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Ghosn tells Renault he is resigning as CEO and chairman

Jan 24 (Nikkei) - Carlos Ghosn has told Renault he intends to resign as chairman and CEO of the French automaker, Nikkei learned Wednesday, now that his detention in Japan has ruled out a quick return to France.

Ghosn apparently chose to step down on his own as Renault and the French government, the company's top shareholder, move to install new leadership. The automaker is expected to accept his resignation at a board meeting Thursday.

Interim chief Thierry Bollore is expected to be named Renault's next CEO, while Jean-Dominique Senard, the chief executive of tiremaker Michelin, is poised to become chairman.

Renault alliance partners Nissan Motor and Mitsubishi Motors both dismissed Ghosn as chairman after his arrest in Japan in November on allegations of financial misconduct.

Calls for Ghosn's removal have grown at Renault, which stopped short of dismissing him, insisting he is innocent until proven guilty. Ghosn has denied the charges against him.

His detention has dragged on and appears likely to last even longer after he was denied bail for a second time Tuesday.

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Ishiba Shigeru has been elected leader of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The former LDP Secretary-General is now virtually assured of becoming the next prime minister. (NHK)

The Hakamada case, a decades-long legal struggle, ended with an acquittal for Iwao Hakamada (88), who, along with his sister Hideko, fought for 58 years. Hakamada was suspected of the 1966 murder of a miso company executive’s family.

A Japanese government information-gathering satellite has successfully been put into a planned orbit around Earth. (NHK)

Japan's National Police Agency is introducing new patrol cars equipped with red lights designed to assist people with hearing impairments, flashing differently depending on whether the vehicle is on an emergency run or a routine patrol.

Yamagata University, which has been conducting research on the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, announced the discovery of over 300 new geoglyphs, depicting a variety of subjects, including humans and animals.

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Four Japanese men have been caught at an Australian airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle a large amount of cigarettes into the country. (NHK)

Japan's National Police Agency is introducing new patrol cars equipped with red lights designed to assist people with hearing impairments, flashing differently depending on whether the vehicle is on an emergency run or a routine patrol.

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A group of Humboldt penguins at Tokuyama Zoo in Yamaguchi Prefecture has captured people's hearts, as they chase a butterfly that had accidentally flown into their pool enclosure.