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Credit crunch sees 5,500 jobs go

SWISS bank UBS is axing around 5,500 jobs after being hit by first-quarter losses of £5.5bn as a result of the credit crunch. Read

Some positive surprises

OVER the past few months, there has been a shift in economic data. Rather than one disappointment after another, we have seen more balanced news flow. More of the news from the US has been in line with expectations, and there have even been some positive data surprises. Read

Chilly start to Mansell’s mission to raise £1m

AFUNDRAISING drive got off to a brisk – if somewhat chilly start – when these hardy souls tramped across the hills of south west Northumberland on a quest to raise £1m. Read

New laser technology for detecting defects in steel

RESEARCHERS AT the Corus owned Teesside Technology Centre are working on a groundbreaking technology that could revolutionise quality testing in steel manufacturing. Read

Sign up for food show

TEESSIDE food producers were encouraged today to put themselves forward for the biggest food show in the world. Read

Licensee takes action by launching micro brewery

TOUGH times in the pub trade have prompted one Teesside licensee to take entrepreneurial action - and brew his own beer. Read

Success breeds optimism in North

MANUFACTURERS in the North East are bucking the national trend by creating jobs and achieving growth. Read

Walesa’s only speech in country at Durham

THE man who led Poland out of Communism and became its first democratically elected president is in the North East on Thursday to address business leaders. Read

Next trading update set to make grim reading

A TRADING update from Next and half-year results from easyJet should give an indication of consumer confidence this week. Fashion chain Next’s first-quarter trading update on Thursday is set to make grim reading amid the toughest retail conditions in years. Read

Pyeroy going nuclear to share in £2.4bn market

A PAINT and construction company has secured work to decontaminate some of Britain’s ageing nuclear power plants as part of a strategy to diversify into a market worth billions of pounds. Read

BP remains at the top of our UK charts

BP’s shares continue to be rated as Outperform relative to the sector with a fair-value estimate of 670p. The stock ranks in the top quintiles of our Dividend Discount Model on both a global and regional basis. Read

Confidence despite uncertainty

A TEESSIDE team of independent financial advisers has issued a bullish analysis of the mortgage market despite the current uncertainty. Read

The big shutdown

TEES CHEMICAL firm SABIC shuts down production on the 223-acre site tomorrow as it launches a year of major investment beginning with a multi-million pound overhaul of the Olefins 6 cracker at Wilton. Read

Flexibility: Should it go any further?

SHOULD all Tees employees be allowed to work from home or should legislation, which currently limits the right to request flexiworking to certain individuals, stay as it is? Read

Outlook in region is stillpositiveheady heady

MANUFACTURERS in the North-east are bucking the national trend and achieving growth. Read

Ecco Newsprint

FOLLOWING our report last week Paper Mill Cost Soars But Paper Plant To Go Ahead, we have been asked to point out that the fibre preparation line and high-speed paper machine used in the manufacture of recycled paper for newsprint will be purchased exclusively from Finnish suppliers Metso Paper. The company is one of only two European manufacturers of such equipment. Ecco Newsprint is hoping construction of the Wilton mill will be under way by 2009. Read

Brown’s green support

MINISTER for the North-east Nick Brown says home-grown biofuels are a vital wealth-generator for the local and national economy. Read

Dewjo’c design a cut above

MULTI award-winning North-east architects Dewjo’c is celebrating after winning a prestigious national architecture prize at the Further Education Design Awards. Read

Firm bucks the trend and courts success

A FAMILY-RUN business in Stockton has unveiled a new £200,000 showroom to meet the ever-growing demand of its customers. Read

Builders feel chill

ACTIVITY in the UK’s construction industry sank to its lowest level for nearly a decade last month, a report has revealed. Read