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UK Edition
24th December 2025
 
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THE HOT STORY

Law firm trains students for City stress

Law firm Freshfields is providing resilience training to Gen Z students at top UK universities. The workshops focus on essential skills for managing stress and receiving feedback in a high-pressure environment, and are designed to help prospective lawyers "build key resilience skills." A Freshfields spokesman said the sessions aim to "reflect the realities of legal work." Addleshaw Goddard also plans to deliver sessions aimed at building resilience and wellbeing, while Clyde & Co is set to overhaul its resilience training programme after a firm-wide review.
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LEGAL

Peggie tribunal judge issues more ruling corrections

The judge in Sandy Peggie's employment tribunal case has issued 11 further corrections to his original ruling, addressing clerical errors, omissions, and misquotations, though none affect the outcome. Corrections include clarifying the definition of "trans man," amending a misquoted court case, and correcting the name of the campaign group "Not All Gays." Peggie, who partially won her claim against Fife Health Board after refusing to share a changing room with transgender doctor Beth Upton, has said she intends to appeal the tribunal’s findings.

Lawsuits for Christmas: the present no one wants

Lawyers have shone a spotlight on a litigation tactic that sees court documents filed over the Christmas period. Data shows that between 2019 and 2024, 88 claims were brought on Christmas Eve.
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REMUNERATION

Bet365 boss lands £260m payout

Denise Coates, founder and CEO of Bet365, received a salary of £104m for the year ending in March, despite the company's pre-tax profits falling by 43% to £338.5m. Her total payout, including dividends, reached at least £260.8m, a 65% increase from the previous year. Andrew Speke, director of the High Pay Centre campaign group, described the payout as "eye-watering," adding that is "far beyond what anyone needs for a life of luxury."
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LEADERSHIP

One in seven FTSE 100 companies changed bosses this year

One in seven of the UK’s blue-chip companies changed their leaders in 2025. “Boardrooms were clearly not frightened of seeking a fresh perspective,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
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STRATEGY

Footwear firm cuts 86 jobs as sales slump

Shoe company VF Corporation has cut 86 jobs following a £38m loss this financial year. The firm, which owns Timberland, North Face, and Vans, reported a turnover decline from £359.1m to £321.5m. Pre-tax profit also fell from £15.5m to £9.8m. The company operates 42 Timberland stores in the UK and has reduced its Northern Europe division's headcount to 623.
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ECONOMY

Brits cut gift spending

More than half of Britons plan to buy fewer Christmas presents this year due to rising household costs. A survey of 2,158 adults revealed that 51% have reduced their gift purchases. Additionally, 37% intend to host fewer guests, while 25% will stay home to save money. Meanwhile, separate data from PwC suggests that Britons are expected to spend £24.6bn on Christmas this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.5%. This will be driven by inflation, rather than an increase in purchases. PwC forecasts that average spending per adult over Christmas will rise from £449 to £461. Food and drink will be the top spending priority, with 27% of consumers planning to spend more this Christmas compared to 2024.
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INTERNATIONAL

Amazon blocks suspected North Korean hires

Amazon has blocked more than 1,800 job applications from suspected North Korean agents attempting to apply for remote working IT jobs using stolen or fake identities, Amazon's chief security officer Stephen Schmidt has said in a LinkedIn post. "Their objective is typically straightforward: get hired, get paid, and funnel wages back to fund the regime's weapons programs," he said, adding that this trend is likely to be happening at scale across the industry, especially in the US. Amazon has witnessed a nearly one-third increase in job applications from North Koreans in the past year, Schmidt said, adding that the operatives typically work with people managing "laptop farms" - a reference to computers based in the US that are run remotely from outside of the country. Amazon used a combination of artificial intelligence tools and verification by its staff to screen job applications, he said.

Telefonica to shed up to 5,500 jobs in Spain

Telefonica will reduce its workforce in Spain by up to 5,500 jobs under a voluntary departure plan agreed with trade unions. This represents nearly 25% of its 25,000 employees in the country. The company, which employs 100,000 globally, aims to focus on its core markets, including Spain, Germany, the UK, and Brazil. Telefonica said: "An agreement was reached with the trade unions . . . concerning the implementation of a voluntary departure plan for approximately 5,500 workers." The restructuring plan is expected to cost around €2.5bn before taxes.

WSJ's parent firm accused of dismissing reporter over union role

Selina Cheng, a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has begun her testimony against Dow Jones Publishing Co., the parent company of the Journal, in a trial concerning her alleged termination due to union activities. Cheng, who is also chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, claims her dismissal in July 2024 was due to her refusal to withdraw from a union election. Dow Jones faces two charges under the Employment Ordinance, both of which it denies. Cheng's case has raised significant concerns about press freedom in Hong Kong, where media operations have increasingly come under pressure since the imposition of a national security law in 2020.

Brazil union set to accept Petrobras labour deal

The Brazilian oil workers' union FUP has signalled it plans to accept a counteroffer from state-run company Petrobras for a labour deal, in a move which would pave the way to end a week-long strike, Reuters reports. Petrobras confirmed it had made "adjustments" to its latest collective labour proposal, "including advances on key union demands."
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OTHER

Government pulls promised early years funding

The i reports that dozens of local authorities have been informed that they will no longer be receiving their share of more than £100m of funding under the Start for Life fund, which is operating alongside the rollout of Family Hubs. While 75 councils are currently receiving funding under both schemes to improve early years support, a further 78 councils have been told that while they will still be able to join the Family Hub programme, they will no longer receive Start for Life funding. Cllr Wendy Taylor, chair of the Local Government Association's health and wellbeing committee, said the decision "risks undermining the ambition to give every child the best start in life and create the healthiest generation of children," and contradicts previous government commitments. "We urge the government to urgently review this decision", she said, "and ensure a level playing field for all councils so that every child, regardless of where they live, can access the support they need."
 
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