Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.

North east pension fund secures £334m settlement from Under Armour

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray council workers have a secured £334million settlement following court action against US sportswear firm Under Armour.

North East Scotland Pension Fund (NESPF), which administers a scheme for 76,000 workers, agreed a deal with the firm in June.

It has now been approved by the court and the money will be distributed to claimants.

NESPF invested millions of pounds in Under Armour stock, however accused the firm of making false statements about its products after losing money.

Read the full story here.

NatWest buys back £1bn of shares from Treasury

NatWest has bought back £1 billion of its own shares from the Treasury, reducing the government’s stake in the bank to just over 11%

The FTSE 100 bank said it bought 263 million shares from the government at 380.8p each.

The move reduces the government’s stake in the lender to about 11.4% from 14.81% at the end of October.

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Energy smart meter issues creating north-south divide

The way smart energy meters work in northern England and Scotland is causing issues for customers, BBC Panorama has been told.

The body that represents energy companies, Energy UK, has confirmed for the first time there is a regional divide - because of the way meters send usage data back to suppliers.

The technology used in the north can affect whether smart meters work properly - and could leave customers having to submit manual readings and receiving estimated bills.

UK ‘lags behind’ Europe on betting ad regulation, says gambling charity

Great Britain “lags behind” Europe on measures to restrict betting adverts, according to a report released days after official data showed a sharp increase in the number of children with a gambling problem.

Restrictions on ads by bookmakers and casinos are increasingly becoming “the norm” across Europe in response to public health concerns, according to a report commissioned by GambleAware, the UK’s leading gambling charity.

GambleAware said the UK had the most “lenient” regulation on gambling ads among comparable markets in Europe, citing Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

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