Society

Tokyo prosecutors get new arrest warrant for Ghosn

Jan 31 (NHK) - Tokyo prosecutors have obtained a new arrest warrant for former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn for suspected violation of the immigration control law.

Prosecutors say Ghosn illegally left Japan on a private jet on the night of December 29 without going through departure screenings. He flew from Kansai International Airport in western Japan to Lebanon via Turkey.

The 65-year-old former auto industry titan was out on bail after being indicted on charges of financial misconduct. He was banned from traveling overseas under a bail condition.

The prosecutors also obtained arrest warrants for three others, including a man believed to be a former member of the US special forces, on suspicion that they helped Ghosn flee.

Sources say Ghosn joined the three at a hotel in Tokyo on December 29 before traveling to Osaka by bullet train. Two of the men reportedly accompanied him.

They are believed to have helped Ghosn board the jet by hiding him in a large case for musical equipment.

One of the two men is identified as 59-year-old Michael Taylor, who's said to be a former member of the US Army special forces known as the Green Berets.

In 2009, he was reportedly involved in a rescue operation for a US newspaper reporter who had been abducted in Afghanistan. Taylor was then a contractor for a private military company.

The third suspect allegedly helped Ghosn escape by making hotel reservations and transporting Ghosn's baggage.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.