Honda closure
Japanese car manufacturer Honda is to close its factory in Swindon, UK, in 2022, threatening 3,500 jobs at its only European production site and more in its supply chain, says the The Guardian. Sky News, meanwhile, speculates part of the decision to move production back to Japan comes because it can guarantee tariff-free exports to the EU. More from the FT.
Venezuela rejects MEPs
Venezuela blocked 4 MEPs from entering the country on Sunday, accusing them of plotting, politico reports. The EPP deputies were to meet opposition leader Juan Guaido after the European Parliament recognised him as interim leader. On 23 January 2019, Guaido declared himself interim leader, a move which president Nicolas Maduro dubbed a “US coup”. Since then, the US imposed sanctions on state-owned oil company PDVSA and officials backing Maduro. Catch up on the crisis with this explainer from Aljazeera.
Clearing houses
London’s three main euro-clearing houses, LCH, ICE, Clear Europe and LME Clear, have been recognised by the European Securities and Markets Authority, sparing the worst effects of a cliff-edge Brexit and securing thousands of jobs, reports the Independent. It comes after the European Commission mooted proposals for stricter supervision of clearing houses by EU central banks.
Labour defections
The UK Labour party was dealt a blow on Monday when seven MPs quit and created the Independent Group. Inews reports that more defections could follow from the opposition party, which has been accused of not doing enough to tackle anti-Semitic abuse.
Misuse of presidential power
A total 16 US states led by California launched legal action on Monday against Donald Trump’s administration after his decision to call a national emergency to fund a wall along the border with Mexico. Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday when Congress declined his request for $5.7bn to pay for the wall. More on this from The Guardian and the FT.
Hungary on Brussels
The Hungarian government has launched an anti-Brussels information campaign, accusing the European Commission of pushing migrant plans which “threaten Hungary’s safety”. Politico reports that a poster, bearing photos of Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Hungarian-American George Soros, were shared by the government’s official Facebook page.
Non-binary airline tickets
US airlines will soon dispense with the need for passengers to give gender information, when purchasing tickets. The Independent’s women’s correspondent reports that they will change the ticketing process to include gender choices such as “undisclosed” or “unspecified”, in order to be more inclusive towards diverse customers.