The Scotsman

Aam Tops Pile After Credit Suisse Takeover

ABERDEEN Asset Management (AAM) has become the largest independent fund manager in Britain, after completing the acquisition of Credit Suisse's business, writes Hamish Rutherford. Yesterday marked the second and final closing of the deal, giving AAM a further GBP 29.1 billion in assets under management and adding 120 staff across seven European cities.

Battle of the Balti Hots Up As City Tries to Lay Claim to Dish's Name

THE balti - beloved dish of the Scots curry fan - could soon be banned from menus. Birmingham, the birthplace of the balti, is seeking legal protection that will entitle only restaurants within the city to use the name.

Between the Lines: Cold Hard Numbers Say It Is Too Soon for Green Shoots

IT WILL not come as much consolation to you if you work at a soon- to-close Diageo plant or for a threatened shipbuilding company, but there were further signs yesterday that things are looking up. Two pieces of research have added to the expectation that the worst of the recession might - just might - be over and that Lord Mandelson's "green seedlings" may be about to sprout.

Doctors Say Threat of Prosecution Should Stay Over Assisted Suicides

DOCTORS yesterday refused to back calls to lift the threat of prosecution from those who accompany terminally ill loved ones to overseas clinics to take their own lives. A motion discussed at the British Medical Association (BMA) conference in Liverpool urged support for a change in legislation to ensure that people travelling with a patient for an assisted death would not be subject to prosecution.

Bpi Profits a Pleasant Surprise Package

SHARES in Scottish plastic packaging firm British Polythene Industries jumped 13 per cent yesterday as it confirmed profits would be "comfortably ahead" of expectation for the first six months of the year. In a statement to the Stock Exchange, the Greenock-based manufacturer said its half year results were ahead of the same period last year despite swallowing GBP 2 million worth of restructuring costs after closing its factories in Stockton-on-Tees and Cowdenbeath.

Equity Boost for Nxvision

A DUNFERMLINE company developing technology which sends video content from the home to mobile devices has won GBP 250,000 in equity funding. NXVision was awarded the cash from Perth-based angel investor Braveheart, Scottish Enterprise, LINC Scotland and its own management.

Kirk Considers Closing Edinburgh Parishes As Congregations Dwindle

EVERY Church of Scotland parish in Edinburgh is at risk of closure as part of a radical attempt to reorganise how the Kirk reaches out to its congregations. The Scotsman has learned that senior officials now accept they cannot sustain the upkeep of 86 parishes in the city's presbytery.

Clydesdale to Lend Extra Gbp 100m to Cash-Strapped Smes

Scott McKerracher says firms are being hit by late payments CLYDESDALE Bank has earmarked GBP 100 million of cash to lend to small and medium companies under an invoice financing scheme to improve cash flow for credit crunch-hit businesses.

Mother to Sue Board Over Cystic Fibrosis Test 'Blunder'

A PREGNANT woman who was wrongly told she had tested negative for cystic fibrosis is claiming GBP 100,000 damages for alleged medical negligence. She said she would have had an abortion if she had known her unborn child had cystic fibrosis.

Higher Prices for Drink 'Will Have Serious Impact' On Jobs

Sir Ian Good, chairman of Famous Grouse maker Edrington, says plans to raise alcohol prices are 'ill-conceived' Picture: Graeme Hart SCOTTISH Government plans to impose a minimum price on alcohol will have a "serious impact" on 40,000 jobs in the drinks industry, the head of Scotland's largest privately owned whisky company has warned.

New Creamery Helps Dairy Sector Rise to Top

KINTYRE is one of the most productive dairy farming areas in Scotland, but it does suffer from being remote and highly dependent on virtually all of the milk being processed at the creamery in Campbeltown. There have been concerns over the future of that facility, despite regular investment and upgrades.

Ireland and Uk Both Bidding to Curb Power of Supermarkets

FARMERS have been pressing the UK government to introduce a "supermarket ombudsman" for many months, but to no avail. The multiples, in turn, claim the Competition Commission is all that is required in terms of having a regulatory organisation. In the Republic of Ireland, feelings are running high at the perceived power of supermarkets and the treatment meted out to producers. Hundreds of farmers gathered earlier this week outside a distribution centre at Kilock, County Kildare, protesting at...

Huge Increase in Business Fraud As Recession Bites

REPORTED business fraud in Scotland has rocketed by 450 per cent in the first half of 2009, according to figures from accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward. Fraud reported between January and June totalled more than GBP 10 million, compared with the figure of GBP 1.8m in June 2008.

Johnston Press's Fry Picks Up Gbp 1m Recruitment Deal Share Options

JOHN Fry, the new chief executive of Johnston Press, which owns The Scotsman, has been awarded share options worth GBP 1 million as part of the deal agreed when he joined the company. Yesterday, Johnston Press announced it had awarded five million shares to Fry, who left rival Archant to take up the role in January. Based on last night's closing price, the share options, which are subject to performance criteria and will vest in 2012, are worth GBP 1m. In a statement to the London Stock Excha...

Gazetteer

Battle of the sexes: Boy power wins the day at Kwik Fit THERE'S nothing like a bit of competitive spirit to boost business.

Retailers Show Big Spike in Positive Trading Updates

A HIGHER proportion of retail trading updates were positive in the second quarter of 2009 than at any time in the last five years, new research has revealed. A total of 70 per cent of management statements issued by retailers on the London Stock Exchange were upbeat, while no profit warnings were issued by listed UK retailers in the last three months.

Theatre Reviews: A Thoroughly Modern Marriage

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW *** BOTANIC GARDENS, GLASGOW

Relief for Rose As M&S Sales Stabilise

MARKS & Spencer's embattled executive chairman Sir Stuart Rose eased pressure on the high street stalwart yesterday by unveiling a smaller-than-expected fall in sales. Rose, who has faced flak due to recent trading and corporate governance issues, said there were signs of an improved trend in the group's performance, although he remained cautious about prospects for this year and next.

Oscar-Winning Actor Malden Dies, Aged 97

VETERAN Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden, the star of classic movies A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront, has died aged 97. His agent Budd Moss said the actor died in his sleep at home in Los Angeles in the early hours of yesterday.

Pm Brings House Down with 'Zero Per Cent Rise' Blunder

GORDON Brown was ridiculed yesterday after accidentally saying public spending under Labour would include a "zero per cent" rise. The Commons burst into laughter when Mr Brown, questioned by Tory leader David Cameron at Prime Minister's questions, made the gaffe.