Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
‘Aberdeen energy bosses should hire Royal Marine Reserves to defend North Sea against war threat’
Aberdeen energy bosses are being encouraged to hire Royal Marines Reservists to strengthen their defences against warfare threats and cyber attacks.
Industry bosses and security experts gathered in the city to discuss the challenges and risks facing the North Sea – and how firms can protect themselves from rising threats.
It comes as conflicts in the Middle East, and between Russia and Ukraine, cause disruption across the energy sector.
Read the full story on the P&J website.
Aberdeen industrial land worth millions being sold at auction
A £3.35 million portfolio of Aberdeen industrial land, offering income streams stretching beyond a century, will go under the hammer next month.
The assets provide long-dated, low-management industrial income for close to a century.
Two of the sites are secured against 110-year leases to Stena Drilling Ltd, an East Tullos-based offshore drilling contractor and subsidiary of Swedish-owned Stena AB.
Read more in The Press and Journal.
Tony Macaroni in court accused of ripping off Aberdeen taxpayers
A restaurant brand accused of leaving Aberdeen taxpayers short-changed could face double trouble if it loses a landmark court case, we can today reveal.
Town House bosses have mounted legal action against Tony Macaroni accusing it of not paying rent on its Upperkirkgate restaurant – then shutting after Hogmanay 2025.
At the time, a well-placed source told the Press and Journal that the brand owed Aberdeen City Council a six-figure sum in rent – a situation local authority chiefs simply could not stand for.
Get the full story in The P&J.
Trump tells BBC that King's visit could 'absolutely' help repair relations with UK
US President Donald Trump has said next week's state visit from King Charles III and Queen Camilla could help repair relations with the UK.
When asked in a phone interview with the BBC whether the visit could help repair the relationship, Trump said: "Absolutely. He's fantastic. He's a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes."
"I know him well, I've known him for years," he said. "He's a brave man, and he's a great man. They would absolutely be a positive."
Meta says it will cut 8,000 jobs as AI spending soars
Meta will cut thousands of jobs next month as it spends more than ever on artificial intelligence (AI) projects.
The company told employees in a memo on Thursday that it planned to cut 10% of its workforce - roughly 8,000 staff. It said it would also not fill thousands more open jobs it had been hiring for.
A key reason for the layoffs is Meta's increased spending in other areas of the company, including AI, for which it will this year spend $135bn (£100bn). This is roughly equal to the amount it has spent on AI in the previous three years combined, according to a person who viewed the memo.
Warner Bros shareholders approve Paramount's $111bn takeover
Warner Bros Discovery shareholders have approved the company's $111bn (£82bn) takeover by Paramount in a deal which could drastically alter the media landscape.
The deal would see Skydance owner Paramount take control of all of Warner Bros' titles and channels, which include Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and news network CNN.
"With Paramount, we look forward to creating an exceptional combined company that will expand consumer choice and benefit the global creative talent community," Warner Bros chair Samuel DiPiazza said.
Read more on the BBC website.
Self-checkouts fuelling shoplifting crisis, says M&S boss
The chairman of Marks & Spencer claims self-checkouts are fuelling a rise in shoplifting among “good, honest people”.
Archie Norman told The Telegraph that a boom in self-service checkouts at supermarkets had broken the “human link” between shoppers and retailers.
He said: “When normally good, honest people come in and they’re buying their shopping and it doesn’t scan, and there’s nobody manning the checkouts, they’re saying: ‘It’s not my fault and I don’t have much time so if I can’t get my strawberries through, I’ll just put them in my basket’.”