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It’s time to break down the wall between dentistry and medicine
 Ever since the first dental school was founded in the United States in 1840, dentistry and medicine have been taught as — and viewed as — two separate professions. That artificial division is bad for the public’s health. It’s time to bring the mouth back into the body.

In 1840, dentistry focused on extracting decayed teeth and plugging cavities. Today, dentists use sophisticated methods for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We implant teeth, pinpoint oral cancers, use 3-D imaging to reshape a jaw, and can treat some dental decay medically, without a drill. We’ve also discovered much more about the intimate connection between oral health and overall health. Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, has been linked to the development of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Pregnant women with periodontitis are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia, a potentially serious complication of pregnancy, and deliver low-birth-weight babies.

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As taught in most schools today, dental education produces good clinicians who have a solid understanding of oral health, but often a more limited perspective on overall health. Few dental students are equipped to take a holistic view that may include taking a patient’s vital signs, evaluating their risk of heart disease or stroke, spotting early warning signs of disease, or even assessing their mental health or looking for signs of drug abuse.

There’s a better way to educate dentists so they can play larger roles in the management of their patients’ chronic diseases.

My school, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, was founded 150 years ago on July 17, 1867. It was the first American dental school affiliated with a university and its medical school, and the first to grant the doctor of dental medicine (D.M.D.) degree. The school’s mission is “to develop and foster a community of global leaders dedicated to improving human health by integrating dentistry and medicine at the forefront of education, research, and patient care.” At commencement, dental graduates are welcomed into a “demanding branch of medicine.”

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Harvard dental students have always spent more than a year of their education attending the same classes as their medical school peers. They learn just as much about what’s going on in the chest cavity as the oral cavity. Under a new curriculum, in their second year they work in a primary care clinic in the dental school, side by side with fourth-year dental students, nurse practitioners, and primary care physicians to learn how to assess a patient’s overall health. In a collaboration with Northeastern University’s Bouvé School of Nursing, nurse practitioners and nursing students work with dental students and faculty members to manage chronic diseases and provide oral care.

Poor oral health is more than a “tooth problem.” We use our mouth to eat, to breathe, and to speak. Oral pain results in lost time from school and work and lowered self-esteem. Inflammation in the gums and mouth may help set the stage for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic conditions. Dental infection can lead to the potentially serious blood infection known as sepsis. In the case of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver, an infected tooth led to a fatal brain infection.

Writing in the Millbank Quarterly, John McDonough, professor of public health practice at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health asked, “Might oral health be the next big thing?” I believe that it needs to be — and should be.

Just as dental and medical education are currently separate, so too are the ways care is delivered and how care is — or isn’t — covered by insurance. That poses problems for access to care.

Today, 130 million Americans, most of them adults, have no dental coverage. Medicare has no dental benefits, and Medicaid has few benefits for adults. The high cost of dental care affects even those with coverage.

It’s no wonder that the Centers for Disease Control estimates that the U.S. loses $6 billion in productivity each year due to oral health issues. Emergency department visits for oral pain cost nearly $2 billion a year and contribute to the epidemic of opioid addiction. And mounting evidence shows that poor oral health results in increased general medical costs.

To help break down barriers between medicine and dentistry, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine has created the Initiative to Integrate Oral Health and Medicine. In an effort to improve general health and lower medical costs, it brings together leaders in academia, health care, and industry to find innovative ways to integrate the two disciplines. Through the initiative, we seek to transform how dentistry is taught, practiced, financed, and evaluated so it becomes seamlessly integrated with the comprehensive health and social services required to keep individuals and communities healthy.

The school has also established the Oral Physician Program, a general practice dental residency program at the Cambridge Health Alliance, which integrates oral health, primary care, and family medicine training. We also plan to establish a new combined DMD/MD program with a hospital-based residency to train a new type of physician focused equally on oral health and primary care.

Other institutions are also expanding the concept of dental care and chipping away at the barriers between dental care and primary care. Kaiser Permanente Northwest, for example, has opened a truly integrated medical-dental practice in Eugene, Ore. The Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin is advancing the concept with integrated medical-dental electronic health records.

Here’s what an integrated dental health/primary care visit might look like to a patient: When you go for a routine teeth cleaning, you would be cared for by a team of physicians, dentists, nurses, and physician and dental assistants. One or more of them would take your blood pressure, check your weight, update your medications, see if you are due for any preventive screenings or treatments, and clean your teeth. If you have an artificial heart valve or have previously had a heart infection, or you are taking a blood thinner, your clinicians will manage these conditions without multiple calls to referring doctors.

Finding the political will to integrate dentistry and primary care is a challenge. Various organizations including the DentaQuest Foundation, the Santa Fe Group, and Oral Health America have taken up the task. The majority of this work is designed to raise awareness of oral health, educate non-dental health care providers, and create political interest in promoting oral health. However, while interprofessional education has met with some success, interprofessional practice remains elusive.

The culture of the dental profession must change to promote closer connections between dentistry and primary care. The move from solo practice to small- and large-group practices may provide the impetus for such change. Recent editorials in the dental literature, including the Journal of the American Dental Association, talk about the need for integration, including the use of diagnostic codes, integrated medical and dental electronic records, and the potential for melding medical and dental practices.

Unfortunately, incentives for creating this practice of the future are minimal at this time. Dentistry’s reliance on procedures for payment and separate insurance coverage presents a problem. The slow movement toward bundled payments for health care to create value based upon outcomes, rather than volume, could help.

In 2000, the surgeon general’s report “Oral Health in America” drew attention to the gap in oral health in the U.S. In a 2016 update, then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy strongly recommended integrating oral health and primary care. Closer collaboration between dentistry and primary care could change the culture of health care, close the access gap, and improve general health by providing primary care services during dental visits. It could also improve population health and chronic disease care.

We cannot drill, fill, and extract our way to better oral and overall health. We need a fundamentally different approach, one that accentuates disease prevention and health management using a multidisciplinary, integrated, and patient-centric approach to overall health. And that means breaking down the wall between dentistry and medicine.

Bruce Donoff, D.M.D. and M.D., is professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery and dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

Output: Despite both practices being focused on healthcare, dentistry and medicine have been positions as two distinct professions. Since the creation of the concept of dentistry in 1840, the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of health issues within the oral health sphere has been kept separate from wider health care treatment. However, this division causes a less-than-holistic view to be taken that could find symptoms of general health issues before they occur as a consequence of oral health problems. The Harvard School of Dental Medicine attempts to tackle this gap in knowledge by enrolling dental students in medical school lessons. Nurse practitioners and nursing students also study dental care to better manage patients’ needs. Poor oral health can be an indication or a precursor of further issues, such as diabetes, chronic conditions, and cardiovascular disease, as well as sepsis or fatal brain infections. Insurance for both general and oral care remains disparate, leading to increased medical costs. Integrated care could span both oral screenings and treatments, as well as general care, bringing patients under the care of one team, rather than multiple doctors. Closer collaboration between dentistry and primary care could close the access gap for many US patients, provide better primary care and discover issues before they become chronic or unmanageable.


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China is increasingly vital to Israel's booming high-tech sector
 Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) shake hands ahead of their talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on March 21, 2017 in Beijing, China. Etienne Oliveau | Pool | Getty Images

China's investors and markets are becoming increasingly important to Israel's economy, and in particular to its booming high-tech industry. The first IPO (initial public offering) of an Israeli high-tech company on a Chinese stock exchange, Hong Kong, is expected within the year and Chinese investments in Israeli high-tech venture capital approached $1 billion in 2016, industry experts say. "The Chinese stock exchange market will become another very viable option for Israeli companies looking for public funding," if the first IPO goes off successfully, Eli Tidhar of Deloitte Israel, told CNBC. Tidhar heads what Deloitte calls its "Israel-China corridor". Israel has laid out the welcoming mat to Chinese companies and investors who may face more troublesome regulations and scrutiny elsewhere.

Hardly a day goes by without another Israel-China initiative being announced, whether it's a new Israeli tech incubator in China, new investments, joint ventures, trade conferences or delegations. In May this year, another audit firm PwC led a delegation of Israeli companies to Hong Kong to explore the possibilities of listing on the stock exchange. Deloitte's Tidhar says that a sea change is taking place among Israeli companies looking for funding. Israeli high-tech VC (venture capital) companies raised $500 million from Chinese investors in 2014 and $700 million in 2015 and the amount keeps growing, according to Tidhar.

"In the past, Israel used to look mostly at the U.S. and Europe as our source for investment, especially in high tech," he said. But now, "It becomes less and less awkward that a company that would like to raise money would pursue this investment from China."

This view is echoed Dorian Barak, who heads the Israeli arm of Kuang Chi, one of the few Chinese conglomerates that has so far actually set up a permanent local representation. Israel's venture capital landscape and its exits were until now largely a matter of Western money, Barak said. But that's about to change.

"The rise of China and China's adoption of an outward looking policy of investments and cooperation has the opportunity to have as much of an impact on the local economy as did the massive capital influx from chiefly the United States in the (1990s) and the first decade of the 21st century," Barak said in a telephone interview.

Kuang Chi last year set up a $300 million fund, particularly for smart city investments in Israel. It has so far, among other companies, invested in machine vision company eyesight Technologies.

Large chunks of Israel's infrastructure projects, including ports, railway lines and tunnels, are being carried out by Chinese companies these days. And some flagship Israeli companies have been acquired by Chinese conglomerates, such as ChemChina's acquisition of Adama and Bright Food's takeover of Tnuva. Reuters earlier this year reported that in 2016 total Chinese investments in Israel jumped to $16.5 billion.

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But in the high-tech sector, this has not yet translated to the same massive presence of Chinese conglomerates that Western companies have in Israel, whether in R&D (research and development) centers, production or representative offices. Kuang Chi's Barak said that Chinese companies are very slowly coming to the realization that there's an added value to a local presence. He's getting constant inquiries from Chinese local government and private investors.

"When you see Chinese names on the sides of buildings in Herzliya Pituah (near Tel Aviv) as you currently see American names, you'll know the Chinese investors have really arrived and the Chinese strategics have arrived en masse. There's a long way to go," said Barak.

But it's getting there, is the consensus. One company that has seen Chinese investment is intelligent search company Twiggle. It's received backing from the likes of e-commerce giant Alibaba and MizMaa - a fund specializing in Chinese investments in Israeli high-tech.

CEO and co-founder Amir Konigsberg, said that for Twiggle, as for many other Israeli companies, the ties with China are not merely about getting finance. Help with market access is of much greater importance. "Not disregarding the growth in other markets, such as the U.S. and Europe, in terms of e-commerce China and Asia are very dominant markets," he said.

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Output: China is growing in importance to Israel's economy, in particular its high-tech sector, as Israel welcomes Chinese firms and investors who face greater regulation and scrutiny elsewhere. The first IPO of an Israeli high-tech firm on a Chinese stock exchange is expected this year and Chinese investments in Israeli high-tech venture capital approached $1bn last year. "The Chinese stock exchange market will become another very viable option for Israeli companies looking for public funding [if the first IPO succeeds]," said Eli Tidhar of Deloitte Israel.


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Singapore's OCBC Bank offers QR-to-QR payments
 Source: OCBC

By innovatively marrying QR codes with PayNow’s infrastructure, OCBC Bank has delivered a new level of convenience to funds transfers.

PayNow did away with the need to know bank account numbers and “adding payees” when making funds transfers. The OCBC Pay Anyone app enables customers to send and ask for money using QR codes, so that there is no need to even share mobile phone or NRIC numbers. The transfers are made directly from the payer’s account to the payee’s account: Unlike with some mobile wallets, no additional steps are required to top up the wallet using a bank account, or transfer funds from a wallet to a bank account.

PayNow-registered customers, through the OCBC Pay Anyone mobile app, can now create and send personalised QR codes to other OCBC Pay Anyone users via social networking apps or email when requesting payment. Alternatively, the payer can instantly scan a QR code displayed on the payee’s phone to complete payment. The daily transfer limit for payers is $1,000.

QR code payments via the OCBC Pay Anyone app are completely seamless and frictionless as authentication is very quick, using just the payee’s and payer’s fingerprints. There is no need to exchange mobile or NRIC numbers which is a boon for peer-to-peer e-commerce, where sellers and buyers may not want to exchange personal information but would just meet up to make payment and hand over the goods. Payees can now simply create a QR code, which would specify the amount to be paid, and send it via the e-commerce platform or social media for the payer to scan and pay. Alternatively, a payee can meet the payer and have the latter scan the QR code directly on a mobile device to make immediate payment.

With this latest QR code innovation, OCBC Bank is further accelerating the adoption of PayNow. Since PayNow was launched on 10 July, close to 100,000 people have linked their mobile or NRIC numbers to their personal OCBC Bank account to facilitate instant account-to-account transfers via FAST. These 100,000 PayNow subscribers will now have the additional option of making peer-to-peer payments via QR code using the OCBC Pay Anyone app.

Peer-to-peer QR code payment is the latest in a series of OCBC Pay Anyone enhancements rolled out in the past months. Launched in 2014, OCBC Pay Anyone was the first mobile payment service offered in Singapore that let customers send money directly to any bank account in Singapore using just the recipient’s mobile number, email address or Facebook account - without having to perform transaction signing using a security token or to add the recipient as a “payee”. OCBC Bank launched a new standalone OCBC Pay Anyone app in May this year, which has brought together all OCBC Pay Anyone services and enhancements: Peer-to-peer QR code payments, QR code payments to NETS merchants, peer-to-peer e-payments and integration of OCBC Pay Anyone with Apple iPhone’s Siri and iMessage.

Mr Aditya Gupta, OCBC Bank’s Head of E-Business Singapore, said: “Cashless is the new normal! With OCBC Pay Anyone, our customers have been embracing the move away from cash as they get the convenience of real-time payments of all types in one single app. Be it peer-to-peer, in-store or online payment, customers can simply use QR codes, mobile or NRIC numbers - or even Facebook - to pay via the OCBC Pay Anyone app. We believe the recent launch of PayNow is an inflection point for driving cashless payments behaviour in Singapore, and we have integrated that with OCBC Pay Anyone to offer our customers the additional convenience of QR code peer-to-peer payments. We will continue to push the boundaries on mobile payments and move the needle in making Singapore a cashless society.”

Peer-to-peer QR code payments are available to OCBC Bank customers who have registered for PayNow. Customers need to use Apple iPhone devices running on iOS8 and above or Samsung devices running on Android 4.4 Kit Kat, with the fingerprint recognition feature.

OCBC Bank customers stand to win up to S$50,000 in cash when they register for PayNow

From 10 July to 20 August 2017, OCBC Bank customers stand a chance of winning cash prizes when they register for PayNow. Customers simply need to have an OCBC Bank current or savings account, and go to OCBC Mobile Banking or Internet Banking to link their accounts to their mobile or NRIC numbers.

There are three grand lucky draw prizes that could be won by any customer who signs up for PayNow between 10 July and 20 August. The grand lucky draw prizes are $50,000, $30,000 and $10,000 in cash.

For six weeks until 20 August, 20 customers will each stand to win $500 in a weekly lucky draw. Customers who sign up for PayNow during a given week will be eligible for the lucky draw for that week.

Output: Singapore-based OCBC Bank has launched a feature for its Pay Anyone app that enables customers to send and request money through QR codes. These codes can be sent via email or social networking apps, and do not require either party to share any additional information. Users can also scan a QR code on a payee's phone to complete the payment. Payers have a daily transfer limit of $1,000. The Pay Anyone app also supports QR code payments to NETS merchants and integrates with Apple iPhone's Siri and iMessage.


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Hospitalizations and cognitive decline in older adults
 Emergency and urgent hospitalizations are associated with an increased rate of cognitive decline in older adults, report researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The results of their study suggest that hospitalization may be a more of a major risk factor for long-term cognitive decline in older adults than previously recognized.

"We found that those who have non-elective (emergency or urgent) hospitalizations and who have not previously been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease had a rapid decline in cognitive function (i.e., thinking abilities) compared to the prehospital rates," said Bryan James, PhD, an epidemiologist and in the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center and an assistant professor in the Rush Department of Internal Medicine. "By comparison, people who were never hospitalized and those who had elective hospitalizations did not experience the drastic decline in cognitive function."

James and colleagues presented the research data at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London on July 17.

Study compares hospitalization data and cognitive assessments for 930 older adults

The data emerged from a study of 930 older adults (75 percent female, an average age of 81 years old) enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) in Chicago. The study involved annual cognitive assessments and clinical evaluations.

Information on hospitalizations was acquired by linking records of 1999 to 2010 Medicare claims for these participants with their MAP data. All hospital admissions were designated as elective, emergency, or urgent (the latter two were combined as non-elective for analysis). Non-elective hospitalizations thus include emergencies and admissions for conditions that require immediate attention.

Of the 930 participants, 613 were hospitalized at least once over an average of almost five years of observation. Of those who were hospitalized, 260 (28 percent) had at least one elective hospital admission, and 553 (60 percent) had at least one non-elective hospital admission. These groups included 200 participants (22 percent) who had both types of hospitalizations.

Non-elective hospitalizations were associated with an approximately 60 percent acceleration in the rate of cognitive decline from before hospitalization. Elective hospitalizations, however, were not associated with acceleration in the rate of decline at all.

'Elective admissions do not necessarily carry the same risk'

"We saw a clear distinction: non-elective admissions drive the association between hospitalization and long-term changes in cognitive function in later life, while elective admissions do not necessarily carry the same risk of negative cognitive outcomes," James said. "These findings have important implications for the medical decision making and care of older adults. While recognizing that all medical procedures carry some degree of risk, this study implies that planned hospital encounters may not be as dangerous to the cognitive health of older persons as emergency or urgent situations."

This work expands upon previous research which has shown that after being hospitalized, older adults are at high risk for memory and other cognitive problems, including both transient (temporary) delirium and long-term changes in cognition, including dementia. According to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project in October 2010, 40 percent of all hospitalized patients in U.S. are age 65 and older. Therefore, hospitalization may be an under-recognized risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia for a large number of older adults that deserves more attention.

Detection of dementia at the earliest stages has become a worldwide priority, because drug treatments, prevention strategies and other interventions will likely be more effective very early in the disease process, before extensive brain damage has occurred. Research results reported at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference provide clues about associations between cognitive status in older people and several behavior and lifestyle factors, including verbal skill, hearing, dental health, and hospitalization.

"It is essential that we learn more about factors that impact risk for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, especially lifestyle factors that we can change or treat," said Maria C. Carrillo, PhD, Alzheimer's Association chief science officer.

Output: Hospitalization for emergencies and urgent care are linked to increased cognitive decline for seniors, according to researchers from the Rush University Medical Center. Their study, of 930 older Americans enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, assessed data from annual cognitive tests and clinical evaluations. The research found that those without previous dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnoses who experienced non-elective hospitalizations saw a decline in their cognitive function when compared to their pre-hospitalization rates. Those who were not hospitalized, or chose to visit the hospital, did not see a drastic decrease in cognitive ability. The findings could alter the medical choices made for older adults in emergency or urgent situations.


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Samsung Pay adds Indian mobile wallet MobiKwik to payment options
 Indian mobile wallet MobiKwik has linked with Samsung Pay, integrating with Samsung Pay Mini to enable one-tap payments at merchants using Mobikwik.

“We are enthused by the tremendous response Samsung Pay has received since its launch, both from our consumers as well as partners. Moving into the next phase of new and innovative services for Samsung Pay, we are delighted to have MobiKwik on board as a partner,” shared Samsung Pay Business, Samsung India Director Sanjay Razdan. “As India’s biggest, most-trusted brand of mobile phones, Samsung remains committed to a digitally empowered economy and will continue to create meaningful innovations that will transform lives.”

MobiKwik Head of Growth Daman Soni added,

“The future of digital payments in India will thrive only by collaborating with various ecosystem partners to drive acceptance. It is wonderful to walk hand in hand with Samsung in achieving the Digital India mission. We look forward to receiving a warm welcome from Samsung users and aim at providing them with the ease of payment. More than 55 million users and 1.4 million merchants will benefit from this association.”

Last month, the India-owned telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and MobiKwik synced to develop BSNL’s mobile application. MobiKwik will co-create BSNL wallet, a new semi-closed wallet to facilitate payment and also sell BSNL products.

Output: Indian mobile wallet provider MobiKwik has joined forces with Samsung Pay to offer single-tap payments for customers of merchants using MobiKwik. The provider will link with Samsung Pay Mini to offer over 55 million users and 1.4 million merchants the service.


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Samsung Pay to integrate PayPal as a payment method
 Samsung Pay will soon accept PayPal as a payment method in addition to bank accounts, credit cards, and gift cards. It’s a tiny update that could be useful for PayPal customers who want more avenues to spend their PayPal balance in stores, as Samsung Pay is widely accepted anywhere a credit card is.

The new partnership also allows merchants who use Braintree, PayPal’s subsidiary, to add Samsung Pay as a checkout option. The update, coming soon, will be available first for customers in the US, with a more global expansion to follow.

Output: Samsung Pay will allow consumers to use PayPal alongside its current options of credit, debit and gift cards. The update will allow PayPal users to use funds in their account in physical stores. The new service will also allow PayPal’s subsidiary, Braintree, to offer Samsung Pay as a checkout option for merchants. The new method will be available in the US first before being offered worldwide.


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SMEs lose out on £2bn a year due to late payments
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The practice of late payments is slamming small and medium-sized businesses across the UK with a hefty bill of more than £2bn ever year, new research reveals.

According to figures released by Bacs Payment Schemes, small- to medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, are owed a total of £14bn by customers. While that’s an overall improvement on the £30.3bn figure from five years ago, it’s still hobbling their performance.

Despite the drop in late payment debt, more than a third of the 1.7 million SMEs across the country say payments are often prolonged way beyond agreed terms. The impact of late payments can often be devastating: one in five small businesses say that they face being driven into bankruptcy if they are owed between £20,000 and £50,000. Some 7 per cent of businesses say they are already in that danger zone.

Bank overdrafts are an increasingly common resource: almost a quarter of small businesses say they rely on borrowed cash to keep up with essential overheads.

The research done by Bacs also shows that 16 per cent of SMEs struggle to pay staff on time, that the majority of companies spend almost four hours a week chasing late payments, and that 12 per cent employ a specific role dedicated to pursuing outstanding payments.

Almost a third of companies face delays of at least a month beyond their terms and nearly 20 per cent are having to wait more than 60 days before being paid.

SMEs are already facing an uncertain future as a result of Brexit and what the UK’s split from the EU might mean for tariffs, regulation and their ability to employ staff from overseas.

Earlier this month, a survey of more than 1,000 investors, conducted by peer-to-peer trading platform Asset Match, showed that 60 per cent were not confident the Government would help SMEs grow after Brexit.

A total of 62 per cent said they felt the Government was favouring “new-age sectors” such as fintech over traditional industries such as construction and manufacturing.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 / 13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled – leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: “Europe’s largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid £3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rue’s contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped £4m off of Flybe’s revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airline’s estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Figures published by the Federation of Small Businesses last month showed a drop in confidence among members for the first time since the aftermath of the referendum.

FSB national chairman Mike Cherry said at the time that small companies were “still reeling” from April’s business rates hike, and an accompanying note said that labour costs and the tax burden were common concerns.

Operating costs for small businesses are now at their highest in four years, according to the FSB.

Output: Late payments are costing small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK more than £2bn each year, according to research. Information released by Bacs Payment Schemes suggested that SMEs are owed up to £14bn by their customers, an improvement from the £30.3bn of five years ago. Over a third of the 1.7 million SMEs in the UK state that late payments are overdue far beyond agreed terms, and one in five SMEs said debts of between £20,000 and £50,000 create a risk of their being pushed into bankruptcy.


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House Tree offers potentially free online estate agent service
 Post navigation

An online agent that failed to get funding from the Dragons’ Den is now under new ownership and pitching itself as the UK’s first “no-fee” agent.

Its business model is to make its money from referral fees, meaning that to get a free service, sellers must use specific conveyancing and mortgage services.

House Tree, launched by Tom Harrington, tried to get funding from entrepreneurs on the BBC show in 2014 as the first pay-per viewing agent, charging £99 as an initial up-front fee, and then £35 per viewing for 12 viewings, after which viewings were free.

His pitch was rejected, with Dragon Peter Jones telling Harrington, then 24, that his business was destined for failure.

Harrington sold House Tree to entrepreneur Alan Simpson in October for an undisclosed sum.

Simpson has been involved in other property business such as quick sale firm Flying Homes.

He has now rebranded House Tree as a “no fee” agent. But is there a catch?

It is only potentially “no fee” at the end of the process with a refund of all or part of the money paid up-front.

The ‘free’ service would also only be available to a seller who is making an onward purchase and it would not be “free” to sellers making onward cash purchases, or who choose different conveyancers.

However, the vendor will get a full refund as long as they use all three services – House Tree’s stipulated conveyancer for both their sale and onward purchase, and also mortgage broker.

The process starts with the vendor taking out a ten-month interest free loan of £996 from provider Divido, or paying this amount by credit card.

This is paid to House Tree and is said to be the same amount the agent earns in referral fees from the conveyancing provider and mortgage broker.

A vendor would enter their property details on the House Tree website or can speak to an agent on the phone. They are then taken to a page where they are given the option to use House Tree’s mortgage broker and solicitor.

Technically the three services cost £332 each, with conveyancing through Convey Law for the sale and purchase and mortgages through brokerage Meridian Mortgages.

Customers don’t have to use every service, but not using one of them would mean the seller having to pay £332 to House Tree.

Once the transaction completes, and assuming the seller has used the stipulated providers, the referral fees are then used to pay back the vendor.

Sellers can also choose to pay £90 for professional photos, £395 for accompanied views, £95 for an energy performance certificate and £50 for floor plans.

If the home fails to sell during ten months of the interest-free loan, the vendor would need to repay it.

If vendors pull out of the sale they would still be liable for the loan.

Properties are listed on Rightmove and Zoopla, and House Tree helps arrange viewings and with sales progression.

House Tree does cover sellers for up to £720 of legal, estate agency and other fees, should anything go wrong with their onward purchase.

The agency has offices in London and Barnsley with 12 staff, split between agents and negotiators. Most valuations are done using Rightmove but staff can also visit homes to do a more detailed assessment.

Simpson said: “All agents, whether high street or online, will be getting these referral fees, so we are being more transparent about it.

“We hope that launching this industry-leading initiative will help home owners across the country get moving for less and set a precedent for more transparency across the industry.”

Yesterday, House Tree had 26 available sales properties listed on Rightmove.

Output: An online estate agent called House Tree that failed to secure backing from the Dragons’ Den TV show is now offering its services as the first “no fee” agent in the UK. The company will fund itself through referral fees, meaning that sellers must use the offered conveyancing and mortgage services in order to pay nothing. The company changed hands from its original founder for an undisclosed sum after the pitch failed on Dragons’ Den.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Online broker Trussle proposes easier mortgage switching
 Source: Trussle

Online mortgage broker Trussle is proposing that a new set of industry standards be introduced to the mortgage market, to offer consumers much-needed support with switching.

In a white paper published today, Trussle outlines five initial recommendations for a Mortgage Switch Guarantee, designed to address wide-scale ‘switching inertia’ and the issue of mortgage prisoners, both of which are costing UK mortgage borrowers billions of pounds every year.

The paper identifies several shortcomings in the mortgage market which are exacerbating this inertia, some of which are expected to be addressed in the FCA’s soon-to-be-published Mortgage Market Study. These range from a lack of uniformity and education around the pricing of mortgages, to inadequate communication from lenders when it comes to prompting customers to switch.

It also recognises that a large number of borrowers are not switching to more suitable deals because they are ‘mortgage prisoners’, trapped on Standard Variable Rates (SVRs) and unable to remortgage because they fail the stricter borrower affordability rules introduced by the Bank of England in 2014.

Trussle is proposing the creation of a Mortgage Switch Guarantee to address these issues and ultimately move towards a state of mortgage optimisation, where all UK borrowers are switching to the best available deals at the right time. To initiate the proposal, Trussle has made the following five recommendations, explained in more detail in the white paper:

1. Standardising and simplifying the way mortgages are priced and presented to customers

2. Improving lenders’ communication with customers when prompting borrowers to switch

3. An obligation for lenders to offer new deals to customers who are ‘mortgage prisoners’

4. A mandate for all mortgage brokers to have access to all deals on the market

5. Modernising a range of slow and outdated processes when it comes to switching

Ishaan Malhi, CEO and founder of Trussle, said: “Millions of homeowners are collectively losing billions of pounds because switching mortgage isn’t clear or simple. The Mortgage Switch Guarantee will help put an end to this unfairness.

“We’ve spent the best part of a year speaking with thousands of borrowers and meeting with industry leaders from across the market to identify this ambitious but necessary set of standards. Thankfully there’s already consensus among senior industry figures that many aspects of the remortgage market are in need of improvement.

“But for the Mortgage Switch Guarantee to be a success, it will need to be widely adopted by lenders and brokers, and supported by regulators and government. We’ll therefore be speaking with and listening to feedback from these key groups in the coming months.

“The Energy Switch Guarantee, introduced last year after more than a decade of lobbying and hard work, has already helped five million energy customers save an estimated £1 billion. The impact of the Mortgage Switch Guarantee has the potential to be fifteen times greater, which is why we won’t be slowing down our efforts to deliver a fairer mortgage market for homeowners across the UK.”

Paula Higgins, chief executive, Homeowners Alliance, says: "Unquestionably, changes must be made in the mortgage market. The fact that two million borrowers are on their lender’s SVR cannot simply be attributed to borrower apathy and ignored.

"Consumers have seen huge upheaval in the mortgage market over the last ten years and with the hoops they have to jump through to meet affordability criteria now it’s not surprising many would be confused by or fearful of getting a new deal. The mortgage industry must address this by making switching to a better deal as straightforward and safe as possible.”

Output: Online mortgage broker Trussle has made recommendations for changes to industry standards, including offering consumers a mortgage switch guarantee, which could save UK borrowers billions of pounds annually. The company has published a white paper detailing the best method of addressing the issue of “switching inertia”, which is made worse by a lack of uniformity in pricing and “inadequate” communication from lenders about switching. Trussle is suggesting a guarantee to encourage UK borrowers to switch to the best deals available at the appropriate time.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Two thirds of Singaporeans have made a payment on a mobile device
 Source: Visa

The introduction of various mobile payments solutions such as mobile payWave and in-app payments have transformed the way Singaporeans conduct their daily lives – from shopping to booking a taxi to ordering and paying for food in a variety of restaurants.

According to the Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Survey 2016, two thirds of Singaporeans have made device-initiated payments.

“Increased connectivity, coupled with the wider payment methods and form factors have transformed consumers’ experience in every aspect including payment. Based on VisaNet data, seven in 10 Visa cardholders are already making device-initiated payments and more than one in five Visa cardholders are active using in-app payments, fuelled by use of transportation booking apps. The payment experience is becoming invisible and we believe this trend will continue with the introduction of more innovative players and services,” said Visa Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei, Ooi Huey Tyng.

On-demand services propelling mobile payments

On-demand services are also accelerating the growth of mobile payments. Close to two thirds of Singaporeans have used on demand services based on the study. There is significant transformation in the service model especially for transportation, meal delivery and groceries delivery. Seventy-one per cent of respondents cited convenience and efficiency as the top benefits for using such services while 35 per cent of them stated that they enjoy shopping in the comfort of their own home.

As on-demand services infiltrate and become a bigger part of consumers’ lives, their expectations have also shifted. According to the survey, majority of the respondents expect their transportation (e.g. taxi or a car) to arrive within 10 minutes from the time they book the service, meal deliveries to arrive within 30 minutes upon ordering, and groceries to be delivered within 45 minutes.

Peer-to-peer payments

Singaporeans are also starting to embrace peer-to-peer payments. The survey showed that seven in 10 respondents are aware of such options and one in four respondents are already using peer-to-peer services to split a bill after a meal. The benefits of using peer-to-peer payments are fuelled by merchant awareness and convenience.

“At Visa, we are keen to work with partners to embed fund transfer API to deliver peer-to-peer solution at real time beyond Singapore. Today, 90 per cent of debit cards issued in most Southeast Asia countries are enabled to receive fund transfers at real time,” added Tyng.

Output: The Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Survey 2016 reported that two thirds of Singaporeans have made mobile payments. "Increased connectivity, coupled with the wider payment methods" have "transformed consumers' experience", said Oo Huey Tyng, visa country manager for Singapore and Brunei. VisaNet data found that seven in ten Visa cardholders opted for device-initiated payments, with one in five Visa customers choosing to pay via in-app payments.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
£99 online home agent 99Home goes live
 Post navigation

It may not be free – but a new online agent is offering rates starting at £99 with discounts available for key workers.

99Home went fully live yesterday after a period of test and development.

A fee of £99 is payable in advance on all three packages offered with prices including VAT.

There is nothing more to pay on the cheapest offering.

A further £400 is payable for a ‘combination’ service’ and £900 for a full high street service, both payable on completion.

All three packages, including the £99 offering, include listings on Rightmove and Zoopla.

Discounts of up to 10% are offered to people in the armed forces, NHS, police and fire services.

Yesterday, it had nine sales properties listed on both portals.

99Home shares premises in Willesden, north London, with high street agent Property Hub.

Founders of 99Home are Vijay Vashistha and Sachin Gupta, while newly appointed chairman is facilities management expert Richard Luckman.

https://99home.co.uk/

Output: Online home agency 99Home has launched with a £99 ($128) fee, payable in advance on any of the company’s three packages. The price includes VAT, with a further £400 payable for a combination service, and £900 for a full service, all payable on completion. Listings on Zoopla and Rightmove are included in the packages, and a discount of up to 10% is available to key workers in the NHS, the police, the fire service or the armed forces.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Marks & Spencer cuts packaging by reducing air in bags
 The supermarket’s ‘Project Thin Air’, from which over 140 of Marks and Spencer’s best-selling products have benefitted – including crisps and popcorn, is the latest move in its ethical and sustainability programme.

The contents of the snack packets have not diminished but by reducing the ‘thin air’ at the top of the bag M&S has managed to reduce packaging of its popcorn range by 37%.

M&S has also reduced the plastic in its popular salt & vinegar and ready salted crisps by 20% by using a thinner film.

According to M&S, the changes have led to 75 tonnes of packaging being saved each year – which equates to 152 fewer lorries on the road in 2017.

Last month the retailer introduced avocados with laser-printed barcodes.

M&S packaging expert Laura Fernandez said: “We’ve been working on this project for over a year and are really pleased with the results. M&S has led the way in packaging reduction, and this latest project has allowed us to dramatically reduce packaging across our snacks, with popcorn packaging down by 37% and hand cooked crisps down by 20%. We very much see this as the start of a much bigger piece of work and hope to bring equally impressive savings to other areas of the business too.”

Output: Marks & Spencer has reduced packaging for 140 snack products, including crisps and popcorn, by decreasing pockets of air in the bags. The company’s “Project Thin Air” has not reduced the contents of the packs, but has limited the amount of “thin air” included, leading to a 37% reduction in packaging in its popcorn range. Packaging in salt & vinegar and ready salted crisps has also been reduced by 20% through use of a thinner film. The retailer states that the changes have led to a saving of 75 tonnes of packaging per annum, equivalent to 152 fewer lorries on the road this year.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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UK energy sector 'probably compromised' by state hackers
 The UK energy sector is likely to have been targeted and probably compromised by nation-state hackers, according to a memo from Britain’s National Cybersecurity Centre.

The NCSC, a subsidiary of GCHQ, warned that it had spotted connections “from multiple UK IP addresses to infrastructure associated with advanced state-sponsored hostile threat actors, who are known to target the energy and manufacturing sectors,” according to Motherboard, which obtained a copy of the document.

This information implies that direct connections are being made between computers in the UK’s energy sector and the attacker’s command-and-control apparatus. Both the Windows data-transfer protocol SMB, and the web backbone HTTP, were used to in the connections, according to Motherboard.

“NCSC believes that due to the use of wide-spread targeting by the attacker, a number of industrial control system engineering and services organisations are likely to have been compromised,” the memo says.

The NCSC has neither confirmed nor denied the memo is genuine. It told the BBC in a statement: “We are aware of reports of malicious cyber-activity targeting the energy sector around the globe … We are liaising with our counterparts to better understand the threat and continue to manage any risks to the UK.”

It makes the UK the third country in the last week to note state-sponsored intrusion of its power grid. Earlier this week, the Times reported on fears that Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board was targeted by a group with ties to the Kremlin, while 18 US-based energy companies were sent phishing emails attempting to steal credentials, according to Cyberscoop.

All the reports appear to be linked, suggesting a widespread campaign to probe energy suppliers for weaknesses, and to steal credentials which may prove useful in future attacks. It is a matter of debate whether such a campaign can itself be called an attack, since no damage has apparently been done, but it will focus attention on the risk to critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks.

In late June, the former chief of the National Grid, Steve Holliday, told the Guardian: “The UK stands out uniquely on cyber threats. Nowhere else is as worried as the UK about cyber threats: we are just off the scale on our energy system concerns on cyber.”

As far back as 2013, security researchers were identifying significant vulnerabilities in power grids that allowed a remote hacker to seize or take control of plant control systems, while Ukraine became one of the first countries to see the physical results of such attacks in 2016, when a blackout across western Ukraine was caused by a malware called “BlackEnergy”.

Output: The UK energy sector has likely been compromised by nation-state hackers, according to a memo from Britain’s National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC) seen by news outlet Motherboard. The centre, a GCGQ subsidiary, said in the memo that it had seen connections between UK IP addresses and hackers known to target energy and manufacturing abroad. The NCSC has not confirmed the memo, but the document warns that several major organisations may already have been hacked.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages focuses on ads and payments
 by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, July 17, 2017

Google released an update to its product roadmap for its Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project, the open source initiative aimed at making the web experience faster. The update represents a quarterly overview of planned features for the thirds quarter in 2017, but it also provides a look back at Q2 2017 and what the team accomplished.

Deeper integration of ads in the AMP format landing pages across buy and sell-side platforms, offline support, enabling better mobile payments becomes the focus for the AMP group during the third quarter this year.

And it's not just about improving transactions on smartphones. Mobile payments are slowly catching on in IoT devices. Companies like Mastercard would love to say goodbye to the plastic and go digital. In a bid to reinvent payment systems, the company announced in April it partnered with a startup to enable consumers to make payments at vending machine through its digital wallet.

The more digital data owned by Mastercard the easier it becomes to keep track of where, when, why and how someone reached for their phone or mobile wearable device to make a purchase. All these data points create behavioral patterns in which to more accurately serve advertising.

advertisement advertisement

Google claims that more than 1.5 billion AMP pages have been published and more than 100 analytics, ad tech and content management system providers support the format.

During the second quarter of 2017, some of the themes Google focused on making it easier to build AMP pages, better support for data entry for forms and search boxes, enhanced support for content formats such as news articles and local listings, and support for engaging in video.

Google also began focusing on improving support for ecommerce analytics, video analytics and all around basic analytics and event triggers.

Companies like Adobe have begun to add support for AMP in their analytics platforms.

Output: Google has released an update for Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), an open source project designed to improve mobile web browsing speed. The update will offer offline support capability, more efficient payments and greater integration of advertisements. Over 1.5 billion pages have been published with AMP so far, according to Google, with more than 100 system providers currently using the format.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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LIDAR is tech of choice for wind feasibility and power curve tests
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Output: Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) will become more popular than MET masts for offshore wind feasibility and power curve verification tests, a panel at this year's Offshore Wind Conference said. Validation campaigns have found LIDAR is a cost-effective way to gather reliable financial data on a wind turbine's power output. While LIDAR works best with short masts for onshore projects, offshore wind projects only require the LIDAR to provide data, said Alexandre Sauvage, CEO of LIDAR manufacturer Leosphere.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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'Second skin' wearable can record medical data
 We’re a little closer to getting rid of bulky health sensors now that scientists have created a super-thin wearable that can record data through skin. That would make this wearable, which looks like a stylish gold tattoo, ideal for long-term medical monitoring — it’s already so comfortable that people forgot they were wearing it.

Most skin-based interfaces consist of electronics embedded in a substance, like plastic, that is then stuck onto the skin. Problem is, the plastic is often rigid or it doesn’t let you move and sweat. In a paper published today in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, scientists used a material that dissolves under water, leaving the electronic part directly on the skin and comfortable to bend and wear. Twenty participants wore it on their skin for a week without problems. They didn’t get itchy or irritated, and the wearable didn’t break.

Gold nanomesh conductor on hand. Photo: Takao Someya Group, University of Tokyo

There’s been a lot of interest in skin-based interfaces that remotely control a phone or turning skin into a touchscreen for a smartwatch. Those are cool tricks, but health monitoring is higher priority. Almost all kinds of medical monitoring — from measuring brain signals or heart beats — means putting electrodes on the skin. This is fine for the lab, but not convenient if you need to continually monitor these vital signals at home.

This new system uses a mesh made of a material called polyvinyl alcohol that’s already used in contact lenses and artificial cartilage. First, the scientists used electrical force to created charged threads of the material. (This is called electrospinning.) These threads were coated in gold to make them more electrically conducive. You put the entire thing on skin — in this case, the hand — and spray on some water. The polyvinyl alcohol disappears, but the gold threads are still there, and it can be used to power a LED light, or transmit data to a laptop.

Output: Scientists have developed a super-thin wearable that can record medical data through the skin. Where traditional health sensors are housed in plastic, which can be uncomfortable and cumbersome, this gold nanomesh conductor is made of polyvinyl alcohol and feels like a "second skin", a study in Nature Nanotechnology reported. Some threads of the material were charged and coated in gold to improve conductivity. The device was applied to the skin and dampened so the alcohol disappeared, leaving behind the gold threads. The end result of the process looked like a golden tattoo on the wearer's skin.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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Thousands at risk due to air pollution in northern UK: IPPR
 Dangerous levels of air pollution in towns and cities across the north of England are threatening the health of hundreds of thousands of people and stifling economic growth, according to a new report.

The analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) North describes air pollution as “the tobacco of the 21st century” and says that while there has been a growing concern about the problem in London, many residents in regional towns and cities are unaware of the threat to their health.

Darren Baxter, researcher at IPPR North, said it was time the government took radical action.

“Too often the attention focuses on unclean air in the capital, but the reality is that it’s poisoning thousands in our regional cities too,” said Baxter. “Michael Gove [the new environment secretary] must show that the government is not prepared to sit on its hands while up to 40,000 people are killed every year from dirty air. We need to see radical plans to ditch diesel, introduce incentives for electric cars and bring in clean air zones in our major cities.”

The government has suffered two legal defeats over its plans to improve air quality in the UK after judges ruled they were so poor as to be unlawful. The courts have given ministers until 31 July to publish a new plan.

Campaigners want Gove to introduce a range of measures including charging clean air zones in the worst hit areas and a diesel scrappage scheme to compensate drivers who bought diesel cars after being told they were better for the environment.

The government’s own figures show that although London has by far the highest level of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) pollution, many urban areas – including large swaths of the Midlands, the north-west, West Yorkshire and the northeast – suffer dangerous levels of pollution.

The scale of the air pollution crisis was revealed in a joint Guardian-Greenpeace investigation earlier this year, showing hundreds of thousands of children were being educated within 150 metres of a road where levels of NO 2 from diesel traffic breached legal limits.

Figures obtained by Labour showed that more than 38 million people, representing 59.3% of the UK population, were living in areas where levels of NO 2 pollution were above legal limits.

Baxter said: “This is the tobacco of the 21st century, and every single preventable death is a failure of government action. Gove must get a grip on this crisis which is killing literally thousands of children and adults a year.”

Tuesday’s report estimates that congestion in the north of England will increase by 3% annually. Estimates put the cost of congestion in Manchester and Liverpool alone at £2bn in 2015.

The study is the latest from IPPR North’s Northern Energy Taskforce, which has identified the energy sector as one of four key priority areas for the economy in northern England, along with manufacturing, health and digital.

“By taking the killer air crisis seriously, we can prevent many unnecessary deaths and ill-health, especially in our children, while preparing the way for a Northern green jobs revolution,” said Baxter.

The report calls for central government, councils and transport bodies to:

Radically improve green public transport links, especially rail connections, and to prioritise hydrogen-powered trains.

Pledge to phase out diesel cars over the coming years, in part to help spur the electric car market, in which sector the north is becoming a world leader.

Output: Air pollution across the north of England is damaging health and economic growth, according to a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) North. The study, which describes air pollution as “the tobacco of the 21st century,” states that congestion in the north of the country is set to increase by 3% each year. The report calls for a radical improvement in green public transport links, particularly hydrogen-powered trains, the phasing out of diesel cars and the introduction of a car scrappage scheme to encourage use of electric vehicles.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Thousands at risk due to air pollution in northern UK: IPPR
 The UK's regional cities are in breach of the legal limits on air quality by up to 150%, threatening the lives of children and adults, report warns.

Government, councils and transport bodies must back radical action to improve air quality, ahead of the publication of DEFRA’s Clean Air Strategy later this month.

Focus should be on incentives for drivers to upgrade to electric cars and roll-out of hydrogen powered trains in the North as part of a Northern energy revolution, study concludes.

The government must do much more to address the crisis of toxic fumes killing thousands in the UK’s regional cities, including phasing out diesel vehicles and introducing incentives for purchasing electric cars, according to a new study.

The warning comes in the latest report from leading think-tank IPPR North, which explores the North of England’s future transport energy needs.

Current trends estimate that congestion in the North will increase by 3 per cent annually, 'Gearing up for the transition: The role of transport in a Northern energy strategy' notes — but cautions that even by 2030, on current projections, only 5 per cent of UK cars will be powered by electricity rather than petrol or diesel, threatening the government’s aspiration for the UK to be the world-leader in clean air cars.

The study adds that despite repeated attempts by the government to block urgent action to deal with the problem, the courts have mandated the government to reduce illegal pollution levels; this, alongside the North’s green energy jobs potential, increase the case for action.

But while clean air in the capital has risen on the political agenda in recent years, IPPR North warns killer fumes are blighting UK regional cities too, especially in the North of England: for instance, Teesside and the North West & Merseyside zones are the third and fourth regions in the UK with the filthiest air, breaching the legal limit of toxic NO2 concentrations by 150 per cent.

The report comes ahead of the government releasing its clean air strategy later this month, which could see the compulsory introduction of Clean Air Zones in order to maintain legal limits on pollution.

To save lives and boost the green economy, the report calls for central government, councils and transport bodies to:

radically improve green public transport links, especially rail connections and prioritising hydrogen-powered trains

pledge to phase out diesel cars over the coming years, in part to help spur the electric car market, in which sector the North is becoming a world leader

introducing a new car scrappage scheme to encourage car owners to upgrade to electric vehicles.

Darren Baxter, researcher at IPPR North, said:

“The evidence shows toxic air is killing up to 40,000 children and adults a year. This is one of the biggest problems of our time, but too little attention is paid to this key issue, especially outside the capital.

“To prevent more avoidable deaths, we need to see big incentives for those buying a car to go electric, funded in part by a tax on the most-polluting vehicles, as well as seeing a real commitment by councils and the Department for Transport to make clean air a top priority.

“By taking the killer air crisis seriously, we can prevent many unnecessary deaths and ill-health, especially in our children, while preparing the way for a Northern green jobs revolution.”

ends

In numbers:

Around 40,000 deaths per year in the UK are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution, with an estimated overall economic cost in excess of 3.7 per cent of UK GDP.

Estimates put the cost of congestion in Manchester and Liverpool alone in 2015 at £2 billion.

Transport is responsible for around 25 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Contact:

Ash Singleton, [email protected], 07887 422 789.

Notes:

The report is the latest publication from IPPR North’s Northern Energy Taskforce, which was established to oversee an ambitious programme of work to develop an energy strategy for the North of England.

The Taskforce is chaired by Sir John Harman, the former Environment Agency chair, alongside a number of high-profile Taskforce figures with expertise across infrastructure, engineering, finance, academia and local government. It is supported by IPPR staff in a research, press and secretariat capacity.

Output: Air pollution across the north of England is damaging health and economic growth, according to a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) North. The study, which describes air pollution as “the tobacco of the 21st century,” states that congestion in the north of the country is set to increase by 3% each year. The report calls for a radical improvement in green public transport links, particularly hydrogen-powered trains, the phasing out of diesel cars and the introduction of a car scrappage scheme to encourage use of electric vehicles.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Automakers less bullish on electric vehicles than oil companies
 Oil producers and research organizations around the world are revising their electric-vehicle forecasts upward as improving battery costs challenge previous assumptions about growth.

A new study from Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows just how dramatically estimates are changing. The most radical swing comes from OPEC, an organization made up of leading oil producing nations, which boosted its forecast of electric-vehicle sales by 500 percent compared to last year.

OPEC isn't the only industry group revising its assumptions about growth. BNEF researchers cataloged a number of radical changes in projections.

The International Energy Agency has more than doubled its estimate about global electric-vehicle sales. Meanwhile, Exxon, BP and Statoil are all now expecting at least 100 million electric vehicles to hit the roads worldwide between 2030 and 2035.

BNEF's outlook is even more bullish. It projects that 530 million cumulative electric cars will be sold by 2040 -- representing about one-third of the market for automobiles.

In the spring, Morgan Stanley issued an analysis predicting that electric cars would outpace gasoline-powered cars within two decades.

The new outlook from oil majors is consistent with a recent analysis from Wood Mackenzie, the firm that owns GTM. According to Wood Mackenzie, electric-car sales will hit 100 million by 2035, stripping up to 2 million barrels of oil demand per day. In another analysis, Wood Mackenzie predicted that Tesla's Model 3 sales alone will slash U.S. gasoline demand by 300,000 barrels per day by that time.

Under the most bullish scenario, Wood Mackenzie believes that electric cars could make up 85 percent of all new car sales by 2035.

Why is everyone changing their forecasts all at once? For one main reason: battery costs.

While policy and consumer behavior are difficult to predict, battery costs are coming down fast. We're already ahead of lithium-ion battery costs projected for 2030. And with 10 battery gigafactories under development around the world, battery costs and prices are expected to further outpace projections.

There's one group of companies that is far less optimistic about electric cars: automakers.

According to BNEF, the world's biggest auto manufacturers are only planning to sell a combined 8 million electric cars per year by 2030.

Per usual, Elon Musk is bucking the trend. Over the weekend, Musk offered up his own prediction about the growth of electric cars.

“Probably in 10 years, more than a half of new vehicle production is electric in the United States. Half of all production will be EV, I think almost all cars produced will be autonomous," he said, speaking to members of the National Governors Association.

A year or two ago, that might have sounded like a bold prediction. Today, it's pretty well in line with what leading analysts and oil companies believe.

Output: The world's largest automakers only plan to sell a combined 8 million electric cars per by year by 2030, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Meanwhile, improving battery costs have spurred OPEC to scale its forecast for electric vehicle sales in 2040 by 500%, from 46 million to 266 million. Additionally, oil consultancy Wood Mackenzie predicted that sales of electric cars will reach 100 million by 2035. Only Tesla matches the oil companies' bullish outlook; half of all vehicles produced will be electric in 10 years, according to CEO Elon Musk.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Start-ups making LA ‘laboratory’ for tackling climate change
 Drought, floods, wildfires and heat waves – climate change and extreme weather events are wreaking havoc in California, especially in Los Angeles. The city has recently baked in record temperatures with a long, hot summer still stretching ahead.

It is the new normal: climate models predict the number of extreme heat days, defined as more than 95F, will triple by the middle of the century.

Little wonder Hollywood is churning out desert dystopias in films such as Mad Max: Fury Road and The Bad Batch.

Reality, however, has an overlooked subplot: geeks are inventing ways to keep LA cool – and possibly mint fortunes in the process.

Dozens of startups have turned the city and nearby regions into a laboratory for products and services which they hope will avert environmental disaster and yield business models replicable across the globe, even beyond.

“We would welcome opportunities for off-planet growing,” said Brandon Martin, vice president of business development of Local Roots, which turns shipping containers into hydroponic farms. “We’d love to be the first company to grow food on Mars.”

He was completely serious. Engineers from Elon Musk’s Space X have studied how the company uses sensors, algorithms and machine learning to transform 40ft containers into the equivalent of three to five acres of farmland while using 97% less water.

“We want to be a billion-dollar company as soon as possible,” said Kipp Stroden, another Local Roots executive. “We’d like to feed at least a billion people in the next 10 years.”

Time will tell if that is hubris but it reflects the confidence of startups which think solving some of LA’s environmental challenges will open other markets in a heating planet.

“LA is essentially a giant opportunity to demonstrate their technologies,” said Mike Swords, vice president of government relations for Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (Laci), a public-private nonprofit which mentors startups. “If you can demonstrate that your company can help solve problems here there’s a good chance you will export it to other urban areas around the world.”

Kipp Stroden at the entrance to one of Local Roots’s container farms. Photograph: Rory Carroll/The Guardian

LA’s biggest climate challenges were extreme heat and drought and increased fires, said Matt Petersen, who was the city’s first chief sustainability officer before recently taking over the reins at Laci. “Trees are job number one, and cool surfaced roofs and streets are key strategies as well,” he said.

LA’s mayor, Eric Garcetti, has set bold targets to reduce the so-called urban heat island effect, improve air quality and ease congestion. Voters approved two measures which will generate $150bn in the next decades – a sum exceeding Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, according to some estimates – to replace traffic gridlock, a major source of heat and pollution, with cleaner transport and shaded, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks.

“It’s a city that has taken the climate change challenge seriously,” said Adrienne Alvord, western states director of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

California’s governor, Jerry Brown, and the state legislature, meanwhile, champion a cap-and-trade programme and ever more ambitious renewable energy targets – big-spending rebuffs to the Trump administration’s environmental policies.

The result is an El Dorado of subsidies, favorable rules and fast growing markets for cleantech companies.

“It has the attributes of a gold rush,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO of Ice Energy, which makes air conditioning units that store energy and can cool homes without using electricity. “It’s a bit of a wild west, the rules are still being formed. Those who innovate and take risks, win.”

A potential big winner is GuardTop, an asphalt coating manufacturer which makes CoolSeal, a reflective street surface which can reduce temperatures by more than 10F. It is being piloted around LA.

You can see other green technology on display even before entering Laci’s La Kretz Innovation Campus, a 3.2-acre site in LA’s downtown arts district.

The car park boasts a canopy of solar panels which feed a microgrid supplying a third of the campus’s energy needs. A bioswale collects and recycles rainwater. Amid the Teslas and other vehicles sits a triple-function generator which can turn biomass, including banana peels and coconut shells, into electricity, heat or cool air. A “living wall” of 2,100 plants looms over the reception.

The incubator was founded in 2011 with money from the federal government, the city and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), and moved to this campus in 2015. It has outposts in Silicon Valley and Northridge and plans to open one in Mexico City.

“We want to bring the best cleantech companies from around the world, especially startups, and help them grow,” said Swords, the spokesman. “This level of coaching and mentoring is an incredible deal. Every single one of the companies plans to scale. They hope to sell their products all over the world.”

In return, he said, LA and its water and power utility will get the chance to acquire technology to combat climate change.

The DWP has a tradition of thinking big: a century ago it siphoned water from the Owens Valley to LA, a controversial rerouting fictionalized in Roman Polanski’s Chinatown.

Mike Swords, at the LA Cleantech Incubator’s ‘living wall’. Photograph: Rory Carroll/The Guardian

Laci will survive even if the Trump administration ends federal funding, which was important but not essential, said Swords.

The buzz on the Laci campus was unmistakable. Pick My Solar, which helps householders choose solar panels, has grown from five to 30 employees in a year. “With the heatwaves and brownouts people are thinking a lot about energy,” said Kyle Graycar, a company analyst.

Green Commuter, another company, says it is the US’s first all-electric vanpool. “We reduce the cost of commuting, the amount of traffic and CO2 emissions,” said Bart Sidles, as he drove one of the company’s Tesla SUVs up Alameda Street.

River LA, one of the incubator’s nonprofits, is also feeling emboldened: it has been tasked with helping to spend $100m in water bond money to transform the Los Angeles River, in places a sorry trickle, into a lush waterway.

Torrential winter rains ended California’s drought but Local Roots, the farming company, believes continued water shortages plus a growing population and pressure to reduce transport costs will make their container farms a common sight in parking lots across the US and beyond. One container can produce 4,000 heads of butterhead lettuce every 10 days using just 25 gallons of water daily, said Stroden, the executive.

Jonathan Parfrey, executive director of the nonprofit Climate Resolve, cautioned that LA will inevitably heat up. “We could all turn into vegans driving electric vehicles and we’d still see this.”

Low-income residents will suffer most – several studies have shown the inequitable impact. Poorer neighborhoods near the coast such as Compton will enjoy relative coolness but be vulnerable to gentrification, potentially pushing residents to the city’s hotter, eastern side, said Parfrey.

Even so, he was optimistic. Technologies were getting cheaper and smarter. “The antidote to climate despair is working on solutions.”

Output: Los Angeles is becoming a “laboratory” for start-ups seeking solutions to climate change and innovative business models, according to The Guardian. Cap-and-trade initiatives, renewable targets, subsidies and expanding cleantech markets within California are bringing a “gold rush” to the region. Startup Local Roots is turning shipping containers into hydroponic farms that reduce land and water use and could be used to grow food on Mars. Ice Energy is producing electricity-free air conditioning that stores energy, and GuardTop has created the CoolSeal street surface that lowers temperatures.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Europe leads world in solar auctions
 According to the latest Global Solar Demand Monitor, GTM Research is now tracking 17.4 gigawatts of confirmed solar PV tenders in auctions across the globe. The report highlights that 9.6 gigawatts will be awarded in the third quarter of 2017 alone.

With 8.1 gigawatts confirmed, Europe leads as the region with the greatest share of tendered solar PV. South Asia, led by India, ranks second with 5 gigawatts.

FIGURE: Timing and Award Volume of Confirmed Solar PV Tenders

Source: GTM Research Global Solar Demand Monitor, Q2 2017

As auctions continue to proliferate, the pipeline will only grow larger. According to GTM Research, tendering or auction schemes are currently in place in 48 national markets, and an additional 27 nations are currently discussing or planning tenders and auctions.

“Mature solar markets including Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom have used competitive procurement as a market-capping mechanism to remedy subsidy budget deficits, market saturation, curtailment and grid-balancing issues, and high costs,” explained Ben Attia, GTM Research solar analyst and lead author of the report.

Similarly, emerging markets with little to no installed capacity or market history are using tender programs to procure cost-competitive renewables without subsidies.

“High-growth markets like India and Mexico have used the same mechanisms as a scale-up engine to centrally allocate projects on weaker grids, provide credit and offtaker guarantees or assurances, and create a low-cost, no-subsidy multi-gigawatt pipeline,” Attia added.

In 2017, driven in part by auctions and tenders, global demand will exceed 80 gigawatts for the first time, though year-on-year growth will fall from 2016’s 55 percent to a more sustainable 4 percent.

FIGURE: Global PV Demand, 2015-2022E

Source: GTM Research Global Solar Demand Monitor, Q2 2017

***

Stay up to date on global solar trends with a subscription to GTM Research's Global Downstream Solar Service. Learn more here.

Output: European countries have awarded 8.1 GW of the 17.4 GW of photovolataic (PV) power auctioned globally in 2017, according to GTM Research. South Asia, the second largest market for tendered PV, awarded 5 GW of PV in the same period. A total 48 national markets offer solar tendering or auction schemes, while another 27 nations are debating whether to plan tenders and auctions, the study found. “Mature solar markets including Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom have used competitive procurement as a market-capping mechanism to remedy subsidy budget deficits, market saturation, curtailment and grid-balancing issues, and high costs,” said Ben Attia, GTM Research solar analyst.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
UK Advertising Standards Authority toughens rules on sexist ads
 Our new report, Depictions, Perceptions and Harm published today provides an evidence-based case for stronger regulation of ads that feature stereotypical gender roles or characteristics which might be harmful to people, including ads which mock people for not conforming to gender stereotypes.

Responding to the evidence, our sister body, CAP – the authors of the UK Advertising Codes - will develop new standards on ads that feature stereotypical gender roles or characteristics. We will then administer and enforce those standards. CAP will also use the evidence in the report to clarify standards that reflect our existing position on ads that objectify or inappropriately sexualise people or suggest it is acceptable to be unhealthily-thin.

The announcement comes at the conclusion of a major review into gender stereotyping in ads, with evidence suggesting that harmful stereotypes can restrict the choices, aspirations and opportunities of children, young people and adults. These stereotypes can be reinforced by some advertising, which plays a part in unequal gender outcomes, with costs for individuals, the economy and society.

The aim of the review has been to consider whether regulation is doing enough to address the potential for harm or offence arising from gender stereotypes in ads. We have a track record of banning ads on grounds of objectification, inappropriate sexualisation and for suggesting it is desirable for young women to be unhealthily thin. But we have ruled that ads that feature gender stereotypical roles or characters are unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence to their audience.

To test whether standards are in the right place, the review examined gender stereotyping across several spheres, including body image, objectification, sexualisation, gender characteristics and roles, and mocking people for not conforming to gender stereotypes. To reach conclusions, evidence was gathered through a major independent research study by GfK – the findings of which are also published today - alongside a wide-ranging consultation of expert stakeholders.

The key findings are these:

• The evidence shows support for the ASA’s track record of banning ads that objectify or inappropriately sexualize people, and ads which suggest that it’s acceptable for young women to be unhealthily thin

• But a tougher line is needed on ads that feature stereotypical gender roles or characteristics which can potentially cause harm, including ads which mock people for not conforming to gender stereotypes

The report indicates that the latter should be considered on grounds of potential harm to the audience, banning those gender stereotypes that are most likely to reinforce assumptions that adversely limit how people see themselves and how others see them.

New standards are not intended to ban all forms of gender stereotypes. For example, the evidence falls short of calling for a ban on ads depicting a woman cleaning or a man doing DIY tasks. But, subject to context and content considerations, the evidence suggests the following types of depictions are likely to be problematic:

• An ad which depicts family members creating a mess while a woman has sole responsibility for cleaning it up

• An ad that suggests a specific activity is inappropriate for boys because it is stereotypically associated with girls, or vice-versa

• An ad that features a man trying and failing to undertake simple parental or household tasks

CAP will report publically on its progress before the end of 2017 and commits, as always, to delivering training and advice on the new standards in good time before they come into force in 2018.

Chief Executive of the ASA, Guy Parker, said:

“Portrayals which reinforce outdated and stereotypical views on gender roles in society can play their part in driving unfair outcomes for people. While advertising is only one of many factors that contribute to unequal gender outcomes, tougher advertising standards can play an important role in tackling inequalities and improving outcomes for individuals, the economy and society as a whole."

Ella Smillie, lead report author, said:

“Our review shows that specific forms of gender stereotypes in ads can contribute to harm for adults and children. Such portrayals can limit how people see themselves, how others see them, and limit the life decisions they take. Tougher standards in the areas we’ve identified will address harms and ensure that modern society is better represented.”

More on

Output: Sexist advertisements will be banned under new rules proposed in a report by the UK’s industry watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and research firm GfK. The report calls for a crackdown on advertisements that present activities as suitable for one gender and that mock those who defy gender stereotypes. Ads that “body shame” young women will also face tougher regulation and the existing code relating to the sexualisation of women and girls in ads will be clarified. The ASA has previously acted against airbrushing and against ads using “unhealthily thin” models.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
UK Advertising Standards Authority toughens rules on sexist ads
 Advertisements that perpetuate sexist stereotypes, from men bungling housework to girls being less academic than boys, will be banned under rules being proposed by the industry watchdog.

The crackdown by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will toughen rules on ads that are deemed to present activities as only appropriate for one gender or another, or that mock those who do not conform to stereotypical gender roles.

It will also toughen rules on ads that “body shame” young women after an outcry over Protein World’s controversial “Beach body ready” campaign, which was not banned despite a petition with 70,000 signatures claiming that its depiction of a bikini-clad model in an ad for a weight-loss product was socially irresponsible.

The ASA’s proposals, outlined in a report conducted with research firm GfK, are part of an effort to address the portrayal of women in ads in particular.

The project, which the watchdog considers the most comprehensive review of gender stereotyping anywhere in the world, follows a major crackdown on “airbrushing”, which has seen major beauty ads featuring stars such as Cara Delevingne, Natalie Portman, and Julia Roberts banned. It has also banned ads featuring “unhealthily thin” models.

Its proposals will also clarify the existing code relating to ads that objectify or inappropriately sexualise women and girls.

“Our review shows that specific forms of gender stereotypes in ads can contribute to harm for adults and children,” said Ella Smillie, lead author of the report.

“Such portrayal scan limit how people see themselves, how others see them, and limit the life decisions they take. Tougher standards in the areas we’ve identified will address harms and ensure that modern society is better represented.”

The ASA said it was not looking at implementing a blanket ban – it will still be acceptable for ads to feature a woman doing cleaning or a man doing DIY tasks – but there are versions of this type of commercial that will now come under scrutiny.

For example, ads that would probably be banned under the proposed new rules include “showing family members creating a mess while a woman is seen having the sole responsibility cleaning it up”.

Ads that suggest an activity is inappropriate for girls or boys because it is stereotypically associated with the other sex would similarly be banned, as would those featuring men “trying and failing to undertake simple parental or household tasks”.

The ASA report, entitled Depictions, Perceptions and Harm, found that harmful stereotypes can “restrict the choices, aspirations and opportunities of children, young people and adults”.

01:31 McDonald's advert accused of exploiting childhood bereavement – video

Guy Parker, the chief executive of the ASA, said: “Portrayals which reinforce outdated and stereotypical views on gender roles in society can play their part in driving unfair outcomes for people.

“While advertising is only one of many factors that contribute to unequal gender outcomes, tougher advertising standards can play an important role in tackling inequalities and improving outcomes for individuals, the economy and society as a whole.”

The ASA’s report will now be handed to the Committee of Advertising Practice, which sets the UK ad code across all forms of media – from TV and newspapers to billboards and online ads – to develop new standards to be turned into rules and enforced by the ad watchdog.

The review examined gender stereotyping across areas including body image, objectification, sexualisation, gender characteristics and roles and mocking people for not conforming to gender stereotypes.

Pressure to address the portrayal of women in ads, in particular relating to objectification and body image, has been building for a number of years.

In 2015, the Sun scrapped Page 3’s topless women after 44 years, a move which came following rising pressure from campaigners including No More Page 3.

Before their virtual extinction at the hands of the internet, the lads’ magazine market – led by titles including FHM, Loaded, Nuts and Zoo – found itself confined to top shelves and “modesty bags” by supermarkets feeling the heat of public pressure.

Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson waged a long-running campaign against “overly perfected and unrealistic images” of women in advertisements.

The push started at the Lib Dem party conference in 2009, which used its first day of debate to discuss the myriad ways that women are increasingly encouraged to “live up to” unrealistic ideals of beauty and imagery that “often trivialises their position within society”.

Ads likely to be banned

Protein World’s Beach Body Ready campaign

The advertising watchdog cleared the highly controversial campaign despite nearly 400 complaints it objectified women and was socially irresponsible. The weight-loss ads featuring a bikini-clad model sparked a huge backlash over alleged “body-shaming” including a protest in London’s Hyde Park and a petition on Change.org that attracted more than 70,000 signatures. The ASA cleared the ads, saying it did not think the image of the model “shamed women who had different body shapes into believing they needed to take a slimming supplement to feel confident wearing swimwear in public”. Ironically, it ended up being banned for making misleading health claims about the Protein World supplement.

Cara Delevingne naked for Tom Ford perfume

The model and, more recently, actor appeared on a billboard in east London lying naked on her front with the side of her breast and buttocks visible while holding a bottle of Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume. The advertising watchdog received complaints that it was degrading and objectified women and that the billboard could be seen by children and was close to churches and mosques. The ad was cleared by the ASA, but it was deemed not to be allowed to be displayed within 100 metres of schools.

Sexist Gap ad stereotyping children’s futures

An ad for US fashion chain Gap’s kids brand featured a young boy, “called the Little Scholar”, while the girl featured in the ad is labelled “the Social Butterfly”. Text that ran with the ad, which prompted accusations on social media of sexism, used the line “Your future starts here.” Gap moved to take the ad down and, consequently, the ASA did not have grounds to investigate.

Output: Sexist advertisements will be banned under new rules proposed in a report by the UK’s industry watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and research firm GfK. The report calls for a crackdown on advertisements that present activities as suitable for one gender and that mock those who defy gender stereotypes. Ads that “body shame” young women will also face tougher regulation and the existing code relating to the sexualisation of women and girls in ads will be clarified. The ASA has previously acted against airbrushing and against ads using “unhealthily thin” models.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
World's fastest drone breaks ground speed record at 180mph
 Blink and you might actually miss the Drone Racing League’s new RacerX drone, which has just been clocked at a record speed of nearly 180 miles per hour.

The team behind the drone set the mark yesterday while performing a number of drag races along a 100-meter course in upstate New York. The aircraft, which weighs in at 1.75 pounds, recorded an average top speed of 163.5 miles per hour, which qualified as the “fastest ground speed by a battery-powered remote-controlled quadcopter.” Its fastest recorded speed was 179.3 miles per hour.

Output: The Drone Racing League’s latest drone, the RacerX, has achieved the fastest recorded ground speed by a battery-powered quadcopter: almost 180mph. The drone weighs only 1.75lb, with rotors that spin at up to 46,000rpm and an average top speed of 163.5mph. The RacerX will not see any action at the Drone Racing League’s upcoming World Championship events, sidelined in favour of more manoeuvrable craft.