News Headlines - 29 October 2019

▽Japan tax agency finds Ghosn used Nissan money for private use: report - Reuters

Japan’s tax authorities have determined former Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T) boss Carlos Ghosn used company money for private use, bolstering the automaker’s case that he diverted corporate funds for personal gain, the Yomiuri reported on Tuesday.
The Japanese newspaper, without citing sources, said the National Tax Agency found Ghosn used Nissan money for several years to pay consultant’s fees to his sister for fictitious work and to make donations to a university in Lebanon.

▽Defense Minister Kono apologizes for joking about typhoons - The Mainichi

Defense Minister Taro Kono apologized on Tuesday after he was widely criticized for joking about his moniker as a "rain man" at a time when Japan is reeling from the impact of multiple typhoons that hit the country in recent months... "I was often called 'ame-otoko' by local residents," Kono joked Monday, using a term meaning a man who seems to attract rain wherever he goes. "After I became defense minister, there have already been three typhoons."
His remarks, which elicited laughs from some in the audience, were made in an address meant to express thanks to Self-Defense Forces members who assisted in typhoon-hit areas.

▽Japan and South Korea deny reports of joint fund to address wartime labor issue | The Japan Times

High-ranking Japanese officials denied a media report Tuesday that Tokyo and Seoul are considering setting up a joint “economic cooperation fund” to resolve the thorny issue of wartime forced labor compensation, which has repeatedly rocked bilateral relations over the past year.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga emphatically denied the report, saying during a news conference on Tuesday that it is “not factually true.”
A senior Foreign Ministry official claimed separately that the report is “an outright lie.”

▽Umbrella Movement icon Joshua Wong barred from Hong Kong election

A returning officer notified Wong his nomination as a candidate in next month's elections was ruled invalid, according to a copy of the letter Wong posted on his Twitter account .
The government confirmed Wong's disqualification, without identifying him. It indicated the problem was related to a candidate advocating "self-determination" for Hong Kong, which it said conflicts with the requirement for candidates to declare they'll pledge allegiance to the city and uphold its constitution.

▽Edward Snowden searched the CIA's networks for proof that aliens exist. Here's what he found - CNN

As a former employee of the CIA and contractor for the National Security Agency, Snowden had access to some of the nation's most closely held secrets.
And, like any curious mind with access to the CIA's version of Google might do, he went in search of answers to some of society's most pressing questions.
As it turns out, the US government is not aware of any intelligent, extraterrestrial life, he says.