Friday newspaper round-up: Gambling industry, Shell, Carlos Ghosn

The dependence of the UK gambling industry on high-spending VIPs, customers who are disproportionately likely to be addicts, has been laid bare in a secret report obtained by the Guardian. The Gambling Commission is considering whether to ban VIP schemes in Britain after collecting data from betting firms, including one that took 83% of all deposits from 2% of its customers. – Guardian

Royal Dutch Shell is at risk of falling short on plans to invest up to $6bn (£4.6bn) in green energy projects between 2016 and the end of 2020, with its slow progress likely to raise concern that oil companies are not moving fast enough to help tackle the climate crisis. – Guardian

Carlos Ghosn is to be grilled by Lebanese authorities after an international wanted notice was issued following his daring escape from Japan. The former Nissan and Renault boss will be quizzed by officials next week over the corruption charges in Tokyo which he fled from, and how he made it out of Japan despite being under heavily guarded house arrest. – Telegraph

Footfall across Britain’s shopping destinations fell over the crucial post-Christmas trading period even as retailers slashed prices to lure customers. Total customer visits declined by an average of 4 per cent year-on-year for the period between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, according to Springboard, the retail analyst. – The Times

Germany’s farming lobby has urged the European Union to strike a soft trade deal with Britain to stave off losses that could run to billions of euros in the event of a hard Brexit. The UK is one of the German agricultural industry’s most lucrative customers, importing €4.5 billion of goods a year while sending only €1.3 billion in the other direction. No other country furnishes Germany with such a big surplus in food and drink. – The Times