NUCLEAR PLANT: The first in a new generation of UK nuclear power plants has been approved by the Government.

Energy company EDF will build the £14bn Hinkley Point C power plant, in Somerset, creating about 25,000 jobs during construction and 900 permanent posts once it is in operation.

The plant will be capable of powering five million homes.

Hinkley Point C will be the third nuclear plant at the site. Hinkley A, which is now being decommissioned, began generating in 1965 and was closed down in 1999. Hinkley B, which started generating in 1976, is due to be turned off in 2023.

FASHION SALES: Online fashion retailer Asos has recorded a strong set of results, despite the stagnate industry.

The company said it had seen total sales rise by 34 per cent to £352.3m for six months to the end of February.

Its sales in the US increased to £35.6m, with total group revenues at £359.7m.

The firm, which attracts about 20m visitors to its website, said the results were boosted by a strong December.

AGENCY SHARES: The UK's biggest estate agency chain was last night valued at more than £800m after it returned to the stock market following a six-year break.

Countrywide, which has 931 branches and trades through brands including Bairstow Eves, will receive about £200m from the flotation, which includes the sale of a 26.7 per cent stake in the company.

It was taken private in 2006 but three years later was forced into a £641m debt-for-equity swap with lenders including Oaktree Capital, Apollo Global Management and Alchemy.

AIRLINE GROWTH: Airline Ryanair has revealed plans to increase its aircraft fleet by a third after placing an order with Boeing for 175 planes worth more than £10bn.

The deal will see Ryanair operating about 400 planes by 2018. It currently has 305 planes and the order will allow older models to be retired.

Ryanair said it hopes the new planes will boost its plans to increase passenger numbers to 100m a year.

COMPANY FINED: A fitted kitchen company has been fined £90,000 after carrying out thousands of marketing calls to members of the public.

DM Design, in Cumbernauld, near Glasgow, drew nearly 2,000 complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office.

The fine is the first issued in the UK.

The firm was found to have failed to check if people had opted out of receiving calls, and had responded to a small number of the complaints it received.