live Ali Larijani: Israel says Iran Security Chief has been killed, Middle East conflict - 17 March
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that Iran's security chief Ali Larijani was killed in ta...
Honda and Nissan plan to merge, forming the world’s third-largest automaker, as Japan’s car giants accelerate efforts to lead the shift to electric and autonomous vehicles.
Japanese car manufacturers Honda and Nissan have revealed plans to merge, positioning themselves as the world's third-largest automaker by sales. The move comes as the automotive industry undergoes significant transformation amidst the shift away from fossil fuels.
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday, with Nissan's smaller alliance partner, Mitsubishi Motors, also agreeing to participate in discussions about integrating their operations.
Japanese automakers have been slower than their global competitors in adopting electric vehicle (EV) technologies. The merger aims to streamline costs and accelerate their transition to electrification.
Speculation about a potential merger emerged earlier this month, with reports suggesting the talks were partly influenced by Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn’s interest in a collaboration with Nissan. Nissan currently has an alliance with France's Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors.
In August, Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi announced plans to share EV components such as batteries and collaborate on autonomous driving software development. These initiatives followed a preliminary agreement between Nissan and Honda in March.
Nissan has faced challenges recently, with Fitch Ratings downgrading its credit outlook to "negative," citing reduced profitability due to price cuts in the North American market. However, the company retains a robust financial foundation, with $9.4 billion in cash reserves.
Despite financial difficulties, Nissan's share price has shown resilience, with Monday's Tokyo trading seeing a 1.6% increase. Shares surged by over 20% last week following news of the potential merger.
The other evening, I was fuelling my car at a petrol station in Kenya’s capital. It was one of those small moments most motorists barely notice. The attendant filled the tank, I glanced at the pump price, paid, and drove off.
President Trump called on countries to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Starmer said the UK is working with allies to restore navigation and stabilise oil markets. It comes as a strike near Iraq’s western border killed several Hashed al-Shaabi fighters, raising regional tensions.
Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials launched a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday (15 March) to resolve issues in their trade truce. The discussions aim to smooth the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.
The process of evacuating foreign diplomats and citizens from Iran to Azerbaijan through the Astara state border crossing continues on Sunday (15 March), ensuring smooth and efficient transit for those arriving.
Kazakhstan has adopted a new constitution that could allow President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to stay in power beyond 2029. The Central Election Commission confirmed that 87.15% of voters backed the constitution in a referendum held on Sunday (17 March).
The prevailing security situation in the region has done little to deter entrepreneurs from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) who continue to view Dubai as a premier and safe location for business.
China has raised the retail prices of petrol and diesel after global oil prices climbed sharply. The country’s top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), announced the move after reviewing international oil market trends.
Global financial markets remained on edge on Friday as the escalating war involving the United States, Israel and Iran continued to rattle investors, fuelling volatility in stocks and sending energy prices sharply higher.
China’s top leadership has unveiled a new push to turn advanced technologies into large-scale industrial priorities as part of the country’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, which will guide economic and social development from 2026 to 2030.
The European Commission sees no immediate impact on the European Union's security of oil supply from the escalating conflict in the Middle East, it said in an email to EU governments, seen by Reuters on Monday (2 March).
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