May prepares to reveal resignation plan, Pret in talks to gobble up rival Eat, 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.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has agreed to set the date for electing her successor following the next Brexit vote in early June. If she loses another vote on her plan, she will resign, the BBC said, citing anonymous sources. Calls for May to resign have intensified following a Brexit impasse and a weak showing for the Conservatives in local elections. Boris Johnson said he will run for party leadership when she stands down. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Pret a Manger is reportedly in talks to gobble up smaller rival Eat in a bid to ramp up its vegetarian and vegan offerings. Pret is understood to be nearing a deal to buy most of Eat’s 94 outlets or the entire business. The Evening Standard reports the sandwiches chain plans to turn Eat sites into Veggie Prets, as an increasing number of shoppers ditch meat for plant-based meals. Last year, Eat reported a loss of ￡17.3m in the 12 months to June 2018 and closed around 10% of its outlets. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Also... Amazon is close to buying a stake in Deliveroo. Sky News reports the tech titan is in talks to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in the London-based food delivery app as part of a ￡450m fundraising effort. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The European Commission has fined five major banks for joining together to rig the foreign-exchange market between 2007 and 2013. Barclays, RBS, Citigroup, JPMorgan and MUFG have been collectively asked to pay €1.07 billion (US$1.2 billion) after two separate cartels used chat rooms known as the “Three Way Banana Split,” “Essex Express” and “Semi-Grumpy Old Men” to exchange trading plans and customer details for their own benefit. Regulators in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland imposed similar fines in 2014. ? Here’s what people are saying.

BT is to hand 100,000 employees ￡50m in shares each year in an effort to boost morale. Incoming CEO Philip Jansen described the “yourshare” scheme, whereby employees will receive shares worth ￡500 every year, as the first step towards a “new inclusive form of capitalism”. Telecom chiefs hope efforts to create a “new, re-energised” BT, which include changing the logo, will rebuild the firm’s reputation in the wake of an Italian accounting scandal, a profit warning, and aggressive cuts to staffing. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Luxury fashion brand Burberry, known for its trench coats and signature check fabrics, is closing one in 10 stores around the world. While the 163 year-old company refused to identify the locations of the 38 stores earmarked for closure, five outlets have already shut in Brazil and Spain. The move is part of an overhaul, which saw the brand hand out nearly ￡3m in severance pay to redesign its senior team. Earlier this month, Burberry cancelled its plans for a new factory in Leeds. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the day: Anna Jones, co-founder of the AllBright Group and author of Believe, Build, Become, says boosting women’s confidence is key to closing the gender gap.

“Fight the urge to want to disappear into the background. Act confidently and own your space. Adopt a modified version of a power pose and own your voice. And don’t start a sentence with an apology.”

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

—  Natalie MacDonald