Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Why hasn’t ride-hailing app Uber taken off in Aberdeen?
Uber claims it could add 100 more drivers in Aberdeen, but says the city’s outdated licensing rules are stopping it from meeting demand.
In the six months since its soft launch in October, the ride-hailing platform says it has logged more than 190,000 trip requests in Aberdeen.
But a “significant portion” of those have gone unanswered due to a shortage of licensed drivers.
Read the full story in the P&J.
UK interest rates expected to be cut by Bank of England
The Bank of England is expected today to cut interest rates for the fourth time since August, which would kick-start the fastest reduction in borrowing costs since the global financial crisis.
The monetary policy committee, the nine-member panel tasked with setting the base interest rate in the UK economy every six weeks, is expected to vote 8-1 in favour of lowering borrowing costs by 0.25 percentage points to 4.25% from 4.5%.
Analysts said there was an outside chance that the MPC would vote for a larger 0.5-point cut because of concerns about the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on Britain’s economic growth.
WeightWatchers files for bankruptcy as fat-loss jabs boom
WeightWatchers has filed for bankruptcy in the US as it struggles with debt and fierce competition from fat-loss jabs like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
The legal process will see $1.15billion (£860million) of the 60-year-old diet brand's debt written off while it agrees new terms for paying back its lenders.
WeightWatchers said it will remain "fully operational" during the process with "no impact to members".
Click here to read more.
Minimum age to be a train driver lowered to 18
Eighteen-year-olds will be allowed to drive trains after the minimum age was lowered from 20 in a bid to tackle driver shortages.
UK rail services are frequently disrupted due to a lack of drivers being available, and the problem is set to get worse with companies struggling to replace a growing number of people retiring with new recruits, the government said.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced the change as "bold action to improve train services and unlock thousands of jobs".
HSBC faces desks shortage after ordering staff back to the office
HSBC is facing the prospect of a major desk shortage at its new City of London headquarters after forcing staff back into the office three days a week.
Senior managers at the lender are predicting a shortfall of up to 7,700 desks when workers move into the bank’s new offices near St Paul’s Cathedral in 2027.
The shortfall, first reported by Bloomberg, comes after HSBC called on staff to return to the office for three days a week as well as an expansion in the size of its workforce.