Blackrock to sue VW over emissions scandal www.bbc.com

Hinkley Point: UK approves nuclear plant deal www.bbc.com

The government has given the go ahead for a new £18bn nuclear power station in the UK after imposing "significant new safeguards" to protect national security.
The new plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset is being financed by the French and the Chinese.
In exchange, China wants to use its design for new UK nuclear stations.
The Chinese welcomed the decision, saying they were not concerned about new rules on future projects.
Jean-Bernard Lévy, group chief executive of French firm EDF, which is building the plant, said: "The decision of the British Government to approve the construction of Hinkley Point C marks the relaunch of nuclear in Europe."
The government said it would now "impose a new legal framework for future foreign investment in Britain's critical infrastructure".

Critics of the deal have warned of escalating costs and the implications of nuclear power plants being built in the UK by foreign governments. France's EDF is funding two-thirds of the project, which will create more than 25,000 jobs, with China investing the remaining £6bn.

The Chinese agreed to take a stake in Hinkley, which will meet 7% of Britain's energy needs, and to develop a new nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk on the understanding that the UK government would approve a Chinese-led and designed project at Bradwell in Essex, which has raised questions over national security.

A new agreement means that the government will be able to block the sale of EDF's controlling stake in Hinkley. The government will also take a special or "golden share" in all future new nuclear projects. This will ensure that significant stakes cannot be sold without the government's knowledge or consent.
There will also be increased scrutiny of the national security implications of foreign ownership of critical infrastructure. There is no specific mention of China's plans to design and build their own reactor at Bradwell but Chinese company CGN have welcomed this decision and sources close to the company say it will press ahead with their Bradwell ambitions under these new rules with confidence.
The price of the electricity, the parties involved and the future of UK nuclear all look the same. That will prompt some to ask what the hiatus since July's surprise review has really achieved.
In a statement, the government said: "After Hinkley, the British Government will take a special share in all future nuclear new build projects. This will ensure that significant stakes cannot be sold without the Government's knowledge or consent."
It added: "There will be reforms to the government's approach to the ownership and control of critical infrastructure to ensure that the full implications of foreign ownership are scrutinised for the purposes of national security."
The state-owned China General Nuclear Corporation (CGN) said: "We are delighted that the British Government has decided to proceed with the first new nuclear power station for a generation.
"We are now able to move forward and deliver much needed nuclear capacity at Hinkley Point, Sizewell and Bradwell with our strategic partners, EDF, and provide the UK with safe, reliable and sustainable low-carbon energy."
Guarantees
Energy Secretary Greg Clark, told the BBC: "I think it was right for a new government to look seriously at all the components of the deal.
"What we have decided is that for critical infrastructure generally we want to make sure our powers in this country are comparable to those of others, to be able to check that national security considerations are taken into account."
He added: "So what we have done here in Hinkley is require that EDF, the principal operator, guarantees - makes a commitment - that they won't dispose of their stake without the government's consent unless and until the plant is built. And in future all nuclear power plants will be subject to the same regime."
Projected sources of energy generation in the UK
The government has not altered the guaranteed payment of £92.50 per megawatt hour for electricity generated. Shadow energy minister, Barry Gardiner said it was "too high a price" and it should have been renegotiated.
Claire Jakobsson, head of climate and environment policy at EEF ,the manufacturers' organisation, said it was a relief to see the project going ahead "after months of delays and uncertainty".
"However, this project will clearly require a vast amount of support and it remains to be seen whether this deal is able to offer value for money. If new nuclear is to continue to play a major role we must see significant reductions in strike prices for future projects," she added.
Josh Hardie, deputy director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, called the announcement "good news", adding: "Investors are hungry for further signs from the government that the UK is open for business."
The decision on investment was approved by EDF's board in July, and was agreed in principle with China during the state visit by President Xi Jinping to the UK in October 2015.

External trade surplus keeps rising www.en.montsame.mn

Hinkley Point: UK expected to approve nuclear plant deal www.bbc.com

Russian hackers release secret data of 25 more Olympic athletes www.cnn.com

Russian hackers have released confidential information about dozens more Olympic athletes, the World Anti-Doping Agency says.
The new leak from cyber criminal group known as "Tsar Team" and "Fancy Bear" affects 25 athletes, including 10 from the U.S., WADA said late Wednesday.
WADA said the hackers stole the medical data of Olympic stars by breaking into its database. The anti-doping agency said the hackers were operating from Russia.
Earlier this week, the same group published information about four U.S. athletes, including gold medal gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Venus Williams.
The same group of Russian hackers is thought to have been behind the Democratic National Committee hack in June -- which released sensitive political information and led to the resignation of the committee chairman.
"WADA is very mindful that this criminal attack, which to date has recklessly exposed personal data of 29 athletes, will be very distressing for the athletes that have been targeted and cause apprehension for all athletes that were involved in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," said Olivier Niggli, the agency's director general.
Related: Hackers steal medical data of U.S. Olympic stars
It didn't name the athletes whose information was released in the latest leak. Besides the 10 from the U.S., those affected include five from Britain, five from Germany, and one athlete each from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, Romania and Russia.
On the Fancy Bears website, which CNN cannot confirm as legitimate, the hackers offered a message this week that said in part: "Greetings citizens of the world. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Fancy Bears' international hack team. We stand for fair play and clean sport."
They're expected to make more athletes' information public in the future, releasing the data "in batches," WADA said.
The initial leak earlier this week affected Biles, Williams and basketball player Elena Delle Donne, revealing their use of approved medications.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency said all of them had "done everything right in adhering to the global rules for obtaining permission to use a needed medication."

The Russian government has denied any involvement in the hack.
This is not the first time WADA has been targeted. The anti-doping agency database account of whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova was hacked in August. The runner helped expose the scale of Russian doping problems last year.

WADA recommended banning all Russian athletes from the Rio 2016 games, after an independent report said the country operated a state-sponsored doping program during the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. Russian officials and athletes likened the move to Cold War era conflicts.
"WADA has no doubt that these ongoing attacks are being carried out in retaliation against the agency," Niggli said.
The organization has asked Russia "to do everything in their power to make it stop," he said. "Continued cyber-attacks emanating from Russia seriously undermine the work that is being carried out to rebuild a compliant anti-doping program in Russia."

Chinese tycoon who bought Grindr paying wife more than $1 billion in divorce www.cnn.com

The Chinese tech tycoon who bought gay dating app Grindr is paying his wife an eye-watering $1.1 billion in a massive divorce settlement.
Zhou Yahui, the chairman of online gaming firm Beijing Kunlun Tech, has agreed to transfer hundreds of millions of shares in the firm to his wife, Li Qiong, according to a stock exchange filing this week.
The huge settlement has made headlines in Chinese state media, which have described it as one of the costliest splits in the country's history.
Earlier this year, the couple were ranked 11th in a global list of self-made billionaires under 40. Compiled by the Hurun Report, their combined wealth was estimated at $3.5 billion.

Ford to move all small-car production to Mexico as profits set to fall www.theguardian.com

YouTube to pay more for music in Europe www.rt.com

Uber starts self-driving test on public roads www3.nhk.or.jp

Singapore Airlines drops Airbus A380 plane www.bbc.com

Singapore Airlines has decided not to keep the first A380 it leased, delivering a fresh setback for Airbus' super-jumbo plane.
Singapore Airlines was the launch customer for the two-deck jet in 2007.
The airline has decided not to renew the A380 plane when the ten-year contract expires next year.
The news comes after Airbus more than halved its delivery target for the A380, raising fears it could slip back to making a loss from the aircraft.
A Singapore Airlines spokesperson said: "Our first five A380s are on 10-year leases, with options to extend. The first expires in October 2017, and we have decided not to extend it.
"For the other four, decisions will be made later."
But they added the airline had orders for five separate A380s with Airbus, which will start being delivered in the second half of 2017.
The A380 only began breaking even for Airbus last year.
In July, Airbus said it would still avoid losing money on the jet in 2017 with as few as 20 deliveries, but gave no further guidance.
Analysts says that big aircraft like the A380 and Boeing's 747 series have fallen out of favour.
Smaller jets can be more profitable as they are easier to fill and are cheaper to operate, analysts say.