Scottish recruitment agency had no prior knowledge of sackings at P&O Ferries
A Glasgow recruitment agency which supplied P&O Ferries with workers to replace sacked staff has denied any prior knowledge of the mass redundancies.
The ferry operator axed 800 seafaring staff without warning in a video message last Thursday.
New workers hired by Clyde Marine Recruitment soon arrived at Cairnryan port in Dumfries and Galloway.
But the company insisted it had unwittingly hired replacements - and denied they were cheap labour.
Managing Director Ian Livingstone told the BBC: "Clyde Marine Recruitment has supplied crews and officers to P&O for more than 30 years.
"We were as surprised as everyone else in the UK shipping business when the news broke that 600 crew and 200 officers were to lose their jobs with immediate effect.
"We fully understand the anger being felt by the crews, their families and their supporters."
All P&O sailings between Cairnryan and Larne in Country Antrim, Northern Ireland, have been halted since the sackings.
P&O Ferries said the redundancy measures were a "last resort" to save the business.
The Scottish Government said it was reviewing all publicly-funded contracts with the operator.
Agency seafarers have told BBC Scotland how they turned and left Cairnryan port when they realised what the job entailed.
Acorn CCS project to happen 'as soon as practical'
A development that promises to deliver thousands of north-east jobs as well as ensure Scotland meets its net zero targets will happen "as soon as practical", despite losing out its first bid for UK Government funding last year.
The Press and Journal says this was the view set out by Alan James at an event in Aberdeen who said it was "not a matter of if, it is simply a matter of when" the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project would go ahead.
Mr James is a co-founder and chief technology officer of Storegga, which is a key partner of a portfolio of carbon capture and hydrogen production proposals known as the "Scottish Cluster".
The heart of the cluster is known as Acorn, which takes in key facilities across the north-east including the port and the St Fergus gas terminal in Peterhead, as well as former oil and gas pipelines and North Sea geographical features that are expected can be used to store CO2 permanently and safely.
Huge dismay met the UK Government's decision to snub the north-east in a £1billion funding competition last year which saw rival projects in "red wall" constituencies in the North of England awarded instead, leaving the Scottish Cluster, led by Acorn, as a so-called "reserve cluster".
French companies still trading in Russia
French companies remain in Russia, while many of their US and UK competitors pledge to withdraw from the country, reports the Telegraph.
Oil major TotalEnergies is clinging on to its 20% stake in Russian state-controlled gas producer Novatek, while Danone is also continuing to operate in Russia - with boss Antoine de Saint-Affrique saying: "We have a responsibility to the people we feed." The world's largest yoghurt maker said it was suspending investment in the country and would continue to monitor how the situation evolves.
Association Familiale Mulliez owns supermarket giant Auchan, which has 311 stores in Russia. Its other brands include sports chain Decathlon and Leroy Merlin, one of the world's biggest DIY chains. Leroy Merlin operates across 112 locations, while Decathlon has 60 stores in the country.
All three are continuing to operate in Russia despite Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine.
But Leroy Merlin is going one step further. According to a letter sent to Russian suppliers on March 11, seen by the Telegraph, the DIY chain is far from curbing operations. Instead, it views Russia's war economy as an opportunity to expand.
While Leroy Merlin's approach is extreme compared with other French businesses, many others have taken a less-aggressive approach to exiting Russia compared with the likes of the UK and US.
No less than 35 companies from France's blue-chip CAC 40 index remain active in Russia, according to a French media report.
CV19 restrictions in Scotland ease
Pandemic restrictions are being further eased in Scotland from today, despite record levels of coronavirus.
The Press and Journal says contact-tracing curbs on retailers are being lifted, while social distancing in gyms is being abandoned.
International travel rules were ditched on March 18.
But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said last week Scots will continue to need face coverings on public transport and some indoor venues.
The rule will be reviewed on Tuesday March 29.
Covid-19 is at record levels with as many as one in 14 people infected last week.
There are concerns high streets are being left to pick up the pieces without enough financial support.
Ms Sturgeon is being asked to adopt a voucher scheme to get people spending.