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Governors: Avoid Harmful Insurance Practices in Medicaid Waivers
 While our nation’s governors recently gathered in Rhode Island for the summer meeting of the National Governors Association, most of the country’s political attention remained focused on the debate in Washington, D.C. over the fate of the Affordable Care Act. Less noticed, but also critically important, is that fact that each governor holds in their hands today the ability to radically reshape Medicaid for their state’s most vulnerable citizens regardless of the outcome of that debate.

This power is significant considering the 69 million Medicaid enrollees living across the country.

We are health care advocates who have come together to speak up for patients and health care consumers. We view it as our purpose to ensure patients are the first and most important stakeholder in any health care policy decision, whether that decision is made by a legislator, health insurance commissioner, insurance company CEO, president, or — as in this case — governor.

Recently, governors from every state received a letter from Tom Price, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In that letter, the authors encouraged them to seek to “align Medicaid and Private Insurance Policies for Non-Disabled Adults.” While aligning state Medicaid policies with those of private insurance carriers is a policy goal that has merit, it also demands careful consideration.

Patients and policymakers alike can agree that Medicaid can look to private insurance for efficiencies in the system and ways of promoting well-coordinated care. We applaud those efforts, but caution that some efficiencies have come at the expense of patients. This year alone, we’ve seen too many private insurers take steps that may save them money, but leave patients with unreasonable — and in some cases, dangerous — burdens. For example:

Emergency coverage : Just this month, one insurer implemented a policy in which they can decide after the fact that they will not cover a patient’s visit to an emergency department, even when such emergency coverage is in the consumer’s policy. As of July 1, consumers in four states — Georgia, Missouri, New York, and Kentucky — were placed in the untenable position of having to assess whether their condition would later be determined sufficiently dangerous to warrant emergency coverage. Doctors should be assessing emergency situations, not patients.

: Just this month, one insurer implemented a policy in which they can decide after the fact that they will not cover a patient’s visit to an emergency department, even when such emergency coverage is in the consumer’s policy. As of July 1, consumers in four states — Georgia, Missouri, New York, and Kentucky — were placed in the untenable position of having to assess whether their condition would later be determined sufficiently dangerous to warrant emergency coverage. Doctors should be assessing emergency situations, not patients. High Deductibles: Studies show that low-income individuals and families with high-deductible plans often delay or forgo necessary doctor visits and emergency care because they just can’t afford it. Vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries should not be effectively locked out of using their health care coverage because of excessive out-of-pocket costs.

Studies show that low-income individuals and families with high-deductible plans often delay or forgo necessary doctor visits and emergency care because they just can’t afford it. Vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries should not be effectively locked out of using their health care coverage because of excessive out-of-pocket costs. Denials of lifesaving care: Cases of insurance companies taking on the role of doctor and denying patients life-saving medicines that have been ordered by physicians is also becoming all-too common. The Wall Street Journal recently detailed several cases in which patients were forced to go through countless hours of paperwork and appeals just to get vital cholesterol medication approved by their insurance carriers. As one cardiologist put it, “At the end of the day, you would like to do what is best for the patient. But you really don’t have the time to play the insurance games.”

Medicaid may have things it can learn and adopt from the insurance industry, but practices like these aren’t among them.

Americans rightly count on our governors to protect their state’s most vulnerable and uphold a standard for quality, affordable health care. As such, we implore each governor to keep Medicaid beneficiaries top of mind as they consider requesting waivers from federal Medicaid standards. We also strongly encourage each to adopt the following principles for assessing the scope and breadth of any potential waiver request:

High-quality, comprehensive health care should be available and affordable to all Americans;

Insurance design should be improved to better meet the needs of consumers; and

The health care delivery system should be modernized to put the patient at the center.

With these as standards for designing waiver requests, we believe Medicaid beneficiaries in every state can get the better-quality care we — and our nation’s governors — know they deserve.

Former Del. Donna Christensen (D) represented the U.S. Virgin Islands in the House of Representatives from 1997 to 2015. Jim Manley is a former senior adviser to Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) Scott Mulhauser is a visiting fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and former senior adviser to the Senate Finance Committee and Vice President Joe Biden. Jason Resendez is executive director of the LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Network and Coalition. They all serve on the board of directors of Consumers for Quality Care.

Clarification

Manley was added as an author.

Morning Consult welcomes op-ed submissions on policy, politics and business strategy in our coverage areas. Updated submission guidelines can be found here.

Output: While our nation’s governors recently gathered in Rhode Island for the summer meeting of the National Governors Association, most of the country’s political attention remained focused on the debate in Washington, D.C. over the fate of the Affordable Care Act. Less noticed, but also critically important, is that fact that each governor holds in their hands today the ability to radically reshape Medicaid for their state’s most vulnerable citizens regardless of the outcome of that debate.


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Goldman seeking 'top tech talent' for Marquee data unit
 Goldman Sachs is looking to fill over 20 positions for its Marquee platform, which is at the heart of its plan to become the Google of Wall Street.

The Marquee platform offer clients access to Goldman's firmwide risk platform and pricing system SecDB.

Goldman Sachs wants to become the Google of Wall Street, and now it is staffing up the unit that could help it achieve that goal.

The New York-based financial services giant is hiring for Marquee, a platform that provides clients access to the bank's analytics, data, content and execution capabilities via a browser or an API.

The bank is looking for talent to fill positions in its New York office, spanning from associate developer to vice president.

The bank has posted eight job ads for roles relating to Marquee in New York in the past month or so, and has also recently advertised a further 12 roles in Bengalaru and four in Warsaw.

One ad posted in mid-July said the bank is "looking for creative and talented engineers to build out our next generation client facing risk and execution platforms."

Another ad said the bank is "pursuing engineers across the stack, from those who are confident working with low latency processes through individuals passionate in implementing responsive user interfaces."

Agility is a core requirement for a spot on the Marquee team. One junior engineer position, for instance, requires someone who can wear many hats.

"At times you will be asked to step into the trading floor environment and at others you will be called upon to guide the decisions of leadership," the ad said.

Tiffany Galvin, a Goldman Sachs spokeswoman, told Business Insider the firm is focused "on attracting top tech talent."

Marty Chavez, the chief financial officer of Goldman Sachs, has been the catalyst for a number of Silicon Valley-like initiatives at the firm, including Marquee.

He served as chief information officer from 2014 until May 2017. He joined Goldman in 1994 as an energy strat after he ended up on a headhunter's list of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs with Stanford PhDs. Recently, he has spearheaded efforts for Goldman Sachs to adopt an approach that is commonplace to business in the Valley.

The new model Chavez is proposing is based on APIs, which are the standard way for computer programs to "talk" to one another without human intervention. When you use your Facebook account to log in to Spotify, that's Spotify talking to the Facebook login API.

This model is based on taking in data, pushing it through analytics engines, then making it available to internal and external clients through Goldman Sachs' digital platform that Chavez has championed.

"Historically, the API has been human beings talking to other human beings over the telephone, and all the tools, the content, the analytics is on the internal platform only," Chavez said. "We are shifting this radically and shifting this fast, and we're packaging everything we do, and actually, we're redesigning the whole company, around APIs."

The idea is that giving clients access to Goldman Sachs data and analytics tools strengthens the bank's relationship with them, leading to additional business.

"Our digital offerings, under the unified Marquee brand, directly correlate to market share and profitability," one job ad said.

Output: Goldman Sachs is advertising for new positions in its Marquee unit, the tech platform that allows access to the bank's content, analytics and data. It's seeking more than 20 new recruits to work in the unit's New York office, with positions ranging from associate developer to vice president. It's advertising in New York, Bengalaru in India and the Polish capital Warsaw. A spokesperson said the bank was seeking to attract "top tech talent".


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Hot days can seriously affect seniors' health
 Credit: CC0 Public Domain

"Is it hot enough for you?"

That comment might deserve an eye roll, but you might consider tweaking it to, "Is it too hot for you today?" With daytime temperatures in the 90s during mid- to late summer and the heat index even higher on many days, hot days can indeed be too hot.

Heat can make everyone uncomfortable, but for older adults, that discomfort can also mean danger. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults are more prone to heat stress for at least three reasons. One, as we age, we don't adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature. Seniors also are more likely to take prescription medicines that affect the body's ability to control sweat or the body's temperature. And seniors are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that affects body response to heat.

HOW TO STAY COOL WHEN IT'S HOT OUT THERE

- First of all, make sure you have access to air conditioning. Don't rely on a fan to do the job. "If your home doesn't have air conditioning, contact your local health department or locate an air-conditioned shelter in your area," the CDC advises.

- Drink more water than you usually do; don't worry about the bathroom consequences. And don't wait until you're thirsty; just make sure you stay hydrated. If your doctor doesn't want you drinking past a certain limit on water or you're taking water pills, check with your doctor on how much water you should drink during hot weather.

- Avoid using the oven or stove-top if you can. Instead, opt for refrigerated salads or other cold foods, or foods you can microwave. Similarly, avoid using your dryer in the heat of the day.

- Limit activity on hot days. If you must get outdoor exercise, go for a short walk early in the morning.

- Wear light-colored or loose-fitting clothing to help keep cool.

- Cool baths or showers can help.

KNOW THE SIGNS OF HEAT ILLNESS

Would you recognize the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion? You might think they're the same thing, but heatstroke is more serious; it's a medical emergency that requires immediate help.

Heat exhaustion: Nausea or vomiting; heavy sweating; dizziness; weakness or tiredness; headache; fainting; cold, pale, clammy skin; muscle cramps and a fast or weak pulse.

What to do: If you have symptoms of heat exhaustion, move to a cool place, loosen your clothes, sip water and put cool, wet cloths on your body or take a cool bath. Seek medical help if you're throwing up, your symptoms get worse or they last more than an hour, the CDC advises.

Heat stroke: Body temperature of 103 degrees or higher; confusion; nausea; fainting; fast, strong pulse; hot, red, dry or damp skin; headache and dizziness

What to do: If you have symptoms of heat stroke, call 911 immediately. Move to a cool place and use cool cloths to help bring body temperature down. Do not drink anything; do not give a person with heat stroke symptoms anything to drink.

©2017 The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Output: "Is it hot enough for you?" That comment might deserve an eye roll, but you might consider tweaking it to, "Is it too hot for you today?" With daytime temperatures in the 90s during mid- to late summer and the heat index even higher on many days, hot days can indeed be too hot.


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Fifth worker dies after accident in Tampa power plant
 An accident at a Florida power plant last month has claimed a fifth life.

BRACE Industrial Group said its employee, 56-year-old Armando Perez, died Thursday of injuries he sustained in the June 29 accident at the Tampa Electric Big Bend Power Station. Molten slag, a substance that can reach temperatures upward of 1,000 degrees, gushed from a containment tank and burning workers in the vicinity.

The Tampa Bay Times reports only one person who was injured by the slag remains alive: 32-year-old Gary Marine Jr.

Company officials say the incident happened at a coal-fired boiler while workers were performing routine maintenance on the slag tank at the plant southeast of Tampa. Slag is a byproduct created when coal is burned for electricity.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida

Output: A fifth person has died from injuries sustained in an accident at a Florida power plant. Armando Perez, 56, died while being treated for injuries he suffered when molten slag gushed from a containment tank at the Tampa Electric Big Bend Power Station in late June. The workers had been carrying out routine maintenance at a coal-fired boiler when the accident happened, Brace Industrial Group said. Only one person affected by the incident remains alive, according to the Tampa Bay Times newspaper.


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Microsoft uses AI for smart grid and EV charging
 By Bryony Collins, Bloomberg New Energy Finance editor. This article first appeared in BNEF’s ‘New Energy Deals’ publication, available to clients on the web and on the Bloomberg Terminal.

Microsoft Corp. is building a business in the power and natural resources sectors, where its machine learning and artificial intelligence expertise may help give some companies an edge.

The software giant is working with Norwegian utility Agder Energi AS to fine-tune the supply-and-demand balance on electricity grids using AI technology, according to Egbert Schroeer, Microsoft’s managing director for the process manufacturing and resources industries.

“We want to make the power grid more efficient and predictable,” Schroeer said in an interview with Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “The more Agder expands into distributed generation, like rooftop solar, batteries, smart homes and facilities, the (Azure) system can help provide support back to the grid at times of high demand.”

Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, which finds patterns in data collected by sensors in the real world, interprets this data, and can make decisions about maintenance or remote monitoring as a result of its AI capabilities. In Germany, Microsoft has a partnership with EnBW AG to develop smart street lights, which can do a host of things from collect emissions data to charge electric vehicles.

With ABB Ltd., Microsoft will “launch the next generation of electric vehicle charging platforms”, together with the “world’s largest industrial cloud platform”, which will encompass 70 million connected devices, Schroeer said. The Swiss power and automation company already runs on Microsoft’s Azure platform and its Cortana Intelligence suite. Other customers in the AI space for Microsoft include Siemens AG, Schneider Electric SE and Halliburton Co.

The trend to gather more data and deploy machine intelligence to interpret it, is disruptive for the technology industry, Schroeer said. Amid this change, customers are becoming more like partners, he said. “Our typical engagements with these companies no longer starts with simply selling software, but with a workshop where we envision a new business model and combine forces to reach the next level of a system of intelligence,” Schroeer said in the following interview.

BNEF: How is Microsoft working with machine learning (ML) and advanced intelligence (AI)?

Schroeer: At the end of last year, Microsoft expanded its artificial intelligence efforts with the creation of a new Microsoft AI and Research Group. Microsoft’s deep investments in the field are advancing the state-of-the-art in machine intelligence and perception, enabling computers that understand what they see, communicate, answer complex questions and interact with their environment. Digital technology is transforming our lives, businesses and the world, but also generating an exponential growth in data and information. Today’s assets are more intelligent thanks to technologies such as AI and machine learning.

To reach this level, we must fulfill the needs of industry standards such as GxP or NERC CIP [requirements to ensure the reliability of the electrical system] for power and utilities. The team works on how to enable the cloud under regulatory compliance, which is very prevalent in the energy sector.

Q: What companies or projects has Microsoft been involved with in the ML, AI space related to energy?

A: One of our engagements is with Agder Energi, [whom] we worked with to use machine learning and AI to optimize energy consumption and energy load on the electricity grid, because you have regional dependencies and weather dependencies.

Another example is Ecolab Inc. Ecolab has partnered with Microsoft to use cloud computing to speed up how industries tackle water scarcity. Ecolab 3D Trasar technology, built on the Microsoft cloud and using the Azure IoT suite, uses sensors in facilities around the world to gather data from in-plant water monitoring equipment.

This data is transferred in real-time to the cloud, providing [useful data for] cooling towers and other water-intensive processes. We realized this was not limited to just water consumption, but that it was also relevant to the energy industry in terms of coolers and condensers. Machine intelligence can be used for predictive maintenance for example.

Q: So is Microsoft working on projects to forecast power demand and generation, or to maintain steady power grid supply?

A: We have invested in that area in three core technologies – predictive maintenance, remote monitoring and asset management. So, with more or less one click, you can enable your sensors to connect to the Azure cloud and find patterns based on AI and ML, which tell you when you need to make proactive changes.

Through our partnership with Agder Energi, we want to make the power grid more efficient and predictable. The more Agder expands into distributed generation, like rooftop solar, batteries, smart homes and facilities, the system can help provide support back to the grid at times of high demand.

Another company we have been working with is EnBW in Germany, where we collaborated on a smart street light project. These street lights are light sensitive, movement sensitive, act as Wi-Fi hot spots and also as a power charging station for electric cars. The street light is becoming a data collection station tool – to monitor air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions and so on.

That brings me to our partnership with ABB. Microsoft and ABB have joined forces to launch the next generation of electric-vehicle charging platforms. This platform is run by the Azure cloud and improves the way an electric vehicle is charged.

We also have a strategic partnership with ABB to create the world’s largest industrial cloud platform, using 70 million connected devices and more than 70,000 digital control systems. ABB uses Microsoft’s Azure IOT suite and Cortana intelligence suite.

In the public sector, we also run a project and solution area called City Next. Here we are delivering innovative digital services that optimize city operations and infrastructure, and we use smart grid and energy management tools.

Q: How is the automation and intelligence trend changing the technology industry?

A: Digital transformation is disrupting the industry, because our customers like ABB and EnBW are becoming more like partners than customers, and we work together on these innovative technologies, such as smart grids or EV charging. Our typical engagements with these companies no longer starts with simply selling software, but with a workshop where we envision a new business model and combine forces to reach the next level of a system of intelligence.

Our partner ecosystem includes Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG and Halliburton Co. – which are moving into the cloud and show digital leadership.

We recently announced a partnership with Schneider Electric to accelerate the development of Open IoT applications such as simulation in the cloud, virtualizing power plants and production plants, so that the engineer can learn from the simulation.

Artificial intelligence can even extend to areas like precision farming. A sprinkler irrigation system can be controlled to cover a specific area by doing an overhead survey with a drone and connecting the sprinklers up to AI. Farmers can then achieve better yields by controlling specific quantities of fertilizer.

This relies on an ecosystem of farmers, equipment suppliers, traders and a technology provider like Microsoft. These stakeholders need an artificially intelligent shared data platform to support this precision farming and prevent drought.

Every company is becoming a data company and everything a data source, including the tractor in the precision farming area. Here we touch the “connected vehicle” approach in a new and different way.

Q: What are the opportunities for blockchain in this space?

A: Blockchains can help track products in warehouses or in transit and ensure quality and integrity across the value chain. Blockchain can help with the authenticity of products and processes run in real time to pro-actively mitigate supply-chain risks. Blockchain has certainly grabbed the attention of the regulated power industry. [It has relevance to] smart grids and new forms of energy trading. Both utilities and consumers will produce and sell electricity and blockchain is a supporting capability in the cloud.

Output: Microsoft has partnered with Norwegian power supplier Agder Energi to improve the efficiency of electricity grids' supply-and-demand balance with artificial intelligence (AI). The company's Azure cloud computing platform will interpret data from across the grid to help Agder plan for maintenance and scale to localised demand. Microsoft has also partnered with Swiss automation company ABB to launch electric vehicle charging platforms.


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Blockchain insurtech hackathon creates festival weather cover
 Winning team developed weather insurance platform for organisers of major outdoor events.

Simply Business has hosted a blockchain-themed hackathon to explore the opportunities that blockchain presents to the insurance industry and determine the scale of future disruption that could come from the fintech sector.

The digital broker named Coders Without Insurers as the winning team, stating that the team used blockchain platform Ethereum to develop a weather insurance platform for organisers of major outdoor events such as festivals, with automated claims payouts based on weather APIs

Output: A team of digital brokers calling themselves Brokers Without Insurance have been commended at an insurtech blockchain hackathon for using the ethereum blockchain to develop a weather insurance platform for major outdoor events. The tool would enable attendants of gatherings such as music festivals to hold smart contracts that linked into weather APIs and the Internet of Things to prevent them losing out to bad weather. The hackathon was organised by Simply Business to explore the opportunities blockchain offered the insurance industry.


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Ad fraud biggest problem for 44% of publishers
 by Philip Rosenstein , July 24, 2017

Ad fraud is the biggest industry challenge cited by both marketers and publishers according to U.K.-based Infectious Media, which announced on Monday it was releasing a new guide to help brands stay safe online.

In one study cited by Infectious, 33% of marketers say they are troubled by ad fraud, with brand safety next (picked by 26%) followed by viewability (21%), transparency (17%) and geocompliance (3%),

Differing slightly in their priorities, 44% of publishers consider ad fraud their biggest problem, followed by issues with transparency (picked by 19%), brand safety (18%), viewability (15%) and geocompliance (4%).

The current way that many brands address ad fraud and brand safety -- whitelisting trusted publishers and restricting where ads will run -- often drives up overall CPMs and can significantly decrease ROI, according to Infectious.

The guide suggests that brand marketers use a layered approach in their advertising strategy that includes human expertise and technology.

advertisement advertisement

It's especially important to ensure full data transparency from agencies and ad-tech partners. Simple measurement models like reach, clicks, click-through-rates, viewability and other metrics can be modified by untrustworthy parties. The guide gives marketers tips on how to reset measurement metrics in order to fix media quality issues.

“Many in the industry are understandably worried about advertising spend being wasted because of poor quality media in the supply chain,” stated Andy Cocker, COO and co-founder of Infectious Media. “However, the benefits of programmatic for our clients still far outweigh the risks."

He added, "It’s crucial now that media agencies and ad-tech companies play their full part in increasing awareness and driving up standards.”

Output: Ad fraud is the industry's biggest issue for both publishers and marketers, according to studies by Infectious Media. The UK-based company found that 33% of marketers are concerned by ad fraud, 26% by brand safety, 21% by viewability, 17% by transparency and 3% by geocompliance. A total of 44% of publishers see ad fraud as their greatest problem, followed by transparency (19%), brand safety (18%), viewability (15%) and geocompliance (4%).


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China's millennials reshape the entertainment market
 Chinese millennials have no qualms about paying as much as 1,480 yuan for a ticket to the Bilibili World in Shanghai, to sing and dance along with Japanese anime vocaloids and 3D hologram idols last week. Photo: SCMP handout

Output: The wealthy millennial children of China's booming middle class are spending huge amounts of money on virtual entertainment. An increase in financial security and a broadening interest in indulgence and leisure are contributing to a meteoric rise in the consumption of anime, video games, online videos and even holographic concerts. Millennials desire a much more diverse selection of content than their parents' generation, that caters properly to individual tastes, said Chen Rui of bilibili. He went on to say that the advent of the internet has enabled this to an unprecedented degree.


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Lloyd's issues blueprint for dealing with market-turning events
 The six principles, set out in a new report, will encourage "stronger, smarter oversight" of the market following any future market-turning events (MTEs), according to Lloyd's.

"We want to make it easier for syndicates to do business by focusing our oversight efforts on the important things," said Jon Hancock, Lloyd's director of performance management. "One important area where we can help is to make sure the Lloyd's market is in a position to act swiftly and decisively to any future market-turning events."

"We don't want to impose overly burdensome requirements on syndicates or insist on any unnecessary processes or paperwork. We want to make it as straightforward as possible to raise new capital. Doing so will ensure that Lloyd's is even better prepared for once-in-a-generation market turning events," he said.

Managing agents should begin considering the possible implications of an MTE on their own business, and prepare suitable contingency plans, Lloyd's said.

The report comes in response to a dry-run exercise conducted by Lloyd's and the UK's prudential regulator, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), last year. The PRA published its own policy statement on MTEs at the start of the month.

An MTE is an event triggered by a significant insurance loss leading to a chain of consequences among insurers, reinsurers, regulators and the market. These consequences may include solvency issues and even failures among firms, and material changes in premium rates.

The last major global MTE came in the aftermath of the US terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, after which premium rates across all classes of insurance business rose by around 40%. More than half the new reinsurance capital raised globally in the immediate aftermath of the attacks went to Bermuda, according to Lloyd's.

The principles set out in the report are aimed at ensuring that the market responds to an MTE effectively, remaining solvent while paying claims as quickly as possible. They are split into two broad categories: crisis management, and opportunities to support the market.

Lloyd's primary focus in the event of an MTE will be on the stability of the market, ensuring it is solvent and liquid enough to ensure prompt payment of claims to affected policyholders, according to the report. It will also ensure that the run-off of any members or syndicates that fail following the MTE is managed in an orderly fashion, to minimise any wider impact to the market. Lloyd's will also take a lead role in coordinating and communicating any relevant data with regulators, governments and rating agencies.

When managing the response to an MTE, Lloyd's intends to adopt a "commercial and pragmatic" approach, according to the principles. This may include accelerated capital plan reviews and approval processes, and prioritising activities in support of existing businesses ahead of new entrants. Lloyd's has also set out internal restructuring plans to ensure that it is best placed to respond to an MTE, and may require staff to temporarily suspend all non-essential activities in the event of an MTE in order to support the market.

Output: Lloyd's of London has issued a six-point plan for companies to prepare for a cataclysmic event that could test the insurance industry's resilience. Following a test of the UK insurance industry's ability to deal with multiple market-turning events last year, Lloyd's has said its members and syndicates should have measures in place to deal with a real life catastrophe, such as the 9/11 terror attacks, in an orderly manner. Jon Hancock, Lloyd's director of performance management, said the companies must "make sure the Lloyd's market is in a position to act swiftly and decisively to any future market-turning events".


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International cyber attacks could represent war crimes, says academic
 Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Output: Uncertainties about cyber warfare's legality under the Laws of Armed Conflict could encourage a rise in cyber attacks that exacerbate tensions between nation states. For instance, it is not clear whether the principle of distinction, which holds that non-combatants should not be attacked, would extend to infecting civilian-owned computers. Additionally, it ambiguous whether the rule of proportionality, which demands that collateral damage is not disproportionate or unreasonable, would enable a certain quota of civilian-owned computers to become infected as part of a cyber attack on an enemy headquarters.


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Rocket Fuel improves self-serve platform
 Predictive marketing platform provider Rocket Fuel has announced new self-service offerings, including Dynamic Creative and improved native capabilities that seamlessly integrate into Dynamic Creative.

As one of the first omnichannel DSPs to offer self-service Dynamic Creative, these combined solutions allow brand marketers to build, customise, and traffic dynamic creative campaigns within the Rocket Fuel DSP to drive competitive performance and extend overall campaign reach.

Rocket Fuel’s Dynamic Creative for self-service combines SmartGrid technology, allowing for flexible and automatic ad creation of 36 ad sizes and formats. Powered by Rocket Fuel’s artificial intelligence, this technology dynamically selects the layout and products most appropriate for each advertising moment.

Using this technology, brands can create targeted advertisements that are tailored in real time based on prospective consumers’ internet browsing habits. Combined with Rocket Fuel’s native capabilities, this inventory and reach is extended even further.

Rocket Fuel CEO Randy Wootton said: “At Rocket Fuel, it is important for us to ensure that advertisers can create and manage personalised creative for every device and moment to reach their target audiences effectively. It allows them to connect with consumers in a way that feels more authentic and tailored to the moment.

“The ability to run dynamic creative in a self-service context, especially coupled with Native capabilities, is a major differentiator to our DSP.”

Rocket Fuel’s Dynamic Creative solution is currently available to both managed and self-service customers.

Output: Rocket Fuel is focusing on its self-serve platform, which will combine its native and Dynamic Creative capabilities. The platform uses SmartGrid technology that permits ad creation in up to 36 different sizes and formats. It is also powered by Rocket Fuel's artificial intelligence, which is capable of selecting the most appropriate layouts and details for each advertisement.


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Google search does limited test of autoplay videos
 One of the most hated features of the 2017 internet -- autoplay videos -- may soon be coming to anyone (i.e. nearly everyone) who uses Google to search.

At least that's the look of things based on a new test Google has been rolling out in recent days that puts autoplay videos in the Knowledge Panel(opens in a new tab) (which appears to the right of your results in a desktop browser).

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about macOS High Sierra

Discovered by SEM Post reporter Jennifer Slegg on Monday, the test puts a small YouTube video related to your search term under the name and images associated with the search term. Since it's a limited test, only visible to some users, I wasn't able to duplicate the autoplay results. Nevertheless, Slegg says that after searching for two Warner Bros. films, Justice League and The LEGO NINJAGO Movie, she saw autoplayed trailers in the Knowledge Panel.

The good news is, according to(opens in a new tab) Slegg, the sound doesn’t automatically play, so you're spared having to rush to shut off the video whenever you're just trying to search for something (you need to click the video to enable sound). But that doesn't change the fact that the video is using your bandwidth, whether you notice it or not. Also, she was unable to reproduce the autoplay video feature using mobile search, it only occurred on desktop searches.

Search Engine Land confirmed(opens in a new tab) the testing of the feature, quoting a Google spokesperson as saying, "We are constantly experimenting with ways to improve the search experience for our users, but have no plans to announce at this time."

"We are constantly experimenting ... but have no plans to announce at this time."

An interesting point in Slegg's report is that the autoplay videos were not from official sources. So this could mean that future autoplay videos in Google search might be used as an ad revenue unit: pay to have your topic-associated video appear in the Knowledge Panel of certain results, for example.

Like all Google tests, just because it's showing up for some users doesn't mean it will become a permanent and widespread feature for all users. But the fact that Google is even testing this out means that it's something the search giant is seriously considering in its quest to continually optimize its ability to monetize search.

However, depending on how it's executed, if there's major backlash from users already fatigued from autoplay videos on a wide range of sites, it could also represent an opportunity for something we haven’t seen in years: another powerful search engine, sans autoplay videos.

Output: Google is testing autoplay videos without audio in the Knowledge Panel of its search results pages, according to a report in SEM Post. The feature is being tested with a limited number of users on desktop searches, the report added. However, the autoplay videos were not from official sources, which suggests Google may use the feature as part of its ad revenue unit. Google confirmed the tests but has no plans to announce the feature, it said.


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Speedy Hire Clancy Plant takes over Speedy Hire's traffic light fleet
 UK rental company Clancy Plant has announced it has taken over Speedy Hire’s traffic light fleet.

Under the terms of the deal, Clancy Plant employees will join the Speedy partnered service team in Haydock, as well as its Warrington multi-service centre and Dartford superstore.

The company said it would make its full service available to Speedy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It will provide a full traffic management service, from design, planning and installation, to maintenance and removal of temporary traffic management.

In 2016, Clancy Plant was awarded the Institute of Customer Service ServiceMark – the first hire company in the UK to be awarded this accreditation.

Clancy Plant director, Bernie Stack, said, “Our new partnership agreement with Speedy Hire is very much in line with our business growth strategy for Clancy Plant.

“For many years we have been lucky to enjoy a long standing business relationship with Speedy. We are excited that this new agreement will not only allow us to work even closer with a renowned company like Speedy, but to also provide a national traffic management solution to their growing client base.”

Stack added that it was a fantastic opportunity and that the company looked forward to realising the positive benefits in both customer satisfaction and financial reward.

Meanwhile, Speedy’s CEO, Russell Down, said, “This agreement enhances our overall traffic management offering for our customers, further improving the end-to-end customer experience.

“With the integration of Clancy Plant employees into our partnered service team, we look forward to deepening the already strong relationship we have with Clancy Plant.”

Clancy Plant offers plant rental, as well as traffic management, specialised tooling, and other services in the UK.

Output: Clancy Plant, the UK rental company, has announced that it has taken over Speedy Hire's traffic light fleet. Clancy Plant will take full control of the traffic management service, including design, planning and installation of lights, and maintenance and removal of temporary lights.


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Natural molecule found to enhance battery rechargeability
 The porphyrin molecule – used in electrodes – speeds up the charging process of batteries in the lab. Credit: KIT/HIU

Chlorophyll, blood, and vitamin B12 are all based on the porphyrin molecule. But porphyrin can also be used as an electrode material where it speeds up the charging process of rechargeable batteries. In the Angewandte Chemie International Edition journal, researchers from KIT now present the new material system that could mark the beginning of an era of high-performance energy storage and supercapacitors.

Currently, the most widely used battery technology is based on lithium ions. No other rechargeable storage device for electric energy has comparable application properties. Thus, lithium ion batteries are currently indispensable for devices such as laptops, smartphones, or cameras, even though improved properties such as quick-charging would be desirable. Many materials that improve the properties of lithium ion batteries in the lab, however, are no sustainable options because they are rare, expensive, toxic or harmful to the environment. Ideally, high-performance energy storage materials would be based on renewable resources.

An interdisciplinary research group headed by Professor Maximilian Fichtner of Helmholtz Institute Ulm, founded and organized by KIT, and Professor Mario Ruben from the KIT Institute of Nanotechnology, now presents a new energy storage material that allows a very fast and reversible inclusion of lithium ions. For this purpose, functional groups were added to the organic copper porphyrin molecule that produce structural and electro-conductive crosslinking of the material when the battery cell is charged for the first time. This significantly stabilizes the structure of the electrode in lab tests and allows several thousands of charge-discharge cycles.

With this material, storage capacities of 130-170 milliamp-hours per gram (mAh/g) were measured in the lab – at a medium voltage of 3 Volt – and charging-discharging times of only one minute. Current experiments suggest that the storage capacity can be increased by another 100 mAh/g and that the storage system can be operated not only with lithium, but also with the much more abundant sodium.

"Porphyrins occur very often in nature and are the basic constituents of chlorophyll, of human and animal blood pigment (hemoglobin), and of vitamin B12," Fichtner explains. Technical variants of these materials are already in use, e.g. for blue-colored toner in laser printers or for car paint. By bonding functional groups to porphyrin, the scientists succeeded to leverage its specific properties in electrochemical electric storage systems for the first time. "The storage properties are exceptional because the material has the storage capacity of a battery, but works as fast as a supercapacitor," Fichtner says.

Output: The porphyrin molecule, the basis for chlorophyll, blood and vitamin B12, has been found to be effective in speeding up recharging battery cycles. Improving the charging speed of lithium-ion batteries has been a priority for some time, however, there are limited options for achieving this. However, by adding functional groups to the organic copper porphyrin molecule, researchers at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm and the KIT Institute of Nanotechnology have found that the structure of the electrode is significantly stabilised, allowing for thousands of charge-discharge cycles. "The material has the storage capacity of a battery, but works as fast as a supercapacitor," said Professor Fichtner at Helmholtz.


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Canada could dominate biofuels market: Air Canada
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The country's top airlines say resource-rich Canada has the potential to become a biofuel superpower by transforming forest residue and agricultural crops into energy that can help the industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Canada actually has an opportunity like no other country where it can displace large amounts of fuel and reduce large amounts of carbon," Mena Salib, Air Canada's manager of aircraft noise and emissions, said Tuesday after speaking to a global biotech conference.

Salib said the industry wants to procure biofuels from local sources instead of transporting it far to meet demand.

"The prize would be technology from Canada, the feedstock is from Canada and it is used by Canadians."

The country's largest airline has been part of several flight tests to study biofuels and is ready to add the lower carbon energy blends when they are readily available.

The aviation industry is looking for ways to cut its environmental footprint and achieve the global goal of becoming carbon neutral after 2020 and to halve net emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

While Air Canada and WestJet don't have a preference for using farm crops, forest residue or consumer waste, the airlines say the inputs must be sustainable and not displace food or land.

Costs would also have to come down by using government incentives to encourage companies to boost supply.

Geoffrey Tauvette, WestJet's director of fuel and environment, says while the airline has invested heavily to improve the efficiency of its aircraft, biofuels are the only way to reduce emissions enough to meet global targets.

"We think that Canada has the right ingredients to be that superpower. We just need to get the right sort of instruments in place to be able to make that happen," he said from Calgary.

While the airline hasn't tested the use of biofuels, it has supported efforts, for example, to study turning forestry residue to energy.

"If we can get the biofuels, it does help WestJet meet our goal of connecting Canadians to the rest of the world and we can do that without impacting the environment."

Fernando Preto, a research scientist with the Natural Resources Canada's Canmet Energy group, said there are huge opportunities for Canada to supply biofuels from different sources.

Studies conducted at the University of British Columbia and in La Tuque, Que., are looking at using forest residue to produce green fuel.

Preto said millions of tonnes of branches, bark and scraps left behind during the cutting process could be a valuable resource.

"I think that it could easily meet the jet fuel requirements in Canada for the Canadian industry," he said.

Biotechnology is a $200-billion (U.S.) a year global industry, with about 20 per cent directed to fuels and much of the rest to consumer products, says Paul Winters, spokesman for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization which hosted the annual conference.

Agrisoma Biosciences Inc., a Gatineau-based company, announced on Monday a long-term agreement with biorefiner UPM of Finland to expand the use of the carinata oilseed crop to produce renewable fuels in South America.

The oilseed variety developed in Canada will be grown as a second crop in winter by farmers in Uruguay, followed by Brazil and Argentina. It can be used to produce non-edible oil suitable for low-carbon biofuels and a protein for animal feed.

"We're on a growth trajectory where we can see really being a major feedstock for things like the aviation industry," said Agrisoma CEO Steve Fabijanski.

Less than five per cent of flights are flown using biofuel blended with traditional jet fuel. Fabijanski said the use of biofuels will increase as costs decrease and new fuel distribution hubs beyond Los Angeles and Oslo are developed.

Output: Canada's abundant resources could allow it to become a superpower in developing biofuels, according to Air Canada. By converting agricultural crops and forest residue into fuel, the Canadian airline company believes that the country could help the aerospace industry significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking at a global biotech conference, Mena Salib, Air Canada’s manager of aircraft noise and emissions, said: “Canada actually has an opportunity like no other country where it can displace large amounts of fuel and reduce large amounts of carbon".


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UK and Netherlands channel 37% of corporate tax avoidance funds
 Almost 40% of corporate investments channelled away from authorities and into tax havens travel through the UK or the Netherlands, according to a study of the ownership structures of 98m firms.

The two EU states are way ahead of the rest of the world in terms of being a preferred option for corporations who want to exploit tax havens to protect their investments.

The Netherlands was a conduit for 23% of corporate investments that ended in a tax haven, a team of researchers at the University of Amsterdam concluded. The UK accounted for 14%, ahead of Switzerland (6%), Singapore (2%) and Ireland (1%).

Every year multinationals avoid paying £38bn-£158bn in taxes in the EU using tax havens. In the US, tax evasion by multinational corporations via offshore jurisdictions is estimated to be at least $130bn (£99bn) a year.

The researchers reported that there were 24 so-called “sink” offshore financial centres where foreign capital was ultimately stored, safe from the tax authorities.

Of those, 18 are said to have a current or past dependence to the UK, such as the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and Jersey.

The tax havens used correlated heavily to which conduit country was chosen by the multinational’s accountants.

The UK is a major conduit for investments going to European countries and former members of the British Empire, such as Hong Kong, Jersey, Guernsey or Bermuda, reflecting the historical links and tax treaties enjoyed by firms setting up in Britain. The Netherlands is a principal conduit for investment ending in Cyprus and Bermuda, among others. Switzerland is used as a conduit to Jersey. Ireland is the route for Japanese and American companies to Luxembourg.

In terms of the purpose, on paper, of the corporate structures, the Netherlands specialises in providing holding companies. The UK provides head offices and fund management and Ireland offers financial leasing and the provision of head offices.

“Our results show that offshore finance is not the exclusive business of exotic small islands far away,” the researchers write in an article for theacademic journal Scientific Reports. “Countries such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom play a crucial yet previously hidden role as conduits of offshore finance on its way to tax havens.”

Dr Eelke Heemskerk, who led the research, said that the work showed the importance of developed countries cleaning up their financial sectors.

He said: “In the context of Brexit, where you have the UK threatening, unless they get a deal, to change their model to be attractive to companies who want to protect themselves from taxes, well, they are already doing it.

“The Netherlands says they won’t let the UK be an offshore tax haven. That’s because they don’t want them taking their business.”

Output: Nearly 40% of corporate investments placed in tax havens travel via the Netherlands or the UK, according to a study of 98 million companies by the University of Amsterdam. The Netherlands saw 23% of such investments, while the UK was close behind at 14%. Multinationals use tax havens to dodge up to £158bn ($206bn) in taxes in the European Union each year. The study identified 24 other offshore centres which are safe from tax legislation. 18 of those, including Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Jersey, have a current or prior link to the UK.


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UK will ban petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040
 Britain is to ban all new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 amid fears that rising levels of nitrogen oxide pose a major risk to public health.

The commitment, which follows a similar pledge in France, is part of the government’s much-anticipated clean air plan, which has been at the heart of a protracted high court legal battle.

The government warned that the move, which will also take in hybrid vehicles, was needed because of the unnecessary and avoidable impact that poor air quality was having on people’s health. Ministers believe it poses the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, costing up to £2.7bn in lost productivity in one recent year.

Ministers have been urged to introduce charges for vehicles to enter a series of “clean air zones” (CAZ). However, the government only wants taxes to be considered as a last resort, fearing a backlash against any move that punishes motorists.

“Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK and this government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible,” a government spokesman said.

“That is why we are providing councils with new funding to accelerate development of local plans, as part of an ambitious £3bn programme to clean up dirty air around our roads.”

The final plan, which was due by the end of July, comes after a draft report that environmental lawyers described as “much weaker than hoped for”.

The environment secretary, Michael Gove, will be hoping for a better reception when he publishes the final document on Wednesday following months of legal wrangling.

A briefing on parts of the plan, seen by the Guardian, repeats the heavy focus on the steps that can be taken to help councils improve air quality in specific areas where emissions have breached EU thresholds.

Measures to be urgently brought in by local authorities that have repeatedly breached EU rules include retrofitting buses and other public transport, changing road layouts and altering features such as roundabouts and speed humps.

Reprogramming traffic lights will also be included in local plans, with councils being given £255m to accelerate their efforts. Local emissions hotspots will be required to layout their plans by March 2018 and finalise them by the end of the year. A targeted scrappage scheme is also expected to be included.

Some want the countrywide initiative to follow in the footsteps of London, which is introducing a £10 toxic “T-charge” that will be levied on up to 10,000 of the oldest, most polluting vehicles every weekday.

There have been calls for vehicles to be charged for entering ‘clean air zones’. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

Sources insisted that while the idea of charges were on the table, there was no plan to force councils to introduce them, and that other measures would be exhausted first.

They hope the centrepiece of Wednesday’s strategywill be the plan to ban diesel and petrol sales completely by 2040, in line with Emmanuel Macron’s efforts across the Channel.

The French president took the steps to help his country meet its targets under the Paris climate accord, in an announcement that came a day after Volvo said it would only make fully electric or hybrid cars from 2019 onwards.

That decision was hailed as the beginning of the end for the internal combustion engine’s dominance of motor transport after more than a century.

Prof David Bailey, an automotive industry expert at Aston University, said: “The timescale involved here is sufficiently long-term to be taken seriously. If enacted it would send a very clear signal to manufacturers and consumers of the direction of travel and may accelerate a transition to electric cars.”

Britain’s air quality package also includes £1bn in ultra-low emissions vehicles including investing nearly £100m in the UK’s charging infrastructure and funding the ”plug-in car” and “plug-in grant” schemes.

There will also be £290m for the national productivity investment fund, which will go towards the retrofitting, and money towards low-emission taxis.

The report will also include an air quality grant for councils, a green bus fund for low carbon vehicles, £1.2bn for cycling and walking and £100m to help air quality on the roads.

The strategy comes amid warnings that the UK’s high level of air pollution could be be responsible for 40,000 premature deaths a year.

A judge had said the government’s original plans on tackling the issue, which included five clean air zones, were so poor as to be unlawful. The government was asked to present a new draft policy to tackle air pollution from diesel traffic before the election.

It was then called to court to explain why it had made a last-minute application to delay publication of its draft policy until after the election.

James Eadie QC, representing the government, said the policy was ready to be published but it would be controversial and should therefore be withheld until after the election.

“If you publish a draft plan, it drops all the issues of controversy into the election … like dropping a controversial bomb,” he said, adding that it could risk breaching rules about civil service neutrality and lead to the policy being labelled a Tory plan.

However, judges said the government did have to publish a draft plan with the final version needed by the end of July.

Michael Gove will publish the document on Wednesday. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

May’s draft contained few concrete proposals and did not specify the cities and towns where polluting vehicles might face charges, the level of any charges or the scope or value of any scrappage scheme.

Instead, the plan put the onus for action on local authorities: “Local authorities are already responsible for improving air quality in their area, but will now be expected to develop new and creative solutions to reduce emissions as quickly as possible, while avoiding undue impact on the motorist.”

Analysis in the documents showed increasing the number of CAZs from the current six planned to 27 would make by far the greatest impact in cutting pollution and provide cost benefits of over £1bn. The CAZ policy would cut more than 1,000 times more NO2 than a scrappage scheme, even if that scheme required old diesels to be replaced by electric cars.

But it required local authorities to exhaust all other options before introducing CAZ charging for diesel vehicles, such as removing speed bumps and retrofitting buses.

The coalition government had already set out a vision for almost every car and van to be ultra-low emission by 2050 – a move which the government acknowledged would require “almost all new cars and vans sold to be near-zero emission at the tailpipe by 2040”. So it is unclear to what extent the new pledge will further boost Britain’s ability to achieve air quality requirements.

ClientEarth, the campaign group that has successfully pursued the government through the courts over the UK’s air pollution crisis, gave a cautious welcome to the announcement but said ministers must take immediate action to tackle the UK’s air pollution crisis.

“The government has trumpeted some promising measures with its air quality plans, but we need to see the detail,” said CEO James Thornton. “A clear policy to move people towards cleaner vehicles by banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans after 2040 is welcome, as is more funding for local authorities.

“However, the law says ministers must bring down illegal levels of air pollution as soon as possible, so any measures announced in this plan must be focused on doing that.”

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has been calling for tougher measures to tackle air pollution, which kills 9,000 people a year in the capital.

A City Hall source was sceptical about the government’s announcement. “We need to look at the full details but what Londoners suffering from the terrible health impacts of air pollution desperately need is a fully-funded diesel scrappage fund – and they need it right now.”

Areeba Hamid, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace, said: “The high court was clear that the government must bring down toxic air pollution in the UK in the shortest possible time. This plan is still miles away from that.

“The government cannot shy away any longer from the issue of diesel cars clogging up and polluting our cities, and must now provide real solutions, not just gimmicks. That means proper clean air zones and funding to support local authorities to tackle illegal and unsafe pollution.”

Output: The British government has announced that the United Kingdom will manufacturing of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040. This follows a similar decision made by France earlier this year, and comes amid concerns about the effects of nitrogen oxide on public health. Ministers believe that air pollution also harms productivity, causing losses of up to £2.7bn ($3.5bn) in a year. Local councils will be given £225m to aid them in the nation-wide effort.


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Western men see 52% decline in sperm count over 40 years
 Sperm counts among men have more than halved in the last 40 years, research suggests, although the drivers behind the decline remain unclear.

The latest findings reveal that between 1973 and 2011, the concentration of sperm in the ejaculate of men in western countries has fallen by an average of 1.4% a year, leading to an overall drop of just over 52%.

“The results are quite shocking,” said Hagai Levine, an epidemiologist and lead author of the study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

While infertility treatments such as IVF can offer solutions to potential ramifications of the decline on one level, little has been done to address the root of the issue, said Levine, pointing out low sperm counts might also be an indicator of poorer health among men more generally.

“This is a classic under the radar huge public health problem that is really neglected,” he said.

It is not the first time researchers have highlighted concerns about sperm counts, but previous studies have been criticised, with some saying the decline could be down to changing laboratory methods, or studies failing to take into account whether participants were selected on the basis of infertility problems.

But the authors of the latest study say they have addressed such concerns, analysing only studies that used the same sperm count method, were of a reasonable size and involved men not known to have infertility problems or disease, among other measures.

The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction Update by an international team of researchers, drew on 185 studies conducted between 1973 and 2011, involving almost 43,000 men. The team split the data based on whether the men were from western countries – including Australia and New Zealand as well as countries in North America and Europe – or from elsewhere.

After accounting for factors including age and how long men had gone without ejaculation, the team found that sperm concentration fell from 99 million per ml in 1973 to 47.1 million per ml in 2011 – a decline of 52.4% – among western men unaware of their fertility.

For the same group, total sperm count – the number of sperm in a semen sample – fell by just under 60%.

In addition, a less dramatic decline in sperm concentration since the 1970s was seen for western men who were known to have conceived with a partner, but there was no clear trend for total sperm count in this group.

By contrast, no such trends were seen for men in other countries – although the authors caution that far fewer studies have been carried out among such populations.

Richard Sharpe, an expert in male reproductive health and professor at the University of Edinburgh, welcomed the study, saying the research has tackled many of the problems of previous analyses, adding that it “is about as close as we are going to get” to being sure of the decline.

But he stressed it still unclear what is behind the drop, meaning that it is difficult to address. “That is primarily because we have seriously under-invested in male reproductive research,” he said.

Tina Kold Jensen of Syddansk University in Denmark, who was not involved in the current research, said she was surprised by the new findings. “I thought it would probably have stopped,” she said of the decline, pointing out that she had been involved in a 15-year Danish study focusing on young men recruited for military service which found no drop in sperm counts. But, she noted, that might be because many of the men had poor sperm counts anyway.

Levine agreed that research into potential causes was needed. Numerous possibilities have been mooted, with research suggesting links to body weight, a lack of physical activity, smoking, and exposure of pregnant women to chemicals found in myriad household products, known as endocrine disruptors.

But controversy remains. While Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, said the latest study is the best he’d ever read on the decline, he said the jury is still out on whether the trend is real.

“You need to go out to answer that question. For example you take a random sample of every 18-year-old in the UK and you test 10,000 18-year-olds every year prospectively over the course of 20-25 years,” he said, emphasising that Jensen’s study using such an approach had found no decline.

“We have got very little epidemiological evidence to say what might be causing it, so we are still scratching our heads a little bit in my view,” said Pacey.

But he agreed there is cause for concern around male reproductive function, pointing out that rates of testicular cancer are on the rise, and stressed that men who are concerned about their sperm count and who wish to have children should not delay.

“If you are a guy with a low sperm count and you try for a baby when you are 21, you are probably not going to notice you’ve got a problem,” Pacey said. “But if you are trying with your partner when she is 35 then that’s when the heartache comes, because by then you have got low sperm count, you’ve got an older partner and you haven’t got a lot of time to try and fix it medically.”

Output: Sperm counts among men have fallen by 52% in the last four decades, according to a study by international researchers. The study found that the concentration of sperm in the ejaculate of men in western countries decreased by an average of 1.4% a year between 1973 and 2011. The reasons for the decline remain unclear, but suggestions range from body weight, lack of activity, smoking and pregnant women being exposed to chemicals in household products.


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Electric Mini to be built in UK from 2019
 A fully electric version of the Mini is to be built in the UK, giving a huge boost to the British car industry and relief to the government as it pursues an exit from the European Union.

The move ends worries the new model could be made overseas after a warning in February from German owner BMW that it may look outside the UK because of the uncertainties caused by Brexit.

BMW now says the electric drivetrain will be built at its plants in Bavaria before being integrated into the car at Cowley, near Oxford.

The car will be a variant of its three-door hatch model and will go into production in 2019.

The business secretary, Greg Clark, welcomed the news, saying: “[This is] a landmark decision that is a vote of confidence in the workforce and in the determination of our industrial strategy to make Britain the go-to place in the world for the next generation of vehicles.”

The news comes a day after Clark launched a £246m fund to invest in battery technology in Britain, a key factor in the progress of electric vehicles.

Frank Bachmann, managing director at Cowley, told the Oxford Mail: “This is good news for everybody on the team at Plant Oxford and this addition to the model line-up marks an important next step in the evolution of Mini.

“As the main manufacturer of the Mini three-door, with production expertise built up over many years, it makes sense for us to build this all-electric model.

“I know that everyone on the plant is looking forward to the project that lies ahead.”

BMW, along with other manufacturers, had strongly opposed a leave vote before the referendum in June 2016. In February this year, the company said: “The BMW group has always made clear that we believe integration of the UK into the EU single market, maintaining free movement of goods, services, capital and talent, would be best for business. What’s important for us is that the UK’s negotiations with the EU result in uncomplicated, tariff-free access to the EU single market in future.”

The motor industry has warned that Brexit could be seriously damaging for manufacturing in Britain, should any tariffs be introduced. Many car components cross borders between suppliers and plants, sometimes more than once, before final assembly.

The plant’s local MP, Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, said she had urged the government to heed the car industry and seek an interim deal that keeps the UK in Europe’s customs union and single market, adding: “I hope this vote of confidence by BMW is a sign that ministers have listened.”

Unite, which represents the 4,500 workers at the Cowley plant, said the decision on the Mini was “down to the tremendous skills and efficiency of BMW’s UK workers and our members”.

Len McCluskey, the union’s general secretary, said: “This announcement is a huge and totally deserved boost to a world class workforce that has endured a tough few months.”

McCluskey urged the government to invest faster in the developing electric car industry, particularly in charging infrastructure.

“We urge the government to waste no more time – in bringing forward an industrial strategy of the scale and scope to ensure UK manufacturing stays in the fast lane,” he added.

Output: German carmaker BMW will assemble an electric version of its three-door Mini at its factory in Cowley, near Oxford. The drivetrain for the car will be built in Germany before being integrated in the UK, with production starting in 2019. The move has brought relief for the 4,500 members of staff at the Cowley plant, while BMW said the investment costs were fractional, in the "tens of millions". The all-electric Mini is part of the car manufacturer's plan to have electric vehicles make up 15-25% of its sales by 2025.


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Input:
Electric Mini to be built in UK from 2019
 A fully electric version of the Mini is to be built at BMW's plant in Cowley, near Oxford, the carmaker has announced.

The firm's German owners BMW said the new model will go into production in 2019 and will be a variant of its three-door hatch model.

Its electric drivetrain - which is comprised of a collection of components in a vehicle that transfer power from the transmission to the wheels - will be built in Bavaria, before being integrated into the car at the Cowley site.

The announcement is a vote of confidence for the 4,500-strong workforce at the UK plant in the run-up to Brexit - and comes just weeks after staff voted to accept a new pensions offer following a series of strikes.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, described the move as "a huge and totally deserved boost to a world-class workforce that has endured a tough few months".

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:42 Greg Clark: BMW 'backing Britain'

He said: "Around the world and for generations, the Mini means made in Britain. With the electric Mini being built in Cowley, the tradition continues but with the added bonus that this is one of the important innovations of tomorrow."

Business Secretary Greg Clark added: "The automotive industry is a great British success story and the Mini is a big part of that.

"UK car production hit a 10-year high last year, with 1.7 million cars made and over 800,000 people employed across the wider industry.

Image: Volvo cars are to be electric or hybrid from 2019

"We want to see the sector continue to innovate and grow here in the UK, supported by initiatives such as the new battery institute as part of our Industrial Strategy."

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BMW said it did not ask for or receive any Brexit-related assurances from the Government before making its decision.

In a statement from Munich, the firm said that electrification was one of the central pillars of the group's corporate strategy and that additional electric models would be launched in the coming years and beyond 2020.

All of its models were able to be electrified, with a full electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrain being offered in addition to a combustible engine.

It expects electric models - which it manufactures at 10 plants across the world - to account for between 15% and 25% of sales by 2025.

Volvo became the first traditional car maker earlier this month to commit to including an electric motor in all of its new models from 2019.

US firm Tesla's first mass-market electric car, the Model 3, is expected to be unveiled on Friday

The first vehicle manufacturing facility to be built in Britain for more than a decade opened in Ansty, Coventry, in March to produce a new electric London black taxi.

Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that 59,000 new alternatively fuelled vehicles have been purchased in the UK so far this year, up 28% over the same period in 2016, amid growing concern about the impact of diesel cars on air quality.

Output: German carmaker BMW will assemble an electric version of its three-door Mini at its factory in Cowley, near Oxford. The drivetrain for the car will be built in Germany before being integrated in the UK, with production starting in 2019. The move has brought relief for the 4,500 members of staff at the Cowley plant, while BMW said the investment costs were fractional, in the "tens of millions". The all-electric Mini is part of the car manufacturer's plan to have electric vehicles make up 15-25% of its sales by 2025.


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US recoverable gas supply jumps to record
 Estimates of future potential natural gas supplies in the United States stood at a record 3,141 Tcf at the end of 2016, with shale plays accounting for 64% of the total, according to a biennial report conducted by the Potential Gas Committee (PGC).

In the new assessment issued Wednesday, the PGC found technically recoverable natural gas volumes totaled a record 2,817 Tcf, a 12% (302 Tcf) increase over the previous assessment conducted at the end of 2014. When coupled with proved gas reserves of 324 Tcf, as recorded by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) at the end of 2015, potential future gas supplies are 3,141 Tcf.

According to the PGC, “traditional” gas resources — including conventional, tight sand, carbonate and shale reservoirs — accounted for 2,658 Tcf of the technically recoverable volumes, while coalbed methane (CBM) made up the remaining 159 Tcf. Technically recoverable reserves may or may not be produced depending on the price.

The assessment showed gas resources had shifted significantly since 2014, in terms of reservoir type.

Resources in conventional, tight sand and carbonate reservoirs declined 10% (97 Tcf) from the last report, while shale resources climbed 29% (399 Tcf). CBM resources were mostly unchanged. Shale plays now account for 1,797 Tcf of the nation’s total gas resources.

“New exploration, more well drilling and continuous improvements in completion and stimulation technologies lead to better delineation and characterization of U.S. gas resources, especially in shale and tight reservoirs,” said Alexei Milkov, director of the Colorado School of Mines’ Potential Gas Agency (PGA). “The record gas resources assessed by the PGC, in addition to robust domestic production levels and booked reserves, paint a picture of strong supply of natural gas in the U.S. for many years to come.”

PGC’s previous high assessment, recorded in the biennial report for 2014, estimated recoverable gas resources of 2,515 Tcf. Compared with year-end 2014, assessed traditional resources rose from 2,357 Tcf, an increase of 13% (301 Tcf), while CBM posted a nominal increase from 158 Tcf.

In determining the country’s future supply of natural gas, the PGC tabulates probable, possible and speculative resources from recoverable gas totals. The committee then adds proved reserves from the EIA.

Market Constrained By Demand, Not Supply

During a press conference at the American Gas Association (AGA) headquarters in Washington, DC, AGA’s Chris McGill, vice president for energy analysis and standards, indicated the ongoing debate over several natural gas issues — such as the merits of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and the increasing use of gas for power generation — could be shaped by the PGC’s latest biennial report.

“We do not believe that incremental elements of demand, like LNG and more gas for power generation growing over time, destroy the market for small volume users,” McGill said. “In fact, if you look at recent history, particularly since the shale revolution, we have a market that’s been demand constrained, not supply constrained. So from our point of view, we see some of these additional demands as a way to continue to balance the market and for the country to really realize the diversity and the size of this resource base that we have.”

McGill added that LNG exports currently stand at slightly more than 2 Bcf/d, while exports to Mexico via pipeline are 4 Bcf/d. Domestic production is currently in the low 70s in terms of Bcf/d.

“This report for us is a foundational component. It says that we’re going to have gas available in the future,” McGill said. “But do we have the technical, economic and policy will to produce it?”

PGC researchers divided the United States into seven work areas and 90 geologic provinces for the report. The Atlantic area, which includes the prolific Appalachian Basin’s Marcellus and Utica shales, remained the richest gas area with 39% (1,048 Tcf) of technically recoverable volumes from traditional resources. The Gulf Coast was in second place at 20% (538 Tcf), followed by the Rocky Mountains at 17% (437 Tcf) and the Midcontinent at 14% (370 Tcf).

The PGA provides guidance and technical assistance to the PGC, an independent nonprofit of about 80 volunteers from the gas exploration, production, transportation and distribution industries, as well as in the field/technical services and consulting sectors. The PGA receives financial support from exploration and production companies, gas pipeline companies and distributors, and individuals.

Output: Estimates of future potential natural gas supplies in the United States stood at a record 3,141 Tcf at the end of 2016, 64% of which is shale, according to a biennial report conducted by the Potential Gas Committee (PGC). Technically recoverable natural gas volumes rose 12% since the end of 2014 to a record 2,817 Tcf. Proven gas reserves were 324 Tcf. Traditional gas resources, including conventional, tight sand, carbonate and shale reservoirs, accounted for 2,658 Tcf of the technically recoverable volumes, while coalbed methane made up the remaining 159 Tcf.


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BlackRock renewables fund passes £1bn
 Leading asset management group BlackRock has taken its Renewable Income UK fund up to £1.1 billion, making it one of the largest single investments in renewable energy.

The fundraiser, for its third reopening, secured an additional £475million, building on the £600 million already invested in 40 wind and solar projects across the UK.

70% of the investment was raised from BlackRock’s existing partnerships while a proportion of the investment comes from British pension funds, highlighting the demand from the UK for renewable power income.

Manager of the fund, Rory O’Conner said: “The successful fundraising for RIUK demonstrates the attraction for the Fund’s stable and inflation-linked income profile in the current market environment”.

BlackRock said the investment opportunities are appealing to their clients as they benefit from immediate ownership of cash generating assets. It added: “Investors are turning to renewable energy assets to meet long-dated liabilities”.

Charlie Reid, BlackRock portfolio manager, said that it identified the attraction of the renewables platform early, adding that it is now the largest renewable investment fund in the UK.

Output: BlackRock's Renewable Income UK fund has reached £1.1bn after adding £475m in its latest reopening. It already has £600m invested in 40 wind and solar projects across the UK. BlackRock said their clients like investing in renewable energy because they benefit from immediate ownership of cash generating assets.


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AC Energy, UPC Renewables partner on Indonesia projects
 A UNIT of AC Energy Holdings Inc. (AC Energy) has partnered with UPC Renewables Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd. and UPC Renewables for a power project in Indonesia.

“AC Energy International Holdings Pte Ltd. entered into a development funding arrangement with Asia I Ltd. for the development of small island power projects in Indonesia,” AC Energy said.

Under the terms of the agreement, AC Energy International agreed to provide funding for the development of power-generation projects with sub-50-megawatt (MW) capacities. AC Energy will also have accompanying rights to participate in further construction funding of other Indonesian renewable-energy projects.

“This agreement will broaden AC Energy’s participation in the Indonesian market, as well as deepen our strategic partnership with UPC Renewables” said Eric Francia, AC Energy president and CEO. “Indonesia has huge unserved demand, especially in smaller islands, which this initiative aims to address.”

UPC Renewables’s and AC Energy’s partnership started in 2013 for the development, construction and operations of North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp., an 81-MW wind-farm project in Pagudpud, Ilocos-Norte. In January the two groups achieved financial closing in relation to their 75-MW Sidrap wind-farm joint venture project in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, which is the first-ever utility-scale wind-farm project in Indonesia with an expected operations date of February 2018.

UPC Renewables is a leading global energy player that develops, finances, constructs, owns and operates a portfolio of renewable-energy generation assets. UPC Renewables with its partners have successfully developed and operated renewable-energy projects in Italy, the US, Canada, China and the Philippines. The announcement came after Francia’s visit in Indonesia over the weekend.

Meanwhile, AC Energy and Star Energy Geothermal Holdings Pte. Ltd. entered into definitive agreements for the transfer of 99 percent of their consortium interests in Acehi-Star Holdings Inc. (Acehi-Star) to AllFirst Equity Holdings Inc.

Acehi-Star is a special purpose company that signed a share sale and purchase agreement with Chevron in December 2016 to acquire Chevron’s Philippine geothermal assets subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, including the approval of the Philippine Competition Commission.

Output: AC Energy and UPC Renewables will work together on the development of sub-50 MW small island power-generation projects in Indonesia. The two companies worked together in 2013 on the development, construction and operation an 81 MW wind-farm project in Pagudpud, Ilocos-Norte. In January, they raised money for a 75 MW Sidrap wind-farm joint venture project in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.


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Greencoat Renewables raises €270m before stock listing
 Ireland Deals Matthew Ord

Irish energy company Greencoat Renewables has raised €270m (£239m) ahead of its admission to the Irish Stock Exchange's ESM later this month (July 2017).

The company will issue 270 million ordinary shares on 25 July at an issue price of €1 each.

On admission, Greencoat Renewables will be the first renewable energy infrastructure company to list on the Irish Stock Exchange.

Rónán Murphy, non-executive chairman of Greencoat Renewables, said: "The significant oversubscription means a total capital raise of €270m, which underlines the strength of our investment case.

"We are very pleased to welcome our new institutional shareholders to the register alongside the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund and AIB."

Bertrand Gautier, partner of investment manager Greencoat Capital, added: "The positive reaction from investors and success of the initial offering is testament to the opportunity that the Irish renewable energy market presents.

"The capital raised will allow the company to pursue its investment policy and grow a Euro denominated renewable energy business of scale, focusing initially on the Irish onshore wind market."

Output: Irish energy company Greencoat Renewables has raised €270m ($314m) before a planned listing on the Irish Stock Exchange's ESM later in July. That would make it the first clean energy infrastructure company to list on the Irish exchange.


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Continental to run autonomous vehicle tests in Frankfurt
 Along with the big auto manufacturers, a group of automotive suppliers is working to bring autonomous vehicles to our roads. Continental, which also has concepts designed to improve in-car audio and security, will be running a concept autonomous car around its Frankfurt facility to try and fine-tune the way driverless cars navigate the complex city environment.

The vehicle that will be used in the Frankfurt trial is the Continental Urban mobility Experience demo vehicle, or CUbE for short. That name is certainly apt from the outside, where the desire for maximum interior space has dictated a featureless, boxy shape.

Various technologies in the car are more advanced versions of driver assistance systems and sensors already found in current production vehicles, which will be further advanced to provide fully autonomous capabilities. Continental says the vehicle also includes new technologies, such as a laser sensor.

Anticipating that autonomous vehicles are perfectly placed to become part of the sharing economy in the form of robo-taxis, Continental believes there will be an even greater emphasis on vehicle interiors. Comfort and coziness will be the order of the day, while scratch- and stain-resistant materials – all responsibly sourced, of course – will also be important.

Continental Urban mobility Experience demo vehicle, or CUbE for short Continental AG

Continental sees self-driving taxis as an obvious application for autonomous vehicles, particularly in cities such as Berlin, where the company says the average daily distance traveled by car is 20.2 km (12.5 mi) spread across three trips a day. As a result, when they aren't clogging up roads, cars are sitting idle for most of the day – be it parked on the road, in a garage or at a station carpark. Autonomous cars don't need to be stored during the day, they can simply drop one person off and continue going about their day, freeing up plenty of space.

"It's much more intelligent operating driverless vehicles as often as possible, than having countless private cars that are often at a standstill up to an average of 23 hours a day occupying valuable space – and that's space that could perhaps be used for parks and playgrounds," says Dr. Andree Hohm, Head of the Self-Driving Car project at Continental.

The CuBE will be trialed in typical city infrastructure at Continental's Frankfurt facility, and will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which kicks off September 14.

Source: Continental

Output: Automotive supplier Continental plans to run autonomous vehicle tests near its Frankfurt facility. The vehicle in question is the Continental Urban mobility Experience demo vehicle (CUbE), designed for maximum interior space. The German company sees ride-hailing services as the driving factor behind the adoption of autonomous vehicles, and has emphasised the role of comfort in their design.


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Cybersecurity tops investment advisers' concerns for fourth year
 Cybersecurity remains the top concern for registered investment advisors, with 86% of respondents in a just-released poll by the Investment Adviser Association flagging “cybersecurity/privacy/identity theft” as their “hottest” compliance topic for the fourth year.

The 2017 Investment Management Compliance Testing Survey, released Tuesday and conducted jointly by the IAA, ACA Compliance Group, and OMAM, a global multi-boutique asset management company, polled 599 advisors in April and May on their biggest compliance headaches.

Compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Custody Rule was the second hottest compliance topic (26%) after cybersecurity – which IAA said was “not surprising” given concerns raised by recent SEC staff guidance about the rule.

Twenty-one percent of respondents also noted “regulatory reporting” (e.g., Form ADV) – a big jump in that category from 4% last year.

Deficiencies in required regulatory filings – including disclosures on Form ADV Part 1A or in Form ADV Part 2A brochures – was cited as the second-biggest compliance failure during SEC exams.

Last year, the SEC adopted amendments to Form ADV designed to provide more information regarding advisors, including about their separately managed account business, a method for private fund advisor entities operating a single advisory business to register using a single Form ADV, as well as clarifying, technical and other amendments. The effective date of the Form ADV changes takes place on Oct. 1.

When asked how prepared firms are for the new Form ADV reporting amendments, 35% indicated that they are progressing with their implementation efforts and expect to be ready by the compliance deadline, the poll found, while 30% reported being in the early stages of their implementation efforts.

Output: Some 86% of registered investment advisers said they are most concerned about the role of cybersecurity, privacy and identity in compliance, according to a poll from the Investment Adviser Association. The topic ranked as advisers' biggest compliance concern for the fourth year. Meanwhile, 26% of advisers identified compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission's Custody Rule as a concern. Whereas "regulatory reporting" was a concern among just 4% of advisers last year, more than 21% recognised the topic this year.


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FCA receives report on transparency failings at St James's Place
 Which? has handed the FCA the findings from its probe into St James’s Place, which allegedly found advisers “failing to comply with transparency rules on the disclosure of charges”.

The investigative magazine reported that it found ‘questionable’ and ‘nonsense’ claims from some advisers.

Undercover researchers from Which? held 12 meetings with SJP advisers.

The researchers said they “were shocked that a quarter of the advisers we saw didn’t admit they weren’t IFAs”.

It found some advisers “misleading potential customers about the nature of their services, which are limited compared to those offered by independent financial advisers”.

The Which? report stated: “With several advisers not telling people what they’d charge – and in other cases providing low estimates, our investigation suggests it’s near impossible to make an informed decision when comparing your local SJP adviser to alternative options. We have shared our findings with the FCA.”

The latest Financial Planning Today magazine is out and available to read below...https://t.co/BBvoXy7IWj pic.twitter.com/wOeisaeG7P — FP Today Magazine (@FPTodayMagazine) July 17, 2017

The report cited one exchange with an adviser as showing a ‘nonsense’ claim.

It stated: “One described SJP’s charges by saying ‘there’re no charges, there’re no fees, the only thing is, if you do anything, that’s when I would get paid.’”

The report said: “SJP told us that it ‘does not believe that being restricted is in any way inferior to being independent,’ but the paperwork provided by its advisers tells a different story, noting independent advisers have an obligation to make recommendations ‘based on a comprehensive and fair analysis of the market’ – while there’s no similar obligation for providers of restricted advice.”

The report concluded: “Many SJP customers are happy with the service they get – but our investigation raises serious questions about whether they can make an informed decision about what they get, what they pay, and what they might get elsewhere.

“Their initial charges alone are £2,500 on a £50,000. An IFA doing a similar job might charge £1,500 according to unbiased.co.uk, and the latter would be compelled to look at the whole market and consider fund charges when making recommendations.

“SJP’s expensive alternative pushes customers into a closed market where they can sell expensive funds as advisers are free to ignore cheaper or better alternatives.”

Researchers also claimed that while “if you look at what you could have earned elsewhere, SJP’s performance is nothing special”.

SJP was contacted by Financial Planning Today for comment on the findings from the Which? report and it released a statement from CEO David Bellamy, which read: “St. James’s Place offers high quality, face to face, financial advice, evidenced by 98% of clients who said our services represent reasonable, good or excellent value-for-money – with 81% good or excellent.

“Our advisers are committed to putting clients’ interests first and we will continue to provide the excellent service to clients that has underpinned our growth over the past 25 years.”

The full report is on the Which? website.

Output: Consumer magazine Which? has alleged that advisers at wealth management firm St James’s Place "failed to comply with transparency rules on the disclosure of charges", according to a damning report handed to the Financial Conduct Authority. Through 12 meetings with undercover reporters, the magazine's investigation found that "a quarter of the advisers didn’t admit they weren’t independent financial advisers", and some presented "questionable" and "nonsense" claims, misleading potential customers about the nature of their services.