Latest news with #Scottish
Scotsman
36 minutes ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Wood Group: Scottish engineering giant faces probe by watchdog over accounting 'cultural failures'
The Financial Conduct Authority probe will look into the period between January 2023 and November 2024 at Aberdeen-based Wood Group. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Engineering giant Wood Group is being investigated by the UK's financial watchdog following an independent review which unearthed 'cultural failings' with its accounting practices. The Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) probe will look into the period between January 2023 and November 2024. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The troubled Scottish group, which provides oilfield and engineering services, warned in April that it was having to restate its accounts from previous years. The troubled Scottish Wood Group, which provides oilfield and engineering services, warned in April that it was having to restate its accounts from previous years. It also delayed the publication of results for the 2024 financial year, which were due at the end of April, meaning its shares have been suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange since. This followed an independent review carried out by accountants Deloitte finding 'material weaknesses and failures in the group's financial culture' within its projects business unit and the engagement with its group finance team. This included 'inappropriate management pressure' to maintain previously reported positions and 'over-optimism and/or lack of evidence in respect of accounting judgments'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The cultural failings appear to have led to instances of information being inappropriately withheld from, and unreliable information being provided to, Wood's auditors,' the results found. The firm stressed there has since been significant change within the group and steps taken to address the failings discovered. Meanwhile, Aberdeen-based Wood Group has been the subject of a takeover approach by Dubai-based buyer Sidara. The latest offer, received in April, valued the company at around £242 million. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A year ago, Sidara made a £1.56 billion takeover approach before talks collapsed – and Wood Group's share price has plummeted since. The Aberdeen-headquartered energy and engineering services heavyweight employing thousands of Scottish workers appeared in April to be close to agreeing the £242m takeover deal. Founded more than four decades ago from fishing industry roots, the company's fortunes have tracked the growth of the North Sea sector and with it a push into related energy and specialist engineering markets, both domestically, and increasingly, overseas.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Aldi launches new "flavour-packed" pizza, fusing classic Italian cooking with Eastern flair
The new pizza will hit shelves across all 109 Aldi stores in Scotland from 3 July, priced at £3.79 for a limited time only Aldi Scotland is turning up the heat this summer with the launch of a brand new Doner Kebab Pizza, following the sell-out success of its Chicken Tikka Pizza earlier this month. Created by Edinburgh -based Cosmos Pizza, the latest addition brings together bold Eastern spices with a traditional Italian base to deliver what Aldi describes as a "flavour-packed meal that you just can't top." The new pizza will hit shelves across all 109 Aldi stores in Scotland from 3 July, priced at £3.79 for a limited time only. Aldi became the first supermarket to stock Cosmos' pizzas, and the Chicken Tikka flavour proved an instant hit with customers. The retailer is now encouraging shoppers to move fast if they want to get their hands on the new Doner Kebab version before it sells out too. 'This is history in the baking, as Aldi becomes the first Scottish supermarket to stock Cosmos' new Doner Kebab Pizza,' said Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director at Aldi Scotland. 'The creativity and craftsmanship of Scotland's food producers never ceases to amaze us, and Cosmos is an excellent example of a locally grown supplier that knows how to cleverly experiment with flavour. 'At Aldi Scotland we're always happy to be the ones who test the market for inventive and quirky flavour creations, and we're confident this new creation will top the list of some of our most popular pizzas ever released.' As the UK's cheapest supermarket for four years running, according to Which?, Aldi is already a firm favourite with bargain hunters. Alongside its low-cost groceries, it also stocks a wide selection of household items, seasonal goods, and premium-quality Scottish produce from across the country. In fact, Aldi is the only UK supermarket with a dedicated Scottish Buying Department. It currently works with more than 90 local suppliers and stocks around 450 Scottish products, a commitment that earned it the 'Best for Scottish' award at the 2024 Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards, its third win in the category. Recent NFU Shelfwatch surveys ranked Aldi as the top supermarket in Scotland for supporting local produce, and it remains the only retailer to stock 100 percent fresh Scottish pork on all shelves. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The retailer, which employs more than 3,600 people in Scotland, welcomed an extra two million customers through its doors in 2024. Over the next two years, it plans to invest £40 million in new stores, with upcoming openings in Arbroath, Baillieston and Kirkintilloch. With summer now in full swing, and Scottish BBQs and garden gatherings on the rise, Aldi's creative pizza range could be just the ticket for anyone craving something a little different and delicious.
Sunday Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- Sunday Post
Failure over domestic abuse law is leaving women at risk
Get a weekly round-up of stories from The Sunday Post: Thank you for signing up to our Sunday Post newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up Key new powers to protect domestic abuse victims are still gathering dust four years after MSPs voted for them – and all ministers have done in the past 12 months is hold a workshop. Holyrood unanimously backed the new law in 2021 to help police, courts and landlords deal with emergencies where women are in acute danger. But John Swinney is now the third first minister who has failed to activate the powers. The same Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders and Notices (DAPOs and DAPNs) promised for Scotland are now up and running in a series of pilot schemes in England and Wales. In Greater Manchester alone, DAPOs were used more than 200 times in the first few months with at least six brutes ending up behind bars for breaching them. But while those abusers were being rounded up down south, the Scottish Government convened a workshop on the logjam last March. Now ministers have revealed that the measures are being shelved indefinitely while they set up a new working group to talk about the issue further. Sophie Berry, a solicitor for the Women's Rights Project at Glasgow's Govan Law Centre, said: 'The failure to implement this legislation is an unforgivable missed opportunity to help vulnerable women and children escape domestic violence and abuse in Scotland. 'It took many years of consultation and careful drafting to get the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 on to the statute book, and it received overwhelming support. 'I see no credible argument for why England and Wales are able to achieve what we apparently cannot, four years after our own legislation was passed.' Scottish Conservative MSP Pam Gosal has lodged her own Bill at Holyrood, calling for a register of domestic abusers. She said: 'Given that domestic abuse cases remain shamefully high, the SNP government's haphazardness when it comes to delivering legislation on this issue is deeply alarming. 'Even by their standards, this failure to pass competent legislation and get it implemented is beyond unacceptable and shamefully betrays victims. 'DAPOs are supposed to protect the most vulnerable, but now it could be years before we get them implemented. 'If the SNP Government are serious about tackling the scourge of domestic abuse, they must start putting victims first. A good place to start is by giving their backing for my Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill that is going through parliament.' Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said: 'The SNP promised to protect vulnerable women and children, but after four years, three first ministers and countless delays, all they've delivered is a workshop. 'While England and Wales are jailing abusers under DAPOs, SNP ministers have shelved the same powers in Scotland and are now blaming their own legislation. 'This is a shameful failure – and it lies squarely at the feet of the SNP and John Swinney. 'We need action, not warm words. Vulnerable women and children are being let down because of their incompetence and inaction.' The Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act was passed by MSPs of all parties in March 2021 – by 118 votes to 0. Then Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf hailed it as 'transformational legislation', predicting it would help between 600 and 3,000 families a year. He told Holyrood: 'We collectively have a duty to ensure that our law and law-enforcement agencies have the tools to (protect) victims… 'We should never again have that stain on our collective conscience that victims of domestic abuse – predominantly women – must flee their homes in order to protect themselves.' The Act targets perpetrators in two ways. Firstly, it would allow a council or housing association landlord to evict a convicted domestic abuser if the victim wishes to carry on living in the property. But even before a case goes to court, the police would be able to issue a suspect with a DAPN, ordering him or her out of the shared home if there is a risk of physical violence or psychological trauma escalating. Courts can then follow up with a DAPO to cement the protection for three months and impose a vast range of conditions on suspects that can include being fitted with a GPS tracker or attending drug or drink rehab. Police in England and Wales already had more powers than Scottish officers, and now the enhanced notices and orders have been running for several months in Greater Manchester, London, Cleveland and north Wales. But they still cannot be used in Scotland because SNP ministers have failed to table the secondary legislation needed to bring them to life. Last summer, The Sunday Post highlighted fears that victims are being left at risk because of the delay, with then Housing Minister Paul McLennan admitting in an excruciating podcast interview that he was totally confused. He said: 'I think obviously there was legislation, you know, there shouldn't have been, and to be honest, I don't know how that would actually work.' Since then, three Holyrood committees have put pressure on the government to come up with a solid date for implementation. But this week, Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown wrote to the equalities committee: 'The consensus from those who participated in the workshop was that fundamental changes were needed to the legislation. 'A short-life working group will be established to consider recommendations for possible legislative change to ensure that domestic abuse protection orders can be implemented operationally and sustainably. 'Once determined and agreed, we will look to consult more widely in 2026 and thereafter consider the need for legislation.' The Scottish Government said it is handing £21.6 million this year to more than 100 organisations working to prevent violence against women and girls and support survivors. It said: 'We are committed to fully implementing the Act 2021. This is a complex piece of legislation, and through extensive and close working with stakeholders several unexpected operational challenges have been raised. 'A short-life working group is being established to consider possible legislative changes to ensure the Act can be implemented as intended and so it works for people. We will then consult on any proposed changes.' A catalogue of ministers have played their part in the failure to implement the Act. Nicola Sturgeon used the 2019 SNP party conference to announce the coming of DAPOs – and repeated the pledge in her Programme for Government speech of 2020. Her successor, Humza Yousaf, was justice secretary when the law was passed. Both are set to leave Holyrood at the election next year with golden goodbye resettlement grants in excess of £100,000 without having seen through their promises to domestic abuse victims. Among other justice secretaries, Michael Matheson – another about to stand down as an MSP – first touted the orders in 2017 while Keith Brown claimed Part 2 would go live in 2022. Current incumbent Angela Constance insisted those landlord powers would be up and running by spring 2024. So too did Deputy First Minister Shona Robison, when she was social justice secretary, and ex-housing minister McLennan. Minister for parliamentary business Jamie Hepburn and equalities minister Kaukab Stewart have been liaising with committees about the delays. It was Brown, the victims and community safety minister , who wrote to MSPs on Holyrood's equalities committee last week to reveal that DAPOs have been put on the back-burner. She said: 'We will look to consult more widely in 2026 and thereafter consider the need for legislation.' Timeline How progress stalled after government promises nearly eight years ago. Nov 2017 Justice secretary Michael Matheson reveals plan for new orders. Oct 2019 Sturgeon to SNP conference: 'Within this parliamentary term, we will introduce a new law to establish emergency protective orders.' Sept 2020 Programme for Government: 'The experience of lockdown reiterated the importance of protecting women and girls…facing domestic abuse.' Oct 2020 The Bill is introduced along with consultation. Jan 2021 Justice committee backs the Bill but says more work needed to make it practical. Mar 2021 The Bill becomes law after MSPs vote. Apr 2021 Westminster passes its own Domestic Abuse Act for DAPOs/DAPNs in England and Wales. Winter 2022 Deadline missed to implement Part 2, which gives powers to landlords to eject abusers. Sept 2023 Justice Secretary Angela Constance: 'Detail being worked through.' Working group set up to discuss Part 1. Spring 2024 Another deadline to implement Part 2 of the Bill is missed. Jun 2024 Housing minister Paul McLennan: 'I don't know how that would actually work.' Nov 2024 Pilot schemes activated across England and Wales. Police begin using the orders. Mar 2025 Workshop held to discuss Part 1. Jun 2025 Part 1 shelved indefinitely with new working group and consultation to be set up in 2026. Dec 2025 New deadline for Part 2, but warning that it may be delayed yet again. OPINION: Survivors affected by lack of urgency By Sophie Berry, Solicitor at the Govan Law Centre, Glasgow It really is incredible that here we are, yet another year down the line, and still there's no sign of the key parts of this legislation being implemented, just endless delays and excuses. Deadlines missed and promises broken, but plenty of time for a workshop, consultations and working groups. It's unbelievably frustrating for all of Scotland's domestic abuse organisations that have contributed significant time and resources to bringing this legislation into existence. Far more importantly, though, these are potentially life-and-death measures for survivors who continue to be affected by the lack of urgency with still no end in sight. Almost 64,000 domestic abuse cases were reported to Police Scotland in 2023/24, with 81% involving a male perpetrator and a female victim. Every day at Govan Law Centre's Women's Rights Project, we see women and children suffering the consequences of the failure to put these protections in place. Yet, at the same time, we hear that significant progress is being made in England and Wales, with pilot schemes which appear to be making a real difference to the lives of survivors. It makes no sense. Women are most at risk just when they are trying to leave an abusive partner. Giving the police the power to intervene on behalf of a person at imminent risk could make a vital difference at the most critical time. And that's as true today as it was in 2021, so any further delay would be unforgivable.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
New Hearts signings join a 'huge operation'
Derek McInnes is preparing for season 2025/26 in the Scottish Premiership Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Six new signings so far with more to come. It has been a busy and productive summer transfer window at Hearts, who depart for a week-long pre-season training camp in Spain on Saturday. Head coach Derek McInnes has welcomed recruits from across Europe, with various new accents heard echoing along Riccarton's corridors. Importantly, they all speak English and are being integrated into Edinburgh life as part of Hearts' operation. That operation is a sizeable one, McInnes noted. He is still familiarising himself with new work colleagues a month after leaving Kilmarnock. He will take 28 players to Spain and all six new signings are due to travel - Norwegian right-back Christian Borchgrevink, Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis, Belgian striker Elton Kabangu, Irish midfielder Oisin McEntee, Portuguese striker Claudio Braga and Scottish centre-back Stuart Findlay. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kazakhstan international winger Islam Chesnokov has agreed a pre-contract with Hearts and the Edinburgh club would like to sign him in a permanent transfer before the summer window closes. There may be one or two additional signings thereafter, but that could depend on which players leave. McInnes took charge of a 31-man first-team squad at the start of pre-season, including the new arrivals. 'Everyone has settled in well, they all speak good English and are interacting brilliantly,' said the manager. 'The communication is vital, especially in key positions on the pitch. From a recruitment perspective, it's something we spoke about and from a Hearts point of view it's something we wanted to be a key part of it with the players we signed from outside the UK. 'Footballers are footballers, they're normally good lads who enjoy being about their team-mates. They set about their training with enthusiasm and vigour. Each and every one of them has brought something different. Like every dressing-room, some are brighter and bubblier than others but everyone has settled well. Banking and housing for new signings as the Scottish football season 2025/26 nears 'The club has been brilliant helping them settle, helping them with their accommodation, bank accounts, helping them with their families and that sort of stuff. It's a time where players have to be really selfish and focused on getting fit. They have to be single-minded but the club is great at taking care of the other stuff. We are just accelerating their work, putting demands on them, so that integration is essential.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts' expansion in recent years involves greater staff numbers at Riccarton, but McInnes is aware of the club's ultimate priority. 'This club is a big operation,' he added. 'We are part of it here at Oriam. There's the women's team, there's the academy, there's under-18s, there's the B team, it's a huge organisation. Everyone's job is better at Hearts, everyone's life is easier if the first team is winning so we need to make sure we get a winning team on the pitch. I am not surprised by the stature of Hearts, it's what I expected.'
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Freeing criminals early from Scots prisons will ‘erode trust' in justice, charity warns
SNP ministers sneaked through the move unannounced before parly broke up for the summer, with the new home detention curfew rules kicking in from October 'SHAMEFUL' Freeing criminals early from Scots prisons will 'erode trust' in justice, charity warns FREEING criminals from jail after just 15 per cent of their sentence will 'erode trust' in justice, a charity has warned. Victim Support Scotland has hit out at a new law allowing cons to be freed from prison after just 15 per cent of their sentence would 'erode trust' in the justice system. Advertisement 2 Victim Support Scotland has raised concerns over the impact on trust in the justice system due to releasing prisoners early Credit: Getty 2 Scottish Tory MSP Liam Kerr said inmates will be "rubbing their hands with glee" Credit: Alamy We told earlier how SNP ministers sneaked through the move unannounced before parly broke up for the summer, with the new home detention curfew rules kicking in from October. It means inmates, including violent offenders, could be freed on an electronic tag after 15 per cent of their sentence, down from the current 25 per cent. Victim Support Scotland said the move was 'concerning', especially given 'the current lack of capacity for prisoner rehabilitation' in Scotland's jails. A spokeswoman said: 'The recent Scottish Crime and Justice Survey shows decreasing confidence in the criminal justice system - this has been a repeated trend for the last five years. Advertisement 'Measures like these early release measures contribute to this erosion of trust.' There were almost 6,000 criminals fitted with tags in 2023/24, with an increase of 14 per cent on the previous year. Tragic cases involving criminals on home detention curfew include the 2017 murder of Paisley dad Craig McClelland by killer James Wright, who'd sabotaged his tag and dodged cops for six months. The SNP, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Greens voted for the move this week, but the Scottish Tories opposed it. Advertisement Tory shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said prisoners across Scotland 'will be rubbing their hands with glee at the SNP's shameful capitulation to criminals'. Victim Support Scotland, headed by chief exec , said its primary concern was 'the safety and wellbeing of people impacted by crime' and said victims must be informed of any early releases so they can 'plan for their safety and even risk meeting perpetrators unexpectedly in their community'. Heartbreaking Old Firm march Grieving parents call for knife crime action in Scotland The spokeswoman added: 'We fear further Emergency Early Release programmes alongside Prisoner Early Release and revised Home Detention Curfew regulations, begging the question of any meaningful prison sentence or rehabilitation for offenders.' A Scottish Government research report this month said offenders released under electronic monitoring - or EM - 'may be less likely to reoffend than those released without monitoring', but admitted: 'Some studies found no difference in offending behaviour between those released with EM and those without.' Advertisement The change comes after separate laws giving short-term prisoners automatic early release after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than 50 per cent, amid efforts to cut prison populations. Justice Secretary Angela Constance said tagging was a 'well-established part of our justice system which provides structured and managed transition for individuals being released back into the community'. She added: "There is no automatic right to home detention curfew. "Decisions on home detention release are made by the Scottish Prison Service following careful consideration of each case.'
