News Headlines - 01 February 2019

▽Carlos Ghosn’s treatment is a stain on ‘liberal’ Japan | FT

The abrupt arrest and indefinite detention of Carlos Ghosn in Japan have brought to mind unflattering parallels with Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union. To those like me who know the former Nissan and Renault boss, his treatment suggests that Andrei Vyshinsky, the main architect of the judicial charades used to eliminate the Bolshevik old guard, is alive and well in the Tokyo public prosecutors’ office.

▽Most of UK's top-selling keyless cars at risk of theft, says Which? | The Guardian

The Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Qashqai and Ford Focus - four of the top five models sold in the UK - are among the cars that are susceptible to theft using “cheap electronic equipment bought online”, the consumer group Which? said.
Keyless entry systems enable cars to start if a fob is nearby. However, thieves using relay devices to boost the signal can trick the cars’ sensors into thinking the keyless fob is closer than it is, enabling them to open and start a vehicle even when the fob remains in the owner’s house.

▽British restaurant insolvencies hit record, study shows | Reuters

The number of British restaurant insolvencies hit a record high in 2018 and have doubled since 2010, a study by accountants Price Bailey showed on Wednesday as the sector struggles with market saturation and competition from delivery apps.
There were 1,442 restaurant insolvencies in 2018, up 40 percent compared to 2017, Insolvency Service data obtained by Price Bailey showed. Four restaurant businesses a day are going bust, up from under two a day in 2010.

▽Unilever stockpiles Magnum ice-cream in case of no-deal Brexit | The Guardian

Unilever is stockpiling Magnum ice-cream in the UK to ensure supplies do not run low if there is a no-deal Brexit.
Alan Jope, Unilever’s chief executive, said the company had taken the decision to import extra supplies of the ice-cream, which is produced in mainland Europe, in case the ports grind to a halt.

▽EU parliament recognizes Guaido as Venezuelan interim president | Reuters

The European Parliament recognized Venezuela’s self-declared interim president Juan Guaido as de facto head of state on Thursday, heightening international pressure on the OPEC member’s socialist President Nicolas Maduro... EU lawmakers voted 439 in favor to 104 against, with 88 abstentions, at a special session in Brussels to recognize Venezuelan congress head Guaido as interim leader.
In a statement with the non-binding vote, the parliament urged the bloc’s 28 governments to follow suit and consider Guaido “the only legitimate interim president” until there were “new free, transparent and credible presidential elections”.