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United owner has sky high plans for club

THE billionaire owner of Newcastle United, Mike Ashley, is looking at building a skyscraper on land next to St James’s Park – and has already hired an architect to work on ideas. Read

Tees can rideout the storm

A TEES engineering chief has claimed local manufacturers are well placed to weather an economic storm which according to new research has put them under the strongest cost pressures for 20 years. Read

Top skills on menu for hospitality trade

DARLINGTON will help put UK hospitality on a par with standards enjoyed in the rest of Europe, following news that it is to become part of a national skills academy to raise standards in the industry. Read

Outlook for Tees staff is not looking too healthy

ARE North East bosses taking steps to protect the well-being of their staff or do they believe corporate health schemes are a waste of money? Read

Geoff takes the parmo to the nation

THE PARMO is to break out of its Boro heartland and go national as a Tees Valley chef launches the first commercial range of chilled products for ASDA. Read

Dobbies garden centre

Billionaire’s growing dispute over garden centre’s shares plan

GARDEN centre chain Dobbies has begun a legal clash with billionaire entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter over its plans to raise £150m from shareholders. Read

Revamp helps HMV stay ahead of high street rivals

BLOCKBUSTERS like Simpsons the Movie have helped entertainment retailer HMV become one of the few high street winners over the past year. Read

Dealer will buy back ‘too cheap’ shares

SHAREHOLDERS in North East car dealer Vertu Motors have backed plans by directors to buy back 10% of the company. Bosses of the Newcastle company, which has quickly grown to be the UK’s 10th-biggest dealership chain, hope to enhance its earnings with the buyback. Read

Current’s ultimate high wire act

A SUNDERLAND firm is on top of the world after securing a contract in the tallest building on the planet. Read

Sage

Sage confident as it beats all forecasts

BRITAIN’S biggest software company, Sage, has seen half-year profits outstrip analysts’ forecasts and is confident it will continue to beat the credit crunch and achieve record earnings for the year. Read

Ghost ships to be dismantled at last

THE dismantling of former US naval vessels in the region could begin in a matter of weeks as a five-year row over the controversial plans draws to a close. Read

No turning back the clock

Poking fun at his former Soviet masters and praising a Europe without borders, former Polish president and Nobel peace prize winner Lech Walesa tells Karen Dent why he believes migrant workers are good for Poland – and the North East. Read

Region can teach rest a lesson on staff training

THE North East is leading the country in combating the skills shortage by proving it is the most dedicated to training its workers. Read

Let’s focus on our natural and historic attractions

I’VE been seeing stars. I was invited to a fascinating astronomical event – the launch of the Kielder Observatory – at the aptly-named Black Fell. Northumberland has some of the blackest, unpolluted skies in the UK. Read

Coatings firm plan to double in size

A METAL coatings company which applied the finishing touches to Alan Shearer’s security fencing is set to double in size following a management buy-out. Read

PDG shares suspended

SHARES in books and novelty goods retailer Premier Direct Group have been suspended after it asked for time to secure new funding. Read

Call for early cut after MPC freezes rate

BUSINESSES called for a cut in interest rates as soon as possible after the Bank of England froze rates at 5%. Members of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had been under pressure to make a fourth cut in six months following a flurry of poor economic news. Read

Innovative ideas put into practice

FOUR young businesses are through to the final of the Young Enterprise North East awards after successfully coming through two hotly contested regional heats. Read

Nuclear aims urged to go on

THE GOVERNMENT has been urged to press ahead with its programme for building new nuclear power stations - regardless of who ends up owning British Energy. Read

£1.7m pledge to keep Tees green

A POWERFUL coalition of business interests has put its weight behind the Tees Valley’s biofuels industry. Read