Ghosn claims his innocence. In Lebanon, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn said all the charges against him were false and that the conditions under which he was detained were aimed at "breaking" him. He said he had no choice but to leave as he would not have received a fair trial in Japan. Charged with withholding income from the tax authorities and embezzlement, he denied all charges, pointing at a plot to oust him as Renault’s influence on Nissan was growing. He said Nissan officials and the Japanese public prosecutor's office are responsible for his “ordeal".

A nice contract. Alstom signs a 755 ME contract to renovate and maintain the Pendolino Avanti West Coast trains in the UK. The 56 electric trains will be overhauled over seven years.

Good results. Samsung made a reassuring statement on its earnings outlook, indicating that earnings will decline less than expected. Analysts mainly noted that lows appear to have been breached in some segments, which bodes well for the future. The South Korean is planning to unveil new products next month, including a 5G tablet.

Sound warfare. Speaker manufacturer Sonos has filed a patent infringement suit against Google. Sonos wants to ban the sale of several of the U.S. giant's flagship products, including its connected speakers and smartphones. Complaints have been filed with the California courts and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Sonos also hopes to recover damages.

One more clue. The chairman of the Seat executive committee (Volkswagen group), Luca De Meo, has resigned, which brings water to the mill of those who see him take the helm at Renault. "Luca de Meo, Managing Director of Seat S.A., has had his responsibilities as CEO of Seat revoked at his own request and by mutual agreement," the parent company said.

Symbolic. Tesla yesterday received a capitalization of more than $81bn, beating the old Ford Motor record dating from 1999: it is the most highly valued US car manufacturer in the world, but it is still far from the champion in the field, Toyota (currently around $228bn). At the bottom of the wave six months ago, Elon Musk's stock peaked at $471.63 in yesterday's session. This is enough to make Elon Musk want to dance-floor in China ...

The black series continues. Boeing is now formally recommending that airline pilots conduct simulator training before taking control of a 737 MAX, whose return to operations date remains unknown. The U.S. aircraft manufacturer is also facing the crash of a previous generation B737-800 belonging to Ukraine Airlines, which crashed after taking off from Tehran. The disaster, which is said to have claimed 176 lives, is as yet unexplained.

Meat without the meat. Impossible Food is giving up McDonald's because of lack of capacity, which is causing Beyond Meat to soar. The "meatless meat" sector is hotter than ever as the big chains could soon raise its status. If the topic interests you, MarketScreener's Vegan themed investment list is made for you.

In other news. The Apache Corporation share is up 27% after the announcement of a major oil discovery with Total in Surinam. According to information from the Financial Times, Anheuser-Busch Inbev is looking for a successor to its CFO, Felipe Dutra. SGS is buying Texas-based Thomas J Stephen. Passing of power between the fourth and fifth generation of Schindler's heirs.