Nissan plans to cut over 10,000 jobs worldwide: Report

Representative image | Reuters

Automobile major Nissan Motor Corporation Ltd plans to cut more than 10,000 jobs worldwide, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported quoting sources in direct knowledge of the matter. The car giant's profit has been plunging while the company still grapples with management upheaval after the arrest of its former chief Carlos Ghosn over financial misconduct.

The new decision comes after Nissan announced in May that it would trim 4,800 posts from its global workforce of around 139,000. The Japanese major's move reflects the firm's struggles in the wake of the arrest of Carlos Ghosn and a fall in sales in the United States and Europe.

The cuts are expected to be mostly at factories overseas with low utilisation rates and the final decision will be announced along with the financial results on Thursday, reported Kyodo.

Analysts expect Nissan to post one of its weakest quarterly performances since the 2008 global financial crisis when it announces its first-quarter earnings on Thursday.

Nissan has been struggling to improve dismal profit margins in the United States, a key market where former Chairman Carlos Ghosn for years pushed to aggressively grow market share during his time as chief executive.

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Years of heavy discounting to grow sales in the US—world’s second-biggest auto market—have left Nissan with falling demand for the Altima sedan and other models, a cheapened brand image and low resale values, while the costs to offer high discounts have hit its bottom line.

Renault owns 43 per cent of the Japanese automaker, which in turn holds a 15 per cent, non-voting stake in its partner. Saikawa, who has sought more equal footing with Renault, last month said Nissan would postpone discussions on the alliance’s future to prioritise performance.

The latest job cuts also highlight the extent of problems facing Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa, who is also grappling with fractured relations with French alliance partner Renault SA following the arrest of their shared former chairman.

In May, Nissan reported net profits for the fiscal year to March of 319 billion yen ($2.9 billion)—the lowest amount since 2009-10 when the company was struggling in the wake of the global financial crisis.

It was a decline of 57 percent from the previous fiscal year and the profit outlook for the current fiscal year was forecast to be even worse, at 170 billion yen.

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Over 6.84 lakh vacant posts in central government departments: Govt

The filling up of vacant posts is a continuous process, Jitendra Singh said | File Photo: PTI

Amid chorus over lack of jobs, the government on Wednesday said over 6.84 lakh posts were vacant in different departments under it.

Of the total sanctioned strength of 38.02 lakh, 31.18 lakh were filled as on March 1, 2018, leaving 6.84 lakh posts vacant, according to a written reply by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh.

"Vacancies in central government are caused due to retirement, death, promotion, et cetera and the posts falling vacant are required to be filled as per recruitment rules by ministries, departments or organisations concerned," he said.

The filling up of vacant posts is a continuous process depending on vacancies arising across ministries or departments during the year and action calendar of the recruiting agency, Singh said.

In another reply, he said the Staff Selection Commission has planned to conduct examinations to fill up the 1,03,266 vacancies reported by various ministries during the years 2019 and 2020.

Railway Board has notified five centralised employment notifications in 2018-19 for new and future vacancies likely to arise in two years, covering 1,56,138 vacancies, the minister said.

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Smriti Irani gorges on South Indian delicacies. Wins internet with mouthwatering food pics

Smriti Irani took to Instagram to post pictures of her eating South Indian delicacies

Smriti Irani is back at nailing the social media game and proving that she is the coolest BJP minister online.

Taking to her Instagram recently, Smriti posted a picture of her enjoying South Indian delicacies at a restaurant.

Smriti posted a picture of South Indian Dahi Vada on her Instagram story with a heart as a caption and this just made us feel hungry.

The BJP minister also shared a picture of her friend at the restaurant and trolled her for eating ghee-laden Rava Kesari. She posted the image with the caption, "Guess who is having ghee laden Rava Kesari @devanshi1323."

By sharing the images with her followers on the gram, the Minister for Women and Child Development proved once again that she is the coolest minister right now and also one of the hilarious.

Smriti Irani has one of the most relatable Instagram account. Her posts about her family and her Monday blues and Friyay feels hits her fans and us right in the feels.

The 43-year-old politician, who recently became the Minister for Women and Child Development, is the youngest minister in Modi government.

She won the Amethi parliamentary seat with a margin of 55,120 votes against Rahul Gandhi. Irani polled a total of 4,67,598 votes.

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Transport vehicle driving licence now available to all, govt removes Class 8 pass clause

There is a shortage of nearly 22 lakh drivers in the transport and logistics sector in the country. (Photo Courtesy: Reuters)

HIGHLIGHTS

• The ministry is also preparing a draft notification to initiate the process to amend Rule 8 of the Central Motor Vehicles Act 1989.
• The Haryana government informed the ministry that the youth possessed the requisite skill to obtain a licence but didn't have the required educational qualification.
• The removal of the requirement for educational qualification was part of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill that was passed by the 16th Lok Sabha.

With a view to improve "ease of getting a job", the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday announced the removal of the minimum educational qualification required for obtaining a transport vehicle driving licence. Current regulation (Rule 8 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989) makes it mandatory for a transport vehicle driver to have passed class 8.

"In a move to benefit skilled persons from economically underprivileged sections of the society, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to remove the requirement of minimum educational qualification for driving a transport vehicle," the Road Transport and Highways ministry said in a statement.

Sources in the ministry said that there is a shortage of nearly 22 lakh drivers in the transport and logistics sector in the country and removal of the requirement will open up employment opportunities for a large number of unemployed persons, especially the youth.

The ministry is also preparing a draft notification to initiate the process to amend Rule 8 of the Central Motor Vehicles Act 1989.

A senior ministry official said that the removal of the condition will help scores of rural and urban youth across the country who are literate and skilled but haven't been part of the formal education system and were rendered ineligible for driving licences.

The ministry acted on feedback from the Government of Haryana. During a meeting in the transport ministry, the state government conveyed that youth and jobless from the backward Mewat region, especially in the Bahadurgarh area, were unable to secure a driving licence as they lacked formal education and that the population was "dependent for livelihood on low-income earning pursuits including driving".

The Haryana government informed the ministry that the youth possessed the requisite skill to obtain a licence but didn't have the required educational qualification.

Restriction to be removed with riders

Before giving its consent to removing the requirement of minimum educational qualification, the ministry strongly emphasised that training and skill testing of driving licence seekers would be made mandatory to ensure that road safety is not compromised in any way.

As per the draft notification that is being prepared, anyone applying for a driving license will have to mandatorily pass a stringent skill test. Prior to the skill test, the licence applicants would have to undergo training imparted by a school or establishment as laid down in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989.

These institutions would have to ensure that the applicant can read signs and perform logistical duties such as maintenance of driver logs, inspection of trucks and trailers, submission of pre-trip and post-trip records, determination of discrepancies in the paperwork, effective communication to report safety hazards.

Moreover, schools and establishments which would be shortlisted for the exercise would have to provide vocational training and skilling facilities, which will be subject to regulatory control by the states. The idea is to create a training matrix which is high in quality and covers all aspects of driving a particular type of motor vehicle.

The removal of the requirement for educational qualification was part of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill that was passed by the 16th Lok Sabha after due scrutiny by the department related Standing Committee and Select Committee of the Parliament.

A ministry official said that while emphasis would be on job creation adequate stress would also be on competent driver's training and stringent skill testing to ensure safety.

"The Supreme Court, in its judgment dated 3.7.2017 in Civil Appeal No. 5826 of 2011 - Mukund Dewagan Vs. Oriental Insurance Company Limited & Ors., in the matter of issue of driving licenses for light motor vehicles, had passed directions that the licence for transport vehicles would not arise in case of licence of the Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) class," the official said.

The transport ministry estimates that the logistics sector, including goods and passenger movement, is likely to grow by over 20 per cent per annum. The radio cab and taxi businesses are expected to grow by 39 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.

"These sectors will need well-trained drivers who possess good skills. That's why the emphasis is being changed to make jobs available for those who have to stay out due to restrictions created by the old rule," said an official.

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Hyderabad traffic policeman composes songs based on crimes to spread awareness. Heard any yet?

Image posted on Twitter by ANI.

In order to create "awareness", a traffic police personnel from Hyderabad said that he has been composing songs based on crimes since 2012. A Nagamallu said that the reason behind creating crime songs is that the "present generation" is all for "entertainment" and by doing so, he is only aiding in spreading awareness.

"I have been doing this since 2012. The present generation is attracted towards entertainment, therefore I thought this was the best way to create awareness," A Nagamallu was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The police personnel, in fact, also said while speaking to ANI that he has composed 20 songs so far. He uses social media platforms to showcase his songs as he said, "I have composed around 20 songs and have uploaded them on YouTube, Facebook and other social platforms."

Nagamallu, in a bid to spread awareness about crimes, said, "My next target is to reach out to all the people across the country and spread awareness about crimes through this initiative."

Meet A Nagamallu:

ANI

✔@ANI

Hyderabad: A Nagamallu, a traffic police personnel composes songs based on crimes, says, "I have been doing this since 2012. The present generation is attracted towards entertainment, therefore I thought this was the best way to create awareness." #Telangana

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Watch his song on student suicides:

The post featuring A Nagamallu's story has been retweeted several times and garnered hundreds of likes within an hour of being made available online.

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ANNABELLE COMES HOME TRAILER 2: THE CREEPY DOLL BRINGS NEW TROUBLE FOR THE WARRENS

It’s back! All you horror movie lovers, get set to witness the sinister Annabelle doll back on the screens soon. The third instalment of the Annabelle series, Annabelle Comes Home, is now just a month away from its release and we are losing our calm! The spooky toy earlier sent chills down our spine in the first trailer and thanks to it, fans are expecting some fearsome scenes in the upcoming instalment.  Adding to the buzz, the makers surprised us with a brand new trailer on Tuesday.

We all know the popular paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who have been regulars in the series. Their job is to battle the demons and every time a demon is vanquished, the two take it home to their museum. The last instalment, Annabelle: Creation showed the Warrens overpowering the possessed doll Annabelle and in continuation to which, the two are seen taking the doll home in the latest trailer. They are seen locking it up in a sacred glass box and then heading out while leaving their daughter with two teen babysitters. What next? Of course, the teens end up awakening the creepy doll, who then gets the other spirits into action. In a nutshell, there’s nothing as such in the trailer that we haven’t seen in the previous instalments or any other part of the Conjuring series. In fact, the trailer even gets funny at one point when we see someone calling on the landline and telling the babysitter to give the phone to Annabelle. But considering the standards that the last instalment has set, we still expect some good terrifying scenes in Annabelle Comes Home.

Take a look at the trailer here:

Directed by Gary Dauberman, the film hits the screens on June 28 in India.

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RANDEEP HOODA'S GRANDMOTHER PASSES AWAY, THE ACTOR PENS ENDEARING POST

Monday was a grim day for our Bollywood folks. One of the senior-most members of the Bollywood fraternity, Veeru Devgan, who was a renowned stunt director and also the father of actor Ajay Devgn, passed away in the morning. Several Bollywood veterans, as well as Ajay’s friends, mourned the loss of the action director. Following which, we learned the news of the death of another senior family member of an actor. Randeep Hooda took to social media to announce the death of his grandmother with an endearing post.

The actor posted a heart-touching post on Twitter, sharing that his 97-year-old grandmother was ‘always loving, encouraging and full of laughter’. He also shared a series of pictures of happy moments with his beloved granny. From the actor having an emotional moment with her in the kitchen to the two posing adorably for a picture and Hooda seeking her blessings while she was on her sick bed, the photographs give us glimpses of their relationship. Going by the pictures, we can surely say that the two shared a special bond.

Take a look at Randeep’s post for his grandmother here:

महारी दादी चल बसी 😢🙏 97 साल सदा प्यार हौसला आर हाँसी देती रही ।। भगवान उसकी आत्मा नै शांति दे 🙏

Our paternal grandmother has passed away. She was always loving, encouraging and full of laughter. May God give her peace🙏 pic.twitter.com/52DUrwnpb8

— Randeep Hooda (@RandeepHooda) May 27, 2019

Comments to Randeep’s post are loaded with condolences and motivational messages by his fans. Reportedly, his grandmother died due to age-related issues. We pray that her soul rests in peace and the family remains strong!

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Pakistani charity dishes out ostrich as Ramzan treat for poor

Food dishes prepared with ostrich meat and chickpea are ready to serve, for first day of fasting month of Ramzan in Karachi | Photo from REUTERS

HIGHLIGHTS

• Volunteers served red meat to more than 500 Karachi residents before dawn broke on Tuesday
• An official said that there is plan to offer deer and other expensive cuisine in coming days during Ramzan
• Move is likely to be welcomed by those who stuffed themselves with ostrich meat

A Pakistani charity in the coastal metropolis of Karachi is serving up a rare treat for the city’s Muslims ahead of their fast for the holy month of Ramzan - ostrich meat.

Expensive and seldom eaten in Pakistan, ostrich is deemed exotic in the mainly Muslim nation of 208 million people.

Volunteers stewed the red meat in large metal pots and served it in a chickpea curry to more than 500 residents before dawn broke on Tuesday, when Pakistani Muslims began their month-long Ramzan fast.

A volunteer prepare food plates to be served with ostrich meat and chickpea in Karachi | Photo from REUTERS

"Keeping in view of this deprivation, [wealthy] people supported us and like the previous year, we offered those dishes which even a middle class person cannot afford, let alone the poor," Zafar Abbas, the general secretary of the Jafaria Disaster Management Cell Welfare Foundation, said.

Zafar Abbas said the plan is to offer deer and other expensive cuisine in coming days during Ramzan, when practicing Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours.

The move is likely to be welcomed by those who stuffed themselves with ostrich meat.

"It felt very nice. I had never eaten [ostrich]," van driver Mohammad Hussain said.

"It was so wholesome that I feel no need to eat for the next two days," Mohammad Hussain added.

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Rs 300 crore hole in Air India pocket as Pakistan air space closes

The Air India flights to the US from Delhi now take 2-3 hours extra one way due to the restrictions over Pakistani airspace. (Reuters file photo)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Air India is incurring daily loss of Rs 6 crore on extra fuel burn, cabin staff expenses and reduced flights
• The national carrier has approached the Civil Aviation Ministry to ensure it is compensated for the loss
• Almost the entire air traffic from South East Asia to Europe has also been impacted due to Pakistan airspace closure

Air India has suffered losses of around Rs 300 crore since late February as its long haul flights from New Delhi are taking longer to reach destinations in Europe, the Gulf and the US because of the closure of Pakistan's airspace.

The Pakistani airspace has remained shut for traffic to and from India ever since hostilities broke out between the two countries after the Pulwama suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14.

With its aircraft operating from New Delhi spending longer time in air, Air India is incurring daily loss of Rs 6 crore on extra fuel burn, cabin staff expenses and reduced flights.

The national carrier has approached the Civil Aviation Ministry to ensure it is compensated for the loss given that the airline cannot pull out these flights due to various obligations.

"Air India has communicated to us about this. It is being taken up with all concerned," a Ministry official said.

The Air India flights to the US from Delhi now take 2-3 hours extra one way due to the restrictions over Pakistani airspace. Flights to Europe are taking almost two hours more resulting in financial loss.

The airspace closure following an air strike by the Indian Air Force on the Jaish-e-Mohamnad (JeM) terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 27 has affected most airlines from Europe and the US that operate flights to and from New Delhi.

Almost the entire air traffic from South East Asia to Europe has also been impacted as they would pass through north India into Pakistan and onwards.

American carrier United has temporarily suspended its Delhi-Newark flight and is monitoring the situation.

German flag carrier Lufthansa had said earlier that connections to Bangkok and Singapore would also be hit besides operations to India.

"We are already preparing adjusted routes and will increase the amount of additional fuel in the event of delays. Some traffic rights for the new routing must also be secured," the airline had said on closure of Pakistani airspace.

An Air India official said that the airline has significant operations to Europe and North America and the diversion of flights due to closure of Pakistani airspace had so far caused a total loss of about Rs 300 crore.

"The losses on account of payload restriction and cancellation alone is about Rs 2.75 crore per day. The longer flying time has affected the duty hours of cabin staff and pilots," he said.

"The other airlines have an option to pull out services in such situations but as the national carrier we cannot do so," the official added.

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LOK SABHA ELECTIONS 20919: WRESTLER KHALI GEARS UP FOR SOME ELECTION MANIA IN BENGAL

'Star Campaigners'. As the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 unfold in phases, we are getting frequent glimpses of them. Actor Vivek Oberoi is set to campaign for the BJP in Gujarat. Congress' Sonia Gandhi and BJP's Nitin Gadkari are also among the star campaigners. But Anupam Hazra, who is contesting the elections from Kolkata's Jadavpur constituency, has won by a few goals when it comes to bringing a real 'star' for election campaigns. None other than wrestler Khali will be seen accompanying him!

The WWE fame wrestler will fly to Kolkata on Friday as Hazra files his nomination. Though not confirmed, Khali might campaign for his friend as well.  “Khali is a good friend and is coming to Kolkata to stand by me just for the sake of friendship when I file my nomination on Friday. I don’t believe in stereotype politics where only political figures come to stand by candidates,” the politician told News18.

Hazra, prior to joining BJP earlier this year, was a Trinamool Congress MP from Bengal's Bolpur constituency. He was expelled from the party due to 'anti-party activities'. This election, his major contender is TMC's Mimi Chakraborty, also a popular Bengali film actor. Khali's presence might just up the game for Hazra here.

“Khali is popular globally and is a youth icon and many of my supporters requested me to do something exceptional. I thought this was a unique platform to bring in Khali,” he added.

The Jadavpur seat has been loyal to TMC, with senior leader Sugoto Bose being the sitting MP. Hazra, however, believes he is capable of winning it away.

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MALAIKA ARORA AND MANISH MALHOTRA TURN ASHISH SONI’S CURATED EVENING MEMORABLE

The Chivas 18 Alchemy’ evening curated by designer Ashish Soni had the dapper designer joining hands with five creative reps from the lifestyle space to host the city’s elite for an evening dedicated to tapping into one’s ‘Sixth Sense’. Ashish invited - actor Malaika Arora, designer Manish Malhotra, designer Rahul Mishra, artist Sudarshan Shetty and jeweller Siddharth Kasliwal-- to create a space that combined craftsmanship and aesthetics for a surreal, sensory effect. Guests who walked into these special spaces to enjoy the unique experience included Monish and Alka Bali, Robert Vadra, J J Valaya, Sanjeev and Shelley Batra, Kalyani Chawla. Palak Shah, Nida Mahmood and Ashish Saraf and member of the diplomatic community.

The four abstract concepts that the evening explored, were Fantasy, Intuition, Love, Déjà vu and Memory. Mumbaikar Malaika Arora who gave shape to Fantasy created a shifting, immersive, honeycombed kaleidoscopic world of the real and imagined. Not just her curated space but the sexy lady in a white three- piece suit with a plunging neckline was a big draw for the Capital’s party animals, eager to get a selfie with the diva. Manish Malhotra, Bollywood favourite designer was another sought after celebrity.

Manish chose to interpret the quality of Intuition with mirrors and reflections. Artist Sudarshan Shetty, created a mosaic of love using voices, ragas, video and installation art and Siddharth Kasliwal, revived lost art of craftsmanship handed down generations. Rahul Mishra, normally shy, too was seen enjoying the interest and replying to queries about his installation which recreated memories in a play of light and shadows.

The evening has to be experienced to be fully understood, said Ashish who has considerable experience curating bespoke evenings for select audiences. “As a designer I am usually doing ramp shows but this event is an indefinable melange. A fashion show pales in comparison. For me this was a challenge to put together and one that tested all my aesthetic abilities and senses.”

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KATRINA KAIF APPROACHED FOR A BIOPIC ON ATHLETE PT USHA?

Her last release Zero, also starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, turned out to be a debacle. But Katrina Kaif seems quite unstoppable. A couple of days back, she officially came on board for Akshay Kumar starrer Sooryavanshi, another ambitious film in Rohit Shetty's cop universe. She is presently occupied with Bharat opposite Salman Khan. And if the latest reports are anything to go by, then she has been also approached for athlete PT Usha's biopic.

A report on Mid-day suggests that the project will be helmed by Southern  film director Revathy S Varmha. "Revathy has had a few sittings with Katrina over the past few months. The duo met few days ago in Mumbai for another narration. While the actor seems to be interested in the project, she will take a call only after the final narration. If Katrina gives her nod, it will mark her first biopic. She will have to undergo rigorous prep for the part, including adopting PT Usha's sprinting style. Since the athlete is on board, she is likely to supervise the actor. For now though, Katrina has only signed Sooryavanshi after Bharat," a source told the publication.

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इन एंड आउट अव फ़ोकस 🦋

A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Feb 6, 2019 at 6:45am PST

PT Usha, with over 100 national and international medals, is a Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee who now trains aspiring athletes besides serving as an officer with Southern Railways.

Rumours also suggested that the same biopic was supposed to take off back in 2017 and Priyanka Chopra was set to essay the lead role. However, she had to back off owing to her commitment towards Mary Kom, which was also a biopic based on a sportsperson.

If PT Usha's biopic materialises, it is likely to be a multi-lingual film which will release in English and Hindi apart from other regional languages.

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