Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Humza Yousaf critics ridicule new ‘crisis management’ career
Humza Yousaf will offer crisis management and communication courses for executives in a move critics said showed a “stunning lack of self-awareness”.
The former first minister left office after only 13 months in post following the collapse of a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens in 2024.
During his time leading the country, Yousaf oversaw a number of controversial policies, including a council tax freeze he imposed without consulting the local authorities, hate crime laws that critics said curbed free speech and a failed bottle deposit return scheme.
Read the full story in The Times.
Karoline Leavitt to step down as Trump’s White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as the White House press secretary, leaving President Trump without one of his most combative communicators in the run-up to November’s midterm elections.
Leavitt, 28, announced the “bittersweet” decision to leave after the birth of her second child in May.
“The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House press secretary,” she wrote on X.
Read the full story in The Times.
Debt at private equity owned Morrisons rises to £7.5bn
The debt facing Morrisons has risen sharply after the supermarket chain was left with fresh lease liabilities following its private equity takeover.
Net debt at Market Topco, the ultimate parent company of Wm Morrison Supermarkets, increased to £7.52 billion in the year to the end of October, up from £7.07 billion the previous year, as rising lease liabilities weighed on its balance sheet.
Total lease obligations at the grocer, which has about 500 supermarkets and thousands of convenience stores, increased to £1.97 billion from £1.75 billion over the period.
Read more in The Times.
Tui profits hit by cautious travellers amid geopolitical uncertainty
Cautious holidaymakers unsettled by the conflict in the Middle East has led Europe’s largest travel company to report a larger-than-expected fall in third-quarter profit.
Tui’s underlying profits fell 27 per cent to €234.6 million in the three months to the end of June, below analysts’ forecast of €274 million, and at the pre-tax level dropped 43 per cent to €153.4 million.
Revenue was also behind City estimates of €6 billion, declining 5.6 per cent year-on-year to €5.85 billion.
Find our more in The Times.
Two more cases of potentially deadly bluetongue virus detected in Scotland
Two more cases of the potentially deadly bluetongue virus have been confirmed, after Scotland's first-ever case was recorded earlier this week.
The Johnson family's Kirkmabreck Farm, near Creetown in Dumfries and Galloway, said one of its lambs tested positive for the disease on Saturday.
Now Scotland's chief veterinary officer Sheila Voas says two more cases have been confirmed at a neighbouring farm.
Read more on the BBC website.
Lidl Bridge of Don plans poised to be approved despite concerns over traffic troubles
Plans for a new Lidl to be built at the former Baker Hughes site in Bridge of Don are poised to be approved following an outpouring of support from the community.
The German supermarket chain unveiled its plans to move from its long-standing King Street shop last October.
Lidl officially submitted their proposal to the council last year, detailing plans to relocate to the site just across from the old AECC.
Read more in The P&J.
Trump sued over Truth Social's $100,000 early access service
Donald Trump is being sued by two US media groups over a new Truth Social service that charges up to $100,000 a month for early access to his posts.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in New York federal court by The Intercept and Freedom of the Press Foundation.
The suit argues that selling priority access to the president's messages raises serious concerns, external, describing it as "extraordinary, corrupt and unconstitutional".
Read the full BBC story here.
Burnham warned Iran war could hit UK growth next year
Andy Burnham has been warned that the UK economy could barely grow next year if disruption in the Strait of Hormuz continues until the end of 2026.
Treasury sources have confirmed that internal modelling presented to the new prime minister and chancellor suggests UK GDP growth could be as low as 0.3% in 2027, as first reported by Bloomberg.
Government officials say they routinely plan for all possible scenarios.
The full BBC article is available here.