Barclays to move ￡170bn to Dublin, only 5% of Brits assume a doctor is a woman, and more top news

The news professionals are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments.

Barclays is to move ￡170bn to Dublin because it "cannot wait any longer" to implement its Brexit contingency plan. The High Court approved the transfer of assets, linked to about 5,000 clients, to a Dublin-based unit. The move, signalled by Barclays in 2017, is the latest example of banks preparing for a no-deal Brexit. HSBC is moving assets to Paris, while rival UBS has applied for a German banking licence.

Also… Lloyds has axed a further 490 jobs as part of a ￡3bn push into digital.

Only 5% of Brits assume a doctor is a woman when they hear the job title, despite almost half of the UK’s fully-licensed doctors being female, according to new research from LinkedIn. A survey of 4,000 adults found that we are more likely to associate traditional job titles, such as dentist or nurse, with one gender or the other – versus more modern job titles. 63% of respondents would assume that a nurse is a woman, while 77% said they would not associate any gender with SEO specialist.

Cosmetics group Avon is to cut 2,300 jobs, amid plans to reduce its global workforce by a tenth this year. The London-based company, which employed around 25,000 people a year ago, is expected to save ￡74m by the end of 2019. It marks another round of lay-offs for the New York-listed firm, which reduced its headcount by 8 per cent in 2018. Avon recently apologised after an advert for an anti-cellulite product was accused of “shaming women”.

The Co-op has announced plans to open new food stores and funeral homes this year. Central England Co-operative is to open more than 10 new food outlets and revamp dozens more throughout 2019. The group, which employs more than 8,000 people across its range of businesses, has already located sites in Stafford, Leicestershire and Cambridge. The Co-operative Group has been engaged in a long running funeral price war with listed rival Dignity.

So who really invented Champagne? According to the head of one of France’s most prestigious Champagne houses, it was the English. Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger insists the “crazy” English created the fizzy drink by accidently leaving still white wines on London docks – which in the cold then underwent a second fermentation. English sparkling wine has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, winning more gold medals than Champagne at last year’s Sommelier Wine Awards.

Idea of the Day: Transparency does not equal more trust, says author Rachel Botsman.

“Transparency can be a great tool, but it is not a magical cure for building or restoring trust.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

— Natalie MacDonald