Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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US' $5bn waste export business at risk after ban by China
 For decades, shipping containers have been loaded with American scrap and waste and dispatched to China for recycling.

It's a $5 billion annual business that is now in danger of sinking.

Beijing notified the World Trade Organization in July that it plans to ban the import of 24 varieties of solid waste, including types of plastic and unsorted paper commonly sent from the U.S.

China said that the ban would take effect from September, giving American companies little time to prepare. ISRI estimates that roughly a fifth of the trade is at risk.

The announcement has made U.S. recyclers that trade with China very nervous.

"In the short term we're going to see a significant drop of exports from the U.S. into China, and there is a little bit of panic in the market," said Adina Adler, an official at the U.S. Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).

"We respect what the Chinese government is trying to do ... and we want to be helpful, but they gave us practically no time for any kind of transition," said Adler.

Trade deficit

Scrap and waste is the sixth largest U.S. export to China.

The trade works like this: A huge number of container ships laden with consumer goods sail each year from China to American ports.

But the U.S. runs a massive trade deficit with China, and there is little demand for space on the return leg, or "backhaul." As a result, shipping companies offer major discounts on return runs to China.

The dynamic has been a boon for the U.S. recycling industry, which has an abundance of the scrap metal, paper, plastic, rubber and electronics that Chinese recyclers crave.

Adam Minter, a journalist, explains in the book "Junkyard Planet" that it can be much cheaper to ship scrap from the U.S. to China than to send it by rail from Los Angeles to Chicago.

Exports at risk

Beijing says it's now banning some of the scrap categories out of concern for the environment.

The government told the WTO that it had found large amounts of dirty and hazardous material mixed with solid waste, leading to serious environmental pollution.

China's State Council said in a statement that it hoped to "reform ... the management system of solid waste imports, promote the recycling use of domestic solid wastes, protect the ecological environment and people's health."

Minter, however, has argued that the ban could exacerbate environmental problems.

He wrote in July that imported recyclables are cleaner than their Chinese counterparts, and banning them will force many Chinese recyclers to shut down -- meaning more waste will be incinerated or end up in landfills.

Related: China wants to ban gas and diesel cars

The policy shift has sparked confusion in the industry, with American producers uncertain about when it will be implemented.

"The confusion it causes does as much damage to our markets as the policies themselves," said Kevin Duncombe, president of independent recycler Western Pacific Pulp and Paper.

Adler said the ban has already impacted trade with China.

"Chinese buyers are canceling orders, or not placing new ones, and in some cases they're just not picking up shipments at the port," she said.

Related: GM is selling a $5,000 electric car in China

The Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection did not respond to requests for additional details.

ISRI said it intends to fight the ban.

"China has an environmental crisis on their hands and they need to do something about it, but we don't agree on imposing an outright ban," said Adler. "That's not the answer."

Output: About a fifth of the US' annual $5bn Chinese waste disposal business is at risk, according to the US Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Beijing told the World Trade Organisation in July that it would stop imports of 24 varieties of waste, including types of plastic and paper often sent from the US, because of concerns about hazardous materials mixed in with the waste. The ban, due to start this month, has made US recyclers nervous, as there was little time for transition, said Adina Adler at the ISRI. Scrap and waste is the sixth biggest export to China.


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Leader of $9bn Chinese Ponzi scheme given life sentence
 A Beijing court on Tuesday sentenced the architect of the $9 billion Ezubao online financial scam to life imprisonment. (Representational Image) A Beijing court on Tuesday sentenced the architect of the $9 billion Ezubao online financial scam to life imprisonment. (Representational Image)

A Beijing court on Tuesday sentenced the architect of the $9 billion Ezubao online financial scam to life imprisonment, and handed down jail time to 26 others, marking the close to one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in modern Chinese history. The ruling comes at a time when the government is stepping up efforts to crack down on risky and illicit behaviour in the country’s financial sector, including the unruly peer-to-peer industry that continues to attract high volumes.

Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Ding Ning – chairman of Anhui Yucheng Holdings Group that launched Ezubao in 2014 – to life in prison and fined him 100 million yuan ($15.29 million) for crimes including illegal fundraising, illegal gun possession and smuggling precious metals.

Ding Dian, the chairman’s brother, was also sentenced to life, while Zhang Min, Yucheng’s president, and 24 others were sentenced to imprisonment for 3 to 15 years, according to an article on the Beijing Courts social media account.

Output: The man behind one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in modern China has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with his brother and 24 other accomplices also jailed. Ding Ning operated Anhui Yucheng Holdings Group and launched the fraudulent Ezubao scheme in 2014, which collapsed last year after collecting $9.14bn from more than 900,000 investors. The company fabricated projects to raise money, while Ding spent CNY1.5bn ($230m) of its proceeds on himself. The case has led to a regulatory crackdown on China's online financial services market, including peer-to-peer lending, where monthly volumes are now above $50bn.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

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France goes on strike over Macron's labour reforms
 For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

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This week is expected to see mass protests and strikes against the French government and the country’s president Emmanuel Macron. Here’s everything you need to know about them

Why are people protesting and going on strike?

Primarily, the protests are about Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reform French labour laws, which are extremely controversial.

Under the plans, it would become easier for medium and small businesses to sack workers. Trade union collective bargaining will also be watered down and firms with fewer than 20 staff will be able to negotiate directly with individual employees, instead of a union branch. The Government also wants a cap on pay-outs from industrial tribunals.

Didn’t Macron just win an election?

Yes, but his popularity has fallen like a stone – across the board pollsters have shown him less popular in this stage of his premiership than both Nicholas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande. Both of those presidents were unpopular.

As a candidate Macron also refused to go into specifics about what labour reforms he would make.

Macron was also elected on an extremely low share of the first preference vote – just 24 per cent. He won an overwhelming victory in the second round, though his only opponent there was far-right National Front’s Marine Le Pen.

Why does Macron want to reform the Labour code?

French liberals (and those abroad) have long argued that the country’s regulated and collectively organised labour market is inefficient and holds the country back economically.

Macron, for his part, says France will be “turning the page on three decades of inefficiency” by introducing his changes.

It is not uncommon for the French government to provoke the ire of the French labour movement. In 2007 and 2010 the country was crippled by general strikes over cuts to pensions and the raising of the retirement age. In 1995 general strikes brought the country to a standstill to stop welfare cutbacks.

Who is calling the protests?

The CGT, or Confédération générale du travail, France’s biggest and most assertive major trade union federation has call the strike.

Other federations, including the less militant CFDT and FO, have said they will stay away from the day of action.

The CGT was previously communist-backed but has recently taken a more moderate stance. Its battalions will be accompanied by other elements of the organised French left.

Are there other reasons people are annoyed?

The labour law reforms are just the latest of a series of unpopular things Macron has done in office. He has already taken a hit over planned cuts to housing assistance for people on low incomes, and there was push-back over plans to make his wife the official first lady, potentially with a salary. Other ways the president has upset people include backtracking on a pledge to shore-up defence spending, which led to a very public row with the head of the army.

Output: France is going on strike with the CGT announcing 180 protests and 4,000 strikes across the country to protest against President Emmanuel Macron's proposed labour reforms. Over 20,000 Ryanair passengers had their flights cancelled due to the strike with many other travellers also affected by the action. The strikes are expected to last the week. In addition to his labour reforms, decisions such as planned cuts to housing assistance for those on low incomes and backtracking on defence spending have caused Macron's popularity to plummet in the polls.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
France goes on strike over Macron's labour reforms
 Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

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More than 20,000 Ryanair passengers have had their flights on Tuesday cancelled due to a strike by French air-traffic controllers. Many other travellers are being affected by the action by members of the USAC-CGT union.

They are stopping work as part of a nationwide walk-out which constitutes the first major challenge to President Macron's sweeping labour reforms. The union says the proposed law “promises to be dangerous for employees and their representatives”.

Eurocontrol is warning of "very high delays" in the Marseille sector, covering a swathe of southern France.

Ryanair has cancelled at least 110 flights. Passengers hoping to fly from Ryanair’s main UK base, Stansted, to Barcelona, Bergerac, Blagnac, Bordeaux, Limoges, Madrid, Marseille, Palma and Perpignan, or on the return legs, are now trying to find seats on alternative services.

Recommended Ryanair cuts number of bags passengers can take on board flights

Other casualties of the strike are Luton-Nimes, Manchester-Ibiza, Leeds/Bradford-Palma and East Midlands-Barcelona.

Ryanair warns “further flight delays and cancellations are likely”. Its marketing director, Kenny Jacobs, said: “Enough is enough. If the French Government is serious about changing France, they should start by tackling these air traffic control unions, and together with the European Commission, should take immediate action to prevent thousands of European consumers from having their travel plans disrupted by a tiny group of ATC unions going on strike once again.

“They cannot stand idly by as more disruption and travel misery is inflicted upon Europe’s consumers and airlines."

British Airways has cancelled 16 flights as a result of air-traffic control restrictions over France: four services linking London with Barcelona and with Nice have been grounded, along with round-trips from Heathrow to Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Zurich.

Ryanair boss demands airports drop passport checks for departing passengers

The airline says: “Other short-haul flights may also experience some disruption, given how many flights from numerous European airlines would normally use French airspace each day.”

BA is offering passengers flying on any French route, as well as Barcelona, the option of shifting the flight to Wednesday or Thursday. It says: “We will be using larger aircraft, where possible, to help affected customers and are doing all we can to reduce the levels of disruption.”

Its rival, easyJet, says: “Like all airlines, our flights to and from French airports, as well as those flying in French airspace, could be affected.

“We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact of the strike on our customers, and we advise that you allow plenty of extra time to get to the airport and consider alternative transport options where possible, as public transport services may be affected by the strike.”

Air France is warning passengers of "limited disruptions" on domestic flights, and that "last-minute delays and cancellations can be expected too".

Passengers whose flights are cancelled should be re-booked for travel as soon as possible, even if it is on a rival airline. They are also entitled to a duty of care, with the cancelling airline responsible for meals and accommodation until they can reach their destination.

The Foreign Office is warning of “disruption and delays to transport services, including rail networks and some maritime ports”.

In Germany, dozens of Air Berlin flights have been cancelled because of "sickness-related absences" by flight crew. The airline has filed for insolvency but is being propped up by a German government loan. Air Berlin says it is "currently seeing an exceptional high number of sickness reports of their pilots".

"For this reason a number of flights will have to be cancelled today."

Output: France is going on strike with the CGT announcing 180 protests and 4,000 strikes across the country to protest against President Emmanuel Macron's proposed labour reforms. Over 20,000 Ryanair passengers had their flights cancelled due to the strike with many other travellers also affected by the action. The strikes are expected to last the week. In addition to his labour reforms, decisions such as planned cuts to housing assistance for those on low incomes and backtracking on defence spending have caused Macron's popularity to plummet in the polls.


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China to evacuate up to 500,000 people from path of Typhoon Talim
 BEIJING - Up to half a million people were expected to be evacuated from their homes in south-eastern China on Tuesday (Sept 12) as the region braced itself for a "giant" typhoon that is expected to make landfall later in the week.

Typhoon Talim was forecast to hit several cities along the central and northern sections of the Fujian coastline, including Fuzhou and Ningde, reported The South China Morning Post, citing the chief engineer at the province's meteorological bureau, Ms Liu Aiming.

Ms Liu said as many as 500,000 people would receive evacuation notices, though the exact figure was subject to change as the situation was evolving.

Most of the people lived in properties that were unlikely to withstand the high winds, or in areas that were prone to flooding and mudslides, or were close to construction sites where they could be hit by flying debris. Ms Liu said that school buildings and sports stadiums were likely to be used as temporary shelters.

Talim formed east of the Philippines on Saturday. It has been steadily gaining strength and was likely to pass through Taiwan. It was expected to have grown into a super typhoon by the time it made landfall, the highest level in China's rating system and comparable to a category 4 or 5 hurricane in the US.

The meteorological agency issued a blue alert, the lowest in a four-tier colour-coded system for severe weather, reported Reuters.

On Tuesday morning, the eye of Talim was 1,040km south-east of Taiwan's Yilan county, packing winds of up to 33 metres a second.

Talim is expected to hit north and north-east parts of Taiwan the hardest on Wednesday and into Thursday with heavy rains and strong gusts.

The storm will then move north-west at a speed of 25km to 30km an hour towards the coast of Zhejiang and Fujian, making landfall late on Thursday or early Friday, according to China's National Meteorological Centre.

From Tuesday to Wednesday, Talim will bring gales to the southern East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and waters east of Taiwan, as well as parts of the South China Sea.

The Fujian government initiated a Grade IV emergency response on Monday night, the lowest of a four-grade emergency response system.

Relevant government agencies were told to monitor Typhoon Talim and take emergency measures in a timely manner, according to a statement on the official website of Fujian province.

State-owned China News Service reported on Tuesday that Zhejiang province had also initiated a Grade IV response.

If anything unusual was detected, government agencies should issue warnings and organise evacuations, the news report said.

The National Meteorological Centre also warned of a tropical depression 205km east of Manila in the Philippines, saying it could gather strength and become a typhoon in the next 12 hours.

Floods caused by tropical storm Maring submerged many streets and highways in the Philippines on Tuesday, prompting the government to close schools and suspend work in Metro Manila and the affected provinces.

Late last month, Typhoon Hato pummelled Macau with winds of more than 200kmh and wreaked havoc in the nearby financial hub of Hong Kong.

"Talim is a giant. It will dwarf any of the others (typhoons) we've seen this year," Ms Liu told The South China Morning Post.

People who resisted orders to evacuate would be forced to do so by inspection teams, she said.

"It's routine practice. (If they were not told to evacuate) most people would just stay in their homes. Nobody hits the highway," she said, adding that she was a "bit surprised at what happened in the US".

She was referring to the mass exodus by 5 million residents from Florida last week as Hurricane Irma raced towards the coast, which caused huge jams on motorways and saw many service stations run out of fuel.

Professor Huang Peng, who teaches architecture and wind engineering at Tongji University in Shanghai and used to work at the International Hurricane Research Centre in Florida, said the different approaches adopted by China and the US to keep people safe were understandable.

"(In Florida) Most of the people live in timber properties on low-lying ground and that makes them vulnerable to high winds," he said. "And because they are spread over such a wide area, it would have been difficult to get aid and support to them in the aftermath of the hurricane," he said.

"In China, mass evacuations are usually not considered an option, but for those living in poorly built properties or at-risk locations it is better if they are relocated," he explained, adding that the population density was the reason why mass evacuations were not as popular in China.

Mr Wang Kanghong, a researcher at the meteorological disaster laboratory under the Ministry of Education in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, said the Chinese government was very selective when it came to ordering evacuations, only issuing orders if the data suggested a building was vulnerable to a typhoon.

"(However) the climate is changing. It is possible we will one day be faced with a mega-typhoon that few buildings would be able to withstand," he said.

Officials in every city had plans to deal with such a "doomsday scenario", he added.

These included the evacuation of entire cities, but there were no guarantees such a plan would work, Mr Wang told The South China Morning Post.

"There has never been a drill. Many things can go wrong."

Output: Up to 500,000 people could be evacuated from the southeastern coast of China as the region braces itself for super typhoon Talim, which is set to make landfall on Thursday or Friday this week, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre. Some buildings in the typhoon's path will be unable to withstand the high winds, while other areas are prone to flooding or mudslides. The storm system, set to become the equivalent of a US category four or five hurricane, is also expected to hit north and north-east parts of Taiwan on Wednesday.


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AI-powered camera can spot distracted drivers
 Texting while driving is an incredibly irresponsible, potentially dangerous thing to engage in. However, despite any number of laws, police initiatives and public service announcements, too many still do it. That is a problem that engineering researchers from Canada’s University of Waterloo think they have come up with a solution to — with the development of a system which uses a combination of cameras and artificial intelligence to determine when drivers are texting, or otherwise engaged in distracting activities.

“Distracted driving is one of the major causes of car crashes around the world and North America in particular,” Fakhri Karray, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Waterloo, told Digital Trends. “In this work, an artificial intelligence-based system is investigated for driver distraction detection. A full prototype [with both] software and hardware has been designed, implemented and tested, based on the latest tools of deep learning AI and computer vision. The work is motivated by its performance in designing next generation self-driving cars, and by alerting in real time a driver of the imminent danger of his or her action when undergoing text messaging, drinking, reaching objects at the back or side seats, calling on the phone, or operating a radio, [air conditioning unit], or other devices on the dashboard.”

Recommended Videos

The smart camera setup detects hand movements which deviate from normal driving behavior (i.e. hands on the wheel) and then classifies them according to their potential threat level. In addition to this, it takes into account the length of particular actions and information about the surrounding vehicles — meaning that texting on a busy highway would be ranked considerably higher in the danger stakes than, for example, turning on your air conditioning on a quiet country road. The system can then be used to trigger protective measures, which might range from warning the driver about his or her behavior to, in a car with self-driving features, temporarily taking control of the vehicle.

“ This is an integral part of a larger project on driver behavior recognition and driver action prediction for the design of next generation cognitive Advanced Drivers Assisting Systems,” Karray said. “This should contribute to the design of next generation systems to be implemented in level three or level four self-driving vehicles.”

Given that distracted drivers are reportedly to blame for up to 75 percent of traffic accidents worldwide, technology such as this could be a major benefit — not just for the drivers of these vehicles, but for everyone on the road. It’s not every day that AI could help save lives!

Editors' Recommendations

Output: Researchers at Canada's University of Waterloo have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system which uses cameras to determine whether drivers are distracted. Through the camera. the AI identifies non-standard hand movements in drivers and appraises how much of a threat they represent. The AI system will form part of a larger project on driver behaviour recognition for the design of self-driving vehicles, said Fakhri Karray, a professor at the university.


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Amazonian tribe members allegedly killed by gold miners in Brazil
 Brazilian authorities are investigating reports of a massacre of up to 10 people from an isolated tribe in the Amazon by illegal gold miners.

The killings, alleged to have taken place in Javari Valley, are claimed to have been carried out by men working for gold prospectors who dredge illegally in the region’s rivers.

If proven, the murders would confirm that severe budget cuts to Brazil’s indigenous agency are having deadly effects. The agency was forced to close two bases in the same region earlier this year. Investigators face a 12-day boat trip just to reach the area.

Pablo Beltrand, the prosecutor from the remote Amazon town of Tabatinga – near the Peruvian border and 700 miles from the Amazonas state capital, Manaus – said his team was first informed about the possible murders in the Javari Valley at the beginning of August. A fifth of Brazil’s uncontacted tribes live in this wild region.

“We received a communication from federal government,” he said. “The ongoing investigation is about the possible death of indigenous people.”

Beltrand said he could not give more information about the inquiry but said that two men arrested recently in a police and army operation into illegal gold prospecting in the area were not connected to the case.

Brazil’s National Indian Foundation, known as Funai, first sent a team of three to the small town of São Paulo de Olivença after receiving reports that men working for gold prospectors had boasted in a bar of killing a group of eight to 10 indigenous people.

Leila Sotto-Maior, coordinator for isolated and recently contacted Indians at Funai, said the men had brandished a paddle and a small bag used for carrying food that they claimed they had taken from their victims.

“They were saying they killed indigenous people and threw them in the river,” Sotto-Maior said. She emphasised that the massacre has yet to be confirmed.

“It is very difficult to investigate something like this after time [has passed]. We don’t have the bases,” she said.

Funai has had its budget almost halved this year by the business-friendly government of President Michel Temer. His government recently proposed to reduce the protected area of Amazon forest and has announced plans to allow mining and development in other protected areas.

Burnt communal houses of uncontacted Indians, pictured in December 2016, could be signs of another attack in the region. Photograph: Courtesy of Funai

Sotto-Maior’s department at Funai has less than £600,000 to spend this year protecting 103 tribes of non-contacted indigenous people across this vast country, as well as recently contacted groups. Around 20 isolated groups are believed to live in the Javari Valley, where around 80 recently contacted indigenous people also live.

“To know we do not have the capacity to stop something like this … it’s very difficult,” Sotto-Maior said.

Cleber Buzatto, executive secretary of the non-profit Indigenous Missionary Council, said cuts to Funai budgets and the closing of bases in areas with isolated tribes increased the risk of attack.

“This is a mechanism of encouragement of invasion of territories and makes attacks against isolated Indians more probable,” he said. In June, UN rights experts denounced a surge of killings related to rural land disputes in Brazil this year.

A spokeswoman for Brazil’s federal police said: “The investigation is still ongoing to ascertain the provenance of the information.”

A spokesman for the Brazilian army said an operation carried out in the same area between 28 August and 3 September had destroyed four illegal gold dredgers. The documents of two others were being analysed.

Output: Reports of the murder of up to 10 members of an isolated tribe in the Amazon by illegal gold miners are under investigation by Brazilian authorities. The killings, in Javari Valley, are alleged to have been committed by men working for gold prospectors who carry out criminal dredging in the area’s rivers. Brazil’s indigenous agency, or Funai, has seen a cut of nearly 50% to its budget this year, raising concerns about safety risks. The country’s government has also announced plans to permit mining and development in protected areas.


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UK booksellers pay 11 times as much corporation tax as Amazon
 The UK’s bookshops pay 11 times what Amazon does in corporation tax, according to a report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

The Bookselling Britain report was unveiled at the Booksellers Association’s annual conference in Birmingham on Tuesday, revealing that bookshops contribute an estimated £540m to the UK economy, and pay an estimated £131m in tax, including £12m in corporation tax. This equates to 91p per £100 of turnover, the report said, which is 11 times the 8p rate that Amazon pays, according to the CEBR. Amazon’s most recent accounts show that Amazon UK Services saw turnover rise to almost £1.5bn in 2016, while corporation tax payments dropped from £15.8m to £7.4m year on year.

The discrepancy was condemned by the Booksellers Association’s Giles Clifton, head of corporate affairs. “The BA has already highlighted the unequal treatment meted out by the business-rates system to British booksellers, the staggering 17 times differential between what the Waterstones on Bedford High Street pays in comparison with the Amazon business unit a short distance away,” said Clifton.

“However, this report helps the BA take this to the next level and to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt [that] an enormous financial gap exists between what UK booksellers put into the UK, and what Amazon does. At a time when the UK needs to be making the most of her own talents, and utilising all her resources, both cultural, economic, and other, why on earth are we persisting with a policy that is an act of gross self-harm? This stupidity must end.”

The association’s chief executive Tim Godfray added that bookshops were “making an incredible contribution to the UK despite the many obstacles that they currently, and increasingly, face”. But the contribution was “not sustainable unless decisive action is taken by the government to protect them from closure”, he said.

Godfray added: “Bookshops are currently closing at a rate of 3% per year, and 275 towns across the UK can expect to lose their bookshop completely due to changes to business rates if nothing is done. We hope that CEBR’s report encourages our government to act to protect the nation’s bookshops, and enable them to flourish.”

Figures from the BA show that there are currently 867 independent booksellers in the UK, almost half the number that existed 11 years ago. According to the CEBR report, bookshops support 24,400 jobs in the UK, and pay £416m in wages. But they are facing an “increasingly challenging trading environment”, said the report, citing Amazon’s market power and advantages, business rates and corporate taxation as issues that threaten the very existence of Britain’s local and national booksellers.

Speaking at the BA conference, CEBR director Oliver Hogan said that bricks-and-mortar bookshops had a range of advantages that Amazon did not offer, from involvement “with more reluctant readers, helping them to find books they might enjoy”, to the events they put on and the “physical interface” that “can trigger different and unpredictable exploration of themes and topics beyond what was intended”.

Hogan continued: “The Bookselling Britain report highlights the significant direct and multiplier impacts that bookshops have on the UK economy, despite facing numerous challenges. But the benefits to UK communities of local booksellers stretch beyond these monetary impacts, encompassing education, literacy and the provision of an informational and cultural conduit to society at large. All of this feeds technological progress and innovation, the key ingredients in achieving long-term economic growth.”

Clifton added: “It is high time the policymakers in this country woke up and smelt the coffee.”

Output: Amazon pays 11 times less in corporation tax than the UK’s bookshops, according to a study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The report, released at the Booksellers Association’s annual conference, disclosed that bookshops contribute £540m ($716m) to the country’s economy, and pay approximately £12m in corporation tax. This is equivalent to 91p per £100 of turnover, 11 times the 8p that Amazon contributes. Amazon UK Services has seen corporation tax payments fall from £15.8m to £7.4m year on year, despite rising profits.


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Google Oxford University researchers teach an AI to read lips
 Video: Humans prefer faulty robots over perfect ones

In the movie "2001" I found the scariest moment was when astronauts David Bowman and Frank Poole met in the EVA pod to discuss the artificially intelligent HAL 9000 computer's behavior -- and HAL reads their lips. Science fiction? Not anymore!

In the paper Lip Reading Sentences in the Wild, researchers Joon Son Chung, of Oxford University, Andrew Senior, Oriol Vinyals, and Andrew Zisserman, of Google, tested an algorithm that bested professional human lip readers. Soon, surveillance videos may not only show your actions, but the content of your speech.

Google's DeepMind

The researchers used Google's Deep Mind neural network and trained it using thousands of hours of subtitled BBC television videos. The videos showed a broad spectrum of people speaking in a wide variety of poses, activities, and lighting -- thus the "in the wild" designation.

Lip reading is an active area of AI research, and this team is not the first to work on it. But by using thousands of hours of BBC videos, their algorithm achieved the best results yet.

Their 'Watch, Listen, Attend and Spell' (WLAS) neural network learned to transcribe videos of mouth motion to characters, using over 100,000 sentences from the videos. By translating mouth movements to individual characters, the neural net spelled out words.

In training the AI, one of the team's innovations was to start out with single words, and gradually increase the length of samples to reach complete sentences. That sped up training and dramatically improved test performance.

The videos were 120x120 pixel images, showing only the lips, sampled every 40 milliseconds.

Results

They found that a professional lip reader is able to correctly decipher less than one-quarter of the spoken words. Their WAS model (lips only) was able to decipher half of the spoken words, significantly better than professional lip readers.

The Storage Bits take

There are many practical uses for machine lip reading, such as transcription in noisy contexts, dubbing and/or transcribing silent films, resolving multi-speaker concurrent speech, and improving automated speech recognition.

But let's let our imaginations run wild. With chatbots inventing their own languages, and AI surpassing human intelligence someday this century, it's clear that humans will have to cover their mouths -- as David and Frank should have -- in order to have secure verbal communication during the coming war with our AI overlords.

Or maybe we'll all just have to mumble.

Courteous comments welcome, of course.

Previous and related coverage

Output: Researchers have developed an algorithm that uses artificial intelligence to lip-read sentences more accurately than human experts. The team from Oxford University and Google used thousands of hours of subtitled BBC television footage to train the system, which used Google's Deep Mind neural network. The footage showed a broad range of people in different poses, activities and lighting conditions, replicating conditions "in the wild," as the team described it. The digital model was able to decipher around half of the spoken works from the footage, significantly better than a professional lip-reader, who managed less than a quarter.


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IBM makes a 10-year commit to fund AI research with MIT
 IBM and the Mass. Institute of Technology plan to expand their ongoing partnership to create the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab to perform research on artificial intelligence. IBM is making a 10-year, $240 million investment to establish the Cambridge, Mass. center.

The lab will harness the work of 100 scientists, professors and students to develop AI hardware, software and algorithms; increase AI’s role in industries; and consider economic and ethical considerations associated with AI.

“The field of artificial intelligence has experienced incredible growth and progress over the past decade. Yet today’s AI systems, as remarkable as they are, will require new innovations to tackle increasingly difficult real-world problems to improve our work and lives,” said John Kelly III, IBM senior vice president, Cognitive Solutions and Research. “The extremely broad and deep technical capabilities and talent at MIT and IBM are unmatched, and will lead the field of AI for at least the next decade.”

Another goal of the partnership is to help MIT staff and students create companies to commercialize and sell AI technologies and innovations developed in the lab.

“I am delighted by this new collaboration,” MIT President L. Rafael Reif said. “True breakthroughs are often the result of fresh thinking inspired by new kinds of research teams. The combined MIT and IBM talent dedicated to this new effort will bring formidable power to a field with staggering potential to advance knowledge and help solve important challenges.”

The two parties have worked together for a decade on research in areas related to AI, including machine vision and unsupervised data processing. The combined effort will further both their work in the AI field. The lab is calling for joint research proposals in AI algorithms, physics of AI, application of AI to industries and advancing shared prosperity through AI.

Output: IBM and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will build on a decade of collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) with the establishment of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts. IBM will invest $240m over 10 years, as the lab develops AI algorithms, hardware and software, and seeks "innovations to tackle increasingly difficult real-world problems to improve our work and lives," according to John Kelly III, IBM senior vice president, Cognitive Solutions and Research. The lab has already called for joint research proposals for a series of AI-related projects.


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Third of global land severely degraded due to intensive farming
 A third of the planet’s land is severely degraded and fertile soil is being lost at the rate of 24bn tonnes a year, according to a new United Nations-backed study that calls for a shift away from destructively intensive agriculture.

The alarming decline, which is forecast to continue as demand for food and productive land increases, will add to the risks of conflicts such as those seen in Sudan and Chad unless remedial actions are implemented, warns the institution behind the report.

“As the ready supply of healthy and productive land dries up and the population grows, competition is intensifying for land within countries and globally,” said Monique Barbut, executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at the launch of the Global Land Outlook.

“To minimise the losses, the outlook suggests it is in all our interests to step back and rethink how we are managing the pressures and the competition.”

The Global Land Outlook is billed as the most comprehensive study of its type, mapping the interlinked impacts of urbanisation, climate change, erosion and forest loss. But the biggest factor is the expansion of industrial farming.

Heavy tilling, multiple harvests and abundant use of agrochemicals have increased yields at the expense of long-term sustainability. In the past 20 years, agricultural production has increased threefold and the amount of irrigated land has doubled, notes a paper in the outlook by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European commission. Over time, however, this diminishes fertility and can lead to abandonment of land and ultimately desertification.

The JRC noted that decreasing productivity can be observed on 20% of the world’s cropland, 16% of forest land, 19% of grassland, and 27% of rangeland.

“Industrial agriculture is good at feeding populations but it is not sustainable. It’s like an extractive industry, said Louise Baker, external relations head of the UN body. She said the fact that a third of land is now degraded should prompt more urgent action to address the problem.

“It’s quite a scary number when you consider rates of population growth, but this is not the end of the line. If governments make smart choices the situation can improve,” Baker said, noting the positive progress made by countries like Ethiopia, which has rehabilitated 7m hectares (17m acres).

The impacts vary enormously from region to region. Worst affected is sub-Saharan Africa, but poor land management in Europe also accounts for an estimated 970m tonnes of soil loss from erosion each year with impacts not just on food production but biodiversity, carbon loss and disaster resilience. High levels of food consumption in wealthy countries such as the UK are also a major driver of soil degradation overseas.

The paper was launched at a meeting of the UNCCD in Ordos, China, where signatory nations are submitting voluntary targets to try to reduce degradation and rehabilitate more land. On Monday, Brazil and India were the latest countries to outline their plan to reach “land degradation neutrality”.

However, the study notes that pressures will continue to grow. In a series of forecasts on land use for 2050, the authors note that sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, the Middle East and north Africa will face the greatest challenges unless the world sees lower levels of meat consumption, better land regulation and improved farming efficiency.

Output: A third of the earth’s land is now severely degraded, with 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil lost each year, according to a study backed by the United Nations that argues for the rejection of destructive, intensive agriculture. The decline in fertile soil is anticipated to continue due to rising demand for food and is also expected to increase the risk of conflict similar to that seen in Chad and Sudan. The Global Land Outlook report analyses the impacts of factors including climate change, erosion, forest loss and urbanisation, but concludes that industrial farming is the most damaging of all.


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China's big banks ban new North Korean accounts
 "Previously, the banks were happy to open accounts for North Koreans living in China for personal reasons (mostly visiting relatives), provided they present their personal identity documents," the website Daily NK reported. "This practice has ended as well."

This blocks cash flow to the regime to a significant extent, while the volume of oil shipments from China to North Korea has also dwindled, Kyodo News reported Saturday. Affected are not only North Korean diplomats and officials in China but also laborers and traders with North Korean passports.

China's large state banks have stopped opening new accounts for North Koreans and frozen remittances to North Korea.

The Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Agricultural Bank of China have gradually stopped services for North Koreans in the border regions since last year, but the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China appears to be continuing them.

Chinese bank officials told Kyodo that this is a result of international sanctions against the North.

The Chinese government has also reportedly ordered commercial banks to stop services for North Koreans. It appears that the banks stopped dealing with the North voluntarily to avoid U.S. sanctions amid warnings of a secondary boycott from Washington.

With oil imports dwindling as a result, gasoline prices have reportedly soared in the North.

There is speculation that Beijing is taking tougher measure because of the regime's nuclear test on Sept. 3.

Output: China's largest banks have put a ban on allowing North Korean's to open new bank accounts, along with freezing remittances to North Korea, thereby blocking significant amounts of cash for the regime. It is believed this tough stance is due to North Korean's nuclear test on 3 September.


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Higher risk of tropical storms in UK due to Atlantic hurricanes
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Britain is due to be hit by the tail-end of up to three hurricanes or tropical storms in the next two months, said AccuWeather, one of the world's biggest weather forecasters.

Hurricane Irma is hammering Florida today after devastating Caribbean islands, leaving at least three people dead as the storm slams into Key West.

Britain more at risk this autumn – with this forecast to be the worst hurricane season for seven years, the US Government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

Battered homes are a possibility, as well as trees and floods blocking road and rail lines.

This satellite image obtained from NASA's Earth Observatory shows Hurricane Irma (centre), Hurricane Jose (right), and Hurricane Katia (left)

Ominous-looking storm clouds gather over Poole harbour, in Dorset, which stunned locals as it passed overhead earlier on today. Britain is due to be hit by the tail end of up to three hurricanes or tropical storms in the next two months

Darkening clouds gather over pool: The Met Office has downplayed fears Britain is set to be battered by hurricane-strength weather churning across from the US

Locals gather on a pier as foreboding clouds collected above them in Poole, Dorset. Forecaster Helen Roberts told MailOnline: 'We have often got the remnants of hurricanes coming across the Atlantic to the UK

Britain has already been hit by a hurricane this season – Hurricane Gert — which swept across the Atlantic to deluge the North on August 20.

Previous hurricane-based storms which crossed the Atlantic to hammer Britain include Hurricane Bertha in August 2014, which hit with gusts up to 94mph, six inches' rain and floods.

September's 2012's 'Child of Hurricane Nadine' tempest killed one and caused floods, and September 2011's Hurricane Katia caused one death amid gusts up to 98mph, with floods and widespread travel chaos.

The Met Office said Britain won't be battered by weather as severe as that which is slamming the US and Caribbean, but could face winds of up to 70mph this week.

Forecaster Helen Roberts told MailOnline: 'We have often got the remnants of hurricanes coming across the Atlantic to the UK.

'But when they reach us they are very different beasts.'

Britons can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the ferocity of storms that have battered the Caribbean and Florida will not be replicated in the UK

Britain has already been hit by a hurricane this season – Hurricane Gert — which swept across the Atlantic to deluge the North on August 20

This is the ridiculous moment the driver of a convertible Vauxhall Tigra uses an umbrella to stay dry – rather than closing the roof on the M4 near Brentford, London

A yellow weather warning has been issued for southern parts of Wales and and the south-west of England from 12am tonight through to 11am tomorrow morning

It means Britons can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the ferocity of storms that have battered the Caribbean and Florida won't be replayed in the UK.

Over the course of today and night, the forecaster said the UK is set for more unsettled weather.

'For the rest of today a weather front is pushing west to east across the county, bringing spells of rain for many.

'The rain won't really reach the south east until later in the day — followed by further blustery showers.'

The forecaster added there is a risk of hail in parts and 'really blustery' showers should be expected.

Revellers at Bestival have been faced with rains and high winds this weekend.

Today the festival, which is taking place in Dorset for the first time this year, was forced to close its main area due to poor conditions.

Organisers tweeted: 'Due to current high winds and safety of all our festival-goers The Castle Stage and Ambient Forest are both temporarily closed.

'We'll reopen the stages and areas as soon as possible. Due to high winds & for everyone's safety the main arena is temporarily closed. Please make your way to the campsites until we reopen gates.'

The stages have now reopened but festival-goers have had to battle huge swamped areas and rain storms throughout the weekend.

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A yellow weather warning has been issued for southern parts of Wales and and the south-west of England from 12am tonight through to 11am tomorrow morning.

Strong winds will continue across much of Wales tomorrow morning, indicating a 'tricky rush' for commuters.

Most of the UK will experience sunshine a showers throughout much of Monday.

Ms Roberts added: 'Tuesday is probably one of the better days of the week, more in the way of sunny spells, but there still be some showers in between.'

Temperatures are expected to reach highs of 62.6°F (17°C) on Tuesday, and remain in the mid to high teens throughout much of next week.

But a lower pressure system arriving on the night could bring stormier and colder-feeling weather along with it, with wind gusts reaching up to 70mph in parts of northern England and northern Wales.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst predicted an 'unsettled autumn day' across the country throughout the day.

A second area of low pressure coming in from the Atlantic is expected to bring more strong winds on Tuesday night, lasting into Wednesday morning.

He said: 'It is likely to bring winds across many parts of England and Wales on Tuesday and Wednesday of between 50mph and 60mph, with isolated gusts reaching 70mph.

'It could cause disruption to Wednesday morning rush hour and there could be some heavy rain associated with it as well.'

Output: The UK is at greater risk of being hit by hurricane-based storms this Autumn, warns AccuWeather, as it faces the tail-end of up to three hurricanes or tropical storms - including Hurricane Irma - over the next two months. While battered homes, flooding, and blocked rail lines and roads are a possibility during the season, the Met Office, which predicted possible winds of up to 70 mph this week, reiterated that the UK will not be battered as severely as the Caribbean and Florida.


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UK software firm CDL opens insurtech incubator
 Software house says incubator will support start-up ideas and accelerate time to market for new technology developments.

CDL has launched the CDL Incubator, a provision to support start-up ideas and accelerate the development of innovative new technologies for the insurance sector and beyond.

The software specialists stated that the move is one of a number of new initiatives to increase investment in research and development as the company continues to build its portfolio of InsurTech solutions and capabilities.

According to CDL, the new incubator creates a framework for continuous innovation which will

Output: Insurtech software provider CDL has established the CDL Incubator to support start-ups in the sector. The Stockport-based firm hopes to inspire investment into research and development as it expands its capabilities. CDL recently launched a chatbot option for customers to create tailored car and home insurance quotes with their mobiles.


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Licensing laws limiting London's ability to be 24-hour city
 In 2016, concerned about drug-related deaths at clubs in London, councillors for the borough of Islington and the local police force revoked London super club and cultural institution Fabric’s license.

The debate attracted attention, partly because it was a microcosm of simmering tensions within cities between governments and the people whose lives they regulated, and partly because of the widespread public outcry from clubbers and DJs. At the time, in leaked emails obtained by Mixmag, Justine Simons, Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for culture, said that the row showed that London needed “a new positive vision around nightlife”.

In July of this year, Khan responded by launching a plan to make London a 24 hour city. The plan – created with the Night Time Commission, a body designed to examine the growth of the night time economy – promised to help London “compete with the likes of Berlin, Tokyo, and New York”. It laid out 10 principles such as promoting night time activities other than clubs, and attracting investment and tourism to an industry already worth £26.3bn.

An all-night London is not as farfetched as it sounds – the 2003 Licensing Act has already given local councils the ability to approve 24 hour licenses for venue.

But barely any councils in London have approved those requests. A 2013 review of the licencing act then found that 7,672 such licenses had been granted to venues around the UK. Only 12 per cent of those licenses were to pubs and clubs: 45 per cent of them had been granted to hotel bars, most of which were only open to guests.

And as recently as 2015, Hackney council designated the vibrant area of Dalston as a “Special Policy Area” (despite opposition from 84 per cent of residents) where no new bars or clubs will have late licenses approved, and already existing venues may have to starting closing at midnight on weekends. While Fabric eventually reopened its doors (with far stricter door protocol), local cuts, increasing disapproval from local councils and rising rents might stifle Khan’s vision of a 24 hour city.

The introduction of the Night Tube at weekends was definitely a step in the right direction: it meant fewer nights out in central London finished at 11.30pm, as people rushed to get the last tube home. But as is increasingly obvious, there might not be much point in having a 24 hour tube if there’s nowhere open after 2am.

Khan and the Night Time Commission are obviously hoping that London will soon be able to stay up all night – but what would it look like in practice? In a feature with Resident Advisor in 2016, Alan Miller, who set up the groundbreaking Night Time Industries Association, pointed out that much of the conversation in Britain treats the night time economy as negative. He contrasted this with the way it’s discussed in other cultural capitals around the world, as “a benefit with revenue, employment and culture”.

In Amsterdam, night life venues are given 24-hour licenses to enable them to be restaurants, installation spaces and cafes by day. Such spaces are treated like a valuable commodity, as opposed to a strain on the city’s resources. In Berlin, clubs stay open for the whole weekend and licensing laws let you have a meal whenever you want, leading people to bring backpacks of clothes, a toothbrush and phone chargers on their nights out: many start with a beer at 6 pm and stay out all night, often for days at a time.

In London, venues like the Bussey Building / CLF Art Cafe could play a similar role – but these aren’t treated with the same value as their counterparts in other European cities, instead seen as a place for young people to indulge in hedonism and then leave.

But there are a whole host of practical reasons why 24 hour licensing might be a blessing. It might even make life easier for local police if there are staggered closing times for your local: part of the reason why the 2003 Licensing Act was introduced was in order to minimise public disruption, as drunk patrons all left pubs around the ripe old hour of 11pm.

More late licences might also mean an end to those days of wandering from a nice quiet pub down the high street until you find a bar that’s open later (generally one with a light up dance floor, a DJ spinning Katy Perry so loud you can’t hear, and a half an hour wait to get a pint).

Restaurants around London could benefit too; late night refreshment comes under the late license policy. Alan Miller pointed out in an article with Eater London that other cities around the world enable kitchens to stay open as late as 4 am.

Given the current state of London’s night time food, it’s almost painful to picture the possibilities if restaurants could stay open later – like good greasy pizza slices after you’ve had your last pint, or even vegan and vegetarian options that don’t amount to paying £4 for a pile of greasy chips because that’s all most places seem to have after a night out.

It could also mean that cultural events such as museum lates run by the Tate, which have seen a great uptick in interest, could run more frequently and for longer, making it possible to leave work or university, head to a Late with a friend, grab some food and then head out to go clubbing or grab a drink, without worrying about pubs closing or missing last entry.

Currently, Late events of that sort tend to run for a couple of hours after the normal working day, to stay within their local council’s late license regulations. July’s Art Night, run across different art spaces throughout one day and night this past July, was a successful example, and could be replicated across the city in the future.

As shown by the furore over Fabric’s license, local police and regulators are often quick to pin the blame of individual instances onto the nightlife scene as a whole – the local police even had an undercover operation, known as Lenor, a reference to the fabric softener, which they used evidence from to argue that the club should be shut down. When the Act was enacted in 2005, many thought it would lead to increases in binge drinking, crime and disorderly behaviour – Miller pointed out that many of those feared outcomes actually didn’t happen.

This kind of overhaul is going to take more than just police forces, local councils and businesses learning to work together. There’s going to have to be a cultural shift too. “We have to break this late-night taboo that we have in London,” Dalston club owner Dan Beaumont told Resident Advisor. “We have to learn how to be permissive, because I think we’ve forgotten how to do it. And these cultural reserves are going to dry up if we don’t invest in them.”

Output: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s plans to make London a 24-hour city are being hampered by councils rejecting applications for 24-hour licences for venues. The introduction of the night tube service could help to attract investment to the £26.3bn ($35bn) night-time economy, but the lack of venues is halting growth. The 24-hour approach could also alleviate pressure on the police to manage post-closing time crowds. Investment could rejuvenate museums, restaurants and more, but the change has to be supported by local councils and businesses.


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High street agent declare themselves open to bitcoin
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A high street lettings agent is the latest to be converted to Bitcoins.

David Allen, of Worcestershire-based Property Plus, said he would allow agency fees and deposits to be paid in Bitcoins, as well as sterling.

Rent will still need to be paid in pounds.

He said: “I would not expect a great demand to start with but I would encourage as many businesses as possible to get involved with the currency because I like the idea of ‘sound money’ and don’t like this debt based system that we currently have.”

London developer The Collective said it would start accepting Bitcoin for deposits this week and rents later this year.

Bitcoin is a decentralised virtual currency or cryptocurrency that has emerged in recent years. They are created or “mined” using a complicated code devised by mysterious founder Satoshi Nakomoto.

Proponents of the currency argue it is safer than traditional or fiat money as it can’t be interfered with by Governments or banks. Transactions are instant, don’t require a payment system such as VISA or MasterCard and can be tracked using each coin’s unique code on a central ledger known as the blockchain.

It works based on supply and demand but can be extremely volatile and subject to wild swings if regulators restrict its use or a platform fails. It has been particularly popular in China when limits have been placed on how much local currency can leave the country.

Output: UK property firm Property Plus will allow agency fees and deposits to be made in bitcoins along with standard fiat currency. Rent will still be collected in pound sterling. Co-living specialist developer, The Collective, has also said it will accept the cryptocurrency for deposits, and plans to make rents payable in bitcoin from later in 2017.


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NHS seeking to digitise patient access to its services
 Jeremy Hunt is to pledge that every patient in England should be able to access their medical records and book an appointment with a GP via an app by the end of 2018.

The health secretary will use his speech at an NHS conference on Tuesday to promise the national rollout of an integrated app, which patients will also be able to use for ordering repeat prescriptions and accessing NHS 111 – the non-emergency medical helpline.

Speaking at the Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester, he is expected to unveil the key expectations he wants to see rolled out across the NHS by the end of its 70th birthday year in 2018.

Hunt will also refer to the next 10 years as “the decade of patient power”.

He is expected to say: “People should be able to access their own medical records 24/7, show their full medical history to anyone they choose and book basic services like GP appointments or repeat prescriptions online.

“I do not underestimate the challenge of getting there – but if we do it will be the best possible 70th birthday present from the NHS to its patients.”

Pilot schemes, which are a part of the £4.2bn personalised health and care 2020 programme announced by the health secretary last year, are already under way.

In south-east London, patients can access NHS 111, book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions and receive online consultations with their GP all via a smartphone.

Evaluation of the pilots is ongoing and, if they are successful, there will be a national rollout of the programmes in the coming months.

There has also been success with online trials supporting those with long-term conditions – such as the app MyCOPD, which is intended to help patients manage their condition independently and give them more freedom and less reliance on GP and hospital appointments. The ambition is that this level of digitally led treatment should be available universally.

Imelda Redmond, national director of Healthwatch England, welcomed the plans, saying the vision “directly addresses” what the public wants from a modern NHS.

She added: “It is a huge step forward in ensuring all of us get the sort of integrated service we have come to expect in many other areas of life.”

Output: UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce plans for granting NHS patients digital access to their medical records, as well as enabling the booking of GP appointments via an app, by the end of next year. Hunt plans to roll out an integrated app that will facilitate repeat prescription requests and access to non-emergency line NHS 111. The scheme has already been piloted as part of the £4.2bn budget for personalised health.


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The solar industry shows off its high-performance products
 LONGi Solar’s all mono 3.0 era modules provides mainstream benchmark

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member LONGi Solar, and the world’s largest manufacturer of monocrystalline solar cells & modules, will introduce its 300W+ solar module series, based on 60-cell standard modules with over 300W nominal power and 72-cell modules exceeding 360W at Solar Power International. This marks the entry into the PV 3.0 era, which is based on solar modules with nominal power ratings above 300W that are becoming available in large quantities this year, as the pioneers in production of high efficiency, high quality solar cells, such as mono PERC, are reaching GW-size production levels. “PV 3.0 means that we are entering a phase that enables solar investors to use high efficiency, high quality and high energy yield crystalline modules of over 300 W nominal power for their solar installations,” said Mr. Zhengguo Li, President and Founder of LONGi Group. The PV 3.0 era follows on PV 2.0 and PV 1.0, which in simple terms are defined as periods when modules had power ratings between 100 W and 300 W (PV 2.0), and solar panel power was below 100 W (PV 1.0). The nominal power rating has been the key differentiator of solar modules since their introduction in the 1950s – and that’s what module customers pay for. High efficiency, high quality and high energy yield solar modules with power ratings above 300W will enable sustainable solar system designs that provide competitive levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) generation. These technologies are not limited to the monofacial P-type PERC cells (Hi-MO1), but also the innovative bifacial P-type PERC in the form of its Hi-MO2 modules.

Hanwha Q CELLS launches Q.PEAK DUO with half-cut PERC cell technology

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS, and the largest producer of PERC cell technology has saved a world premiere for SPI attendees with the launch of its Q.PEAK DUO module series, which combines half-cut cell technology, six-bus-bars and the company’s proprietary ‘Q.ANTUM’ PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) technology. As a result, the monocrystalline modules reach efficiencies of close to 20% and power outputs of up to 330Wp from 120 half-cells and up to 395Wp from 144 half-cells. “Hanwha Q CELLS will be setting another benchmark in terms of high-end performance and reliability of crystalline solar modules under real-life conditions”, said Seong Woo Nam, Chairman and CEO of Hanwha Q CELLS. “US customers and investors are looking for the highest possible yields and reliability from a bankable partner.”

Lumeta Solar touts lowest installed cost hi-performance modules

California-based PV module manufacturer Lumeta Solar LLC is launching its ‘Lumeta Lynx’ line of solar modules that eliminate racking resulting in faster installation, zero roof penetrations, and improved aesthetics at SPI this year. The low-profile, black-on-black, frameless monocrystalline modules adhere directly to the roof, dramatically reducing module installation time on tile, shingle, and commercial roofs. “Lumeta Lynx offers the lowest installed cost and is more attractive than traditional rack-mounted solar modules,” said CEO and founder Timothy Davey. “Our product grew from customer demands for solar without roof penetrations, and has been redesigned to meet the needs of residential and commercial solar professionals.” The Lumeta Lynx 60 is a high-peformance 300W 18.1% efficient module that is designed for both tile roofs, where it is installed using inserts that create a level surface, and composition shingle roofs. The Lumeta Lynx 72 is a 360W 18.3% efficient module designed for installation on almost all commercial roof systems. Lumeta Lynx will begin shipping to select partners in Q4 2017 and be available throughout the United States in Q1 2018. The Lumeta Lynx module series is said to weigh less than half of glass-fronted modules with racking, and their construction uses Dupont's ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) that replaces the glass front sheet and enables heat dissipation and a FRP (fiber reinforced polymer) semi-rigid back sheet protects the cells.

CertainTeed Solar highlighting 60 and 72-cell solar modules with max 365W

CertainTeed Solar has several upgraded products and an enhanced installer programs being showcased at SPI. The company is highlighting its US Series 60 and 72-cell solar modules, which have a maximum power output of 305W, while 72 cell modules reach up to 365W.

All US Series modules are American-made using domestic and foreign components, and rank among the most efficient solar modules manufactured in the United States. The modules are available individually or as part of CertainTeed's Solstice system, which includes the components necessary for rooftop installation.

Mission Solar Energy has eyes on AC and heterojunction modules

Mission Solar Energy is displaying three new products at SPI, including AC and heterojunction (HJ) modules. The heterojunction and AC technologies are anticipated to attract attention for their higher panel power, increased lifetimes, and more stringent fire ratings.

“Our line of AC and heterojunction modules feature the very best of solar technology. We are gauging customer interest in these products, and based on market response, mass-production could begin as early as Q1 2018,” said Jae Yang, President of Mission Solar Energy. In the 72-cell format, Mission Solar’s MSE HJT 72 Elite series module featuring Heterojunction technology produces 460W of power with a bifacial boost. The Elite consists of strong dual glass construction, not only durable but also aesthetically pleasing. This module has the ability to withstand high wind load, has a Class A fire rating, and a low thermal co-efficient. The MSE PERC 60 AC module has an integrated micro inverter, which shortens installation time, simplifies inventory management, and maximizes system production in shady conditions.

Panel-level performance monitoring is another key advantage of the PERC AC. This module is tested and certified against a >210mph wind load, making it ideal for all locations.

Solaria launches ‘PowerVision’-150 to transform building structures

Solaria Corporation is introducing its ‘PowerVision’-150 product to the electrical and solar distributor markets, which is said to be endorsed by leading glass and fabrication companies including Pilkington, AGC, and Walters & Wolf. “By reimagining commercial and residential building structures, Solaria has devised its PowerVision glass in inventive new ways so that nearly every aspect of a building envelope —beyond the rooftop— can generate electricity,” said Nick Bagatelos, President of Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems, Inc. “PowerVision builds on the success of PowerXT to enable building owners and developers to turn skylights, windows and building facades into electricity-generating assets.” Solaria’s unique solar cell process technology has allowed the company to develop vision glass that can be used in locations not typically associated with solar panels; these include skylights, patios, and window openings, providing a see-through surface that generates electricity.

JinkoSolar brings half-cut cell and bifacial technology to US

Output: Solar Power International 2017 in Las Vegas has showcased a significant number of businesses in the solar industry that offer cutting-edge technology. The world's largest manufacturer of monocrystalline solar cells and modules, LONGi Solar, has shown off its 300 W+ solar module series, which will enable solar systems to provide electricity generation at a competitive cost. In addition, Solaria launched its PowerVision-150, which enables building owners to turn a physical structure into an electricity-generating asset.


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Chubb, App in the Air lead partnership on flight delay product
 LONDON, Sept. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb and App in the Air today announced the launch of Flight Delay Insurance, an innovative new insurance cover for airline travellers. Underwritten by Chubb European Group in partnership with Swiss Re and FlightStats, the proposition will be offered to UK App in the Air users through their personal travel assistant app.

Flight Delay Insurance covers the additional costs and inconvenience travellers may face when their flight is cancelled, diverted or delayed and will pay out sooner than they might typically expect to receive compensation from their airline carrier. For example, under current EU legislation, passengers travelling from within the EU must be delayed by at least three hours before they are eligible for any compensation and this only applies if you are travelling with an EU-based carrier. Flight Delay Insurance will pay out sooner, applies to flights outside the EU, and is intended to cover unexpected costs incurred, for example a taxi, fees for a lounge, snacks, meals, refreshments, books, magazines, or any other expenses.

App in the Air users will be offered Flight Delay Insurance for each eligible flight shown on their itinerary. Customers receive £100 compensation if they are delayed by more than an hour and in some instances as little as 30 or 45 minutes. Flight cancellations and diversions automatically trigger £100 payment.

Claims are validated in real time using data from FlightStats, a leading provider of real-time global flight data to consumers and the travel industry, and paid directly into the customer's PayPal or bank account, or credited to their debit or credit card, typically within an hour, but at the latest within 72 hours of arriving at their destination.

Commenting on the launch, Alex Blake, Senior Vice-President and Global Head of Travel Insurance at Chubb, said:

"This exciting new proposition, launched in partnership with Swiss Re, FlightStats and App in the Air, marks an important step in our strategy to develop new and innovative ways to reach more customers with very tailored and relevant insurance offers. It also addresses a previously unmet customer need, having been designed specifically to pay out when they may not otherwise be eligible for compensation from their airline carrier.

"Being able to assess claims automatically in real time, without any action on the side of the customer - such as obtaining proof of the incident - and then pay the claim directly to their PayPal or nominated bank account, debit or credit card, we think will be an appealing feature and provide the level of service we all now expect in our ever-increasing online, digital lives."

Bayram Annakov, CEO of App in the Air said:

"Working in conjunction with Chubb and Swiss Re has enabled us to develop a proposition that addresses a real and increasing customer need. This is exactly the kind of positive experience we want to provide to App in the Air users."

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com/uk

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160121/324916LOGO

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http://www.acegroup.com/eu-en

SOURCE Chubb

Output: Global insurance company Chubb has teamed up with App in the Air, Swiss Re and FlightStats to launch Flight Delay Insurance, which aims to deliver swift compensation to App in the Air users for cancelled, diverted or delayed flights and additional costs incurred. The product proposes to pay out ahead of rival policies, as claims are validated in real time using FlightStats' data with no need to provide proof of the incident, and paid directly to customers' bank or PayPal account. Flight Delay Insurance can also be applied to flights outside the European Union.


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QuantHouse platform seeks to boost open API use by quants
 Trading systems provider QuantHouse has launched an initiative to improve industry uptake of open API systems to add value to the trading process.

The ‘qh API Ecosystem’, launched today, is designed to accelerate adoption of multi-asset class API solutions. The initiative wants to assist fintech providers to turn their software and hardware products into global, on-demand solutions via open APIs (application programming interface).

QuantHouse said current industry models with per-customer implementation are slow, costly and place a significant burden on firms. With an API, vendors can deploy their products to clients rapidly through the Internet.

Stephane Leroy, co-founder and chief revenue officer at QuantHouse, said: “The concept of the QuantHouse API Ecosystem is simple; in the same way that other companies have successfully connected human traders in the 90’s through instant messaging systems, we are bringing together the next generation of automated quant traders through API’s. Providers of API based innovative solutions will benefit from enhanced business opportunities through our established global community of clients and prospects.”

The API Ecosystem currently features over 500 market participants and hopes to enable them to gain access to multiple trading venues, technologies and applications and reduce the time to market for new services.

Output: Trading systems firm QuantHouse is trying to stimulate fintech usage in the quant trading industry with a push to increase adoption of open application programming interfaces (APIs), the mechanisms that allow various platforms and other digital services to integrate with each other. Its QuantHouse qh API Ecosystem is being touted as an answer to streamlining fintech adoption and use. "In the same way that other companies have successfully connected human traders in the 1990s through instant messaging systems, we are bringing together the next generation of automated quant traders through APIs," said chief revenue officer Stephane Leroy.


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Majority of US adults use VPNs
 Anyone who has used or taken a look at VyrVPN…

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Output: Some 65% of working adults in the US have used corporate or personal virtual private networks (VPNs), according to a report from Wombat Security. In the UK, 44% had used a VPN and 33% did not know what a VPN was at all. In contrast, just 16% of US respondents were unaware of what a VPN was. The disparity between UK and US usage of VPNs could be because a higher proportion (71%) of US respondents use a personal device to work from home; among UK respondents, the figure was just 39%.


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Best Buy pulls Kaspersky software amid Kremlin influence concerns
 Electronics retailer Best Buy will no longer sell security software from Russian internet security company Kaspersky Lab after concerns that the company could be unduly influenced by the Russian government.

This summer, the Moscow-based cybersecurity company has faced a series of allegations that it could be influenced by the Kremlin. During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in May, the heads of the six major US intelligence agencies all said that they wouldn’t be comfortable with the software being used on their computers. In July, the US Senate Armed Services Committee specifically proposed prohibiting the Department of Defense from utilizing Kaspersky Lab products, “due to reports that the Moscow-based company might be vulnerable to Russian government influence,” while the Committee on Science, Space and Technology for the US House of Representatives requested that all 22 government agencies share their documentation and communications regarding the company, according to a report from Reuters.

This could be troubling news for consumers, because the product is widely used, according to an article on NPR. Because of those concerns, Best Buy decided to stop selling the product, a “decision prompted by media reports, congressional testimony, and industry discussion,” according to the Star Tribune, and that while the company didn’t conduct a formal investigation, it “felt there were too many unanswered questions” concerning it. A Best Buy spokesperson told The Verge in an email that the Tribune’s article is accurate, but wouldn’t comment further on specific vendors. The company will allow customers who have purchased the software or who have active subscriptions to exchange it for another product within the next 45 days.

Output: US retailer Best Buy has stopped selling security software made by Kaspersky Lab after several US government officials, including the heads of the six major intelligence agencies, expressed fears the "Moscow-based company might be vulnerable to Russian government influence", according to Reuters. A Best Buy spokesperson said customers who bought the software or have active subscriptions can exchange them for alternative products in the next 45 days. Kaspersky Lab denied the allegations and said it had "never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyber espionage or offensive cyber efforts".


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UN agency wants single database of all drones
 The United Nations' aviation agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), plans to support a single worldwide drone registry. This singular ledger would be easier for law enforcement to sift through than each country's individual UAV ledger.

That might irk US hobbyists, who fought and defeated the FAA in court when it passed a law to force drone owners to sign up for an American registry. The contentious case ended in a decision that classified non-commercial drones as model aircraft, which don't need to be nationally registered. Whether the US drone community cooperates with ICAO's registry is another question.

Conceivably, the UN agency could run the database itself, though no department has been officially tasked to do it. But the registry is likely a precursor to the global regulations on drone flying and tracking that ICAO has been asked to help create, according to Reuters. They could pattern their rules after any of three likely examples: The US's regulations for commercial UAVs, China's registration rules or the anticipated set coming out of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

But the skies only keep getting busier. In the aftermath of hurricane Harvey and the impending Irma, a record number of drones operated by state and local agencies have been speedily greenlit to fly by the FAA, which is finding new ways to parse out legitimate UAV activity from illegal flights.

Output: The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the UN's aviation agency, is set to support the creation of a global database of drone users, a move likely to precede regulations on drone tracking and flying, which the ICAO has been asked to help draft. The US Federal Aviation Administration recently lost a legal battle against hobbyist fliers, after a court ruled non-commercial drones should be classified as model aircraft and not subject to registration.


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Google plans new dashboard to help users control data privacy
 If you want to understand and tweak how Google uses your private data, the internet giant hopes to make it a bit easier soon with a new dashboard that works better on mobile devices.

The dashboard already lets you see what data Google stores about you, like websites you've opened with the Chrome web browser and destinations that Google Maps thinks you've visited. And you can nudge Google's approach to personalized advertisements.

The mobile-friendly version of the site will arrive "in coming days," Google product manager Greg Fair said in a blog post Friday.

"We redesigned Dashboard from the ground up. The most important change was to improve usability on touchscreens, ensuring Dashboard works well on any device. We also worked to make it easier to see an overview of the Google products you use and your data in each of them. And we made the process for downloading data much easier," Fair said. "It should always be easy for you to make meaningful decisions about your data -- and we decided we could do better."

Online privacy is a big deal, especially with companies like Google, Facebook, Apple , Amazon and Microsoft offering ever more personal services and trying to target ads at just what you're interested in.

Google is trying to get a better handle on what we all want when it comes to privacy, though. It interviewed more than 4,000 people in 2016 to try to learn what's needed.

Output: Google is launching a mobile-friendly version of its dashboard to make it easier to control how the company uses private data, such as internet history and mobile users' physical locations in Google Maps. The redesigned service will be easier to use on touchscreens, making it more suitable for all devices, including mobiles and tablets. There will also be changes to Google's approach to data relating to personalised ads. The company has recently been researching what customers want from privacy, conducting over 4,000 interviews with people on the subject in 2016.


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Land Registry seeks IT specialists to lead move to digital
 The Land Registry is on the hunt for a team of specialists as it seeks to bolster its digital, data and technology directorate.

The organisation - which keeps an up-to-date register of property transactions in England and Wales - was earmarked for privatisation until a government u-turn at the last Autumn Statement saw ministers instead vow to focus on turning the Land Registery into “a more digital data-driven registration business” in the public sector. MPs, unions and campaigners had warned that privatisation could create serious conflicts of interest in the property market and undermine public access to data.

With its future in the public hands now more certain, the agency is working on a new business strategy which it says will help it move “towards a fully digital register”, with plans to digitise “more than 95%” of its daily transactions.

Related articles

The Land Registry has already launched a range of large-scale digital projects in recent years, including the UK's first House Price Index - a joint project with the Office for National Statistics and Land Registry's Scottish and Nothern Irish counterparts - as well as MapSearch, a tool giving customers access to a free online mapping tool to check property and land registration.

As part of its ongoing transformation programme, the Land Registry is now seeking to recruit 13 new IT and digital specialists for its Plymouth headquarters, with chief executive Graham Farrant saying the new hires should be “dynamic, resourceful and ambitious individuals” who will help the organisation become “responsive, market-leading and exceptional”.

The senior executive officer-level roles up for grabs - all of which offer salaries ranging from £38,876 - £42,443 - include six technical delivery lead posts; an infrastructure delivery lead; three test managers; and five senior software engineers.

According to a job specification posted online, all recruits will be expected to “aid HMLR in its vision in becoming a more digital data-driven registration organisation”, with test managers in particular tasked with challenging and supporting the agency as it seeks to build in-house skills.

“You will be responsible for developing capability within the test discipline and increasing knowledge and understanding of the importance of building in quality across the wider development community,” the specification states.

All candidates are, it says, expected to have “experience in leading and developing team collaboration, setting direction and vision” and must hold either a formal IT qualification or have “significant experience in an IT field” to be eligible.

Those interested in applying have until October 2 to put their names forwards, with interviews set to kick off on October 23.

Output: The Land Registry is recruiting 13 IT specialists to improve its digital data capabilities. The government had planned to privatise the public agency but dropped the idea after concerns were raised about potential conflicts of interest and a possible threat to public access to data. The registry is now focusing on becoming a "more digital data-driven registration business" with plans to digitise more than 95% of its daily transactions and move towards being a fully digital register. The registry has already launched several digital projects, such as a house price index and an online mapping tool.


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TalkTalk Openreach set to reduce price of GEA Cablelink
 Openreach to massively reduce GEA cablelink fees

The GEA cablelink is a small but critical part of the Openreach VDSL2 and FTTP puzzle that comprise the GEA product range and while a one off cost of £2,000 may seem small, once you add up the cost of needing to pay that in some 1,200 locations if you want to provide full national coverage via your own backhaul network (as oppossed to buying aggregated links from BT Wholesale) then the sums soon start adding up.

On 6th October 2017 the Openreach price list indicates that the old 1 Gigabit fibre GEA cablelink will drop in price from £2,000 down to £790 and more importantly the 10 Gbps version will drop even more from £10,000 down to £1,800. The 10 Gbps price point is the most important moving forward as it makes adding capacity to deal with GEA-FTTP customers and G.fast customers who may have 160 Mbps to 330 Mbps connections and FTTP should soon have a 1 Gbps option a lot cheaper.

It will be interesting to see if the LLU operators use this price change to start selling the GEA-FTTP products and with counties like Herefordshire, Powys and Gwynedd all having 10 to 11% coverage and increasing. The LLU providers if they don't start selling GEA-FTTP soon run the risk of losing ADSL2+ customers who are keen to upgrade to faster services. To date lots of the rural areas getting FTTP have been exchanges that were never unbundled but that is changing and places like Bristol are starting to see growth in the GEA-FTTP footprint.

The GEA connection (£49+VAT) and migration fees (£11+VAT) have been fairly static for a while, but what many don't realise is that the original 40/2 product has not changed its £6.90+VAT per month price since 2009. The GEA-FTTC 40/10 product is due to see a drop in pricing in 2018 so its current £7.40+VAT per month that has been in place since 2011 will soon change, and its this anticipated drop that has seen TalkTalk switch its customers to the better upload version, leaving Plusnet as the last of the large providers using the bargain basement service - which if prices change as expected will be more expensive than the 40/10 service in 2018.

All the figures in this article only cover the Openreach segments of the network, so BT Wholesale adds its costs for running its network and similar for TalkTalk and Sky, put simply even though providers core networks are cheap to run they are expensive to setup and scaling them to ensure a reliable and consistent service across this core fibre network does cost money.

Another welcome change in October is that Openreach is dropping the held to term charges, so the minimum contract term for a new GEA-FTTC connection will drop from 12 months to just one month. Its unlikely that we will see the biggest operators drop their 12/18 month terms as they use these periods to spread the cost of hardware and acquisition, but we might see more 1 month rolling contract options with higher setup fees to cover the hardware cost from the small to medium providers.

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Output: UK network operator Openreach is to reduce the fees for its GEA Cablelink. The one gigabit version will drop from £2,000 to £790 and the 10 Gbps option will drop from £10,000 to £1,800. The company is aiming to reach GEA-FTTP and G.fast customers looking for capacity with the changes, according to one commentator.


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Cordant recruitment firm becomes social enterprise
 One of the UK’s largest recruitment firms is to tear up its 60-year-old structure and become a “social enterprise” with a pay cap and profit-sharing plan, in a move the family who own the company hope will inspire others businesses to follow suit.

Cordant, which sends 125,000 temporary staff every year to work for 5,000 clients such as Amazon and Tesco, will announce the radical overhaul this week.

Its largest shareholder, Phillip Ullmann, whose father founded the Cordant Group in 1957, said he hoped to convince clients to follow suit by improving workers’ conditions, predicting a Brexit-related shortage of workers that would give low-paid staff more bargaining power.

The new ethos, cemented by a change to the company’s articles of association, will include a fixed limit on its pay ratio, the gap between its highest- and lowest-paid employees.

Top earners will not be able to take home more than 20 times the salary of its lowest-paid staff, some of whom earn the minimum wage, effectively meaning a salary cap of £400,000.

There will also be a ceiling on dividends paid to its owners, several branches of the Ullmann family, who will not be able take more than £3m out of the business between them in any single year.

Profit, above what is paid to shareholders, will be shared with the company’s 1,500 permanent staff, while company money will be channelled into projects that “address the needs of society”, Cordant said.

It has yet to finalise its plans but this will include offering staff and IT systems to the NHS at cost rather than for profit, which it says will save the health service “millions of pounds”.

Cordant also plans to plough cash into education initiatives to help teachers and improve workplace skills.

As well as overhauling its own model, the company hopes in time to convince some of its clients to adopt similar measures, such as profit shares for the low-paid temporary staff they employ via Cordant.

Ullmann, who lists his favourite film as Mission Impossible, said: “With Brexit there will be a shortage of minimum wage workers so there should be more power to the workers.”

“Brexit will focus the mind,” he added.

He came up with the plan after a discussion with the accountancy firm Deloitte and sought approval from fellow family members, who between them control the company.

Ullmann, whose profile on the Cordant website describes him as “chief energiser”, said: “I was a traditional capitalist. I wanted to make more money and increase the size of the wealth.

“Now I’ve found gold dust, that’s how it feels to me. It will give more satisfaction than just doing more of the same.”

Ullmann said the company would share some its profits with its 1,500 permanent staff, a scheme reminiscent of John Lewis’s annual staff bonus scheme, and would encourage businesses that use its temporary staff to do the same.

But he admitted he could not force clients such as Tesco and Amazon, which use Cordant workers in their warehouses, to come up with similar plans.

“We’re not going to tell clients to put up wages or we won’t work for them,” he said. “If I decided what they pay, wages would be high. It’s a more subtle journey than that.”

He said workers would also benefit from plans to give them more choice in where they work, rate temporary employers and sign up for extra shifts when they want them.

But Cordant’s ambitions to cap its dividend and profits could be limited by its ability to produce them, according to accounts filed at Companies House.

The Uxbridge-based company made a pre-tax loss of £9m last year, although it posted a profit of £3.9m in 2015, and it has not paid a dividend in either of the past two years.

“I recognise the ladder we’re trying to climb but I’m not daunted by the challenges in the way,” said Ullmann.

“We are all in. We’re not going to reverse.”

Cordant also has some way to go to win the hearts and minds of its workers, according to posts on the jobs website Glassdoor, which carries reviews of hundreds of employers.

Some 55 reviewers gave it an average of 2.4 out of 5, a relatively low score compared to other companies.

Output: Cordant, one of the largest recruitment firms in the UK, is to become a “social enterprise” operating a pay cap and profit-sharing scheme. The company, which supplies 125,000 temporary staff each year to 5,000 clients including Amazon and Tesco, will restrict its pay ratio, meaning that the pay of top earners will not be allowed to exceed 20-times that of the lowest-paid employees. Dividends will also be capped. Social schemes will include offering staff and services to the NHS at cost and educational initiatives.