The Scotsman

Harry Potter and the Weird Academic Theories the Boy Wizard's Adventures Are Now Being Scrutinised for Hidden Meanings

IT COULD be called Harry Potter and the Order of the Egg Head Academics. The books and films that have delighted and enchanted millions of children are being scrutinised for secret codes and hidden meanings by academics and fans at the world's largest symposium dedicated to the boy wizard. More than 1,500 muggles (non-magical folk) will arrive at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto today for the beginning of a four-day convention at which Harry Potter will be compared to Jesus Christ, Her...

Turbulent but Profitable

BRITISH Airways has had a turbulent - but highly profitable - history since it was privatised in 1987. The first high-profile problems involved a 'dirty tricks' campaign that BA carried out against Virgin Atlantic. The smear campaign resulted in the humiliation of a public apology and damages paid to Sir Richard Branson.

Reviews: Jazz Festival: The Bad Plus

THE BAD PLUS **** THE HUB, EDINBURGH

S&N Cashes in Gbp 100m On Russian Beer Boom

BALTIC Beverages Holdings, the fast-growing east European brewer jointly owned by Scottish & Newcastle and Carlsberg of Denmark, posted a big rise in first-half earnings yesterday, boosted by exceptionally mild weather in Russia. BBH, which is market leader in Russia with its Baltika brand, said first-half earnings before interest and tax rose 48 per cent to 295 million (GBP 199m) on a 37 per cent rise in sales to 1.3 billion. S&N, which reports its own results on Tuesday, will take roughly G...

Between the Lines: Financiers Have a Place at the Top Table When It Comes to a Stable Society

FEAR of finance is on the march. Distrust of highly-paid people who work behind computer screens doing something that doesn't look like productive work is everywhere. Paper shufflers are doing better than producers; speculators are doing better than managers; traders are doing better than entrepreneurs; arbitrageurs are doing better than accumulators; the clever are doing better than the solid; and behind all of it, the financial market is more powerful than the state. Common opinion suggests...

Need to Know: Travis Perkins Falls On Trade Warning

SHARES in Travis Perkins fell 2.2 per cent after the major building materials group beat first-half expectations but issued a cautious outlook on recent interest rate rises. Travis Perkins, which trades from around 1,050 UK outlets, said that its lead indicators were showing early signs of a slowing in demand.

Need to Know: Deutsche Unveils Record Q2 Profits

Need to Know: Racing Washout Woes for Arena

RACECOURSE owner Arena Leisure says its profits hopes were under renewed pressure after heavy rain washed out more races during July. The group, which owns seven racecourses, said it had been forced to cancel eight fixtures in July due to wet weather at its Worcester and Windsor tracks.

Anti-Terror Chief Set for Rap Over Response to de Menezes Death

BRITAIN'S most senior counter-terrorism officer is expected to be criticised for his actions in the aftermath of the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes when a long-awaited report from the police watchdog is unveiled today. Andy Hayman, the head of counter-terrorism and intelligence at the Metropolitan Police, will come under scrutiny over apparently misleading statements in the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting of the innocent Brazilian at a London Tube station on 22 July, 2005.

Broker Snaps

Pearson 789p -8p

Cadbury Takes Gbp 760m Hit On Sale Doubts

NEARLY GBP 760 million was wiped from the value of Cadbury Schweppes yesterday as shares in the Dairy Milk maker tumbled 8.2 per cent following news of a profit fall and fears that the planned sale of its American drinks empire may not happen. The group, which was last week forced to delay the GBP 7 billion sale because of "extreme volatility" in the leveraged debt market, admitted that, while interest from bidders remained strong, it was prepared simply to demerge the business.

Cameron in Nato Support Call

DAVID Cameron, below, has called for NATO countries to support burdened British troops in southern Afghanistan. The Tory leader, who has suffered a series of crises at home, made a surprise visit to Kabul yesterday.

Fantastic Plastic

THE first plastic used for wrapping was Cellophane, a derivative of cellulose, invented by the Swiss chemist Jacques Brandenberger in 1911. It had the advantage of being transparent, and was used for packaging as early as 1924. Cellophane was the most common form of plastic film made until 1963, when it was overtaken by polyethylene. Polyethylene was discovered by accident by research workers at the British company Imperial Chemicals Industries in 1933, when they mixed benzene and ethylene at...

Violinist's Father Wraps Up Deal to End Clingfilm Woes

IT IS designed to be a straightforward, hygienic wrapping, but for most people clingfilm is the scourge of the household. It frequently sticks to your hand or the worktop - anything, in fact, other than where you want it to go. On trying to roll up what is left, the thin plastic invariably rips, and trying to find the end is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Council Leader Censured Over Failure to Register Gbp 15,000 for Directorships

THE convener of a Scottish local authority was yesterday censured by a watchdog for failing to register payments he received as a director of two companies. Sandy Cluness was found guilty of breaching the councillors' code of conduct over more than GBP 15,000 he received from a shipping firm and a training trust.

Thomas Mitchell Branching Out with Target of Gbp 100m Turnover

ONE of Scotland's oldest timber frame manufacturers has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan to quadruple the size of the firm and increase turnover to GBP 100 million by 2012, underlining the continued strength of the sector. The family-owned, Fife-based group Thomas Mitchell, set up nearly 50 years ago, is moving from its base in Thornton to new premises in Kirkcaldy, creating up to 400 jobs.

Snp Goes On General Election Footing for Snap Autumn Poll

THE SNP has put its MPs and activists on alert for an autumn general election. Leading Nationalists, including Cabinet ministers and MPs, met for a "secret" summit at the party's Edinburgh headquarters this week for a series of strategy planning sessions.

After Song and Dance, Terra Firma Wins Control of Emi

TERRA Firma has won control of EMI - the first time a major music group has been taken over by a private equity business. The business, home to an artistic roster including Coldplay, Robbie Williams, the Rolling Stones and KT Tunstall, has been hit by the trend for more digital downloading of music, while a number of high-profile album releases have badly disappointed.

Damp Weather Sees Stalled Harvest and Poor Quality Cereal

DAMP conditions throughout much of Scotland have put a halt to the already faltering progress in this year's cereal harvest. A reasonable area of winter barley has been combined since the weekend, but it appears that yields will struggle to be little more than average.

Business Gazetteer

ON THE HOP By chauffeured SUV to the subway NEW York's billionaire mayor, Michael Bloomberg, boasts that he rides the subway "almost every day", but a quarter of his commute is spent in a chauffeured SUV, the New York Times has reported.