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Japan minister launches counterattack after Ghosn blasts justice system

TOKYO — Japan's justice minister launched a rare and forceful public takedown of auto executive-turned-fugitive Carlos Ghosn after he blasted the country's legal system as allowing him "zero chance" of a fair trial as he sought to justify his escape to Beirut. After his dramatic flight to Lebanon last month, Ghosn spoke in public for the first time on Wednesday, saying he had been treated "brutally" by Tokyo prosecutors. He said they questioned him for up to eight hours a day without a lawyer present and tried to extract a confession out of him. In an effort to undo Ghosn's attempt to sway public opinion in his favor, Justice Minister Masako Mori followed shortly with a statement, translated into English and French, and held a news conference after midnight and again around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday morning to defend Japan's justice system. "I decided to do this because defendant Ghosn was looking to justify his unlawful exit from Japan by propagating a false recognition of our justice system," she said at the second news conference. "I felt that we needed to respond immediately to broadcast a correct understanding to people around the world." Ghosn, the former chief of Nissan and Renault, fled Japan last month as he was awaiting trial on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust, and misappropriation of company funds, all of which he denies. Mori said Ghosn's escape from his trial in itself "could constitute a crime" that would not be tolerated in any country. "My impression in listening to him was that there were few statements that were backed by any real evidence," she said. "If he wants to prove his innocence, he should face fair trial proceedings here," she added, stressing that the allegations against him concerned financial crimes in Japan. "That would be the mark of a first-class businessperson and good citizen." Mori blasted Ghosn for violating his bail by fleeing the country "without showing a passport and breaking international rules that everyone in the world follows." "It was a breach of faith that can't be explained to our children," she said. The spotlight on Japan's justice system comes as Mori is set to host in April the United Nations' Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held once every five years.

Mitsubishi Super Height K-Wagon previews the kei car of the 2020s

The door-less, turbine-electric Mi-Tech concept was the uncontested star of the Mitsubishi display at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, but the Japanese firm also unveiled a close-to-production design study named Super Height K-Wagon that accurately previews its next family of kei cars. It transcends the historic city-only vocation by letting owners comfortably drive further. The Super Height K-Wagon's proportions are about what you'd expect from a kei car, but its front end falls in line with Mitsubishi's current design language by adopting the X-shaped motif seen on other models, like the Eclipse Cross. Even a humble kei car can't escape crossoverization; designers echoed Mitsubishi's SUVs by adding black plastic trim over the wheel arches and the rocker panels. Mitsubishi took advantage of the concept's relatively long wheelbase to carve out a spacious, family-friendly interior. The driver sits higher than in a normal city car, like the Mirage, and the rear passengers take their seats after opening a van-like sliding door. Clever use of space has always been a trademark of kei cars, and the Super Height K-Wagon is no exception. Technical specifications remain vague. Mitsubishi outlined a high-performance engine that shifts through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). To qualify for kei car status, its engine can't displace more than 660 cubic centimeters, and it can't make more than 63 horsepower. And, proving once again that small doesn't always mean basic, the Super Height K-Wagon is packed with electronic driving aids like a collision-mitigation system, and lane-keeping assist. Mitsubishi boss Takao Koto called the Super Height K-Wagon concept the second wave of next-generation kei cars, and confirmed the concept will enter production by the end of the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2020. Don't expect to see it in the United States, though. Featured Gallery Mitsubishi Super Height K-Wagon concept Tokyo Motor Show Mitsubishi Minivan/Van Concept Cars 2019 tokyo motor show

Swarm of bees descends on man's Mitsubishi

A man in Wales got quite a shock when he returned to his car only to find it covered in bees. According to the South Wales Evening Post, an unnamed driver parked Mitsubishi Outlander in front of the Three Crowns Pub in Haverfordwest, a city in Pembrokesire, Southwest Wales. When he returned, he discovered a large swarm of honeybees had come to roost on the rear of the car. Thankfully, before anyone could disturb the bees, a Pembrokeshire Coast National Park ranger named Tom Moses came across the scene. "It was spectacular, I was driving through when I sported the big brown splodge," Moses told the Evening Post. "A lot of people were really amazed by it, cars were slowing down and people were taking pictures of it." The bees were swarming the car after their queen became lodged in the trunk, according to the Guardian. Moses has an interest in bees and often speaks to people about the ways in which bees are threatened by pesticides and habitat destruction. "At the national park, we like people to be aware of how important bees are and how people should be looking after them," Moses told the paper. The ranger contacted the Pembrokeshire Beekeepers' Association and two members came out to collect the swarm. "I was a little bit concerned, with it being in the middle of town outside a pub, that someone might do something stupid and get hurt or do something stupid and hurt the bees," Moses said. His concern is valid. It's a very bad idea to tangle with stinging insects when you don't know what you're doing. Bees swarm to protect their queen, and are liable to swarm anything they see as a threat. If you ever find yourself in this unlikely scenario, call a professional beekeeper who can safely remove the hive. Avoid hiring an exterminator though. Bee populations have a hard enough time as it is. Honeybee die-offs and disappearances have been on the rise since 2006. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one of the primary culprits is Colony Collapse Disorder, which happens when all adult workers in a hive disappear leaving only immature bees and a queen behind. Related Video: