New emissions blow for Volkswagen as German court backs damages claims

US authorities banned the affected cars after the cheat software was discovered, triggering claims for compensation.

Volkswagen must pay compensation to owners of vehicles with rigged diesel engines in Germany, a court ruled on Monday, dealing a fresh blow to the firm almost five years after its emissions scandal erupted.

The ruling by Germany’s highest court for civil disputes, which will allow owners to return vehicles for a partial refund of the purchase price, serves as a template for about 60,000 lawsuits that are still pending with lower German courts.

Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 to cheating emissions tests on diesel engines, a scandal which has already cost it more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in regulatory fines and vehicle refits, mostly in the United States (US).

US authorities banned the affected cars after the cheat software was discovered, triggering claims for compensation.

But in Europe vehicles remained on the roads, leading Volkswagen to argue compensation claims there were without merit.

European authorities instead forced the firm to update its engine control software and fined it for fraud and administrative lapses.

Trump threatens to cut intelligence sharing ties with nations over Huawei

Washington has been pressing allies to ban Huawei, one of the world's largest tech firms, from next-generation 5G mobile data networks, saying it is a security risk.

The United States' ambassador to Germany said Sunday that President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off intelligence-sharing with countries that dealt with Chinese tech firm Huawei.

Washington has been pressing allies to ban Huawei, one of the world's largest tech firms, from next-generation 5G mobile data networks, saying it is a security risk.

Ambassador Richard Grenell said Trump "instructed me to make clear that any nation who chooses to use an untrustworthy 5G vendor will jeopardize our ability to share intelligence and information at the highest level."

Grenell said on Twitter that the president had called him on Sunday from Air Force One, the presidential plane, to convey the message.

Key US allies in Europe, notably Britain and France, have said they will not ban Huawei from building 5G networks but will impose restrictions.

Publicly, the US has been restrained in its response, but Trump was reportedly furious with London.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that Huawei was a "Trojan horse for Chinese intelligence."

The tech company vehemently denies the US allegations, and Beijing has characterized its treatment as "economic bullying."

A US indictment on Friday laid more criminal charges against Huawei related to theft of intellectual property, adding to earlier allegations that the company stole trade secrets from American carrier T-Mobile.

China coronavirus death toll rises to 170; confirmed cases soar to 7,711

Chinese President Xi Jinping called the coronavirus a "demon" which should be brought under control.

International News : The nationwide death toll from China's novel coronavirus epidemic has jumped to 170 with 38 more fatalities reported mainly from the worst-affected central Hubei province, the government said on Thursday, while confirming more than 1,700 new infections.

The coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, capital of China's Hubei province, in December and has now spread across the globe. The Chinese authorities are trying to contain the epidemic while other countries, including India, are working on plans to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called the coronavirus a "demon" which should be brought under control, pledging that the government would be transparent and release information on the virus in a "timely" manner.

China's National Health Commission said on Thursday that 7,711 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps by the end of Wednesday.

A total of 170 people have died of the disease, it said.

It said in its daily report that 1,370 patients remained in critical conditions, and 12,167 people were suspected of being infected with the virus by the end of Wednesday.

A total of 124 people have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

A total of 1,737 new confirmed cases, including the first in Tibet, and 4,148 new suspected cases, and 38 deaths - 37 in Hubei Province and one in Sichuan Province - were reported by Wednesday.

Mitsubishi offices raided in Germany over suspected diesel emissions fraud

A spokesperson for Mitsubishi Motors in Japan on Wednesday confirmed the raid on its German distributors as well as on its European research and development facilities.

German prosecutors have raided 10 business premises as part of a probe into suspected diesel emissions cheating involving Mitsubishi cars, the latest fallout from the so-called "dieselgate" scandal.

Frankfurt prosecutors said they had opened a fraud investigation against senior employees at "an international car group", two international car suppliers and a car dealership.

The probe focuses on Mitsubishi diesel vehicles with 1.6- and 2.2-litre engines that were given Germany's highest Euro 5 and Euro 6 ratings depending on their adherence to emissions standards.

"There is a suspicion that the engines are equipped with a so-called shutdown device" that makes them appear less polluting in lab tests than they actually are on the road, the prosecutors' statement said.

A spokesperson for Mitsubishi Motors in Japan on Wednesday confirmed the raid on its German distributors as well as on its European research and development facilities -- also based in the country.

"Mitsubishi Motors will of course collaborate and contribute to this investigation," the spokesperson told AFP, declining to offer further information.

On the Tokyo stock exchange, Mitsubishi shares were swamped by selling at the opening bell, delaying an initial price. When the stock was eventually traded, it was down 4.62 percent at 433 yen.

The Mitsubishi probe is the latest twist in the dieselgate scandal that erupted in 2015 when the Volkswagen group admitted to installing software in 11 million vehicles worldwide to dupe pollution tests.

Automobile

Technology investment in India rose 95% at $9.3 bn in 2019: Report

The data collated by Dealroom.co show that the Indian investment figures coincided with record investment numbers registered by UK in 2019, at $13.2 bn, behind the US ($116 bn) and China ($33.5 bn).

BS : India attracted tech investments worth $9.36 billion last year, a 95 per cent increase compared with the previous year, according to the data compiled by a global database company.

The data collated by Dealroom.co show that the Indian investment figures coincided with record investment numbers registered by the UK in 2019, at $13.2 billion, behind the US ($116 bn) and China ($33.5 bn).

Both India and the UK witnessed a record year in terms of investments into their respective technology sectors in 2019. India attracted tech investments worth $9.36 billion last year, which marks a 95 per cent hike on the previous year, it said.

"The positive tech investment figures for India and the UK demonstrate that we are both top destinations for global investors," said Hemin Bharucha, Chief India Representative for London & Partners the Mayor of London's official promotional agency.

"Cities such as London, Mumbai and Bengaluru are increasingly creating game changing companies to compete on the global stage and we see lots of opportunities to collaborate with India, especially in areas such as smart cities and fintech. It's also great to see that investment from Asia into the UK increased significantly in 2019, offering further proof of the strength of London and the UK's tech growth," he said.

According to the research prepared for London & Partners and Tech Nation by Dealroom.co, London maintains a strong tech lead with the UK capital's tech companies attracting $9.7 billion in funding last year more than any other European city.

Major funding rounds for London companies in 2019 included $440 million in funding for London-headquartered fintech company OakNorth, headed by Indian-origin entrepreneur Rishi Khosla.

Youth show the mirror to major nations including India at UN climate summit

16 children, including India's Ridhima Pandey, said they would petition the UN against five big carbon polluters in the world.

Business Standard : At the United Nations (UN) emergency climate summit, 16 children, including India’s Ridhima Pandey, said they would petition the UN against five big carbon polluters in the world--Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey--for violating their rights as children by failing to adequately reduce emissions.

Pandey, 11, is from Haridwar in Uttarakhand, and had, in 2017, filed a case against the Indian government at the National Green Tribunal for failing to take action against climate change.

As countries reiterated old promises to control climate change, the youth, led by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, emerged as climate leaders. “I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you come to us young people for hope. How dare you?” said Thunberg.

Every country, except the United States, has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Of those countries, 45 have agreed to an additional protocol that allows children to petition the UN directly about treaty violations.

Within that group of 45, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkey are some of the biggest emitters of the pollution that causes climate change. None of the five is on a path needed to keep the planet from heating over 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius by the turn of the century.

The petition by children comes on the heels of the latest report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that said global temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius since systematic record-keeping began in 1850, and by 0.2 degrees Celsius compared to 2011-2015.

“Climate change causes and impacts are increasing rather than slowing down,” said Petteri Taalas, secretary general of the WMO.

Antonio Gueterres, the UN secretary general, has praised Thunberg for her leadership, calling it “absolutely remarkable”. The UN credits the pressure from the youth for pushing climate action across countries.

“I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you come to us young people for hope. How dare you?” said 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg at the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 in New York.

BMW to recall 360,000 cars in China over Takata airbags

Around 20 people have died in accidents linked to defects in Takata airbags since 2013, prompting a massive worldwide recall of at least 100 million cars from a wide range of manufacturers.

Germany's BMW will recall 360,000 vehicles in China as part of the worldwide effort to root out defective airbags made by now-defunct Japanese supplier Takata, regulators in Beijing said.

Around 20 people have died in accidents linked to defects in Takata airbags since 2013, prompting a massive worldwide recall of at least 100 million cars from a wide range of manufacturers.

Also Read : BMW unveils Chennai-made 530i M Sport, priced at Rs 59 lakh

The recall will affect nearly 273,000 models built by BMW's joint venture with Chinese manufacturer Brilliance Automotive and more than 87,000 imported BMW cars, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said.

The agency said in statement posted on its website late Tuesday that a defect could cause the airbags to eject debris at passengers if deployed.

It did not mention any specific incidents caused by the BMW-installed airbags.

The China recall affects more than two dozen different BMW models built between 2000 and 2018, including several each in the i, X and M series, along with other models.

The suspect parts will be replaced for free, the notice said.

Founded in 1933, Takata went out of business in 2017 because of the airbag crisis.

The BMW announcement came as global carmakers were gathered for the Shanghai Auto Show amid a rare sales slump in the world's largest vehicle market.

Business Standard

Poor diet leads to hundreds of deaths in India every year: Lancet study

The study estimates that one in five deaths globally -- equivalent to 11 million deaths -- are associated with poor diet.

Poor diet leads to hundreds of deaths in India annually, according to a Lancet study which found that globally one in five people die due to the lack of optimal amounts of food and nutrients on their plates.

The report, which tracked trends in consumption of 15 dietary factors from 1990 to 2017 in 195 countries, showed that almost every region of the world could benefit from rebalancing their diets.

The study estimates that one in five deaths globally -- equivalent to 11 million deaths -- are associated with poor diet, and diet contributes to a range of chronic diseases in people around the world.

In 2017, more deaths were caused by diets with too low amounts of foods such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds than by diets with high levels of foods like trans fats, sugary drinks, and high levels of red and processed meats.

Low intake of whole grains -- below 125 grammes per day -- was the leading dietary risk factor for death and disease in India, the US, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Iran, and Turkey.

In Bangladesh, low intake of fruits -- below 250 grammes per day -- was the leading dietary risk.

In 2017, the countries with the lowest rates of diet-related deaths were Israel, France, Spain, Japan, and Andorra. India ranked 118th with 310 deaths per 100,000 people.

The UK ranked 23rd (127 deaths per 100,000), and the US ranked 43rd (171 deaths per 100,000) after Rwanda and Nigeria (41st and 42nd).

China ranked 140th, with 350 deaths per 100,000 people, researchers said in a statement.

The findings highlight the urgent need for coordinated global efforts to improve diet, through collaboration with various sections of the food system and policies that drive balanced diets.

"This study affirms what many have thought for several years -- that poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world," said Christopher Murray, at University of Washington in the US.

"While sodium, sugar, and fat have been the focus of policy debates over the past two decades, our assessment suggests the leading dietary risk factors are high intake of sodium, or low intake of healthy foods, such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, and vegetables," said Murray.Keep Reading : Business Standard