Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Conde Nast launches new website geared towards millennials
 Though the average age of an Architectural Digest magazine reader is 53, the Condé Nast–owned publication is setting its sights on a wider demographic. On Monday, it launched a new website called Clever, dedicated to the age 18-34 cohort.

The site echoes the aspirational tone of Architectural Digest, but with a more accessible approach and a focus on topics including small-space decorating and do-it-yourself home projects. Unlike Architectural Digest, which is full of expensive luxury items, Clever will showcase more affordable options for readers still in school, early in their careers or with limited disposable incomes.

Clever was the brainchild of Amy Astley, the former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue who took the helm of Architectural Digest in May 2016. In advance of the creation of the vertical, she pushed the publication to expand its reach by first testing the appetite for articles on topics like designing on a budget. As a result, there has been a 759 percent increase in millennials visiting Architectural Digest’s site, she said.

“The first thing I felt when I got to Architectural Digest last summer was that I really wanted it to be the dominant source of shelter information for all audiences,” she said. “It was like we were leaving a huge portion of the general population off the plate. Clever came from wanting to make a product that would be relevant for a new reader.”

Clever will operate autonomously from Architectural Digest, with three core editors dedicated to the site’s content, as well as a video and social team. Keith Pollock, Architectural Digest’s executive director of digital, said as part of Clever’s mission to “democratize design,” it will cater to readers undergoing significant life transitions, such as moving out of college and into a first rental apartment, or couples purchasing their first home.

To complement this, Clever will also include real-life advice on topics like living with roommates and dealing with contractors. “It will have all the conversations around living and being young, and starting out,” Pollock said.

Social media will be a primary driver to the site, Pollock said. Clever will soon roll out a social-first video series on apartment fixes and renovations featuring guests like design expert Nate Berkus, as well as celebrities including Jessica Alba and Sophia Bush. In addition to Clever’s own social channels, Architectural Digest will drive readers to the site through its accounts, as well as in ads in both the print and digital editions.

Though Astley said Clever was not conceived as an advertising play, the vertical does open Architectural Digest up to a larger pool of advertisers, including brands like CB2, Lowes and Pottery Barn, which offer goods at lower price points than brands traditionally featured in the magazine. Astley said despite being geared toward millennials, the new site will have style tips and purchasing ideas for a wide variety of ages and income levels.

“Clever is for people who want to live with style on a smaller budget, but that can be anybody,” she said. Likewise, “Architectural Digest is meant for the discerning person and design enthusiasts — and that can be [anyone].”

Giulio Capua, chief business officer and publisher of Architectural Digest, said Clever is also a response to the rise of high-low collaborations that have helped bring luxury design to the masses. The long-term goal is to serve as an entry point to capture future Architectural Digest readers, who may transition to the publication with time, he said.

“Design is much more prolific. Target started a trend when they brought name brand designers in that were approachable,” Capua said. “You can see designs from any museum in the world on your smartphone. People are getting more information about what good design means, at a younger age. There’s an elevated sensibility.”

In an attempt to avoid alienating its core readership, Architectural Digest is continuing to push AD Pro, a daily newsletter launched earlier this year and intended for design professionals who view the magazine as a trade publication and educational resource. Though Architectural Digest had an existing monthly newsletter, Astley said Pro will help the publication continue to position itself as design authority, while expanding its readership through Clever.

“We want to create a new demographic of design enthusiasts,” Astley said. “There’s a great enthusiastic group of people out there who want to live with style and are so much more sophisticated than they used to be. We wanted to serve them.”

Output: Architectural Digest magazine, owned by publisher Condé Nast, is launching Clever, a site aimed at 18-34 year olds. Created by Architectural Digest editor Amy Astley, Clever will focus on capturing the attentions younger readers, like college students moving out of home or young couples setting up their first home. The site will also open up Architectural Digest to a wider range of advertisers and expand its readership through Clever, whose audience, it is hoped, will migrate to the sister publication as they grow older.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Fintech Qbera partners Droom for used car loans in India
 MUMBAI: Fintech lender Qbera has partnered with online automobile marketplace Droom to enable loans for vehicle purchases on the latter’s platform. The partnership will help Droom strengthen its ‘Droom Credit 21st Century’ programme which is an end-to-end, fully automated online credit marketplace that enables auto financing for used automobiles.Bangalore-based Qbera typically offers unsecured loans for salaried consumers with operations in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi.“Traditionally financial institutes offer loans at interest rates starting from 14% and can go as high as 18%. Qbera follows a risk-based approval procedure and offers you instant loans at the same rate in the shortest span of time, which is 24 hours,” said Aditya Kumar, Founder and CEO of Qbera. Qbera has a loan book of about Rs 12 crore achieved over a period of 8 months even as the company claims a monthly CAGR of 70%.The partnership with Droom will allow consumers to take personal loans of upto Rs 7.5 lakhs approved within 24 hours for purchase of used cars, used bikes or new cars.“High rejection rates, heavy paperwork and unaffordable credit terms make it difficult for consumers seeking loans for used car purchases. Droom Credit 21st Century auto financing is a smart step to make the auto loan process smooth, affordable, efficient and paperless. I expect this collaboration to be a win-win situation for both of us,” said Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Droom.Currently Qbera offers personal loans for multiple purposes including refinancing existing debt, travel, medical, education, vehicle purchase and weddings. Personal loans for vehicle purchase currently forms about 8% of its loan book. The fintech firm claims it is on track to reach a loan book of about Rs 65 crore by March 2018.

Output: Indian online used vehicle marketplace Droom has partnered with Bangalore-based lender Qbera to offer "affordable, efficient and paperless" car and motorbike loans. Droom hopes the move will help customers overcome what Qbera CEO Aditya Kumar called sector's "high rejection rates, heavy paperwork and unaffordable credit terms". Buyers will be able to get approval for loan applications within 24 hours, while interest rates will be the same as those of traditional financial institutions.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Amazon seeks Indian patent for markers that help drones navigate
 In this section

First Published: Oct 09 2017 | 1:04 AM IST

SAIL signs technical pact with POSCO to reap benefits for IISCO Steel Plant

Adani's coal mine will drive us to a 'dirty future': Australian protestors

100 days of GST: FMCG cos give thumbs up, say demand picking up

How Coal India plans to take on a liberalised coal regime

India part of Amazon's annual day of deals

Amazon Prime powers one of three orders during the Great India Sale

Amazon files patent application in India for tech related to drone safety

Amazon files patent for deploying exclusive drones in India

As part of its efforts to use drones to handle some of its operations, online marketplace giant Amazon Inc has filed a patent application in India for exclusive rights on multi-scale fiducials, black and white marks on any object for the self-operating aerial vehicles to identify them from different distances. The proposed drones can also be used to identify other such objects, along with aircraft, plying within Indian skies, said the company.

According to the specifications filed with the Indian Patent Office, the multi-scale fiducials will have three or more scales, where the child fiducials are nested or linked by a relative position to the parent fiducials, thereby, facilitating target identification and tracking. Another application may be focused solely on an innovation that would enable target identification of other drones or similar aerial vehicles.

Fiducials are optically recognisable features often used in computer v

Amazon India plans to set up experience centres in several Shoppers Stop outlets as part of the Rs 179-crore deal with the retailer

To read the full story, subscribe to BS Premium now, at just Rs 249/ month.

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Output: Amazon has filed documents at the Indian Patent Office seeking exclusive rights to multi-scale markers known as fiducials. According to the filing, the black-and-white fiducial markings, which can be applied to any object, help drones to pinpoint specific locations – such as delivery addresses. They can also be applied to other drones and also aircraft.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Willis Re, TigerRisk team up to develop digital reinsurance platform
 Willis Re and TigerRisk will form a new third-party company RePlace Holding to develop TigerRisk’s GlobalREMarket digital reinsurance placement platform.

GlobalREMarket was launched in 2015. Almost 200 reinsurance carriers – and a total of almost 1,000 users – have used the platform.

The digital platform allows reinsurers to securely share information such as analytics, exposure and terms and conditions with brokers. It also operates as a platform for reinsurance markets to receive offers and submissions.

TigerRisk global head of analytics and technology explained that the platform increases efficiency as it enables users to cut out the use of multiple emails or File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sites.

TigerRisk chief executive Rod Fox said: “We are extremely pleased to announce this initiative. This has been an important mission for us over the last several years. Since the launch of globalREmarket in 2015, all TigerRisk business has been transacted through the platform and it’s proven hugely successful with our markets. Close to 1,000 users from over 200 reinsurance carriers are using the platform to see our business.”

This is not the first time that TigerRisk and Willis Re have collaborated on a project. They were recently among 23 insurers, reinsurers and risk specialists to join B3i’s international blockchain initiative.

Output: Insurers Willis Re and TigerRisk are partnering, forming a third-party entity - RePlace Holding. The goal is to advance GlobalREMarket, the digital reinsurance platform developed by TigerRisk, which aims to help reinsurers and brokers share information without the need for long email chains or file sharing websites. Since its launch in 2015, GlobalREMarket has been used by 200 reinsurers.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Disruptor social network has crowd pay cryptos to content creators
 Every time you log onto Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to share a photo or post an article, you give up a piece of yourself in exchange for entertainment. This is the way of the modern world: Smart companies build apps and websites that keep our eyeballs engaged, and we reward them with our data and attention, which benefit their bottom line.

Andrew McMillen is a freelance writer and the author of Talking Smack: Honest Conversations About Drugs. Sign up to get Backchannel's weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Steemit, a nascent social media platform, is trying to change all that by rewarding its users with cold, hard cash in the form of a cryptocurrency. Everything that you do on Steemit—every post, every comment, and every like—translates to a fraction of a digital currency called Steem. Over time, as Steem accumulates, it can be cashed out for normal currency. (Or held, if you think Steem is headed for a bright future.)

The idea for Steemit began with a white paper, which quietly spread among a small community of techies when it was released in March 2016. The exhaustive 44-page overview wasn’t intended for a general audience, but the document contained a powerful message. User-generated content, the authors argued, had created billions of dollars of value for the shareholders of social media companies. Yet while moguls like Mark Zuckerberg got rich, the content creators who fueled networks like Facebook got nothing. Steemit’s creators outlined their intention to challenge that power imbalance by putting a value on contributions: “Steem is the first cryptocurrency that attempts to accurately and transparently reward…[the] individuals who make subjective contributions to its community.”

A minuscule but dedicated audience rallied around Steemit, posting stories and experimenting with the form to discover what posts attracted the most votes and comments. When Steemit released its first payouts that July, three months after launch, things got serious.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are only worth whatever value people ascribe to them, so there was no guarantee that the tokens dropping into Steemit accounts would ever be worth anything. Yet the Steem that rolled out to users translated to more than $1.2 million in American dollars. Overnight, the little-known currency spiked to a $350 million market capitalization—momentarily rocketing it into the rare company of Bitcoin and Ethereum, the world’s highest-valued cryptocurrencies.

Today, Steem’s market capitalization has settled in the vicinity of $294 million. One Steem is worth slightly more than one United States Dollar, and the currency remains a regular presence at the edge of the top 20 most traded digital currencies.

It’s a precipitous rise for a company that just 18 months ago existed only as an idea in the minds of its founders. More than $30 million worth of Steem has been distributed to over 50,000 users since its launch, according to company reports. It’s too early to know whether Steemit can hold onto its users’ interest and its market value. But its goal—upending a model built by social media giants over decades of use in favor of a more populist system—is significant in itself. By removing the middlemen and allowing users to profit directly from the networks they participate in, Steemit could provide a roadmap to a more equitable social network.

Or users could get bored or distracted by something newer and shinier and abandon it. The possibility of a popped bubble looms over every cryptocurrency, and the bubbles are filled with both attention and speculative investment. Steemit’s value is based on money that its founders have virtually willed into existence. Fortunes could vanish at any moment, but someone stands to get rich in the process.

The creators of Steemit didn’t set out to build a social network. When Ned Scott and Dan Larimer first spoke on the phone in mid-2015, having previously chatted online, they began dreaming up new applications for blockchains—the distributed, verified databases that back today’s wave of digital currencies. Scott, a former financial analyst, was fascinated by the economics that drive cryptocurrencies. Larimer, a computer scientist, already had cryptocurrency bona fides, having developed an ambitious exchange called BitShares.

Output: Blockchain-based social network Steemit is out to disrupt the social media sector, with a more populist model that attributes a value to contributions. In contrast to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Steemit pays fractions of a cryptocurrency called steem directly to users in return for posting content, with the crowd deciding the value of tokens distributed via a voting system. Since its quiet launch in April, and first payouts in July, the network claims 50,000 users have received $30m worth of steem, which can be converted to regular currency. As at September, Steemit had 350,000 registered users.


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Ben & Jerry’s to eradicate glyphosate from production chain
 Ben & Jerry’s has moved to cut all glyphosate-tainted ingredients from its production chain and introduce an “organic dairy” line next year, after a new survey found widespread traces of the controversial substance in its European ice-creams.

The dramatic initiative follows a new survey by Health Research Institute (HRI) laboratories which found traces of the weedkiller in 13 out of 14 B&J tubs sampled in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

It will add to a growing unease around the herbicide, which was first marketed in the US by Monsanto in 1974, as RoundUp, but is now the world’s most popular weedkiller, made by companies worldwide. Recently Prosecco DOC announced that wines marketed under the banner would not be able to use glyphosate and the US state of California added it to its list of chemicals that cause cancer.

Similar levels of glyphosate in B&J ice-cream have also been recorded in the US, although scientists told the Guardian these were “very low and not likely to pose a public health problem”.

Laura Peterson, a spokeswoman for B&J, said that the firm was “disappointed, but not totally surprised” to hear the results of the latest analysis.

“Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture and is everywhere – from mainstream food, to natural and organic food, and even rainwater – and that’s the issue,” she told the Guardian.

The herbicide is commonly used on crops such as wheat, barley, oats and peanuts, making it likely that it came from B&J’s cookie dough, peanut butter or other added ingredients.

“But simply saying trace levels are in everything is not a strategy,” Peterson added. “By no later than 2020, we will stop sourcing [ingredients] made with crops chemically dried using glyphosate. In addition, we intend to advocate for policies that would end use of glyphosate as a chemical drying agent.”

A new B&J 100% certified organic dairy line will launch next year and is expected to account for 6% of total US sales, she added.

Ben and Jerry’s is known for its environmentally friendly brand image. The Unilever-owned firm has campaigned against Arctic oil drilling and does not use GM crops, which are often manufactured to resist Monsanto’s RoundUp.

Glyphosate has received regulatory approval from several agencies, despite the WHO’s cancer wing deeming it “probably carcinogenic to humans”. Monsanto insist their product is safe to use, and the European Chemical Agency decided “the available scientific evidence did not meet the criteria to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen.”

The trigger for Monday’s move was a survey which found that popular B&J 500ml tubs of flavours such as Peanut Butter Cup, Half Baked and Chocolate Fudge Brownie in the UK all contained between 1 and 1.23 parts per billion of glyphosate.

Other B&J flavours that tested positive for glyphosate in France, Germany and the Netherlands were: Karamel Sutra Core, Cinnamon Buns, Cookie Dough and Topped Chocolate Caramel Cookie Dough.

Ronnie Cummins, the international director of the Organic Consumers Association, which commissioned the new survey, said: “Although we are happy to hear that consumer pressure has forced Unilever/Ben and Jerry’s to declare that some of their non-dairy ingredients will no longer be sprayed with RoundUp … the campaign to force Ben and Jerry’s to begin the transition to 100% organic will continue until the company signs a legally binding agreement and timeline to make this global transition over the next three to five years.”

European food safety authority guidelines put the levels of glyphosate found in the HRI tests well within safe limits. But one peer-reviewed study published by Nature magazine earlier this year found that much lower doses triggered fatty liver disease among rats.

Michael Antoniou, who heads the gene therapy group at King’s College London which produced the study, said a 35kg child would have to eat 114ml of B&J ice cream daily “over many years” to be at risk.

Products derived from wheat, barley, rye and oats – which can contain glyphosate levels 646 times higher than in the ice-cream – were more troubling, he added.

“Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease affects 20-30% of Europeans,” Antoniou said. “Our results imply that even extremely low daily ingestion of glyphosate-based herbicides may be a hitherto unsuspected risk factor for this disease.”

Ben & Jerry’s said their products were safe to eat, pointing out that “the trace levels of glyphosate detected in both the US and European study are below allowable US and European standards”.

Output: Ben & Jerry’s (B&J), the US ice cream manufacturer, will remove all ingredients tainted with the weedkiller glyphosate from its production chain. The company will open an “organic dairy” range next year, after research indicated that traces of the chemical were common in the company’s European ice-creams. A survey by US testing service Health Research Institute laboratories discovered traces of glyphosate, which were within European safety limits, in 13 out of 14 B&J tubs analysed in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Glyphosate, first marketed by Monsanto in 1974 as RoundUp, is the world’s most popular weedkiller.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Australian cities could experience 50C temperatures by 2040
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Australian cities could soon experience “unprecedented” temperatures of 50C, even if international climate targets are met, scientists have said.

Summers in Sydney and Melbourne could regularly see sweltering temperatures by 2040, raising concerns for how the elderly will cope and the pressures the weather could pile on energy resources and infrastructure.

Restricting global warming to 1.5C – less than the 2C which was agreed by the international community under the Paris climate deal – could avoid the 50C days, scientists said.

Reducing emissions won't stop global warming, claims study

Their findings, which looked at just Victoria and New South Wales states, were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

“The increase in Australian summer temperatures indicates that other major cities should also be prepared for unprecedented future extreme heat,” said lead author, Dr Sophie Lewis, from the Australian National University.

Recommended Australia has hottest winter on record thanks to climate change

She continued: “Our climate modelling has projected daily temperatures of up to 3.8 degrees Celsius above existing records in Victoria and New South Wales, despite the ambitious Paris efforts to curb warming.

Warming is likely to be incremental, the scientists warned.

“One of the hottest years on record globally - 2015 could be an average year by 2025,” Dr Lewis said.

The highest temperature ever experienced in Sydney was 45.8C in 2013. In 2009 in Melbourne the mercury hit a record high of 46.4C.

Dr Lewis called for immediate work to be done to reduce the chance of extreme seasonal temperatures.

“Urgent action on climate change is critical – the severity of possible future temperature extremes simulated by climate models in this study poses serious challenges for our preparedness for future climate change in Australia,” she said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 / 50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The study used new modelling and observation methods to predict how extreme temperatures could become more frequent.

“Previous scientific studies have focused on how current temperature extremes have been impacted by climate change, or on how the frequency of these current extremes will change in the future,” said Dr Andrew King from the University of Melbourne’s Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science.

“This study takes a different approach and examines how the severity of future temperature extremes might change in the future,” he added.

Output: Australian cities, including Melbourne and Sydney, could see “unprecedented” summer temperatures of 50C by 2040, even if global warming is restricted to the 2C increase agreed under the Paris Climate Accord, according to scientists. Previous highs were 46.6C in 2009 in Melbourne and 45.8C in 2013 in Sydney. The research has raised concerns for the impact on vulnerable people, such as the elderly, and on infrastructure and energy resources. However, the study, which uses new forms of modelling, indicates that restricting temperature increases to 1.5C could avoid the 50C extremes.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
UK audit reveals widespread racial disparities
 White teenagers are far more likely to smoke than their minority ethnic counterparts, Roma children are falling well behind their peers at school and black men face the highest likelihood of being found guilty in court.

Those are just some of the issues that will be highlighted in a government audit on race equality that will reveal deeply ingrained disparities across the country when it is published on Tuesday.

Much of the data shows disadvantage for black and ethnic minority communities, and there is a postcode lottery in school performance.

But it also makes clear that among the poorest children in the country, white British pupils do worst at school. Among that group, just 32% reach the expected standard of reading, writing and maths at 11.

Theresa May has said she wants the findings – which shine a light on vastly different experiences for ethnic groups in Britain’s schools, workplaces, hospitals and justice system, and reveal huge regional disparities – to reveal “uncomfortable truths”.

She said: “People who have lived with discrimination don’t need a government audit to make them aware of the scale of the challenge. But this audit means that for society as a whole – for government, for our public services – there is nowhere to hide. These issues are now out in the open. And the message is very simple: if these disparities cannot be explained then they must be changed.”

Communities secretary Sajid Javid the data would not provide the answers to why disparity existed, but said the government wanted to work with outside groups to come up with ways it could tackle the injustice.

“We are not pretending today we are sitting here with all the answers, some of them might have a rational explanation but others will require action,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today. “There are hundreds of thousands of Pakistani or Bangladeshi women who don’t speak proper English or hardly speak it at all.

“That might be through choice in some cases, a cultural issue. But it is a big issue because it does then hold those women back from the employment market and other opportunities.”

Javid said he would address some of the problems, including English language issues, when his department publishes a new integration strategy. “I think there will be many people out there today listening to this, taking notice, and thinking this is just the kind of thing we want our government to do,” he said. “That means where there are injustices, we are doing everything we can to tackle them and reveal them.”

The figures come alongside new research that suggests minority ethnic women are being hardest hit by austerity. The report by the Runnymede Trust and Women’s Budget Group claims black and Asian households have faced the biggest drop in living standards, of 19.2% and 20.1% respectively. That amounts to a real-terms average annual loss of £8,407 and £11,678.

May’s project, which she launched soon after taking office, brings together government statistics covering ethnic breakdowns in 130 areas across health, education, housing, employment and criminal justice.

Other findings, which include known data presented in a new manner alongside unpublished information in 24 areas, are:

Black Caribbean pupils are permanently excluded from school at three times the rate of white British pupils – triggering a Department for Education review.

Almost nine out of 10 white Gypsy and Roma children do not reach the expected standard for reading, writing and maths at 11.

9.2% of white 15-year-olds smoked in 2014-15, almost four times the proportion of black teenagers (2.4%).

Black men are more likely to be found guilty at crown court, with 112 sentenced to custody for every 100 white men.

Employment rates are higher for white people than ethnic minorities across the country, but the gap in the north (13.6%) is significantly wider than that in the south (9%).

The data goes beyond breaking down figures by colour, delving into differences between a variety of ethnic groups. Chinese pupils excelled at primary school, with 71% reaching the expected standard for reading, writing and maths, compared with 65% of children from an Indian background, 54% of white British pupils, 51% of black children, and 13% of white Gypsy and Traveller children.

Officials said one of the big surprises of the findings was the large regional disparities. As well as bigger gaps for employment in the north, there were big differences in schooling.

More than three-quarters of black children reached expected levels in Sunderland and Gateshead (although the overall numbers were low), compared with less than a quarter in Stockport, laying bare a postcode lottery in schooling.

Areas with larger minority ethnic populations and with strong performances among black children included Kensington and Chelsea and Greenwich in London.

The government said the data would affect policy, with the Department for Work and Pensions taking action in 20 targeted hotspots to help people from minority ethnic backgrounds into work with mentoring schemes and traineeships.

There will also be recommendations taken up from the Labour MP David Lammy’s review of the justice system, including performance indicators within prisons to assess outcomes for different ethnic groups.

Lammy told the Guardian: “We simply can’t let this racial disparity audit bring forth more talking shops. We’ve had a lot of talk, it’s now time for action.”

Omar Khan, director of the Runnymede Trust, said: “Once the details of the audit are digested, we want to see a comprehensive and government-wide plan with the goal of eliminating racial barriers in a generation.”

Simon Woolley, director of Operation Black Vote, said: “Yes, some findings make uncomfortable reading, but unless these things are laid bare we can’t begin to resolve them.”

Output: A race equality audit by the UK government has revealed wide disparities across the country. The research finds that: Black Caribbean pupils are permanently excluded from school three times as frequently as white British pupils; nine out of 10 white Gypsy and Roma children fail to reach expected educational standards at 11; the employment gap for black people compared to their white peers is 13.6% in the north and 9% in the south; 112 black men are sentenced to custody for every 100 white men;  among the UK’s poorest children, white British pupils perform worst at school.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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UK audit reveals widespread racial disparities
 This report provides an overview of the main findings from the first release of data from the Race Disparity Audit, published in October 2017.

As well as a review of each topic on the Ethnicity Facts and Figures website, the report presents an overview of disparities that have most impact across all aspects of people’s lives.

The report is not updated each year. Find updates to the data on the Ethnicity Facts and Figures website (including information about new and updated pages). You can also read updates from the Race Disparity Unit.

This analysis helps to understand and assess differences between ethnic groups, and to identify those public services where disparities are diminishing and those where work is needed to develop effective strategies to reduce disparities between ethnic groups.

Output: A race equality audit by the UK government has revealed wide disparities across the country. The research finds that: Black Caribbean pupils are permanently excluded from school three times as frequently as white British pupils; nine out of 10 white Gypsy and Roma children fail to reach expected educational standards at 11; the employment gap for black people compared to their white peers is 13.6% in the north and 9% in the south; 112 black men are sentenced to custody for every 100 white men;  among the UK’s poorest children, white British pupils perform worst at school.


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Russians face suspicion in Silicon Valley after hacking scandals
 SAN FRANCISCO — Pavel Cherkashin, a Russian investor based in this city, thought he had the perfect name for a Catholic church that he is spending $11.5 million converting into a tech palace. It would be called Hack Temple.

But that was before the nearly daily deluge of news about Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election by hacking computers and using Facebook and Twitter to spread inflammatory messages and sow division.

“We had so many concerns from our investors saying this would be inappropriate and we should change it,” said Mr. Cherkashin, 44, who planned to officially open Hack Temple this fall. “A bunch of Russian guys opening a hacker temple in the middle of San Francisco at a time when Russian hackers are considered the most evil in the world. They say you can’t.”

With news of the hacking and influence campaigns escalating all year, the Russian immigrant community of Silicon Valley, which numbers in the tens of thousands, is in a strange new position. Some Russian venture capitalists said start-ups were more wary about taking their funding, while several Russian-born engineers said they were being treated differently socially and in their companies. Lawyers also said some tech firms were installing tighter security measures restricting what data foreign-born coders can see.

Output: Allegations of hacking and influence campaigns during the US election are affecting the Russian immigrant community in Silicon Valley. Start-ups are reportedly more cautious about accepting funding from such sources, while Russian-born engineers are claiming that they are being treated differently in both social and work situations. Lawyers have also argued that some tech companies are restricting foreign-born coders' access to data. Conversely, some companies have shown an increased interest in hiring Russian tech workers as the country’s reputation for hacking has grown.


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Dove criticised for ad showing black woman becoming white
 Dove has apologised after publishing an advert on its Facebook page which showed a black woman turning into a white woman.

The brand was accused of racism over the online advertising campaign and it later admitted it had “missed the mark” with an image posted on Facebook.

The advert showed a black woman removing her top to reveal a white woman underneath supposedly after using Dove body lotion. The white woman then removes her top and turns into a Middle Eastern woman.

Dove apologised for 'racist' Facebook advert showing a black woman turning white after using @Dove lotion. pic.twitter.com/NGXyhnGuBZ — Habeeb Akande (@Habeeb_Akande) October 8, 2017

The campaign has since been removed from Facebook but was shared by Naomi Blake, an American makeup artist who goes by the name Naythemua.

“So I’m scrolling through Facebook and this is the #dove ad that comes up … ok so what am I looking at,” she wrote as the caption.

Under the post, she was asked if people would be offended if the white woman had turned into a black woman. She said: “Nope, we wouldn’t and that’s the whole point. What does America tell black people? That we are judged by the color of our skin and that includes what is considered beautiful in this country.”

She added that Dove’s marketing team should have known better and said “the tone deafness in these companies makes no sense”.

Following the removal of the advert, Dove, which is owned by Unilever, tweeted: “An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of colour thoughtfully. We deeply regret the offence it caused.”

In a further statement Dove said: “As a part of a campaign for Dove body wash, a three-second video clip was posted to the US Facebook page.

“This did not represent the diversity of real beauty which is something Dove is passionate about and is core to our beliefs, and it should not have happened.

“We have removed the post and have not published any other related content. We apologise deeply and sincerely for the offence that it has caused.”

However the damage was done and the nearly 3,000 comments below the tweet were almost exclusively negative. Many social media users called for a boycott of Dove’s products.

ENOUGH!

IS ENOUGH!@Dove Needs to be an example of black boycott worldwide!!!

They need to see the power of the black and brown money power — A Soldier of the Art (@SelinaNBrown) October 7, 2017

Ava DuVernay, the director of the film Selma, was one of many prominent people to criticise both the advert and the apology. She said on Twitter: “You can do better than ‘missed the mark’. Flip + diminishing. Deepens your offence. You do good work. Have been for years. Do better here.”

The trans model Munroe Bergdorf, who recently was at the centre of a racism row with L’Oreal, tweeted to say: “Diversity is viewed as a buzzword or a trend. An opportunity to sell product to women of colour. Dove – Do better.”

Others pointed out this was not the first time the company has been accused of racism. In 2011 Dove’s before-and-after advert charted the transition of a black woman to a white woman after using its body wash.

Okay, Dove...

One racist ad makes you suspect.

Two racist ads makes you kinda guilty. pic.twitter.com/hAwNCN84h2 — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 8, 2017

At the time, Dove said in a statement: “All three women are intended to demonstrate the ‘after’ product benefit. We do not condone any activity or imagery that intentionally insults any audience.”

Output: Dove, the UK toiletries brand owned by Unilever, has apologised for an advertisement featured on its Facebook page which showed a black woman turning into a white woman after using its body lotion. The brand stated on Twitter that the ad, which has now been removed, had “missed the mark”. Almost 3,000 comments, overwhelmingly negative, appeared in response to the tweet, with many users of social media calling for a boycott of the brand. In 2011, another advert for Dove featured a black woman turning into a white woman after using the brand’s body wash.


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Lithuanian start-up TransferGo begins operations in China
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VILNIUS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- TransferGo, Lithuanian money transfer services startup, has started operations in China, announced the company on Thursday.

One of Lithuania's biggest startup companies explains the move is based on intensifying economic cooperation between Lithuanian and Chinese companies.

"During recent years, Chinese direct investments into Lithuania have increased almost six-fold. We hope that fast and cheap international money transfers would contribute to strengthening ties between Lithuanian and Chinese businesses," Daumanats Dvilinskas, chief executive of TransferGo, was quoted as saying in a press release.

Dvilinskas sees demand for money transfer services coming from companies purchasing commodities and goods directly from Chinese manufacturers.

The company says money transfers from businesses and individuals would reach a recipient in China within a day.

Up until now, in Asia the company's users were able to transfer money to Hong Kong, India and the Philippines. TransferGo currently operates in 46 countries with monthly transfers averaging around 15 million British pounds (19.7 million U.S. dollars). The company aims to expand beyond Europe.

Since its launch in 2012, the startup has raised 10.55 million U.S. dollars in total from private equity investors. TransferGo says its revenue has doubled in recent 12 months, without specifying the number.

Earlier this year, the Lithuanian regulator issued e-money institution license to Chinese fintech company IBS Lithuania, a branch of International Business Settlement Holdings Limited, allowing the company to issue and redeem electronic money, provide payment services across the European Union. Enditem

Output: Lithuanian money transfer start-up TransferGo has begun operations in China to capitalise on growing demand for remittance services between local buyers and Chinese manufacturers. TransferGo, which moves about $20m globally each month through 46 nations, says transfers between businesses and individuals will reach Chinese recipients within a day.


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EBA acknowledges importance, supervisory challenges of fintech
 The European Banking Authority (EBA) has a mission of working towards a single regulatory and supervisory framework for the European Union member states. The goal is to make things simpler for consumers and businesses to operate across the EU. As the digitization of banking and other financial services heat up globally, it would be pretty difficult to ignore the Fintech revolution occurring across all financial services. As part of a mandated comprehensive review of the EBA’s objectives for the coming year, the Agency has just published their 2018 “Work Programme” and hidden within is a section on Fintech.

According to the Agency and its objectives for Fintech:

“The EBA will focus on the following priority policy areas: (i) the regulatory perimeter of Fintech firms – Fintech firms authorised and registered under EU law (including CRR/CRD, EMD, PSD2, MCD), Fintech firms regulated under national regimes, and non-regulated Fintech firms (in addition, the EBA will also explore ‘sandboxing’, ‘innovation hub’ schemes, etc.); (ii) risks (prudential and operational) and opportunities for credit institutions, payment institutions and electronic money institutions; (iii) impacts on the business models of credit institutions, payment institutions and electronic money institutions; (iv) consumer protection and retail conduct of business issues; (v) the impact of Fintech on the resolution of financial firms; and (vi) the impact of Fintech on AML/CFT.”

The EBA expects to publish follow-up papers in relation to the above priority policy areas as it seeks to ensure that its work on Fintech is consistent with the work of the Commission and the BCBS, as well as that of international forums including the FATF on AML/CFT-related issues.

Output: The European Banking Authority (EBA) has acknowledged the role fintech is likely to play in the region's economy. In its 2018 Work Programme review, the EBA outlines plans to draw up fintech regulations and recognises the potential impact of cryptocurrencies on financial institutions and business models. The EBA will evaluate how to provide protection for consumers of digital banking, taking into consideration the growth of peer-to-peer lending and payment services.


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Advertising helps online property agents boost market share 19%
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Online agents’ share of the market has gone up 19% year on year – but still represents just under 5.5% of the market overall.

The finding is in a new report, out today, which says that the growth in online market share is testament to the power of advertising and the huge sums that have been spent on TV and radio adverts.

It is the second time that customer intelligence firm TwentyCI has issued a quarterly ‘home mover’ report. Its latest covers the three months to September.

While the firm is largely unknown to the industry – its customers include the likes of Heinz – we are told it does work with a number of estate agents, and that its interest in the property sector will become clearer as the months go by.

It claims to have exclusive access to over 29bn pieces of data covering property purchases and rentals.

Its new report says that in the third quarter there were 6.2% fewer home moves than in the same period last year.

However, exchanges across the UK were up 15.2% on the same period last year, with prices increasing by 1.5%.

In London exchanges were up by 9%, and prices down by 8.4%.

It was a patchy picture elsewhere, says Twenty CI: in Scotland and Wales, exchanges were up 30% year on year, but in the south-west were down 6%.

Today’s report finds the shift towards online agents continuing, with a 19% increase in market share meaning it now has 5.4% of the market, measured in terms of exchanges.

Colin Bradshaw, chief customer officer at TwentyCI, said: “The growth in online estate agents is testament to the power of advertising.

“We’ve seen the big players spending huge sums on TV and radio promotion.

“As the concept of online estate agents matures and consumers see more of their boards on display, it is likely that more people will see them as a credible alternative.

“That said, the online-only market is still a very small proportion of the overall market, so I doubt established agents are quaking in the boots yet – but now should not be the time for complacency either.”

Overall in the quarter, it says that in round figures, 261,000 exchanges took place.

Of this number, 246,667 were exchanges through high street agents, and 14,003 were exchanges through online firms.

A total of 64,000 deals fell through; 198,000 homes were withdrawn; and 271,000 were sold subject to contract.

A total of 308,104 properties, both sales and rentals, were new listings.

Output: Heavy TV and radio advertising investment by online estate agents has helped the sector grow its share of the property market by 19% in Q3, according to customer intelligence firm TwentyCI. Even so, that still represents less than 5.5% of the overall market. Citing more than 29 billion pieces of data on property purchases and rentals, TwentyCI also said Q3 2017 property moves fell 6.2% YoY. However, home exchanges increased 15.2% and prices rose 1.5%. And while London saw a 9% surge in exchanges, prices slid 8.4%.


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World's tallest dam fails to attract foreign investment
 3 October 2017 09:47 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Attraction of foreign investment for the construction of the Rogun Hydropower Plant (HPP), the world's tallest dam, remains the key issue that hinders and pulls back the project’s implementation.

The government of Tajikistan, which has suffered from electricity shortages for years, makes all possible efforts to complete the construction of dam that will solve the country’s energy problem.

By implementing the project, Tajikistan will be able to generate about 13 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This will not only help the country to meet its domestic needs but also turn Tajikistan into a major exporter of electricity.

Approximately $4 billion is needed to complete the major energy project. About 2 billion somoni ($227,2 million) have been allocated from the state budget for the completion of the hydroelectric power station this year.

Therefore, the Tajik authorities decided to issue securities worth $1 billion for the completion of the Rogun HPP. At the first stage, bonds worth $500 million were put up for sale on the world markets.

Selling bonds internationally worth $500 million is an economic activity not sufficient enough to construct a giant dam like Rogun, Dr. Aftab Kazi, Senior Fellow at Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program in SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, told Azernews newspaper.

“Before Rogun could be constructed, all five Central Asian nations need to sit down together to reach a consensus about the distribution of water ratios between themselves. Ex-President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov was totally against it but Shavkat Mirziyoyev is more interested in Central Asian regional integration,” he said.

The dam should form a large Rogun reservoir with a total volume of 13.3 cubic meters. The project is criticized because of the location in the zone of high seismicity, landslide and mudflow processes, and the presence of a tectonic fault filled with rock salt under the base of the dam.

Uzbekistan has previously openly opposed the project. The Rogun HPP will dam the Vakhsh river, which is a major tributary to the Amu Darya river, one of the region's two major water courses. The neighboring countries cautioned water could be diverted from their cotton and wheat fields. Uzbekistan claimed that water flows would be seriously decreased in case the dam is built. But a World Bank assessment gave the go-ahead to the major project.

Currently, Uzbekistan’s position has also changed and become more tolerant. Thus, atmosphere for a water distribution accord appear is suitable now, according to the expert.

“Tajikistan could construct that dam from its quota, but that could also take years. Rogun is a part of CASA 1000 proposed by the U.S. around 2005/6 or so together with a dam on Darin River in Kyrgyzstan. Water levels in Darin fluctuate. Since 2007, water levels were so low that even Bishkek had to face electricity load shedding,” he said.

CASA1000 has lost its importance and that now remains only on paper, as Afghanistan is no more interested in the electricity project and has withdrawn, Kazi noted.

“As long as the Afghanistan stalemate continues, I doubt if Tajikistan could attract international investments other than from China,” he added.

CASA-1000 is an interregional electricity transmission project in Central and South Asia to connect four countries - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It is presupposed that the project will create opportunities for the export of electricity surplus in summer period from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Groundbreaking for the project took place on May 12, 2016 in Tajikistan in a ceremony attended by the Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Pakistani Prime Ministers, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

The project initially also included transfer of electricity to Afghanistan, however the country abandoned its share of electricity due to dearth of demand, hence Pakistan will receive 1,300 megawatts of electricity.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

Output: The Rogun Hydropower Plant (HPP) in Tajikistan has failed to attract foreign investment, delaying the potential solution to the country’s energy crisis. Once complete, the plant could generate approximately 13 billion kWh of electricity per year, which would resolve energy shortages and provide a potential commodity for export. The project requires around $4bn to complete, with $277.2m allocated from the government. Criticism of the plant’s placement and its potential impact on neighbouring nations has caused interest to stall.


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Regus Regus looks to open in $3.5m mall redevelopment in New Zealand
 A more than $5million mall redevelopment in George St is well under way, with global shared business space company Regus targeting its opening in mid-January.

More than $3million is being spent on construction at Mall 218, formerly the Harvest Court Mall, and a further $2million by Regus on the soft and hard fit-out of the office spaces.

Regus country manager for New Zealand Pierre Ferrandon said Regus offered "service agreements" for business people with flexible space options ranging from open-plan space to booths, enclosed offices or boardrooms, including reception and in-house cafe.

The completed 1100sq m space, formerly leased by Silver Fern Farms, will be designed around a "rustic-industrial" theme; exposing some of the building’s original structural timbers and brickwork, with total seating for up to 180 people.

A boardroom in one of the more than 3000 existing Regus shared space locations around the world. Photos: supplied

"The service agreement can be 30 minutes to three years. They can use whatever space they want and adapt it at any time," Mr Ferrandon said.

Building owner Carl Angus has over the past decade invested about $10million into redeveloping Mall 218, and yesterday said the Regus project was the "final piece" of redevelopment.

He said he was excited to be creating some "fresh options" for the city and its resident business community, plus attracting new businesses. Dunedin was short of quality office space and businesses increasingly valued flexibility, agility, and the ability to diversify to changes in the business environment, he said.

A community cafe in one of the more than 3000 existing Regus shared space locations around the world.

"This is an A-grade space smack in the middle of town," Mr Angus said.

While there were multiple space options, Mr Ferrandon said in Dunedin base membership would cost $149 per month, then range up to $540 per person for full-time occupation; which covered furniture, rent, IT, cleaning and electricity costs.

Auckland and Wellington have respectively five and three Regus spaces, with another two each planned for Christchurch and Auckland.

Regus was targeting eventually 60 spaces dotted around the country; the smallest being in townships of about 30,000, with about 5000 businesses so far on board, since arriving here in 2007, he said.

"Our goal is to build a national network of flexible workspaces to enable people to work wherever, whenever and however they want," Mr Ferrandon said.

The connectivity within Dunedin’s Gigatown status was also an attraction for overseas participating businesses, he said.

Founded in Brussels in 1989, Regus parent company IWG is listed on the UK’s FTSE stock exchange, with annual turnover of £2billion ($NZ3.7billion) from operations in 120 countries, 900 cities and more than 3000 locations.

Mr Ferrandon said many business people were not wanting to sign up to long-term leasing, noting business cycles were becoming shorter.

Another issue for businesses was pending regulatory changes to accounting standards next year with leases becoming booked ahead as a liability, and asset, on the books.

The Dunedin space would have two staff, plus an area manager for Otago and Southland, Aaron Kemp, with all IT and billing services centralised at one of three offshore locations, Mr Ferrandon said.

"Typically, it’s expensive in New Zealand with costs of $1200 to $1700 per square metre to develop office space ... that could mean a lease commitment for at least five or six years," Mr Ferrandon said.

"It’s ideal for business people who like not having a long-term [leasing] commitment; they can put that into other activities such as marketing," he said.

Associate director of Colliers International in Dunedin Dean Collins said the Regus’ openingwas "a vote of confidence for the city’s future".

"The city definitely needs the variety of flexible solutions Regus provides, especially for those businesses working in sectors such as creative industries, digital development, knowledge management and professional service," Mr Collins said.

Regus would provide much-needed A-grade office space, which was in short supply, and would assist in attracting outside investment to Dunedin, Mr Collins said.

simon.hartley@odt.co.nz

Output: Office space provider Regus plans to open a “rustic-industrial” premises in a NZD$5m ($3.5m) development in Dunedin, New Zealand in mid-January 2018. Over $3m is being spent on the 1,100 sq metre Mall 218 development on George Street, with Regus contributing $2m to interior fit-outs. The office space available ranges from open-plan areas to enclosed offices, and the site includes a reception area and café. The base membership for the space will begin at $149 per month, going up to $540 a month per person, with all associated costs included. When finished, the site will be able to accommodate 180 people.


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New Energy Solar to buy 130 MW portfolio of US PV plants
 SYDNEY, Australia and Austin, Texas – 6 October 2017 — New Energy Solar (NES) and Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR) today announced that New Energy Solar has entered into a binding agreement to acquire fourteen utility- scale solar plants, totaling 130 megawatts DC (MW), to be constructed by CCR and anticipated to be commercially operational in 2018.

On completion of the plants (the CCR Portfolio), New Energy Solar’s investment in the CCR Portfolio will be approximately US$108 million, paid progressively against specified development and construction milestones. The projects have been developed and designed by CCR and will serve utilities in North Carolina and Oregon.

Ten of the plants, totaling 71MW, will be constructed in North Carolina and, once constructed, will connect to the electrical systems of Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas (together, Duke), both subsidiaries of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE: DUK), the largest electric power holding company in the United States.

The other four plants, totaling 59MW, will be constructed in Oregon and have approval to connect to the electrical system of PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy (NYSE: BRK.A). Both Duke and Pacificorp are vertically-integrated, regulated utilities.

The CCR Portfolio plants are expected to sell power under 13 to 15-year fixed price and escalating power purchase agreements (PPA) to large utility offtakers, including Duke and PacifiCorp. Following expiry of the PPA terms, the plants can re-contract with those parties or enter into new contracts with other buyers.

North Carolina has a well-established solar development, construction, and asset management market. In addition, the state’s strong economic growth is forecast to continue, with a resulting positive outlook for electricity demand and pricing. Oregon is a growth state for solar development, and one of the fastest growing US states in GDP terms, resulting in a similarly positive outlook for electricity demand and pricing.

John Martin, New Energy Solar CEO said, “These high-quality projects and the proposed PPAs with creditworthy off-takers greatly increase our scale as an investor in solar and also enhance the diversity of our portfolio. In addition, the opportunity to work with Cypress as a long-term partner on these projects is very exciting.

They are one of the leading developers, constructors and operators of utility-scale solar power in the United States, with over 1GW of CCR-developed solar power plants in operation. Their expertise and excellent standing in the US renewables market is well-established and we look forward to the successful completion of these projects, as well as future opportunities to work together”.

Output: New Energy Solar (NES) will acquire 14 utility-scale solar plants from Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR) with capacity of 130 MW once completed in 2018. NES will take a $108m stake in CCR by the time the plants are commissioned. Ten of them will be based in North Carolina and four in Oregon. The facilities are due to sell energy according to 13- to 15-year fixed-price and escalating power purchase agreements (PPA).


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UK to ban sale of ivory
 The UK government has bowed to campaigners and will ban the sale of ivory regardless of age, according to a new consultation.

The UK is the biggest exporter of legal ivory in the world and shutting down the trade will help prevent illegal ivory being laundered by criminals. More than 50 elephants are killed by poachers every day on average and the population of African elephants plunged by a third between 2007-14 alone, leading to warnings that the entire species could go extinct.

The international trade in ivory has been illegal since 1990 but currently the UK law allows trade in “antiques” carved before 1947, or items worked before 1990 that have government certificates. In September 2016, the then environment secretary Andrea Leadsom pledged to ban the sale of items carved before 1990, but not before 1947, although no progress was made on implementation.

The new ban, put forward on Friday by Leadsom’s successor, Michael Gove, will prohibit the sale of pre-1947 ivory. This represents a U-turn and comes as a surprise – the Conservatives removed a pledge on ivory from their 2017 general election manifesto in June that had been in the 2015 manifesto.

Gove said: “The decline in the elephant population fuelled by poaching for ivory shames our generation. The need for radical and robust action to protect one of the world’s most iconic and treasured species is beyond dispute. These plans will put the UK front and centre of global efforts to end the insidious trade in ivory.”

The government was put under pressure by a wide range of campaign groups and prominent individuals including the former Conservative leader William Hague, the primatologist Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking and Ricky Gervais. Within the Tory party, the foreign secretary Boris Johnson and the former environment secretary Owen Paterson have pressed for a complete ban.

The proposed ban does suggest a number of exceptions for antique ivory items, including musical instruments, items of significant cultural value and those containing only a small amount of ivory, which the government says do not contribute to the poaching of elephants.

The government’s move was welcomed by John Stephenson at the Stop Ivory group. “The unprecedented crisis we face – with Africa’s natural heritage being destroyed and communities put at risk due to poaching by illegal armed gangs – will only stop when people stop buying ivory,” he said. “Along with our partners, we congratulate the government on this important step and look forward to working with it to ensure the ban is implemented robustly and without delay.”

WWF said the ban must be implemented within a year, if the UK is to maintain its leading role. But Tanya Steele, WWF’s CEO, said: “This illegal trade involving organised criminals is a global problem requiring global solutions: to end it anywhere means ending it everywhere. This is about a lot more than banning ivory sales in one country. It means working with global leaders and communities around the world, particularly in China and south-east Asia, to implement bans and stop the illegal trade.”

There has been significant progress in the last year to reduce demand for elephant ivory. In December 2016, China, home of the world’s largest legal and illegal ivory markets, announced it will ban the domestic trade by the end of 2017. In June, Hong Kong – the largest city market for ivory – published a bill to ban the ivory trade by 2021.

In October 2018, the UK will host a major international conference on the illegal wildlife trade, bringing global leaders to London to tackle the strategic challenges of the trade. The government’s ivory ban consultation will run for 12 weeks, closing on 29 December.

Output: The UK, the largest exporter of legal ivory in the world, will ban the sale of the material, regardless of its age, according to the country’s environment secretary Michael Gove. The move is intended to prevent the laundering of illegal ivory; although the international ivory trade has been illegal since 1990, UK law currently allows for the trade of “antiques” carved before 1947 or items worked prior to 1990 that have government certificates. The ban will outlaw the sale of pre-1947 ivory, with exceptions for antiques including musical instruments and items of cultural value.


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Shell to begin retail electricity sales in Turkey
 Operating in the wholesale electricity market since 2014, Shell Energy A.Ş. is poised to begin retail electricity trade in Turkey, particularly in the industrial sector, a report by the Dünya daily has claimed.

The global energy giant has operated in Turkey since the foundation of the Republic in 1923. Now, it is planning to expand its operations in natural gas, electricity and non-carbon energy. For electricity generation, the company is looking to benefit from renewable energy sources.

Shell runs its natural gas and electricity supply operations under Shell Energy, which is currently expanding its businesses in Europe and Turkey.

Highlighting that Shell has been involved in electricity wholesale business since 2014, the head of Shell Energy Europe, David Wells, elaborated on the company's plans for 2018.

After having started electricity retailing to industrial customers in the U.K., Germany, and Italy, Shell is looking to launch sales in Turkey next, Wells told Dünya.

He drew attention to the importance of supply and emphasized Turkey's developed wholesale electricity market could be the company's source.

Further elaborating on Turkey's significance in the European energy market, Wells said: "The Turkish energy sector has achieved quick growth as the country's energy demands increase."

He also said that Shell has been operating in the Turkish natural gas market for ten years and it was the first private sector exporter.

However, he also said that unlike the electricity market, there is a lack of liberalization in Turkey's natural gas market, where approximately 80 percent is controlled by the state-run Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAŞ).

Output: Shell Energy is expected to being selling retail electricity in Turkey, according to Turkish newspaper, Dünya Daily. The company is intent on expanding its natural gas, renewable and electricity operations in the country. "The Turkish energy sector has achieved quick growth as the country's energy demands increase", said the head of Shell Energy Europe, David Wells.


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Watch shows higher retention than other Facebook video content
 Early data suggests that Facebook’s Watch is getting viewers to spend more time watching videos. But Facebook still has a long way to go to achieve the levels of retention that top video creators and publishers can get on YouTube.

An analysis of 46 videos on 15 different Watch pages — including pages from top publishers and video creators Facebook is paying to make shows — found the videos averaged 23 seconds in time spent, according to social video analytics company Delmondo. This is greater than the 16.7 seconds Facebook said its users spend watching a video in the Facebook News Feed, on average, in June. It’s not uncommon for average watch times on Watch videos to be double or triple that of Facebook News Feed videos, according to other data tracked by Delmondo. A little more than a month old, Watch already offers hundreds of shows, each with its own page.

Top publishers such as Attn and Condé Nast also said they’re seeing greater retention on their Watch videos, with Attn stating that their Facebook Watch episodes are getting double the retention rate of their “regular programming” on Facebook.

“That’s because we have noticed our audience has developed an increasing appetite for longer-form content,” said Martha Pierce, head of audience for Attn, which has rolled out two shows on Watch — “Health Hacks” with Jessica Alba and “We Need to Talk” — so far.

Watch is Facebook’s biggest attempt yet to create a YouTube-like video experience on its platform. Facebook wants people to visit Facebook more often and spend a longer amount of time on the platform. So it’s incentivizing publishers, celebrities and top YouTube personalities by funding original episodic shows and algorithmically favoring longer videos within the News Feed.

“Many individual videos are being watched with an average watch time of one minute or one and a half minutes,” said Nick Cicero, CEO of Delmondo. “These are videos that are modeled after YouTube. Right from the get-go, [Watch is] trying to put people into a mentality for watching longer videos. There’s an intent by publishers and creators to make great stories that can last longer and capture attention spans for a longer period of time. So, there’s a natural growth in watch time.”

The early data shows Watch is trending in the right direction, but it’s clear that Facebook has a long way to go to establish the type of video experience it wants. Most Watch videos run anywhere from four minutes to 10- and 20-minute, TV-style episodes. Even measured against the lower end of that spectrum, 23 seconds is not a significant retention rate — and it’s nowhere near the consumption levels achieved by TV and top YouTube channels. (Notably, though, it does surpass the 20-second barrier before mid-roll ads, which have yet to be a source of significant revenue for publishers).

There’s no typical average retention rate on YouTube, said Matt Gielen, founder of audience development firm Little Monster Media. Generally, though, a 50 percent retention rate is considered just OK; the goal should be 60 percent or higher, he said.

Recently, publishers that have placed an emphasis on longer videos are seeing longer watch times and completion rates on their YouTube content. For instance, earlier this year, Vox.com said half of its YouTube videos were being watched for an average of four minutes. Bleacher Report and CNN’s Great Big Story have claimed completion rates of 65 percent or higher on YouTube.

The hope, for Facebook and for Watch publishers, is to grow to those consumption levels.

“If you get people into the Watch ecosystem and get them to watch episode after episode, there’s a whole new opportunity from a business perspective that you can’t replicate in the News Feed,” said Croi McNamara, svp of digital video programming for Condé Nast, whose dating show, “Virtually Dating,” is one of the top shows on Watch with 17 million video views, according to the company.

There’s evidence that when Facebook users treat Watch like YouTube — specifically, manually choosing to watch videos rather than being force-fed an autoplay video — they will spend time with the content. Retention rates on click-to-play videos are typically between 50 and 75 percent, according to Delmondo.

“[A higher retention rate] demonstrates that audiences are beginning to see our videos as something much bigger than a News Feed experience,” said Attn co-founder Matthew Segal. “That bodes well for our ability to tell longer stories.”

Output: Facebook video platform Watch has yet to gain the retention levels of YouTube. Analysis of 46 videos across 15 Watch pages by analytics firm Delmondo, including those of leading publishers and video creators, found viewers spent an average of 23 seconds watching a video. Crucially, this is just past the 20-second point where mid-roll ads are shown. Although 23 seconds was longer than the average watch time of a video in the Facebook News Feed and elsewhere on the site, the videos are lagging behind the 50% or more average retention rate on YouTube. Watch videos' running time varies from four minutes to 20 minutes.


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Total to enter French residential gas and power market
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French energy giant Total is expanding into the residential gas and power distribution market.

The new offering, Total Spring, will provide natural gas and green power that is 10% cheaper than regulated tariffs.

Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and chief executive officer, said: “Although the residential market was deregulated 10 years ago, French consumers haven’t really seen the effect on their bills.

“Today, Total is rolling out a unique offering in the French residential market: an affordable, reliable and simple solution.

“In 2011, we successfully introduced the Total Access service station concept. We’re aiming to repeat that success today with Total Spring, the most competitive natural gas and green power offering in the market. We hope that nearly three million French customers will place their trust in us and subscribe.”

The Total Spring rollout will be supported by a major multimedia advertising campaign beginning on October 8.

Output: Energy giant Total is to expand its portfolio to include the residential power and gas distribution. Its new service, Total Spring, will offer renewable energy and natural gas at a rate 10% cheaper than regulated tariffs.


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Enel to supply geothermal heat for Italian greenhouse operator
 Enel to supply geothermal heat to large-scale greenhouse operations in Tuscany

Floramiata greenhouses, Italy (source: website screenshot)

Alexander Richter 3 Oct 2017

New favourable geothermal heating contract signed by Enel Green Power with greenhouse operator Floramiata in Tuscany helps to revive its business and expands ongoing heating business efforts by Enel.

Reported last week, Enel Green Power has signed a new contract for the sale of geothermal heat to the “Casa del Corto” greenhouse complex by company Floramiata in Piancastagnaio. This is a multi-year long-term contract at particularly advantageous prices that will allow new managers to relaunch the activity that has been experiencing difficulties during these years and to start off with a stable planning to foster further development.

This agreement is an important contribution to the Tuscany Region, with this cooperation involving institutions, trade unions, Enel Green Power and an entrepreneur, that led to the acquisition of a new property and reaching the Heat Use Agreement.

Floramiata, with its 28 hectares of heated greenhouses , is one of the largest operators in the sector at European level and recovering its operations enables the maintenance of consistent levels of employment: thermal energy supplied every year from EGP at affordable prices, they can be a major competitive lever that will offset some of the logistical problems in the area, particularly linked to road traffic. Enel Green Power thus confirms its policy of focusing on the geothermal areas in which it operates, with the aim of encouraging the growth and development of supply chains related to the use of the geothermal resource.

Enel Green Power, as well as being the leading geothermal source producer in Italy, is the largest national distributor of heat from renewable sources and in recent years has invested in research and innovation both in the field of technology, to improve and to make heating and heat distribution systems more efficient. This has helped agricultural products being developed using synergies with the geothermal resource, such as recently and ongoing experiments on the production of spirulina algae in greenhouses at Chiusdino that will be officially inaugurated in October.

Source: Il Giunco

Output: Italian renewables company Enel Green Power has signed a contract to provide geothermal heat to a large greenhouse complex in Tuscany. The Casa del Corto complex is operated by Floramiata, one of the largest greenhouse operators in Europe, and the deal will help overcome the logistical problems of providing energy to the site. Enel is the leading geothermal energy supplier in Italy and has invested in research to improve the technology and make it more efficient.


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New tariff could hinder Pakistan utility sale
 ISLAMABAD: The top man of an eminent Chinese company came forward to save the biggest ever private sector deal of $1.77 billion against sale of Abraaj group’s 66.4% stake in K Electric to the Shanghai Electric Power Company inked in August last year and told the Nepra that the current multiyear determined tariff at Rs12.07 per unit will cause termination of the transaction.

The current determined tariff was reduced by Rs3.50 power unit by Nepra on March 20, 2017 from the existing Multi Year Tariff of Rs15.57 per unit.

The petitioner (KE) had sought the tariff at Rs16.23 per unit. K. Electric has filed the review petition seeking viable tariff to make the $1.77 billion transaction materialised. However, Nepra is unmoved to extend any relief in tariff.

The previous tariff based on efficiency helped the KE to scale down its transmission and distribution (T&D) losses from 35pc to about 22.1 percent over the years, but most of the efficiency gain was allowed to the KE to let it invest and become profitable from being a loss-making entity. In the new tariff, the efficiency gains would now go to the consumers and the system operator would get its return on all assets.

In the latest scenario, Wang Yandan, Chairman of Shanghai Electric Power (SEP), in a letter to Nepra chief written on September 26, 2017 has sought the efficiency based Multi-Year Tariff to materialise its business plan under which a mammoth amount of $9 billion will be invested in 10 years’ time in improving the electricity supply as well as strengthening the transmission and distribution system of the entity. And to cater to the immediate energy needs of the city, SEP plans to build the 900MW power plant.

The copy of the letter exclusively available with The News clearly mentions: “The current determined tariff which is still under review makes the company’s operations completely unviable and non-bankable (both in terms of base tariff and structure) and will unfortunately cause the termination of the acquisition of controlling stake in K. Electric and subsequently the business plan which was aimed at improving the power generation outlook and the lives of the Karachiites.”

The letter further argues: “Our investment decision and business plan is carved out on a base tariff and performance based structure level same as the previous Multi Year Tariff which was based on efficiency regime.” It also pinpointed that the Chinese government and regulatory regime has extended the approvals to SEP on the basis of previous Mutli Year Tariff mode. Now the regulator has changed the efficiency based tariff regime which is why the determined tariff is no more viable for the SEP.

The letter also says by quoting SEP chairman: “We are seriously committed to the development of K. Electric and Karachi’s power infrastructure and for us to proceed further with the acquisition of controlling stakes in K. Electric and implement of our business plan, it is imperative that K.E’s new Multi Year Tariff is at a level same to the previous Multi Year Tariff of the entity.”

It said, “We have built up our entire business plan on the basis of previous Multi Year Tariff.” The official sources also disclosed that minority shareholder has also written the letters to NEPRA asking for increase in tariff to make the business plan of SEP and its investment sustainable.

To a question the official in Power Division said that the Ministries of Defense and Interior have, however, extended the NOC (no Objection Certificate) for the sale of Abraaj Group’s 66.4% stake in K-Electric to Shanghai Electric Power. However, the new buyer of K-Electric will be bound to ensure power supplies to vital defense installations at all times.

However, settlement of the outstanding dues which the seller (Abraaj management) is still an issue and dues are to be settled by the seller before the deal is finalized. The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) have made claims worth around $1.24 billion on account of cost of electricity, gas and late payment surcharges (LPS). Abraaj Group does not want to pay the interest and is seeking settlement of payment of principal amount. Abraaj Group is of the view that since the matter of payment of mark-up is pending in the court this issue should not be linked with the deal. The Power Division and SSGC do not agree with this stance.

Output: A change by Pakistan's energy regulator to the multi-year energy tariff has thrown a proposed multi-billion dollar electric company takeover into doubt. Shanghai Electric Power (SE) signed a deal last year to buy a 66.4% stake in Pakistan's K Electric from the UAE's Abraaj Group for $1.77bn. This was based on a tariff rate of PKR15.57 per unit, which has now been cut by the regulator, Nepra, to PKR12.07 per unit. SE's chairman has written to Nepra warning that the cut endangers the deal and the $9bn of investment in infrastructure that would accompany it.


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Cleaning company rejects zero-hours and adopts living wage
 A church-backed commercial cleaning company which pays its staff the London living wage is aiming to win business from established firms by promoting ethical principles.

Clean for Good aims to provide a fairer deal for workers in an industry known for low wages, antisocial hours and poor working conditions.

The company, which formally launched this week, is committed to providing paid leave, guaranteed working hours and training as well as the London living wage.

“We have no zero-hours contracts although we offer flexible hours for employees who want to combine work with study or family responsibilities,” said its business manager, Catherine Pearson.

“We offer staff paid holiday and sick leave, an opt-in pension and health and safety training. We use ethical products, keep our carbon footprint to a minimum and offer our clients transparency.”

Pearson is aiming for a turnover of at least £600,000 in the next two years. “Then we would be a sustainable business, covering our overheads and making a profit,” she said. Profits might be used to pay bonuses to staff, she added.

As well as taking a share of the market, Clean for Good hopes to challenge established companies to change their practices. “Often contracts are sub-contracted, sometimes more than once, and it’s unclear to clients how much the cleaner actually gets for their work.”

Clean for Good’s 10 staff are paid £9.75 per hour. The nine women and one man are from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Until recently, Florentina, 36, was working in a fast food outlet for 72 hours a week without a contract and being paid in cash. Now she works for Clean for Good for 30 to 40 hours a week, making the same money as she did before, paying tax and with a legal contract. She sends some of her earnings home to Romania, where her children, aged 14 and 12, live.

The company was established by a City of London church, St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, which wanted to find a way of helping low-paid workers within its wealthy parish. It has eight clients so far, including a charity, a PR agency and a number of churches.

St-Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, the Church Mission Society and the Centre for Theology and Community own 75% of the company’s shares; the remainder are owned by individual investors.

Jonny Baker, of the Church Mission Society, said: “Clean for Good is a potent combination of pioneering mission, social enterprise and God’s love. It is a practical mission in action.”

Output: Clean for Good, a commercial cleaning firm backed by City of London church, St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe, and operating on ethical principles, was launched this week. The company will pay its ten workers the London living wage and will provide paid leave, training and guaranteed working hours. The company will not use zero-hours contracts, but will offer the option of flexible hours. The company, operating in a sector notorious for poor pay and conditions, will also use ethical products and attempt to minimise its carbon footprint. Clean for Good hopes to achieve a minimum turnover of £600,000 in the next two years.