world phone industry event in barcelona. ai dominated. find out how a barbie movie diva has gripped the mobile world congress too. welcome to asia business report. we have been hearing about artificial intelligence mobile trade show gets under way in barcelona, companies are leaning into al to boost phone sales. the biggest names are showing off plenty of ai powered features including samsung, whose new range has all sorts of features including the ability to circle an image or text on an app and immediately search it on google. another flagship smartphone was launched globally at the weekend by xiamoi.

by xiaomi. the chinese company found success in high spec low—priced smartphones but is now pushing for high—end products. it faces stiff competition from apple and samsung. another smartphone has been launched with the ability to anticipate the users�* needs using ai technology. recognition tech can analyse and make sense of messages and photos to understand the intention of users based on their daily usage according to the company. the company has also shown off technology which allows users to control a carjust by using their eyes. we heard how the chinese offerings were stacking up against the competition. i would say extremely strong showing. as you mentioned, al on the phone is probably the best way chinese vendors are going to be able to compete with apple and samsung, so they are really all systems go on these innovations, but also we are seeing interesting things with electric cars and in other areas.

very strong showing from the chinese at mwc in barcelona as expected. huawei launching a lot of products. a smartphone and an electric vehicle. is this proof they have avoided the us export restrictions on high—end chips? they are extremely resilient, they are not out of the woods because we don't know if the us government is going to increasingly tighten the screws on the chip market or not, but they have definitely survived the worst of it and are definitely here to stay. where are their strengths? they still have the largest market share in mobile networks in the world, so the majority of the world population is using huawei to connect to a mobile network. i think they have shown resilience in the smartphone space, and continue to try to get into new areas like ai and xr and connected mobility. some economic data that may give us a better picture of how the largest economies in asia are doing.

japan reports national core consumer prices forjanuary. the economy is technically in recession but that hasn't stopped the nikkei 225 closing at record highs last week. china's sluggish economic growth this year which has put growth this year has put pressure on manufacturers. we have the official and private survey on sentiments. the chief market analyst at acm trade weighed in on the outlook for both japan and china. japan is interesting, the dichotomy where the stock market is hitting record highs while the economy is technically in recession. two main reasons. the yen has weakened 6.6% against the us dollar this year which has given a tailwind to japanese a tailwind to japanese exporters such as toyota. and the tech sector injapan. cashing in on gains in the us.

it's a case of rising tide lifting all boats. nvidia shooting the lights out. softbank with a record profit for a japanese company. that has added to the nikkei momentum. china, manufacturing and non—manufacturing data coming up this week. manufacturing numbers probably coming up slightly lower than the key 50 level, indicating a contraction. non—manufacturing doing a little better in china, possibly coming in at about 50.1 or50.2, we will see what transpires. we have seen some action in recent weeks in terms of cutting the key mortgage rate. and cutting the reserve ratio requirement. investors are waiting to see more evidence of a turnaround before investing back into china. chinese equities as well.

foreign direct investment in china, that dropped 11% in january. that's as a result of the property sector. a deflationary story playing out. us aluminium giant alcoa has put forward a non—binding offer of $2.2 billion for ustralian company alumina. for australian company alumina. the ceo said he will support the deal in the absence of a better offer. if successful, the merger would consolidate a global mining portfolio of aluminium refineries under one roof. the husband of a bp employee has been charged with insider trading in the us. the us securities and exchange commission alleges that he eavesdropped on his wife's work calls when she was handling the bp acquisition of a company, and he bought

shares making illegal profits of $1.7 million. he has been ordered to repay that money. bp has yet to comment. elsewhere, british firms say they are facing higher shipping costs and delays of up to four weeks due to the recent houthi attacks in the red sea. the british chambers of commerce say more than a third of firms surveyed have been affected and that added costs could contribute to higher prices in the uk economy generally. despite contributing just 3% of global co2 emissions, africa is experiencing serious climate problems. one company, infinity power, hopes to make a distance. hopes to make a difference. we caught up with the company chairman and asked him if they are close to the target. we currently have 1.3 gigawatts in operation across three countries. egypt, senegal

and south africa. we produce a400 gigawatt hours per year. powering almost two million homes. the biggest challenge we see in africa is basically the bankability of projects on the continent, and the grid capacity to be able to evacuate the energy into the grids. in senegal, we havejust seen, a significant delay by nine months, their general election. this is a real concern, the impact it will have on democracy there, where it is seen as a bastion of stability. you operate in senegal. your thoughts on that? it's not a good thing in my opinion. government should stick to the dates of elections. but then again, the details behind that, we are not fully aware of, so the reasons behind that i cannot comment. also elections in south africa,

another country you say you operate in significantly. in south africa, many people are suffering with power outages on a daily basis. it's a real headache for households and businesses. at infinity power, how do you counter that? i mean, it's been a struggle for us for the past two or three years in south africa. certain energy purchase programmes, round five and round six, have been put in place that were not really successful. we're in this for the long—haul. we believe in south africa. so hopefully the next round of purchasing for power from renewables will mitigate the mistakes made in the past. both these examples, south africa and senegal, illustrate how important government is of course when it comes to energy policy,

and how you as a company can operate within. yeah, i mean, we operate under the certain country's frameworks. it's been relatively easy in egypt for us, because the programmes have been set and the targets set. thankfully we met these targets, along with others. senegal has been, you know, pretty straight forward in our opinion. we generate on good days of wind around 50% of the country's power. the government and the utility there has been pretty easy to deal with in developing more projects there. south africa, because of the different moving parts, so to speak, ipp offers and the like, it's bit more difficult to manage in south africa. the government has a lot on its

plate to make things work. for the barbie movie fans, you may be able to get your hands on some actual pink merchandise soon. the company behind the classic nokia smartphones is working in partnership with mattel to launch a barbie flip phone due out this summer. the device will look like the throwback phones from years ago with buttons instead of a touch—screen. if you think you can scroll on instagram or tik—tok, think again. the phone will have no internet access at all. no internet access, could you live with that? goodbye for now. every step is going in the

right direction.— every step is going in the right direction. spent 15 years in manchester. _ right direction. spent 15 years in manchester. this _ right direction. spent 15 years in manchester. this wasn't i in manchester. this wasn't available when i lived here. i never turned to the mountains or something to do. this never turned to the mountains or something to do.— or something to do. this area has so much _ or something to do. this area has so much to _ or something to do. this area has so much to offer. - or something to do. this area has so much to offer. it's - or something to do. this area | has so much to offer. it's more than just a landscape. has so much to offer. it's more thanjust a landscape. to has so much to offer. it's more than just a landscape. to some, it's a lifeline. to than just a landscape. to some, it's a lifeline.— it's a lifeline. to get people outdoors- — it's a lifeline. to get people outdoors. people _ it's a lifeline. to get people outdoors. people that - it's a lifeline. to get people outdoors. people that have| it's a lifeline. to get people - outdoors. people that have gone through the same difficulties. 0ver through the same difficulties. over a period of 20 years, rob from porthmadog battled his addiction that destroyed his life. , , . addiction that destroyed his life. , ., ., , life. drugs and alcohol sent me into isolation. _ life. drugs and alcohol sent me into isolation. i— life. drugs and alcohol sent me into isolation. i was _ life. drugs and alcohol sent me into isolation. i was very - into isolation. i was very lonely, i was broken. into isolation. i was very lonely, iwas broken. i had ruined all my friendships with loved ones, relationships went downhill. �* . , loved ones, relationships went downhill. �* ., , ., downhill. after many solar walks, downhill. after many solar walks. he _ downhill. after many solar walks, he has _ downhill. after many solar walks, he has created - downhill. after many solar| walks, he has created soba snowdonia, a walking group for people who have been through similar challenges. i people who have been through similar challenges.— similar challenges. i thought i should make _ similar challenges. i thought i should make this _ similar challenges. i thought i should make this available - similar challenges. i thought i should make this available to | should make this available to anyone if they choose to do it.

0rganised walks. invite other people suffering with addiction or in recovery. even family members of people struggling.

a morning on the mersey.

today's lesson, loic. £3711 a morning on the mersey. today's lesson, loic. off you no. -- today's lesson, loic. off you 90- -- rowing- _ today's lesson, loic. off you go. -- rowing. teamwork, . today's lesson, loic. off you i go. -- rowing. teamwork, they learn respect — go. -- rowing. teamwork, they learn respect of _ go. -- rowing. teamwork, they learn respect of the _ go. -- rowing. teamwork, they learn respect of the teachers i learn respect of the teachers and coaches. and we are very keen on the fact they should learn respect for nature and wildlife. the local high school is perfectly placed on the bank of the river mersey. shall we change over?— of the river mersey. shall we chance over? . ., ., change over? richard co-founded the charity _ change over? richard co-founded the charity that _ change over? richard co-founded the charity that makes _ change over? richard co-founded the charity that makes it - the charity that makes it possible. the charity that makes it possible-— possible. one of the by-products - possible. one of the by-products was - possible. one of the by-products was we | possible. one of the - by-products was we wanted to by—products was we wanted to smash this elitist image of the sport, to bring it back to the grassroots and to show them it doesn't have to be 0xbridge graduates to take part in a truly wonderful sport. i love doinu truly wonderful sport. i love doing rowing. _ truly wonderful sport. i love doing rowing, it's— truly wonderful sport. i love doing rowing, it's quite - truly wonderful sport. i love doing rowing, it's quite fun | doing rowing, it's quite fun because _ doing rowing, it's quite fun because i_ doing rowing, it's quite fun because i usually do basketball, this is a big change _ basketball, this is a big change but it's really fun to do — change but it's really fun to do |— change but it's really fun to do. ., ., ., ., .,

do. i would love to do it more in the future. _ do. i would love to do it more in the future. i _ do. i would love to do it more in the future. i really - do. i would love to do it more in the future. i really enjoy i in the future. i really enjoy it now. _ in the future. i really enjoy it now. it_ in the future. i really enjoy it now, it would _ in the future. i really enjoy it now, it would be - in the future. i really enjoy it now, it would be great. in the future. i really enjoy| it now, it would be great to in the future. i really enjoy - it now, it would be great to do it now, it would be great to do it at _ it now, it would be great to do it at some _ it now, it would be great to do it at some point _ it now, it would be great to do it at some point in _ it now, it would be great to do it at some point in the - it now, it would be great to do it at some point in the future. | it at some point in the future. so you — it at some point in the future. so you are _ it at some point in the future. so you are glad _ it at some point in the future. so you are glad you _ it at some point in the future. so you are glad you have - it at some point in the future. so you are glad you have this| so you are glad you have this opportunity? so you are glad you have this opportunity?— so you are glad you have this opportunity? hello there. i'm 0lly foster. liverpool are the wembley winners — jurgen klopp says this league cup is the most special trophy he has won. india close in on victory in the test series, after leaving england in a spin in ranchi. and the width of a post — that's how close italy were to a famous six nations win in france.