Auto industry experts say that Carlos Ghosn has a long history of beating the odds. During his tenure as the head of Nissan, he managed to step inside a company entrenched in the insular world of Japanese automakers and lead the company from the brink of bankruptcy to financial success.

Now, Ghosn seems to have pulled off a feat that seems even more improbable: escaping 24-hour surveillance in Japan to fly to Lebanon, apparently to avoid prosecution for alleged financial crimes.

Here’s what you need to know about the strange escape of Carlos Ghosn, the disgraced former head of one of the world’s biggest automobile groups.

Who is Carlos Ghosn?
Carlos Ghosn was long regarded as one of the titans of global auto industry. During his tenure as the head of Nissan and the French automaker Renault, he earned the nickname “Le Cost Killer” for closing factories and laying off employees. But he was credited for modernizing Nissan by bringing it back from the brink of bankruptcy and building wh..

(BAGHDAD) — An airstrike killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force and architect of its regional security apparatus, at Baghdad’s international airport Friday, Iranian state television and three Iraqi officials said, an attack that’s expected to draw severe Iranian retaliation against Israel and American interests.

The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, the officials said. The PMF media arm said the two were killed in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.

Citing a Revolutionary Guard statement, Iranian state television said Soleimani was “martyred” in an attack by U.S. helicopters near the airport, without elaborating.

There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials, and U.S. President Donald Trump was vacationing on his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, but sent out a tweet of an American flag.

Their deaths are a pote..

(JERUSALEM) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he would seek immunity from corruption charges, likely delaying any trial until after March elections, when he hopes to have a majority coalition that will shield him from prosecution.

Netanyahu was indicted in November on charges of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust. After failing to assemble a governing majority following back-to-back elections last year, he will get a third shot at remaining in office in March.

Read more: ‘Only the Strong Survive.’ How Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu Is Testing the Limits of Power

Wednesday’s announcement essentially turns the upcoming election into a referendum on whether Netanyahu should be granted immunity and remain in office, or step down and stand trial. A recent poll indicated that a majority of Israelis oppose giving him immunity.

In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu repeated his assertion that he is the victim of an unfair conspiracy, lashing out at pro..

Prince William has announced a multi-million pound prize for “visionaries” working to solve “Earth’s greatest environmental problems,” from climate change to air pollution. The Earthshot Prize will be awarded to five winners, every year, for the next 10 years. The initiative’s goal is to provide “at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest problems by 2030.”

The prize was designed by and will initially be handled by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — headed by Prince William and Kate Middleton. More than 60 organizations and experts were consulted in the process; in time, the Earthshot Prize will likely become an independent organization that continues to involve environmental NGOs, according to a press release from Kensington Palace.

This year, the initiative will debut a series of “Earthshot challenges,” according to its website, with a goal of “[seeking] answers to the biggest issues currently facing the planet, including: climate and energy, nature and ..

(PERTH, Australia) — Prime Minister Scott Morrison was confronted by angry residents who cursed and insulted him Thursday as he visited a wildfire-ravaged corner of the country.

Locals in Cobargo, in New South Wales, yelled at him, made obscene gestures and called him an “idiot” and worse, criticizing him for the lack of equipment to deal with the fires in town. They jeered as his motorcade drove off. In the New South Wales town of Quaama, a firefighter refused to shake hands with him.

Scott Morrison has hastily left a meeting with bushfire victims after angry residents began yelling furiously. #9News pic.twitter.com/q0iqmBp7to

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) January 2, 2020

“Every single time this area has a flood or a fire, we get nothing. If we were Sydney, if we were north coast, we would be flooded with donations with urgent emergency relief,” a resident said in Cobargo.

The outpouring of anger came as authorities said 381 homes had been destroyed on the New South Wales sou..

(PERTH, Australia) — Thousands of tourists fled Australia’s wildfire-ravaged eastern coast Thursday ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south.

Cooler weather since Tuesday has aided firefighting and allowed people to replenish supplies. Vehicles formed long lines at gas stations and supermarkets, and traffic was gridlocked as highways reopened. But fire conditions were expected to deteriorate Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds return.

“There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw (on Tuesday),” New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said.

Authorities said 381 homes had been destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast this week and at least eight people have died this week in the state and neighboring Victoria, Australia’s two most-populous states, where more than 200 fires are currently burning.

New South Wales authorities in t..

(TOKYO) — Japanese prosecutors raided the Tokyo home of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn after he skipped bail before a trial on financial misconduct charges and left for Lebanon.

Tokyo prosecutors and police did not immediately comment Thursday. Japanese media reported and showed photos of the raid.

Government offices are closed this week for the New Year’s holidays.

It is unclear how Ghosn avoided the tight surveillance he was under in Japan and showed up in Lebanon.

Ghosn said Tuesday in a statement that he left for Lebanon because he thought the Japanese judicial system was unjust, and he wanted to avoid “political persecution.”

He said he would talk to reporters next week.

Japan does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon.

Lebanon has said Ghosn entered the country legally, and there was no reason to take action against him.

His lawyers in Japan said they had no knowledge of the escape and they had all his passports. Ghosn has French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizen..

Taiwan’s military chief and seven others have died after a helicopter carrying high-level defense officials crash-landed Thursday morning in a mountainous region south of capital Taipei.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported the casualties during an afternoon news conference. Taiwan’s chief of general staff, Shen Yi-ming, is among the dead. Five people survived the accident.

Taiwan’s official broadcaster Central News Agency also confirmed the death of Shen.

The 62-year-old took office as the top chief last year. He had earlier served as the 22nd Air Force commander of the Air Force and Deputy Minister of Defense, and has undergone military training in France and the U.S.

“I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wrote on Facebook. She added that Shen is an “outstanding general” and that his death is saddening.

The tragedy comes at a tense time for the self-ruled island, which is claimed by China. On Tues..

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted a heartfelt message on Instagram that featured a new photo of their son.

In the Instagram post, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wished everyone a Happy New Year and said that they “loved meeting so many of you from around the world and can’t wait to meet many more of you next year.”

The video post showed a variety of pictures of the couple and their appearances throughout the year.

View this post on Instagram

“Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and thanking you for your continued support! We’ve loved meeting so many of you from around the world and can’t wait to meet many more of you next year. We hope 2020 brings each of you health and continued happiness.” – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Special thanks to Chris Martin and @Coldplay for allowing us to use one of their songs Photo and video © SussexRoyal Thanks to PA for additional images and footage

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Dec 31, 2019 at 12:15pm..

How did Carlos Ghosn do it?

The former head of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, who was awaiting the first of two trials in Tokyo, somehow evaded almost round-the-clock manned and video surveillance and heavy restrictions on his freedom of movement to flee to Lebanon.

From there, Ghosn released an email Tuesday decrying the “injustice and political persecution” of the Japanese judicial system. The 65-year-old faced charges of financial misconduct and raiding corporate resources for personal gain, allegations he denies.

Soon after he resurfaced, the internet lit up with unconfirmed reports and theories of how Ghosn, now an international fugitive, pulled off an escape befitting a Hollywood thriller — one that will be very hard for Japanese authorities to live down. There are still more questions than answers.

In one speculative account, which cited no sources, Lebanese television station MTV reported that Ghosn smuggled himself out of Japan in a large musical instrument box after a C..

(BAGHDAD) — Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces, but U.S.-Iran tensions remain high and could spill over into further violence.

The withdrawal followed calls from the government and senior militia leaders. It ended a two-day crisis marked by the breach of the largest and one of the most heavily fortified U.S. diplomatic missions in the world.

The attack and its volatile aftermath prompted the Pentagon to send hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a European and Central Asian trip.

In an orchestrated assault, hundreds of militiamen and their supporters broke into the embassy compound, destroying a reception area, smashing windows and spraying graffiti on walls to protest U.S. airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia over the weekend that killed 25 fighters.

The U.S. blamed the militia for a rocket attack on an Iraqi m..

(MEXICO CITY) — At least 16 inmates in a central Mexico prison were killed and five more were wounded in a riot that closed out a violent 2019 for the country, authorities said.

Zacatecas state security secretary Ismael Camberos Hernández told local press that authorities confiscated four guns that they believe were introduced to the Cieneguillas state prison during prison visits Tuesday. He said the prison had been searched for weapons on Saturday and Sunday and no guns were found.

The melee broke out around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and the prison was brought under control by 5 p.m., according to a statement from the state security agency.

Fifteen of the victims died at the prison and one died later at a hospital.

One prisoner was detained with a gun still in his possession and the other three were found inside the prison, the statement said. Camberos said not all of the victims died from gunshot wounds. Some were stabbed and others beaten with objects.

No guards or police were wounded,..

Pope Francis has apologized for angrily slapping the hand of a woman who was holding on to him and pulling him toward her as he walked through the Vatican City‘s Nativity scene on New Year’s Eve.

The following day, the pontiff apologized for the interaction while giving his annual New Year’s well wishes to the public in St. Peter’s Square. “I say ‘excuse me’ for the bad example,” he said in unscripted remarks, adding that “so many times we lose patience. Me, too.”

Video of the incident went viral on social media, and shows the Pope walking through a crowd of Catholic pilgrims on New Year’s Eve. As he tried to walk away from one group, a woman can be seen grabbing his hand and yanking him closer to her. As he tried to pull away from her, she would not let go. The Pope, who appeared frustrated, then slapped her on the hand and frowned as he walked away.

The following day, Pope Francis spoke out against violence toward women during his New Year’s Day homily in St. Peter’s Basilica, equ..

(PERTH, Australia) — Australia deployed military ships and aircraft Wednesday to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires that have left at least 17 people dead nationwide and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline.

Navy ships and military aircraft were bringing water, food and fuel to towns where supplies were depleted and roads were cut off by the fires. Authorities confirmed three bodies were found Wednesday at Lake Conjola on the south coast of New South Wales, bringing the death toll in the state to 15.

More than 175 homes have been destroyed in the region.

Some 4,000 people in the coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the shore as winds pushed a fire toward their homes under a sky darkened by smoke and turned blood-red by flames. Stranded residents and vacationers slept in their cars, and gas stations and surf clubs transformed into evacuation areas. Dozens of homes burned before winds changed direction late Tuesday, sparing the rest of th..

WASHINGTON (AP) — Charging that Iran was “fully responsible” for an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, President Donald Trump ordered about 750 U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East as about 3,000 more prepared for possible deployment in the next several days.

No U.S. casualties or evacuations were reported after the attack Tuesday by dozens of Iran-supported militiamen. U.S. Marines were sent from Kuwait to reinforce the compound.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday night that “in response to recent events” in Iraq, and at Trump’s direction, he authorized the immediate deployment of the infantry battalion from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He did not specify the soldiers’ destination, but a U.S. official familiar with the decision said they will go to Kuwait.

“This deployment is an appropriate and precautionary action taken in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad toda..

Hong Kong began 2020 with more protests as crowds marched through downtown districts on New Year’s Day to call for greater political freedom.

Local media reported that the city’s Victoria Park—the traditional staging ground for large protests—began to fill up from the early afternoon. Marchers chanted “Liberate Hong Kong” and carried flags reading “Revolution Now.” Others held banners calling for independence.

Although the march began peacefully, protesters and police soon began exchanging petrol bombs and tear gas. Live news streams showed the premises of some businesses with mainland Chinese connections being vandalized and smashed.

Branches of HSBC were also vandalized. One of the bronze lions outside the HSBC headquarters on Queen’s Road—iconic statues that have survived wartime occupation—was set on fire.

The bank has been a target since it closed an account set up by a nonprofit organization after finding that it “was not being used for its stated purpose” of providing aid to..