This article does NOT represent the opinion of khazen.org. We are in contrary supportive of the work of Carlos Ghosn and his amazing turnaround of the companies he has led. 

by Michael Wayland -- cnbc.com -- Former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz believes ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn’s ego contributed to the executive’s fall from grace and current status as an international fugitive. Lutz, who said he’s known Ghosn for a number of years, said the embattled executive suffers from a “god complex” as well as “CEO disease,” where a person believes they are omnipotent and “above the law” because of their power. “That type of personality does tend to pretty easily slip over the line and do things that the rest of us would not do because they think they’re so important and so well connected and of such vast importance to the economy that no one would ever call them on it,” Lutz, a well-known outspoken automotive icon, said Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” Ghosn, who simultaneously led three automakers as part of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance, on Monday secretly fled Japan, where he was under strict house arrest, to Lebanon to escape what he called a “rigged” justice system. Ghosn on Thursday said he alone arranged for his departure out of Japan, refuting media reports that members of his family assisted in the plan.

Authorities search Ghosn’s Toyko residence to determine how he escaped Ghosn, who is reportedly a citizen of Brazil, France and Lebanon, was awaiting trial after being accused in Japan of financial misconduct and misuse of corporate resources for personal gain. He has denied any wrongdoing. Lutz said he wasn’t saying Ghosn is “guilty as charged,” however he would be “extremely surprised if this was the result of a carefully planned conspiracy and he was, in fact, totally innocent.” “He was a control freak; needed to amass enormous power,” Lutz said. “I mean, being an effective CEO of three or four car companies at the same time, since we all, no matter how great we are, we only have 24 hours a day, some of which is devoted to sleep, it’s impossible to really exercise those duties in a good way without really delegating most of it.”

Sara Al Shurafa, Gulfnews — Dubai: News has been circulating online that U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter, Tiffany, is getting married this …

By Alexander Smith and Aziz Akyavas - nbcnews-- ISTANBUL — Seven aviation workers, including four pilots, have been detained for questioning in Turkey in connection to former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn's escape from Japan, where he was awaiting trial, Turkish officials said Thursday. Ghosn, 65, was ousted from Nissan last year and accused of a series of financial misdeeds, including the alleged concealment of tens of millions of dollars in income. He was expected to stand trial in April but managed to flee Japan despite being under tight surveillance, showing up in Lebanon this week. The news came as Lebanese officials said they had received a "Red Notice" through the international policing organization Interpol, calling on them to arrest him. The former auto chief was born in Brazil but holds a Lebanese passport and has family ancestry, as well as a home, in Beirut. It's unclear how he managed to slip the net in Japan, but media reports said he traveled to Lebanon via Turkey. On Thursday, the Istanbul governor's office said in a statement that it had arrested the seven people for questioning. These included four pilots of a "private airlines company," the company manager and two ground staff, according to the statement, which only identified the people by their initials.

Also Thursday, Lebanese Justice Minister Albert Serhan told The Associated Press that his country had received the Interpol notice for Ghosn and that the country "will carry out its duties." Previously, Lebanese officials had said that he entered the country legally. Red Notices are issued by one country to another via Interpol, which only passes them along and has no power to enforce the request. "A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant," Interpol points out on its website. 400 protesters in Hong Kong arrested after thousands join New Year's Day rally Reports, rumors and speculation have swirled as to how Ghosn made his escape. An unverified report by the Lebanese television channel MTV claimed that he had been spirited away in a large musical instrument case, possibly for a double bass, after a band played at his home in Tokyo.

By John Bacon -- USA TODAY -- An uneasy calm enveloped the U.S. Embassy in Iraq on Thursday as new images from the scene revealed extensive damage following days of sometimes violent protests by Iranian-backed militia members and their supporters. The photos show a burned and charred reception area, smashed windows and vandalized rooms left behind by supporters and members of the Iranian-trained Hashed al-Shaabi military network, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported, and the embassy was not evacuated.

The Pentagon sent hundreds of troops to the region, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he would delay a trip to Central Asia and Europe to focus on the "the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security" of Americans there. "We’ll continue cooperation (with Iraq) to hold Iran and its proxies responsible," Pompeo said. The embassy protest erupted Tuesday, two days after U.S. airstrikes killed at least two dozen Iran-backed fighters in Iraq.Demonstrators shouting "Death to America!" smashed their way into the embassy compound and set fire to a reception area as U.S. combat helicopters swooped over the complex. Militia leaders with the Popular Mobilization Forces ultimately ordered supporters to retreat, declaring the demonstration a win in the battle to expel U.S. troops from Iraq. “After achieving the intended aim, we pulled out from this place triumphantly,” said Fadhil al-Gezzi, a militia supporter. “We rubbed America’s nose in the dirt.” Protests are nothing new in Baghdad, but most have targeted the Iraqi government and what Sunni Iraqis view as meddling by Iran's Shiite government.