Here are the business stories making the headlines in Scotland and the UK this morning.
Fuel prices up
Drivers have been hit with the largest weekly rise in fuel prices in more than a year.
Prices at the pump have risen for three straight weeks as oil production cuts by Russia and Saudi Arabia drive up wholesale prices.
Figures published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero show UK forecourts charged an average of 146.2p per litre for petrol and 148.2p per litre for diesel on Monday.
The Telegraph says analysis found this represents the largest weekly increase in petrol prices since June last year at 2.1p per litre.
Energy Secretary Grant Shapps claimed households are "not getting a fair deal on fuel and are being overcharged" in a letter to competition regulators.
AA pump price spokesman Luke Bosdet said: "The summer of cheaper petrol and diesel has fizzled out as oil producers cut production to force up the cost of oil and therefore increase road fuel prices."
Exam pass rate falls
The pass rate for exams in Scotland has fallen, but remains higher than before the Covid pandemic.
More than 144,000 young people across Scotland are receiving their grades for National 4s and 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers.
The BBC says the proportion of pupils awarded an A, B or C for Highers has fallen from 78.9% in 2022 and 89.3% in 2020 to 77.1% this year. The pass rate was 74.8% in 2019.
It was a similar picture for National 4s and 5s and for Advanced Highers.
The pass rate for National 5 qualifications was 78.8%, which was down from 80.8% in 2022 and 85.8% in 2021 but up from 78.2% in 2019.
At Advanced Highers level, 79.8% passed. That was down from 81.3% in 2022 and 93.1% in 2020. The pass rate was 79.4% in 2019.
Braverman targets 'crooked' lawyers
ome Secretary Suella Braverman has vowed to step up efforts to bring "crooked" immigration lawyers to justice.
It comes after reports some firms are offering to submit false asylum claims for a fee.
The BBC says a new taskforce, which has been carrying out preliminary work for a few months, has officially been launched.
The Home Office said it would help build stronger evidence bases to support prosecutions.
But the Law Society said the Home Office was focusing on "a tiny minority of lawyers" rather than the "significant backlogs in asylum claims".
Lost economic growth
The UK is set for five years of lost economic growth, with the poorest hit hardest, a think tank has warned.
The National Institute for Economic and Social Research said a triple blow of Brexit, Covid and the Ukraine war had badly affected the British economy.
The BBC says it added that the spending power of workers in many parts of the UK will remain below pre-pandemic levels until the end of 2024.
Unhappy Amazon sellers
Hundreds of Amazon sellers have complained that the online marketplace is withholding their money.
Amazon said it e-mailed sellers about a "delivery date based reserve"' which holds some money in case of refunds.
But the BBC says some sellers have written to their MPs saying they cannot get the cash needed to run their businesses.
Italian tax move on banks
Italy has passed a one-off 40% tax on the profits banks earn from higher interest rates, in a shock move that has seen shares plummet.
The BBC says a hike in official interest rates has resulted in record profits for Italian banks, prompting the government's move.
Proceeds will be used to help mortgage holders and to cut taxes, the government says.
But Italian banks have said the tax on their profits will be "substantially negative" for the sector.
The surprise move was agreed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's ministers at a cabinet meeting.