20/04/2017 Asia Business Report

down as an MP to concentrate on his new job as editor of the London

Evening Standard. Now on BBC News, let's get the latest business news

live with Rico Hizon in Singapore. The US Vice President arrives in

Indonesia. There might be tough conversations on trade. But what

will be Indonesians want to hear from Donald Trump's deputy will stop

-- deputy? And we find out how Indian businesses are handling a new

roadside ban on our goal. -- on alcohol. It is a Thursday. Good

morning Asia. Hello world. But you could join us for Asia Business

Report. I'm Rico Hizon. The US Vice-President Mike Pence is in

Indonesia as part of his first visit to the region. Security issues

dominated his talks in South Korea and Japan. He will be meeting Joko

Widodo and we will hear from Indonesian and Asian business

leaders. What will likely be on the agenda? There are plenty of issues

that Washington gripes to Indonesia about, in terms of regular tree

issues. And now the opposite is happening and Jakarta is hitting

back the other way, griping about some of the rhetoric coming out of

the trump administration. -- regulatory. -- Trump. These disputes

over particular companies, certainly that is one of the reasons why Mike

Pence decided to swing by Jakarta on the way to Australia. But there are

other issues on the ticket, as well. I think normalisation is one of the

things that from my opinion is one of the main issues that Mike Pence

is here to talk about. And that is a normalisation of relations after

some eyebrows were raised here in Indonesia about the travel ban on

Muslim majority countries, from Washington. As well as announcements

about trade investigations, in terms of 16 countries that have a trade

imbalance with the United States. Indonesia was not pleased about that

announcement. I think Mike Pence is here to do a good bit of normalising

after that. Rio Tinto says iron ore production in Australia fell 3% in

the first three months of the year, compared to the same period a year

ago. The company said that is due to logistical conditions due to wet

weather and its mines. But it is says is on track to reach full-year

targets. A peak in mid- February came after demand in China shrinks.

Oil prices have rebounded slightly after slipping $2 a barrel on a rise

in US gasoline stockpiles. This is where they are right now. Light

crude is at $51.06 a barrel. Brent crude is at $53. It is the first

rise in US gas stockpiles since January. It comes since their

production hits the highest level since mid-2000 15. And the latest

financial results have helped ease worries over a dispute with Apple

for Qualcomm. Qualcomm's chief executive says the company expects

to continue being an important supplier to the iPhone maker. --

Radu. In January, Apple sued Qualcomm, accusing them of

overcharging for its chips. And Malaysia airlines has become the

first carrier to sign up to a new satellite flight tracking system. It

will allow the monitoring of planes in areas where there is currently no

surveillance. The development, three years after Malaysia airlines flight

MH-370 disappeared with 239 people on board. Tens of thousands of

shops, restaurant, and bars in India are suffering, because they have

been forced to stop selling our goal. The Supreme Court banned sales

within 500 metres of national and state highways, in an effort to

reduce drink-driving death. -- alcohol. But some said the law is a

blunt tool and not tackling the problem.

We got this report. In April of last year, 32-year-old man was on his way

from home -- home from work, whether seven. The Mercedes hit him,

throwing and 15 feet into the air and telling. City deep two CCTV

footage sparked a debate on Rosetti. -- CCTV footage. His sister thinks

the man might have been drunk. She believes that the ban of our coal

sales and Eyre might help. It might be a solution. -- alcohol. It

doesn't matter. If you kill somebody, it is not my problem.

India's rows are considered to be among the deadliest in the world.

There have been nearly half a million accidents in 2015 a lone.

One life was lost every four minutes. Most of these road traffic

deaths happen on state and national highways. -- alone. The Supreme

Court ruling is mainly aimed at alcohol shops like this that are on

the highway and cater to truckers. But as you can see, many are still

working. When we spoke to them, they said they would not shut down unless

forced to. But over the thousands of Cordozo highways, owners are

prepared to do anything to protect their business. In India, our goal

is a virgin a billion-dollar market. And the band has hit other big

businesses too. -- Radu. This is just outside of Delhi. It is just

metres away from a major highway. Before the ban, they sold to 400 or

500 customers per night. 85% of its business came from alcohol sales. We

spent a lot of money to create a concept and to do the interiors, all

about. That is useless business for us. As usual loss of employment.

State Goverment 's are unhappy too. They are set to lose tens of

billions of dollars two. And with more than 1 million jobs at risk of

business owners and state officials are asking if this ban is the only

solution. -- too. Froese goes to the polls as we can for the first round

of eight closely contested presidential election. It is a key

vote. Marine Le Pen has suggested that France should leave the

European Union. Much of the support for her and Melenchon appears to

come from rural areas. We got this report from the south of France.

Glittering under the sun of Provence, Rice has been grown in the

region for centuries. But now, the industry faces a difficult future.

Competition from overboard and a big reduction in subsidies have taken a

heavy toll on production. TRANSLATION:

Growers say this needs to change. TRANSLATION: Politician should be

focusing on rural issues in France. There are 15 million people living

in rural areas. About one quarter of the population. Politics must become

rural again. The rice business has its own particular concerns, of

course. But you will be much the of thing if you talk to farmers up and

down this country. They are worried that their problems simply not not

being taken seriously enough by politicians in towns and cities. In

this small village, farmers have gathered for the weekly market. They

have little time for mainstream politics.

TRANSLATION: Rural issues are taboo. It is only large towns and their

inhabitants that politicians care about. Country people are being

forgotten. TRANSLATION: I think it is a

candidates on the far right and left the people here vote for. The

extremes. TRANSLATION: I will vote Marine Le

Pen, because she is a woman, and we have never had a female president in

France. She could bring something new that male leaders have not in

the past. Opinion polls suggest that dissolution in country areas has

provided support for fringe candidates. They have a strong sense

of abandonment from the mainstream political parties. You know, there

used to be a large portion of the population, but now they are a small

portion. -- dei. -- Menadue. They more and more turning to the Front

National, which looks like the only alternative for them. The

countryside is home to millions of voters. In such a close fought race,

at their voices might become important indeed.

Let's have a look at the markets. As you can see, the Nikkei is a third a

percent, due to the weakness of the Japanese yen against the US dollar.

The dollar is strong in New York and Asian trade. In the All Ordinaries,

they got .3 of a percent, that is 16 .5 points. Thank you for investing

your time with us. Sport Today is coming up next.

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