Europe’s banks pass stress test, New Caledonia rejects independence from France, and more top news

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

Europe’s banks are now “more resilient to financial shocks,” according to the European Central Bank. The European Banking Authority has released the results of its 2018 stress test — in which regulators judge the banks’ ability to withstand market shocks — with all 48 beating the common tier ratio of 5.5% under an “adverse scenario”. British banks Barclays and Lloyds unexpectedly ranked lowest, with scores of 6.37% and 6.8%. ? Here’s what people are saying.

New Caledonia has voted to remain part of France in a historic referendum. With final results tallied on Sunday, 56.4% rejected the bid for independence. The South Pacific archipelago, which receives €1.3 billion in state subsidies from France each year, has large deposits of nickel and is considered an economic asset in the region. President Macron says the move is “a vote of confidence in the French republic, its future, and its values”. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Uber has launched a subscription model that allows members to avoid surge pricing. The ride-hail company is hoping to convince users to ditch their own cars with the fixed-fare scheme, which costs $24.99 a month in Los Angeles and $14.99 in four other US cities. It’s expected the model will expand to other cities, including in Europe, per The Times. Uber recently announced it is launching a safety centre in its app that will allow users in Europe to share trip details and quickly contact emergency services. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Swedish retailer Ikea is considering rolling out more smaller outlets after the success of its first so-called “Planning Studio” in central London. The company — traditionally known for its massive, out-of-town outlets — said that the London store had been an experiment, which could now be rolled out in cities including Paris, Barcelona, Riyadh, Shanghai and New York. The small-store format caters to the increasing number of city-dwellers who do not have a car. ? Here’s what people are saying.

When it comes to mastering English, France is lagging behind the rest of Western Europe. The English Proficiency Index, which ranked 88 countries that don’t have English as a national language, placed Sweden in top spot, followed by the Netherlands, Singapore and Norway. France fell behind its Western European neighbours in 35th spot. Global language training company Education First says the “preservation of French language has always been the main priority”. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: We need to pay attention today to how intelligent technologies will redefine work tomorrow, says Accenture chairman and CEO Pierre Nanterme.

“Employers today need the courage to start conversations with employees about the implications of automation, so we can help them envision and plan for future career opportunities.”

— Capucine Yeomans