31/03/2016 BBC Business Live

Security shake-up. with Aaron Heslehurst and Sally

Europe holds emergency talks on making its airports safer -

amid growing concern from the travel business.

Live from London, that's our top story on Thursday

In the wake of the attacks in Brussels and the hijacking

of an Egyptian airliner - the European Commission's top

aviation security officials meet to find out how airport security

One of China's biggest steel producers records a huge drop

in profit - despite plans to increase production.

Meanwhile the UK government rules out nationalising the struggling

And we'll be getting the Inside Track on running one

of Europe's most popular train routes linking the UK to Europe.

The boss of Eurostar will join us and talk about the challenges

of security - disruption and investing in a new fleet.

And Microsoft's controversial experiment in artificial

intelligence has made a brief return online -

before being taken down after tweeting about marijuana.

We want to know - do we expect too much from artificial intelligence?

Security officials from all over Europe are due to hold an emergency

meeting in Amsterdam to assess whether airport safety

It follows the Brussels terror attacks last week,

and the hijacking of an Egyptian airliner on Tuesday.

The European Commission's Aviation Security committee will be looking

at 500 airports - to find out what practical steps can be taken.

blasts in the departure airport. This is an area where passengers

have not been through security checks.

David Learmount, a consulting editor at Flightglobal,

Lots of experts looking at this today, what will be come up with?

They meet very regularly but what they have done is they have called

an extra one. This is an extraordinary meeting.

What they are doing is looking at the Brussels event and

saying, can we react to this usefully, without too much

disruption? One thing they don't want is to disrupt transport because

it is economically very harmful. Is it a case here, some people say

we need zero risk. That is impossible, it is minimising

the number of people that can If they are talking about security

checks before you even get into the

departure hall, many people are saying, aren't you

just pushing the problem further out into the

When I spoke to the European Commission about this yesterday, I

asked them what new ideas that they have? What

they tried to work out is whether they can usefully refine

what we already have. What we are talking about

the Brussels on, that was in a public area, no security checks

before you go in there. You can move it out

to the car park by having checks on the entrance. So if you

that means there are fewer people in the departure hall. But actually

guaranteeing that nobody will be hurt, that is impossible what about

some systems already in place that seemed to be effective. In Montreal,

there is a staggered, entry system, so you are not

to people come two hours before your flight, you are giving people a

specific time when they come. Is that unrealistic at somewhere like

Heathrow? from Heathrow, we're talking about a

relatively speaking, small-town compared

so much a security thing as a streaming thing. You can book your

place in the queue in advance. It would

things they have said, one solution for one airport.

They are all different layouts and all different sizes. You cannot have

a one size fits all. Every airport When we get news coming out of that

emergency meeting in Amsterdam, we will update you.

Politicians in Argentina have approved a deal to pay back US

creditors, ending a 15-year court battle after defaulting

The years-long debt crisis has restricted the country's access

to international credit markets and made doing business

The UK Business Secretary has ruled out nationalising Britain's biggest

steel works - the Port Talbot plant in Wales -

but says he's looking at some sort of government support.

Indian owner Tata Steel is planning to sell its entire UK business,

which employs about 15,000 people - amid a slump in global demand

and a surge in cheaper Chinese exports.

Royal Dutch Shell says its being investigated by italian prosecutors

over its acquisition of a Nigerian oil field.

The probe is connected to the 2011 $1.3 billion purchase of Nigeria's

OPL-245 offshore oil block by Eni and Shell.

The oil giant said it was cooperating with the authorities.

Where are travellers going, Spain and the Canary Islands.

Their choices are changing as a consequence of the events taking

place in the last year. I love Spain and the Canary Islands.

ago, but because of security concerns about Egypt,

is back as a more popular destination. You are going on

holiday, but you are not going to Spain or the Canary

China makes more steel than the worst

combined, so when they come out today and

output by 20%, to 27 million times, many people are scratching their

heads asking what is going on. The market has a massive supply which

has pushed down prices and causing problems for many companies

like Tata and they UK operations. Baosteel has also had problems.

China has a very big role to play in the situation. They have been

accused of dumping the excess steel products at unfairly low prices

around the world. So a lot of other companies cannot compete. We have to

take the view that China is suffering as well because millions

of jobs have been lost from their steel industry. Baosteel might still

be making money but some of the smaller producers have gone

bankrupt. The Yellen rally continued

in the early part of the session. The markets have been really

embracing what the big boss of US Reminding us all, Janet Yellen

promised a cautious approach to future US interest rate

hikes pointing the finger at the broader global financial

concerns. But in Europe, as expected,

that rally has eased off. The sliding crude oil prices

putting a dampener on that. And looking ahead, lots of important

numbers out tomorrow. An indicator of the health

of China's manufacturing picture In fact, talking of America,

let's find out what should be making the business headlines

over there today. We're not going to Michelle a New

York, we are going to you, Sally. Let's introduce Richard Dunbar. The

end of the first quarter and everyone is trying to assess how it

went. It was quite a turbulent one, especially January? Investors have

swung from gloom to optimism as we exit the quarter. In February, there

were worries and the US economy. We were worried about a precipitous

fall in the oil price, that has been abated because it has risen by 30%.

We were worried about China, which while it hasn't got any better,

probably hasn't got any worse. It has resulted in significant moves on

the markets. The fundamentals haven't changed. We're getting the

purchasing manager's index, it is look forward from the people who

ordered the raw materials to make this stuff. It is probably not

likely to be a very good number. No improvement on China. America

worsening? I don't think I have ever seen a swing in view on a large

economy like America, based on so little information. Janet Yellen

must be scratching their head, looking at similar numbers than

before and wondering right market investors have swung from room to

optimism based on little change in front of them. We will see what the

second quarter holds, UK referendum in the second quarter? Which will be

of interest. But other factors have more influence. We will watch this

space and Richard is coming back. We'll be hearing from

the boss of Eurostar. With flat passenger numbers,

can the high-speed rail service encourage more people

to cross the Channel? You're with Business

Live from BBC News. More on the steel industry crisis in

the UK. Prime Minister David Cameron

is hosting crisis talks on the UK steel industry amid mounting

pressure on ministers to guarantee the future of the Port Talbot

steelworks and its 5,500 staff. Ben is in Salford looking

at what options the UK Government has to support the British

steel industry. Am I right by saying the UK

Government has pretty much ruled out any type of nationalising?

Absolutely right. We have been talking about the implications of

the UK steel industry after the announcement that Tata wants to sell

off its UK steel industry. The government will try to come up with

the plan to safeguard some of those jobs if they can. It has been

shrinking industry since the 70s. Since its peak in 1972, it employed

200,000 people. Last year, it was 16,000 people. Nonetheless, 16,000

jobs is still a significant number and they need to be safeguarded.

What options for the government? They have ruled out nationalisation,

so there are options like taking an equity stake and a management

buyout, weather management take on the firm and run it for themselves.

What could happen? The manufacturers organisation have been talking me

through some of the potential options. If it does mean the

government intervenes and gives a package of support up until the

point a buyer is found and then incentivised the buyer to take it

on, then the government support, call it what you will, if it is part

nationalisation, so be it, but the issue is to find a future buyer and

get this purchase over the line and ensure sustainable steel

manufacturer. Not only in South Wales but in other plants around the

UK. The issue is whether the government can do enough in time.

There are concerns Tata want to sell these plants quickly and if it

cannot find a buyer, it will simply shut them down. One option is to

mothball the site. Run them down, keep on a minimal number of staff

with the view perhaps of somebody wanting to come in and make them

viable at a later date. A number of options on the table but no

information they may take. It is a nervous wait for the staff who are

employed there. Plenty more detail, do take a look online when you have

time. Our top story: Europe

holds emergency talks on making its airports safer,

amid growing concern Crossing the English Channel has

become easier over the years thanks to Eurostar's high-speed trains,

which began service between the UK and Continental Europe

more than 20 years ago. Founded in 1994, the

company has carried more Eurostar reported profits

of $49 million in 2015. This figure was down

from the previous year. The company says

that the recent terror attacks has weighed on revenues and it had also

been forced to increase security as a result of the migrant crisis

currently affecting Europe. At the same time, they have invested

in a lot of new trains. Nicolas Petrovic is

Eurostar's chief executive. He's been in the role

since April 2010. Welcome to the programme. Can I get

something over because there's lots of things to talk about? Briefly, I

will let you get the good news out of the way, finally got the new

trains rolling and I've not seen them but apparently they're very

good. It's been a long time coming because you have been running some

pretty old stock. We love the new trains! We loved the original

trains, too but the new trains are amazing. We have just started them

and we have more comfort, Wi-Fi, blogs, more space in the seats and

it's been a big success. -- plugs. We can carry more passengers in peak

which as been problems in the last few years. At peak time, we were

four weeks in advance and we could not provide more seat when there was

demand. It is really good news for the business because that is how we

are going to grow the business further. Those trains at the moment,

nine new ones operating between London and Paris but the idea is you

can get on one of those to the other destinations, that is the ultimate

idea? Reds yes, we are starting with Paris because it is the biggest

route. But the trains can go to new destinations at the end of next

year, we will go all the way to Amsterdam with those trains which is

a big market for us. It is a big bear market. But also, we know that

when we offer a new route. -- a big bear market. Lots of people take the

Eurostar when we have any view because it is more, Bull. They won't

travel by air. It will be the same with Amsterdam. One of the reasons

people like those routes to Paris and eventually to Amsterdam embeds

of lying is because, let's be frank it is a hassle and given what we are

seeing in Brussels recently, it is likely going to be more of a hassle

at security but of course, you have security as well. I was wondering,

since the attacks in Paris and a recent attack in Brussels and the

bombs, have you revamped your security strategy at Eurostar? I

mean, no, the security has been at the top level for a long time now.

We screen people in the stations, a bit like in an airport. I think it

is one of the few rail services with that type of system. What has

happened is of course, in all public spaces in all the big cities in

Europe, there's a bigger police presence. Otherwise, we have not

really changed what we are doing. When things go and most of the time

they do, your passengers are very happy. -- when things go well. But

when things go wrong, like it did on Good Friday, it can be a disaster. I

just looked online to see what the latest news was about your

organisation and there was all this bad press about Good Friday in St

Pancras, hundreds of people penned in, for six and a half hours, saying

no one was told what was going on with a couple of cancellations

causing complete chaos. Surely that should not really happen in terms of

how it is handled and how people are looked after? Yes, I'm sure we could

have done better and I'm really sorry for the people involved. We

had a track problem so we had to only have one train out of London

and because the trains were so full, it was Good Friday, people had to

wait to be rebooked on the next train. We wanted them to travel that

day. We would offer that but for the ones, the last ones to travel, it

was a long wait and I'm really sorry for them. And also, with the new

trains, you can get many more people on but when it does go wrong, that's

900 people waiting, stuck. Exactly, and that is why we are investing a

lot in the stations at the moment to make them bigger. Paris will be the

first because it requires more capacity. And then we will invest in

London, just because the growth in the market is there. That is why we

got the trains, to grow the business. That is why we invest. I

want to get this in, the Germans are coming! They are watching you very

closely. I know they have delayed their start-up but they are coming

along the line. Apparently Deustchebahn is a very good

operation and it will give you competition, no doubt. Yes, it will

be competition but for me, the competition is more against

airlines. If Deustchebahn comes, it will be more publicity for the rail

link. For me, the big competition is, if you live in London, you can

go to so many city break destinations in Europe nowadays. If

you go to Paris, people will take the Eurostar and they can go to

Rome, Barcelona and so forth. That is where we are competing.

Interesting about city break. And quickly, a brief answer because we

are out of time, running this kind of operation, what keeps you awake

at night? You have the migrant crisis, people trying to get through

the tunnel, the possibility of a terrorist attack on a train. How do

you handle all of that on a personal level? Is it something you worry

about? How do you cope with that? You don't worry about things because

otherwise you can't act. You literally just have to be always on

the ball. As a company, we are trying to mitigate as much as

possible the risk because there is no zero risk in life. It is true

that at the moment, there are lots of things changing. In the past 12

months, it has been a big sea change in Europe. We have two imagine the

best we can and I know we have very good teams and we are very well

organised which is why I'm relaxed! Thank you for joining us. Good to

have you on the show. France is braced for more strikes

and protests today over proposed reforms to

the country's labour laws. The Government wants an end

to the rigid 35-hour working week - the shortest in any European country

- which it says is helping keep Last week, the Cabinet agreed

to reforms where staff could be asked to work 48 hours in a week,

or even 60 in special circumstances, but only if they still average 35

hours over a three-month period. Today's action looks set

to cause disruption to public services, public transport and even

TV services around the country. Today is the real big test for the

French labour law. The unions which oppose it have promised a big

turnout on the streets and if they can bring the numbers out, they have

still got a chance to put pressure on the government to change the text

yet again. Let's not forget, the government has already substantially

watered down this bill. The aim of the reform to the labour code was to

make it easier, less scary for companies to take on staff. At the

beginning, business in general was very much in favour. But since then,

the government has removed a lot of the key provisions, which has

angered business, without particularly satisfying the left and

the unions, which wants the whole thing completely scrapped. So the

government is getting it from both sides at this time, just when you

reminders are coming in of how desperately France needs reform. The

latest unemployment figures show that thereafter in .6 million

people, a record, out of work. -- there are 3.6 million. Other

countries in Europe have this problem and are winning, are

bringing down unemployment at not France.

Hugh Schofield keeping us up-to-date with how things are going in France.

Richard Dunbar, investment director at Aberdeen Asset Management

This is the Sydney morning Herald Digital life section, Microsoft's

artificial intelligence bot returns to Twitter and immediately goes off

the rails again. She has got a foul-mouthed! She has no idea of the

dos and don'ts of social media. Artificial intelligences everywhere,

in finance and medicine, has been one of the great new things and

Microsoft things it can be a great thing on Twitter. Artificial

intelligence learns from the people around it. But she is not learning!

Well you say that budgies obviously learning but from the wrong people.

How to smoke marijuana apparently. Orange Micro last week, she made

sexist and racist comments and this week she sent a spam attack to her

new friends. I do know if this is thought of as a success. Is she

learning from those around her or is she reflecting them? I don't know.

The viewers have got in touch about this very quickly. "Both Human and

artificial intelligence should, meant each other for efficiency".

Thank you very much for all of your tweet even though we don't have time

to mention them. Samsung are being seeded by Pele because they used a

lookalike. Tells you what companies do when they don't like the price so

Pele's price was obviously too high but it shines a light on image

rights for footballers and gives you an idea of the value of footballers

and why big clubs are willing to pay so much for them. Pele is suing for

$30 million and apparently it's all about getting the right lawyers so

they can make their trunk of change as well.