CARLOS GHOSN FLIGHT PROMPTS TALK OF MORE CURBS IN JAPAN'S STRICT JUSTICE SYSTEM Carlos Ghosn's daring flight from Japan, where he was awaiting trial on charges of financial wrongdoing, has revived global criticism of the nation's "hostage justice," but in Japan is prompting talk of reversing more lenient curbs on defendants. The ousted boss of Japan's Nissan Motor Co and France's Renault SA fled to Lebanon, saying on Tuesday that he had "escaped injustice" and would "no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system." Ghosn was first arrested in November 2018 when his private jet landed in Tokyo and kept in jail for more than 100 days as prosecutors added more charges, all of which he has denied. He was released on $9 million bail in March - only to be arrested and bailed again the following month. He was facing four charges, including underreporting his Nissan salary and transferring personal financial losses to his employer's books while he ran Japan's No. 2 automaker. His apparent escape from Japan's legal system - Tokyo and Lebanon don't have an extradition treaty - will likely halt or even reverse a trend of recent years toward granting bail in more cases, said Colin Jones, a law professor at Doshisha Law School in Kyoto. "I would expect it to be more difficult for foreign defendants to get bail," Jones said. In Japan, suspects who deny the charges against them are often detained for long periods and subject to intense questioning without a lawyer present, a system critics call "hostage justice." Japanese civil rights groups and the main bar lawyers association have long criticised a system that convicts 99.9% of criminal defendants. They say it gives too much power to prosecutors, who can detain suspects for long periods before indictment, and relies too much on confessions, some later found to have been forced and false. Ghosn's escape is clearly a shock to Japan's legal establishment. BRITAIN INTRODUCES HETEROSEXUAL CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS A couple that went to Britain's highest court to win the right to legalise their relationship without getting married were among the first in the country on Tuesday to celebrate a change in marriage laws. The change means that from the last day of 2019 men and women in Britain are able for the first time to join hands in civil partnerships as an alternative to getting married. British media reported on Tuesday how Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan celebrated their civil partnership with a ceremony at the Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in London. They won a legal battle in 2018 for the right to heterosexual civil partnerships, paving the way for today's change in the law. The couple took their fight to the Supreme Court, the highest court in Britain, forcing the law change. Steinfeld told journalists it was their personal wish to form a civil partnership which came from a personal desire to formalise their relationship in a more modern way, with a focus in equality and mutual respect. She said it creates new, modern possibilities for thousands of people to express their love and commitment and ends the unrivaled position of marriage. The change means couples will be able to access the same tax benefits, pensions and inheritances as those available to married couples. U.S. EXPERIENCES MULTIPLE SHOOTINGS ON NEW YEARS' Two each killed in Omaha and Florida, while seven were shot at a bar in West Virginia Two people were found dead and a police officer was wounded at a housing complex in Omaha, while two men were shot and killed when a gunman opened fire at a Florida club authorities said. Seven people were also shot at bar in West Virginia on New Year's Day. Omaha shooting The Omaha New Year's Eve shooting happened after officers were called to a complex known as Evans Tower shortly after 10 p.m., Omaha police Deputy Chief Scott Gray said. Two officers encountered an armed man in the hallway on the fifth floor, Gray said. It was not immediately clear what prompted the ensuing exchange of gunfire. Police said the armed man was killed and one officer was shot in the leg. Police then found a dead woman inside an apartment, police spokesman Joe Nickerson said Wednesday. Florida club firing Two men were shot and killed when a gunman opened fire at a celebration at a Florida club, authorities said. Media reports say as many as 250 revelers scrambled for safety after shots were fired. Bar shooting News reports say at least five people were injured, some seriously, after being shot inside a bar. Interim Police Chief Ray Cornwell of the Huntington Police Department told local news stations that the shooting happened at the Kulture Hookah Bar in Huntingdon. According to WOWK-TV, more than a dozen shell casings were found outside the bar and in a parking lot across the street. ISRAEL'S NETANYAHU SAYS WILL SEEK PARLIAMENTARY IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION IN CORRUPTION CASES Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he would seek parliamentary immunity from prosecution in the three graft cases he faces, a move that could delay criminal proceedings against him for months. Mr. Netanyahu was indicted in November on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust over allegations he granted state favours worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Israeli media barons in return for gifts and favourable coverage. He denies any wrongdoing, saying he is the victim of a witch hunt by the media and left to oust a popular right-wing leader. A trial cannot get under way once an immunity request is made, and Mr. Netanyahu announced the politically risky move in a speech on live television just four hours before a deadline for an application was to expire. He said in his address that the charges against him were politically motivated and he was entitled to parliament's protection. Amid deep political deadlock, parliament seems unlikely to decide the issue before Israel's March 2 election. Mr. Netanyahu will need the support of 61 of its 120 legislators for immunity to be granted, the same majority that eluded him in attempts to form a government after national ballots in April and September. POPE FRANCIS APOLOGISES FOR SLAPPING WOMAN'S HAND Pope Francis apologised on Wednesday for slapping a woman, who had grabbed him as he greeted a crowd of devotees, shortly before he delivered a speech denouncing "every form of violence against women." The image of a visibly annoyed Pope Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of an admirer as he walked by Catholic faithful on New Year's Eve instantly went viral on social media. An apology followed. "We lose patience many times," the Pope confessed. "It happens to me too. I apologise for the bad example given yesterday," the head of the Catholic church said before celebrating Mass at the Vatican. The Pope was greeting children before the Nativity scene on Saint Peter's square and was turning away when a woman cried out something, yanked his hand and almost caused him to fall. DEATH TOLL REACHES 16 AS OZ STRUGGLES TO CONTAIN BUSHFIRES Three more persons lost their lives in the raging Australian bushfires on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths since October to 16 in deadly blazes that have forced thousands to seek refuge due to the worst fire crisis that has hit the country in decades. "Police have confirmed a further three deaths as a result of the fires on the South Coast," New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys told reporters. He said a person also remained unaccounted for in the state. The fires have also destroyed dozens of homes and left three people wounded in the state that has been battling the deadly inferno since September 2019, Efe news reported. Firefighters are trying to control the flames before Saturday when the temperature is expected to touch the 40 degrees Celsius mark. Some 50,000 homes were said to be without power on the south coast of New South Wales, the worst affected state where some 2,500 firefighters are currently battling over 100 blazes raging across the province. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews, told reporters that military aid, food, water, and fuel have been sent to areas affected by fires in the state. AUSTRIA CONSERVATIVES AGREE COALITION WITH GREENS Austria's conservatives have agreed to form an unprecedented coalition government with the Greens after months of negotiations. Sebastian Kurz's People's Party had been in coalition with the far-right Freedom Party until a scandal toppled the government in May. The People's Party came top in a snap September election, but have only now agreed a deal with the Greens. It is the first time the left-wing party will serve in government. "We succeeded in uniting the best of both worlds," Mr Kurz said on Wednesday. "It is possible to protect the climate and borders." Greens leader Werner Kogler said Austria should now become a European leader on climate change issues, telling reporters that both parties "have possibly agreed on more than we could have imagined beforehand". Full details of the coalition will be announced on Thursday. But the leaders suggested they would aim to lower taxes in general - a People's Party pledge - while bringing in higher environmental taxes, in line with Green policies. Mr Kurz is expected to return as Austria's chancellor, while Werner Kogler is expected to serve as vice-chancellor. AI 'OUTPERFORMS' DOCTORS DIAGNOSING BREAST CANCER Artificial intelligence is more accurate than doctors in diagnosing breast cancer from mammograms, a study in the journal Nature suggests. An international team, including researchers from Google Health and Imperial College London, designed and trained a computer model on X-ray images from nearly 29,000 women. The algorithm outperformed six radiologists in reading mammograms. AI was still as good as two doctors working together. Unlike humans, AI is tireless. Experts say it could improve detection.