25/08/2016 Asia Business Report

into difficulties while swimming. A sixth person has been reported

missing. On BBC News, all the latest business news from Singapore.

Apple Court in the middle of tax row between the and Europe. -- caught.

We check out a festival promoting a local brew in North Korea.

Good morning, Asia, hello world! It is on Thursday. Glad you could join

us today for this addition of Asia Business Report. The challenging

over its investigations of tax avoidance by US companies. Apple's

arrangements could see the company hit with a massive bill for an pay

taxes. In the on an Starbucks are also under investigation. Earlier, I

spoke to a North American is a reporter. I asked him why the US is

concerned. Companies from the US that set up their bases in Europe

are being treated in an fairly. They say the investigations by the

European Commission into the so-called sweet deal, there is an

investigation whether those were against EU laws. In apple's case,

they are being investigated as to whether they were getting a deal

that wasn't perhaps offered to other countries. Against EU rules. That is

what it is against. The US says there is a bias against these big US

companies. What is the European Commission say about it all? They

say there is no bias. They say they are trying to do is make sure this

perennial problem of tax avoidance amongst big companies isn't

happening. They are just try to make sure it is a level playing field

across the entire European Union and indeed every company. What will

happen next? Is there likely to be a middle ground between the US

Treasury and the European Commission or will the European Commission

stand its ground? The key indicator of whether it will stand its ground

is whether the investigation concludes. We are expecting Apple's

fairly soon. If it punishes them then it suggests the European

commission is astounding that ground. -- is standing their ground.

Shares for HP are lower. The company's revenue is falling in its

third-quarter numbers. Revenue from its from its computer business was

flat. It was below analysts's estimates. They have slashed about

2300 jobs this year. There has been a new target set. The attempt to

improve the company's balance it comes as it recorded a drop.

Singapore exchange is edging closer to its planned acquisition of

London's Baltic exchange. After months of negotiations, the deal is

valued at 100 million US dollars but it still needs approval from Baltic

shareholders next month. We caught up with a man heading the talks for

Singapore exchange and asked him how will the exchange and a set from the

takeover? It is an almost at unique position

of authority. The price of shipping something from point a to point B.

It has a very unique global position in that it is the trusted authority

in publishing these numbers every day. Secondly, it has a very special

track record in being able to forge global consensus will stop what we

want to do is offer people the chance to take action on these

numbers. --. . Meaning to make these numbers actionable. From 2008 to

2016, freight rates have been one of the most volatile things. Looking

back, in hindsight, if more people had a veiled themselves of the

option to hedge freight rates, a lot of the global and shipping market

would be in better shape. With global shipping in decline, why buy?

Many booms and busts have comes. Its relevance is more acute when the

marketplace is in need of better information, more accurate

information, to work the assets harder. The thing that you as the

prices is a period of low prices. During that period, what happens is

people manage their asses more efficiently, especially in the face

of increasing regulation, pollution, safety, strength. Things like that.

Has any of this change because of accident? The underlying rationale

hasn't changed because it shipping is global. The people that operate

out of London were operating a long time before the EU existed.

I've 100 and 20 days, almost 1.5 years, that is how long it takes a

shirt companies to discover a data breach in their systems. That

compares to the worldwide average of 146 days. How can they improve their

response time? I spoke to FireEye. Is remarkable especially to see how

it compares to the rest of the world. What kind of data breaches

can they do over 17 months question mark they spend a lot of time

getting to know the environment. They understand the environment at

the victim and it gives them the time to steal the crown Jews in a

stealth way. Which are most susceptible? -- crown jewels. We

have worked a lot of breaches a cross high-tech, retail and

education. Almost every sector. Is not just the small and medium

companies but also the big companies and major governments. Why aren't

they spending the money to protect themselves? It starts with

awareness. It goes back to breach notification. In the US, for the

better part of the decade, we have had good breach notification law.

They have got to tell the public, they have to tell the public. We

don't have these laws in South East Asia. Basically, the consumers can

just sue? It can take years of good investment to catch up. Tell us, who

are the people behind these data breaches? Are they individuals,

organisations, or are they even state-sponsored? We see a locked,

all of the above. --A lot. We used to see a lot of Chinese

state-sponsored attacks directed at the United States and Europe. In

November, the US and China came to an agreement. When we saw the treaty

go into effect, we the balance of targeting really shift. Grady

Summers from FireEye. Residents in Pyongyang are enjoying

a pipe or two in the beer festival. Let's take a look.

enjoyed a beer in North Korea. Before we go, quick look at the

market. General list lessons in early

trading. -- listlessness. Is in negative territory, the All

Ordinaries. The major industries also finishing in negative

territory. The Dow Jones in the red. I I'm Rico Hizon. Sport Today is

coming up next. The top stories is our. It is

thought as many as 59 people have