that enjoyed double-digit profit growth in the January-March quarter. But analysts expect risks from government policies to surmount the windfall over a longer period. © AP JAKARTA — Indonesia’s banking industry […]

Turbulent Thailand Former prime minister granted parole, will serve remainder of sentence at home Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, right, greets his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, also an ex-prime minister, following his release from a Bangkok prison on May 11. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT May 11, 2026 10:24 JST Updated on May 11, 2026 12:54 JST […]

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at their last meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30. They are set to meet again in Beijing this week.  © Reuters WATARU SUZUKI and PAK YIU SHANGHAI/NEW YORK — China on Monday announced that U.S. President Donald Trump will visit the country […]