"We are on the precipice of a no-deal."

That was Irish Taoiseach (leader) Micheál Martin, who said what most people in Europe are thinking about the Brexit trade talks ahead of the crisis dinner between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commision President Ursula von Der Leyen. It's very much a last-chance saloon in Brussels this evening, but it remains to be seen if humble pie is on anyone's menu (or, indeed, if they will be receiving an "oven-ready" offering). 

But while we wait, there's a packed business newsletter for you to read!

We have news of the best-selling electric vehicle in China this year, an Italian energy giant's update on its mission to cut carbon emissions and as the eagle-eyed of you may have spotted from today's cover image, the investigation into former ING boss, now UBS CEO, Ralph Hamers. An appeals court in The Hague said he should have to answer questions about his role in ING's failure to spot money laundering. 

In today's video, we have a deeper look at what asymptomatic COVID-19 is... and if you should be worried. 

And finally, do you rent or own your house or apartment? Check out today's graph to see how you compare with citizens across Europe - as always, at the bottom of the briefing. 

Happy reading, 

Patrick Atack

Digital business correspondent 

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India's Department of Telecommunications has named Chinese telecoms giant Huawei among the firms included in the working groups set up to chart its 5G roadmap. The move comes amid the prevailing uncertainties over the fate of Chinese tech firms in India following New Delhi's recent ban on more than 200 Chinese mobile apps and its decision to restrict Chinese investments as bilateral ties took a nosedive after the border clash in June.

The Hongguang Mini EV by Wuling has been the best-selling electric vehicle in China for the past three months. With no safety airbags, optional air-conditioning and a driving range of under 200 kilometers, the tiny new model has been snowballing in China's market. The little car's sales reached more than 33,000 last month, making it the first new energy vehicle to have sold more than 30,000 units on a monthly basis in China this year. One of the key factors is the price of just $4,410. 

UK port issues ahead of Brexit are already causing trouble for manufacturers, as Honda said production at its Swindon plant was disrupted today and shipping trade magazine The Loadster reported that shipping group Ocean Alliance is planning to stop servicing the UK's Felixstowe port throughout January, with all UK cargo sent to Zeebrugge in Belgium, then transferred on trucks. 

The UK government will leave the European tariffs schedule against the U.S., which stems from a row over aerospace firms and state aid, when the Brexit Transition Period ends on January 1. Trade minister Liz Truss said: "We want to de-escalate the conflict and come to a negotiated settlement so we can deepen our trading relationship with the U.S." Commentators project this is a move to expedite a U.S.-UK trade deal.  

Japanese car maker Toyota said it has increased the production capacity for its hydrogen-powered Mirai model, as it releases a new version in Japan and prepares for a European release. In 2014, the firm could only produce 2,000 per year – but technical improvements and investment mean it will now make 30,000 annually. 

Ralph Hamers, the recently appointed boss of Swiss asset manager UBS, will be investigated by Dutch prosecutors after a court in The Hague ordered a review into his role as leader of Dutch bank ING Group when it settled for $940 million over a failure to root out money laundering. "The court considers it important that in public criminal proceedings, the standard is confirmed that managers of a bank do not go unpunished if they have actually led prohibited conduct," the ruling said. 

Italian energy giant Eni has signed a deal with energy services firm Saipem (of which it owns 30 percent) to work on decarbonization projects in Italy, focusing on ways to capture and store carbon dioxide from industry. The firms said the venture may seek to take part in European Union funding schemes such as the Green Deal and the Recovery Fund. Eni is looking to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent. 

International food and drinks firm Nestle launched its plant-based Harvest Gourmet brand in China, as the battle for the country's meat substitute market hots up in a year that has seen a boon for investors and brands hoping to enter the market.

Once thought of as the answer to money laundering and cash-based crime, cryptocurrency crime is gaining in sophistication, according to a new report by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic. At least 13 percent of all criminal proceeds in bitcoin passed through privacy wallets - which make it harder to track cryptocurrency transactions – compared with just 2 percent last year.

After the UK's second major "lockdown" ended last week, the government has announced it will ban landlords from evicting commercial tenants until March 31, 2021. The ban first came into place in March 2020, but has been extended several times during the pandemic, as the government hopes to assist struggling businesses. 

British American Tobacco has said it expects to see revenue growth at the top end of estimates that were published earlier in the year, as cigarette demand has remained high. Many firms have invested in vaping or tobacco alternatives and revenues were initially hit by airport closures and the loss of duty-free income, but the Lucky Strike manufacturer said traditional sales were stable. 

Spanish luxury group Puig, the family-owned Spanish conglomerate behind Carolina Herrera and Paco Rabanne, said it aimed to double its sales to $3.6 billion two years earlier than previously planned. Marc Puig, chairman and CEO, said the firm had been hit hard by the pandemic, but that it eyes growth with British makeup and skincare brand Charlotte Tilbury, which it bought in June, and a target of $1 billion in revenues for Paco Rabanne.

Tesla, Elon Musk's electric vehicle brand, announced it would leave the tech hub of California's Silicon Valley for Austin, Texas. The move has a long history, with Musk famously falling out with California regulators and lawmakers – but Tesla is not the only mover, as central California's reputation for a high cost of living, poor housing provision and high levels of crime were reasons given by the likes of Hewlett Packard and Palantir, which have both left.

WATCH: Should I Worry About… asymptomatic COVID-19?

A UCL study has found 86 percent of people who tested positive for COVID-19 during the first lockdown in England, didn't have any symptoms at the time of testing.

Ahead of the Johnson-Von Der Leyen Brexit crisis dinner, we spoke to the Institute of Directors' Europe specialist Allie Renison on why a trade deal is so significant for the businesses the IoD represents. 

I think it's absolutely critical for a number of different reasons. Firstly, you have many businesses, particularly manufacturing businesses, which have no idea whether there are going to be huge tariffs.

What are the key things you're hoping to see in any deal?

Keep in mind that businesses here in the UK have been told many different things over the past four years. We were going to be very close to the EU. Now we're not going to be.

I think really what's vital is making sure that there's enough time for businesses to actually adapt to whatever the new rules the UK and the EU are currently haggling over. And we don't really have any of that detail yet. I think, too, it's absolutely critical that we have no tariffs, no quotas.

A third of your members are not sure they're going to be ready by the end of the year. What have they been doing? 

We've been talking about Brexit for four years, but… we had a prime minister who had a very different vision of the kind of relationship that she wanted the UK to have with the EU. Now, under Johnson, he wants a much more distant relationship. And so the goalposts for businesses in terms of what to expect, what does Brexit actually mean, have been changing almost every year for the past four years.