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Nissan takes an ax to the house that Ghosn built with new cost-cutting measures

Jan 30 (Japan Times) - Nissan is planning aggressive cost cuts to deal with an unexpected slump in sales as the expansionist strategy it inherited from fugitive former Chairman Carlos Ghosn flounders, four people familiar with the plans said.

Japan’s second-biggest carmaker is set to eliminate at least 4,300 white-collar jobs and shut two manufacturing sites as part of broader plans to add at least ¥480 billion ($4.4 billion) to its bottom line by 2023, two of the people said.

The moves come on top of a turnaround plan unveiled in July and are likely to include cutting Nissan’s range of cars and the array of product options and trims in each line, slashing jobs mostly at head offices in the United States and Europe, and reducing advertising and marketing budgets, they said.

“The situation is dire. It’s do or die,” said a person close to Nissan’s senior management and the company’s board.

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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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As the number of households with Buddhist altars continues to decline, largely due to space limitations in modern housing, wholesalers of Buddhist goods are struggling with unsold inventory.

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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.