Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
23,000 died because government Covid response ‘too little, too late’
Some 23,000 people died unnecessarily from Covid because the British government’s response to the pandemic was “too little, too late”, a damning official report has concluded.
The Covid-19 inquiry condemned the “inexcusable” failings by Boris Johnson, the prime minister at the time, to appreciate the “calamity” facing the UK and bring in measures to combat the virus earlier.
It concluded that “draconian” national lockdowns could have been “avoided entirely” if ministers had reacted more quickly to control the virus in February 2020.
Read the full story in The Times.
Zelensky ready for 'honest work' with US to end Ukraine war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is ready for "honest work" with the US after receiving a draft peace plan to end the war with Russia.
Several US media outlets report that under the plan, Kyiv would give up areas of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine that it still controls, cut the size of its army, and pledge not to join Nato.
It was unclear how involved Ukraine has been in drafting the plan, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US had engaged "equally with both sides".
Read more on the BBC.
Aberdeen ‘fairytale’ house goes viral with 1.2 million views
A stunning home in Aberdeen’s West End has caught the attention of the internet after a TikTok video singing its praises went viral.
Rubislaw House at 50 Queen’s Road in Aberdeen is one of the most eye-catching buildings in the city – and it’s currently for sale.
It was converted back into a stunning and exclusive family 15 years ago having previously been home to three separate offices.
Get the full story in the P&J.
TikTok owner ByteDance valued at $480bn after bidding war
The Chinese technology company behind TikTok has been valued at $480 billion, lifting it into the ranks of the world’s most valuable start-ups, after a fierce bidding war drove up the price of a substantial equity stake sold by Beijing.
Capital Today, a Chinese investment firm led by Kathy Xu, bought the shares in ByteDance from Bank of China Group Investment for $300 million after an auction that drew interest from at least seven investors. The block had originally been priced at about $200 million based on a $360 billion valuation for ByteDance, according to sources quoted by Bloomberg.
The price is the strongest indication yet of the potential increase in value of ByteDance as talks continue to resolve a long-running dispute between the US and China.
Read more in The Times.