Here are the business stories making the headlines locally and across the country this morning.
Currys’ UK-wide store estate ‘refresh’ starts in Aberdeen
Electrical retailer Currys has kicked off a major revamp of its UK and Irish stores in Aberdeen.
Its branch in Garthdee is the only one in Scotland being given an early makeover.
Shops in Bristol and Grantham are also getting an upgrade in advance of the “refresh” being rolled out to other parts of Curry’s property estate.
A total of 65 stores are to have around 90% of their existing space changed.
Ex-Post Office boss cries as she admits incorrect evidence
Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has admitted that evidence she gave to MPs looking into problems with the Horizon IT system in 2012 was not true.
Speaking publicly for the first time in almost ten years, Ms Vennells broke down as she was questioned over the scandal, saying her previous assertion that there had been no failed Horizon prosecutions was not correct.
In the most anticipated appearance of the long-running Post Office scandal inquiry, Ms Vennells was questioned in a packed inquiry room with sub-postmasters and post-mistresses coming to watch her give evidence.
Asked by inquiry lead counsel Jason Beer about evidence she gave to MPs in June 2012, in which she told them that every Horizon case brought against sub-postmasters had been successful, Mr Beer listed a number of cases that had not been.
Election campaign to derail multibillion NatWest retail offer
Plans for a multibillion pound mass market sale of the government’s stake in NatWest Group have been derailed by Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a summer general election.
Sky News can reveal that a proposed retail offer of shares in the taxpayer-backed bank will be scuppered by the timing of the poll.
The Treasury has been preparing for months for a retail offering, with several billion pounds-worth of NatWest shares to be offloaded at a discount to the prevailing market price.
Under the government's plans, it would have taken place alongside an institutional placing of shares, with taxpayers' stake to be reduced to as little as 10% after the combined sale.
GB News launches legal challenge against Ofcom
GB News has launched a legal challenge against Ofcom as it accused the regulator of “trampling” on freedom of speech.
The start-up broadcaster said it is challenging decisions by the watchdog that “go against journalists’ and broadcasters’ rights to make their own editorial judgements in line with the law and which also go against Ofcom’s own rules”.
It comes after Ofcom threatened to fine GB News for breaching impartiality rules in a programme featuring Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
GB News said: “Ofcom is obliged by law to uphold freedom of expression. Ofcom is also obliged to apply its rules fairly and lawfully."