- Chimps 'have their own personality'
- Passing fire crew revives woman
- Eurozone crisis 'has implications'
- 1+2 plan 'needs funds and staff'
- Police car involved in road crash
- Firms urged to use Scottish produce
- Lockerbie inquiry calls rejected
- Stabbing prompts murder inquiry
- Impact of ageing population probed
- MSPs set to pass alcohol price Bill
- Firm fails to appear at committee
Business
Wettest spring on record puts a damper on M&S
THE wettest spring on record and financial turmoil in the Eurozone are set to cast a cloud over annual results at high street retail icon Marks & Spencer this week.
Consumers see modest fall in inflation as oil prices ease
HARD-PRESSED businesses and consumers are likely to get some respite this week when figures show inflation has fallen back from its recent highs – though other news on the economy remains grim.
Lady Susan Rice appointed president of Scottish Council for Development and Industry
LADY Susan Rice, managing director of Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, has been appointed president of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI).
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‘Shareholder spring’ continues with bid to block election of HSBC chairman
ADVISORY body PIRC is calling on investors to oppose the re-election of HSBC chairman Douglas Flint at the banking group’s annual meeting on Friday in a further sign that the ‘shareholder spring’ is set to continue.
1 comment
HP plant to bounce back from layoffs
IT WAS once one of the flag-bearers for Scotland’s “Silicon Glen” electronics industry before manufacturing of computer terminals was switched to the Czech Republic and hundreds of workers were laid off.
You’re hired: Scottish textile makers to recruit more apprentices
SCOTLAND’S textile manufacturers are working together on the nationwide roll-out of an initiative aimed at encouraging more young people into the industry, following the successful launch of a modern apprenticeship scheme in the Borders last year.
Jeff Salway: Avoid lure of payday loans trap
SCOTS mired in money difficulties have been urged to seek help instead of getting trapped in a spiral of long-term debt by resorting to payday loans.
Comment: What is there to ‘like’ about Facebook flotation?
FEW flotations have captured the public’s imagination in quite the same way as Facebook’s first day of trading on Friday. As one observer stated, it was rare for such an event to take place in which everyone has a stake in the outcome.
1 comment
Website books up 300 B&B owners
MORE than 300 bed and breakfast owners have signed up to use a website aimed at giving small businesses greater access to Scotland’s £4.2 billion tourism industry by slicing through bureaucracy.
1 comment
Caribbean meets Celtic in food and music festival
SCOTLAND’S second-largest whisky distiller and one of the biggest rum brands in the Caribbean have teamed up to sponsor a Celtic food and music festival in Barbados, which has attracted a string of performers in recent years, including former Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader.
Angels backing Scottish biotech companies
LIFE science companies remain the most popular type of investment with Scottish business angels, according to new figures released by trade body Linc Scotland.
HBJ Gateley boosts its ranks with new partners
LAW firm HBJ Gateley is continuing to beef up its partnership following the loss of six senior staff in Glasgow last year, while rival Pinsent Masons has made its first senior hire since taking over McGrigors earlier this month.
Scottish risk management consultancy lifted by euro crisis
THE turbulence in the Eurozone has sparked a wave of interest in handling sovereign debt risk for a fast- expanding Scottish financial consultancy.
China beckons for East Kilbride-based software firm Gael
THE software firm chaired by former enterprise minister Jim Mather is preparing to open an office in China as it targets 40 per cent turnover growth this year to push sales through the £10 million mark.
Comment: Politicians should bow out of pensions
FORCING babies to find paid employment – or presumably forgo their right to be sick all over anyone close enough – seemed beyond the pale even for this government.
2 comments
Comment: Pain in Spain a headache for everyone
TWO telephone calls out of the blue at the end of last week brought disturbing news. The first was from a well-connected source in Brussels; the second from a contact in Spain.
Director dealings: Failure of well hits shares in Chariot
SHARES in explorer Chariot Oil & Gas fell sharply last week after a disappointing drilling update from one of its sites in Namibia.
Geoff Mulgan: New generation of pioneers waiting to be switched on
YOU might have thought that learning about information technology in schools would be exciting and infinitely motivating. After all, teenagers find it hard to tear themselves away from games and social media. Left to their own devices, they have no difficulty creating new characters, stories and home movies.
Major retail developments ‘are finished’
PROPERTY experts say the rapid growth of online shopping means the days of big retail developments are over.
2 commentsPayday loans can lead to spiral of debt, report warns
A THIRD of people who have taken out payday loans have run into even greater financial difficulties as a result, a new report has revealed.
Clients facing £6m losses over Dunedin
FAILED wealth adviser Dunedin Independent has left creditors more than £400,000 out of pocket and clients facing losses of up to £6 million on mis-sold investments, new documents have revealed.
In with the Brics: spending spree from tourists boosts capital shops
RETAILERS in Edinburgh are cashing in on a boom in the number of visitors from the fast-growing “Bric” economies, who are fuelling a 75 per cent surge in duty-free spending.
Slump in property deals
THE value of commercial property deals in Scotland has slumped to its lowest level for more than six years following a 40 per cent crash in the first quarter of 2012.
Website boss dismisses ‘threat’ to Scots jobs
DESIGN firms in Scotland are being undercut by a website that allows users to outsource work to Eastern Europe and India at a fraction of the price, sparking fears that buyers will increasingly seek inferior designs at the expense of small British firms and sole traders.
1 comment
Bill Jamieson: Mixed messages cloud the picture
WE’RE reversing. We’re slumping. We’re growing. We’re slowing. It’s a Double Dip. No it’s not. Yes it is.
Pick your way through the maze of conflicting data in the past week and you could go down in a spin with Signpost Sickness.
It pays to know your way round the investment map
FUNDS that spread your money across different types of assets are growing in popularity as investors seek shelter from unpredictable market conditions.
Jeff Salway: Fairness for tenants comes at a cost
WE’RE heading for a summer of overhaul in Scotland that will leave tenants, landlords and letting agents in the private rented market with more rights – and more gripes.
Director dealings: Falling share price tempts Densitron chief
DENSITRON Technologies, which specialises in designing electronic displays including touch screens, enjoyed substantial growth in its last financial year.
Market watch: Weather adds to pressure on SSE
TWO of Britain’s biggest pub chains are poised to reveal this week whether last month’s wash-out weather has dampened sales, while SSE will report on whether the wetness boosted demand for electricity and gas.
Rebrand boosts Browns
BROWNS Food Group expects to double sales of its Tarbert cooked meat range this year after supermarket giants Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco reacted positively to a rebranding that emphasises its Scottish credentials.
Jumpstart recruits 40 staff to drive expansion
TAX credit specialist Jumpstart has launched a major recruitment drive that is expected to create 40 highly skilled jobs and add up to £10 million in turnover.
Fund chief in £900k charity bid
A CITY fund manager from Greenock is launching a scheme to raise £900,000 and recruit “business champions” for Columba 1400, a charity that helps young people from deprived areas to turn around their lives.
Trinity MD eyes Sly Bailey job
MARK Hollinshead, the managing director of Trinity Mirror’s national newspaper division, has signalled an interest in taking over from outgoing chief executive Sly Bailey, sources have claimed.
Low-range offer expected as deadline looms for Goals Soccer Centres
AN OPPORTUNISTIC bid is in the offing for Goals Soccer Centres as the latest deadline looms for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to make an offer for the five-a-side football pitch operator.
Greggs turns the heat up on Chancellor’s ‘pasty tax’
BAKERY chain Greggs is to step up its opposition to the Chancellor’s so-called “pasty tax” this week as it unveils a trading update two days before the end of industry consultation on the issue.
Retro boutique receives new app-arel
A BURLESQUE boutique in Edinburgh has signed up to become the first shop to test a new smartphone app that allows customers to receive special offers through wireless networks.
Steel Engineering wins Kintyre tidal energy deal
A WEST of Scotland engineering firm with a heritage stretching back 90 years has won a contract to build a tidal energy device that will be tested off the Mull of Kintyre in the coming months.
IT companies urged to take on paid interns
Initiative which organises placements for students aims to fill skills gap and ease youth jobs crisis
Writing’s on the wall for design agency office
A DESIGN agency that has created adverts for Bulmers cider, Gala bingo and Subway sandwiches has hired street artist Conzo to create a giant piece of graffiti for its Glasgow head office.
Bill Jamieson: ‘Beckham’ model misses the target
WHEN the head of the central bank declares “with hindsight we should have shouted from the rooftops”, a clearer signal could not have been given of problems at the heart of monetary and interest rate policy.
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Why boredom at work is bad for your health
Downturn means a lighter workload for some, but damaging levels of tedium, finds Catherine Quinn
Director dealings: Mission success sees chiefs up stakes
ADVERTISING group Mission Marketing, which includes Edinburgh-based Story among its stable of agencies, recently reported a bumper financial year with profits up by more than 50 per cent.
‘Fat cats’ face backlash over pay
Shareholders and pensioners are flexing their muscles to curb executive excess, writes Jeff Salway
Jeff Salway: Borrowers bear burden of inept FSA
ARE you about to join the swelling ranks of so-called mortgage prisoners? You may not know it yet, but if you’ve got an interest-only mortgage and don’t have much equity in your home you could face being held captive by your lender.
1 commentInvestor raises stake in Regenersis to 20%
HANOVER Investors, the activist investor that last year staged a boardroom coup at major Scottish electronics employer Regenersis, has increased its hold on the firm.
FanDuel cashes in on US gaming market
AN ONLINE gaming firm has revealed that it will break into profit this year and double the size of its workforce as it continues to push into the giant American market.
Drive to get firms to take on young jobless
SCOTTISH Business in the Community (SBC), the membership organisation that promotes corporate social responsibility, is launching a major push this week to pressure small firms into employing young, jobless people.
3 commentsWest set for a £200 million construction boost
OFFICIALS will meet this week to start awarding £200 million-worth of public sector building contracts in the west of Scotland as attempts are made to kick-start the struggling construction sector.
Highlander goes for gold with Olympic merchandise contract
AN OUTDOOR clothing company in Livingston is set to grow its business by 30 per cent this year after it clinched a “transformational” deal to supply merchandise to the 2012 Olympics.
1 commentAgency hits £1m milestone
AN ONLINE design agency that lists Gazprom, Holiday Inn Express and IBM among its clients has broken through the £1 million turnover barrier and posted a 33 per cent rise in profits just two years after overhauling the business.
- Alistair Darling leads ‘No to independence’ fight over tea and biscuits
- Scottish independence: SNP flip-flops over Nato
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Scottish Independence: SNP ‘won’t be Yes campaign’s only voice’
- The Rumour Mill: Wednesday’s football news and gossip
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Weather for Edinburgh
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
