Here are the business stories making the headlines across the country this morning.

UK approval for gas-fired power station was lawful, court rules

Britain's approval of a new gas-fired power station backed by BP was lawful, London's High Court ruled on Wednesday, dismissing a legal challenge over the project.

Climate campaigner Andrew Boswell had taken legal action over the decision to build the power station with carbon capture and storage in Teesside, North-east England.

Net Zero Teesside Power, a joint venture between BP and Norway's Equinor, aims to build the plant with a capacity of up to 860 megawatts, fitted with post-combustion carbon capture.

Boswell's lawyers argued that ministers did not give adequate reasons for their conclusion that the development would "help deliver the government's net zero commitment".

Read the full story here.

UK economy continues recovery with 0.6% growth

The UK's economy grew by 0.6% between April and June as it continued its recovery from the recession at the end of last year.

The latest figure was in line with forecasts and follows a 0.7% increase in the first three months of this year.

Growth was led by the services sector, in particular the IT industry, legal services and scientific research.

Services are the biggest contributor to the UK's economy, far outstripping manufacturing and construction, both of which saw output fall between April and June.

Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the Office for National Statistics, said: "The UK economy has now grown strongly for two quarters, following the weakness we saw in the second half of last year".


Mars buys maker of Corn Flakes and Pringles for £28billion


Food giant Mars has announced it is buying snacks and cereal company Kellanova in a deal worth $36billion (£28billion).

The mega-merger will unite brands such as Mars chocolate bars, Snickers, and M&M's, along with pet food ranges such as Whiskas, with products such as Pop-Tarts, Pringles, and a host of household-name cereals.

It is thought to be the biggest corporate takeover to be announced this year.

The companies hope the move will allow their brands to be sold even more widely around the world.


US considers breaking up Google after illegal monopoly ruling, reports says


A week after a judge ruled that Alphabet’s Google illegally monopolized the online search market, the US Department of Justice is considering options that include breaking up the tech giant, worth some $2trillion, according to reports from the New York Times and Bloomberg News.

Divesting the Android operating system was one of the remedies most frequently discussed by justice department attorneys, the reports said.

Officials were also considering trying to force a possible sale of AdWords, Google’s search ad program, and a possible divestment of its Chrome web browser, according to the reports.


Wizz Air launches 'all you can fly' annual deal


Budget airline Wizz Air has launched an 'all you can fly' subscription, which offers customers unlimited flights for an annual fee of £428.

The scheme is similar to those being offered by Frontier Airlines in the US and Malaysia-based AirAsia.

From September, subscribers will be able to travel to destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia by booking an available flight at least three days in advance and pay a flat fee of 9.99 euro.

Wizz Air has faced criticism in the UK for its customer service and flight delays.

Read the full story here.

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