BA unveils new first class

📍Top line: British Airways (BA) has revealed its redesigned First-class suite, aiming to redefine luxury travel for its highest-paying passengers. The new suite, developed over five years with Collins Aerospace, features enhanced comfort, privacy, and technology, positioning BA as a contender among the world's premium airlines.

Key Features:

• Ultra-Wide Seat: Converts into a 198cm flatbed with a leather-wrapped headboard at the push of a button.

• Technology and Comfort: Includes a 32-inch 4K entertainment screen, adjustable mood lighting, and wireless charging.

• Enhanced Privacy: Features a 152cm curved privacy wall and an electronic sliding door.

• Storage and Amenities: Floor-level cupboards for cabin bags, scarlet-lined wall cupboards, a minibar, and pull-out drawers for personal items.

• Innovative Design: No overhead bins for a spacious feel, sound-reducing materials, and retractable dividers for a shared lounge area.

• Luxury Upgrades: Concorde-inspired cabin curves, premium dining options, and companion dining with a footstool ottoman.

Strategic Importance:

• BA will be the only UK-based carrier offering a First-class product across the Atlantic, as competitors scale back.

• The suite, costing £100,000 each to develop, targets profitability on all routes with tickets priced at approximately £800 an hour.

• The launch aims to attract high-net-worth passengers, competing with Middle Eastern carriers offering premium amenities.

Businesses pull Conor McGregor’s drinks following civil rape case

📍Top line: Major UK and Irish retailers, including Tesco and Musgrave, have pulled alcoholic drinks associated with Conor McGregor following his recent legal defeat in a civil rape case.

Key Points:

• Retail Pullback: Tesco, Musgrave, and other retailers like Costcutter and Carry Out have removed McGregor-linked products, including Proper No. Twelve Whiskey, from shelves.

• Financial Impact: McGregor previously sold a majority stake in Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for over £103m in 2021.

• Gaming Withdrawal: IO Interactive, developer of Hitman, announced the removal of McGregor’s in-game character and ended their collaboration.

• Court Case: McGregor was ordered to pay €248,603.60 in damages, but he has stated his intention to appeal the ruling.

Elsewhere in business:

🚗 Stellantis, the parent company of Vauxhall, has announced plans to close its van manufacturing plant in Luton, placing approximately 1,100 jobs at risk. The company intends to consolidate its electric vehicle (EV) production at the Ellesmere Port facility in Cheshire. This decision is influenced by the UK's stringent zero-emission vehicle mandate, which requires manufacturers to meet specific EV sales targets 

🍸 The Groucho Club, a renowned private members' venue in London's Soho, has temporarily closed after Westminster City Council suspended its licence over a reported serious criminal offence on the premises. The decision, requested by the Metropolitan Police, comes during one of the club's busiest periods ahead of Christmas. A full licence review is expected before the holiday season.

UK bankers to get bonuses earlier under new plans

📍 Top line: The Bank of England (BoE) has proposed changes to accelerate bonus payments for senior bankers in the UK, with reduced deferral periods and simplified rules.

Key Points:

• Faster Bonus Payouts: Senior bankers could receive part of their bonuses within the first year instead of waiting three years. Overall deferral periods will drop to five years for top executives and four years for others.

• Dividends on Deferred Bonuses: Bankers will be allowed to earn dividends on share-based bonuses during the deferral period.

• Simplified Rules: Fewer bankers will face restrictions on pay, and employers will have more discretion on their application.

• Revised Remuneration Thresholds: The threshold for deferring bonuses will rise from £500,000 to £660,000, with at least 60% of remuneration deferred for those earning above the threshold.

• Post-Brexit Flexibility: The proposals reflect the UK’s divergence from EU laws post-Brexit while maintaining adherence to key EU remuneration principles.

Elsewhere in the economy:

🥩 London's historic Smithfield Market, renowned for its meat trade since the Middle Ages, will close after more than 800 years following a council decision. Billingsgate fish market in Canary Wharf will also shut down as part of the move, reflecting changing consumer habits with declining meat and fish consumption. The markets will remain operational until at least 2028.

🎰 Bookmakers and casinos will fund NHS gambling addiction services under a new mandatory levy set to raise £100m annually. The governmental also approved plans for a cap on online slot machine stakes—£2 for under-25s and £5 for older players. Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross said the measures aim to reduce harm, but critics warn the government risks overreach in its crackdown.

PayPal has opened applications for its 2025 Consumer Marketing internship in London. Successful applicants will support the team to craft and implement insight-led strategies alongside launching top-tier marketing campaigns to amplify Paypal’s brand and captivate consumers. The 12-month scheme is open to anyone currently enrolled at university studying a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Apply now here.

Terror police block ‘October 7’ video game

📍Top line: British counter-terrorism police have blocked the video game Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the UK, citing concerns over its depiction of violent acts resembling the Oct 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The game, which remains available in the US, has been removed from the UK version of the online marketplace Steam.

Key Points:

• Game Content: Features players paragliding into an Israeli army base, killing soldiers, and performing other violent acts, including scenes resembling the Oct 7 attacks.

• Police Action: The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) requested Steam remove the game from its UK store, citing potential links to terrorist propaganda.

• Creator’s Claims: Nidal Nijm, the Brazilian-Palestinian creator, said the game represents a political statement on the Palestine-Israel conflict.

• Trailer Details: Displays terrorists in Hamas-style headbands and includes text referencing explosive belts and violent resistance.

• Availability: Banned in the UK, Austria, and Germany, but still sold in the US for $14.99.

Elsewhere in tech:

📹 YouTuber MrBeast says he has footage to disprove claims his reality show Beast Games exploited contestants. Allegations in a US lawsuit include unsafe conditions and harassment on the set of the $5m competition. Responding on X, he called the claims “blown out of proportion” and promised behind-the-scenes footage when the show debuts next month.

📱 Career-networking platform LinkedIn has argued that it should be excluded from Australia's proposed ban on social media for under-16s, stating it lacks content appealing to children. In its submission to an Australian senate committee, the Microsoft-owned site said, "LinkedIn simply does not have content interesting and appealing to minors," contrasting itself with platforms like Meta, Google, Snapchat, and TikTok, which have raised objections to the planned legislation.

🤝 A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has taken effect, bringing a temporary halt to over 14 months of conflict. The truce began at 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT) today and was brokered by Israel, France, and the US, with President Joe Biden describing it as a step toward a "permanent cessation of hostilities." However, both sides engaged in attacks up until shortly before the agreement came into force.

💸 A UK ticket-holder has won the £177 million EuroMillions jackpot, marking the third-largest National Lottery prize ever awarded in the country. The winning numbers for the draw were 7, 11, 25, 31, 40, with Lucky Stars 9 and 12. Andy Carter, senior winners' adviser for lottery operator Allwyn, described it as a "wonderful win right before Christmas" and encouraged players to check their tickets.

🚨 Russia has imposed entry bans on key UK cabinet ministers, including Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, and Rachel Reeves, as part of a new wave of sanctions announced by Moscow's foreign affairs ministry. The sanctions list includes over 30 British citizens, among them senior Labour politicians, following heightened tensions after Ukraine used British missiles to strike targets deeper inside Russian territory.