Almost three quarters of Scottish businesses are confident about their prospects next year, a survey has suggested. The Bank of Scotland’s business barometer poll showed 73% of Scottish businesses expect to see turnover increase in 2025, up from 60% polled in 2023. Almost a quarter (23%) of businesses expect to see their revenue rise by between six and 10% over the next 12 months, with just over a fifth (21%) expecting it to grow by even more. The poll found that 70% of businesses were confident they would become more profitable in 2025, a two per cent increase when compared with the previous year. Revenue and profitability growth was firms’ top priority at 52%, though 40% said they will be targeting improved productivity, and the same proportion said they will be aiming to enhance their technology – such as automation or AI – or upskill their staff (both 29%). More than one in five (22%) want to improve their environmental sustainability. Other areas businesses are hoping to build upon AI-assisted technology (19%), and 24% will be investing in expanding into new UK markets and 23% plan to invest in staff training. The business barometer has surveyed 1,200 businesses every month since 2002, providing early signals about UK economic trends. Martyn Kendrick, Scotland director at Bank of Scotland commercial banking, said: “Scottish businesses are looking ahead to 2025 with stronger growth expectations, and setting out clear plans to drive this expansion through investments in new technology, new markets and their own teams. “As we enter the new year, we’ll continue to by their side to help them pursue their ambitions and seize all opportunities that lie ahead.”Gov. Newsom Addresses Economic Concerns, Unveils $120 Million Jobs Plan
Government to block incinerators that do not contribute to green plansRays will play 13 of first 16 games at home and 47 of 59, then have 69 of last 103 on road
Earthquake of magnitude 7.0 hits Northern California
Ex-Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood Jr. accused of defrauding COVID relief programs and IRSWASHINGTON (AP) — The House shut down Democrats’ efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz , pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It’s unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers only have a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It’s the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee’s five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump’s announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump’s choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg , a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison. ___ Farnoush Amiri, The Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball switched a pair of series involving the Tampa Bay Rays to the first two months of the season in an attempt to avoid summer weather problems at open-air Steinbrenner Field, their temporary home following damage to Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay is scheduled to play 13 of its first 16 games at home and 47 of 59 through May 28, then play 69 of its last 103 games on the road. The Rays are home for eight of 25 games in July and eight of 26 in August. A series scheduled at the Los Angeles Angels from April 7-9 will instead be played at Tampa, Florida, from April 8-10, MLB said Monday. The second series between the teams will be played at Anaheim, California, from Aug. 4-6 instead of at St. Petersburg, Florida, from Aug. 5-7. Minnesota's first series against the Rays will be played at Steinbrenner Field from May 26-28 and the Twins' second will be at Target Field in Minneapolis from July 4-6. The Class A Tampa Tarpons, Steinbrenner Field's usual team, had six home postponements, two cancellations and four suspended games this year from June 21 through their season finale on Sept. 8. Tampa Bay is now scheduled to play its first six games at home against Colorado and Pittsburgh, go to Texas for a three-game series, then return for a 13-game homestand against the Angels, Atlanta, Boston and the New York Yankees. Tropicana Field, the Rays' home since the team started play in 1998, was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, with most of its fabric roof shredded. The Rays cannot return to the Trop until 2026 at the earliest, if at all. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/
LOWELL, Mass. (AP) — Max Brooks' 26 points helped UMass-Lowell defeat Dartmouth 92-83 on Saturday. Brooks added nine rebounds and four steals for the River Hawks (8-4). Quinton Mincey added 20 points while going 7 of 10 from the floor, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range, and 3 for 4 from the line while he also had six assists. Martin Somerville shot 3 for 10 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points, while adding six rebounds. The Big Green (4-6) were led by Connor Amundsen, who posted 28 points and six assists. Cade Haskins added 16 points for Dartmouth. Jayden Williams also recorded 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .OTTAWA - Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party's last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! OTTAWA - Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party's last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? OTTAWA – Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party’s last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. But he offered up Thursday that he changed some of the language he was using after getting pushback from an Indian diplomat that some of his comments could sound like he was endorsing ideas of Sikh nationalism. Brown, who was a candidate for the leadership in 2022, was summoned to a House of Commons committee Thursday to answer questions on the 2022 race after a report from a committee on national security referred to allegations of Indian interference in an unspecified Conservative leadership campaign. “I don’t believe foreign intervention affected the final outcome of the Conservative leadership race,” Brown told the House of Commons public safety and national security committee Thursday. A CBC/Radio-Canada article this week quoted several confidential sources from Brown’s campaign alleging that representatives from India’s consulate interfered to undermine his leadership bid. On Monday, Brown posted on social media about the committee’s summons to say that he had no new evidence to add, and that the public inquiry on foreign interference was the proper venue to evaluate the allegations. Brown insisted to the committee Thursday that no members of the Indian government reached out to him or his campaign workers during his leadership bid, saying the relationship was “already very strained” at that point. The CBC News story also contained allegations that his national campaign co-chair Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner was pressured to withdraw her support for Brown — something she denied. When NDP MP Alistair MacGregor quizzed him on the news report, asking why she left the campaign, Brown said she left seeking to launch her own leadership bid to replace UCP leader Jason Kenney in Alberta — not from pressure from India. “At no time when we talked about her departing the campaign did she ever say it was over pressure from the consul general,” he said. He said the article likely referred to a conference call more than a month before she left, after the consul general raised concerns with Rempel Garner about Brown using the words “Sikh nation.” “The consul general had expressed directly to (Rempel Garner) that, obviously that was something they didn’t agree with, that it could be viewed in nationalistic terms towards the Sikh community,” he said. That led him to change the language he was employing to a Punjabi term that he said meant the same thing. Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell asked if that’s “an appropriate election activity by a foreign government,” charging it was a clear instance of foreign interference. Brown replied that Indian officials “have been more robust in their opinions than some of us would be comfortable with.” A bombshell report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians into foreign interference released last spring referred to “India’s alleged interference in a Conservative Party of Canada leadership race.” Brown said he was not under any kind of non-disclosure agreement with the Conservative Party that prevents him from speaking publicly about what happened during the race. He said he believes it’s important to guard against foreign meddling in democracy but that he does not want to get drawn into partisan debates on Parliament Hill. Brown was not included as a witness in the public inquiry into foreign interference, which wrapped up hearings earlier this fall with a final report due in the new year. He was disqualified from the party’s 2022 leadership race due to allegations related to financing rules in the Canada Elections Act. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement
Key posts 4.12am Teal MP says social media ban ‘makes zero difference’ to harmful algorithms 3.50am Social media giants attack ‘rushed’ consult for ban 3.44am Housing bill passes, but several bills remain on the brink 3.31am This morning’s headlines at a glance Hide key posts Posts area Latest 1 of 1 Latest posts Latest posts 4.12am Teal MP says social media ban ‘makes zero difference’ to harmful algorithms By Josefine Ganko An alternative proposal to the social media ban on children under 16 has been put forth by independent MP Zoe Daniel, who claims a ban doesn’t tackle the underlying issues that harm young people. Daniel’s bill would implement an overarching statutory duty of care on social media companies, with the goal being “safety by design”. “What you need to make that work is the companies to assess the risks, mitigate the risks, and be transparent about how they’re doing that,” Daniel told ABC News Breakfast. “The bill also has a provision to enable users to have control over the algorithm as exists overseas, particularly in the EU, enabling users to either reset or turn off their algorithm if they wish.” Independent MP Zoe Daniel. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Daniel says her work in the space began with tackling eating disorders, with a working group revealing the damage the algorithm was doing to sufferers by delivering them more content about eating disorders. She says the same trend is seen in a range of public health issues including gambling. Loading “The problem with the algorithm is that in many ways, it compounds negative behaviour, and particularly for young people - that can send young people into a real spiral,” Daniel said. “The legislation is based on international best practice, so in effect, it cherry-picks the best of legislation that is already in place in Europe and in the UK.” The Goldstein MP said the government have been responsive to her proposal, and flagged they would consider duty of care eventually. But Daniel hopes the government will consider her bill now. “I understand why they want to do [the under 16s social media ban] because it is a lever to pull now and it makes parents feel better, but it actually makes zero difference to what is happening on the platforms. It doesn’t manage the algorithm or force the platforms to do anything about what is happening in their environment.” 3.50am Social media giants attack ‘rushed’ consult for ban Social media companies, including Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta, have taken aim at the “rushed” consultation process for the ban on children under 16. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland introduced the world-leading reform to parliament last Thursday, which she said would make the online environment better for young people. The consultation period for groups and individuals to make submissions closed on Friday. A Senate committee held a one-day hearing on Monday and is due to report back on Tuesday. In submissions to the inquiry, several groups, including social media companies, pointed to the short notice period. Loading Snap Inc. wrote that “the extremely compressed timeline” had allowed stakeholders little more than 24 hours to provide a response, which “severely” constrained thorough analysis and informed debate. X, formerly Twitter, also criticised the “unreasonably short time frame of one day”, writing that it has “serious concerns as to the lawfulness of the bill”. Meta, which owns Facebook, wrote that there had been “minimal consultation or engagement” and urged the government to wait for the results of the age assurance trial before progressing with the legislation. TikTok said that despite the “time-limited review”, there was a range of “serious, unresolved problems” that the government must clarify to ensure there wouldn’t be unintended consequences for all Australians. AAP 3.44am Housing bill passes, but several bills remain on the brink By David Crowe Labor has gained a crucial concession from the Greens after a year of dispute over a $5.5 billion plan to help young Australians buy their first homes, securing the policy with a stunning back down from the minor party. The decisions late on Monday delivered a big victory to the federal government in the final week of parliament for the year, but other bills are on the brink of defeat after Senate crossbenchers blasted Labor for trying to rush through changes on the environment, political donations and other issues. Read more about the status of the bills on the brink, including the social media ban, political donation changes and environmental reforms, here. Advertisement 3.31am This morning’s headlines at a glance By Josefine Ganko Good morning and welcome to the national news blog. My name is Josefine Ganko, and as always, I’ll lead our coverage for the first half of the day. It’s Tuesday, November 26. Here’s what’s making news this morning. Labor has gained a crucial concession from the Greens after a year of dispute over a $5.5 billion housing plan, but other bills are on the brink of defeat after Senate crossbenchers blasted Labor for trying to rush through changes on various issues. Social media companies including Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta have taken aim at the “rushed” consultation process for the proposal ban on children under 16. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has revealed the budget bottom line is getting worse ahead of the looming federal election, with warnings he faces a $27 billion blowout over the next four years. Overseas, Israel’s cabinet will meet on Tuesday to approve a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, with expectations that an accord could be announced “within hours”. In the US, Special Counsel Jack Smith asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss the case accusing President-elect Donald Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. Let’s get into it. Latest 1 of 1 Latest Most Viewed in National Loading
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