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

Harland & Wolff set to be saved in deal with Spanish firm

Spain's state-owned shipbuilder is expected to confirm on Thursday that it is buying Harland and Wolff, the Belfast shipyard best known for the Titanic.

Navantia has been in exclusive negotiations since October after Harland and Wolff's holding company fell into administration.

All jobs at the firm are expected to be saved in the deal, which is also thought to include Harland and Wolff's facilities in Scotland and England.

Pubs introduce Guinness Ration Cards as stocks run dry

Pubs across the UK are beginning to introduce “Guinness ration cards” amid a national shortage of the iconic Irish stout ahead of Christmas.

Establishments have been panic buying the beverage in the hope they don’t run dry over the festive period, as some say they have already run out of stock completely.

Pubs such as the Old Ivy House, in Clerkenwell, London, introduced rationing rules last week to preserve their stock - but still found themselves short of supply.

Read the full story here.

Body Shop is back for good … and back in profit, new boss tells staff

The new boss of the Body Shop has told staff the struggling ethical beauty retailer is “back for good” after it booked a profit in its first 100 days under new ownership.

The retailer was bought out of administration in September by a consortium led by the British cosmetics tycoon Mike Jatania.

The company sank into administration in February leading to the closure of 85 UK outlets but is understood to have reported a £2million profit on £28million of sales in the first three months under its new owners, led by Jatania’s Aurea Group.

Click here for the full story.

Mike Ashley wins backing for green belt mega-HQ

Mike Ashley’s retail empire has won official backing for a huge new headquarters in Warwickshire, despite a finding that it will permanently damage the county’s green belt.

The 275-acre Frasers facility on farmland in Ansty has been recommended for approval by planning officers, even though they found that it would “clearly cause substantial and permanent harm to the green belt by reducing its openness”.

In a 208-page report, planning officers ruled that the benefits of the development justify the “harms” to green belt land, deeming it “very special circumstances”.

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