possible legal strategy at his arraignment hearing. wall street brushes off inflationary fears after a global oil cartel announced surprise production cuts. plus, we check out an app in india designed in part to help those in remote areas to access welfare schemes. hello and welcome to asia business report, i'm karishma vaswani. i

want to show you how the markets fared overnight. as you can see here on our screens the dow and the s&p 500 closing higher. that is in part to the energy sector index which surged after opec plus�*s announcement. inflation concerns have been tempered by expectations that the us central bank could soon end its monetary tightening campaign. and oil output cut will mean higher prices and we could see that starting from next month. my that starting from next month. my colleague has more.- my colleague has more. many anal sts my colleague has more. many analysts believe _ my colleague has more. many analysts believe that - my colleague has more. many analysts believe that the - analysts believe that the coalition of oil—producing nations really want to keep the price of oil above $80 a barrel, even hovering around $90 a barrel. a higher price of oil has wide ranging implications. it will make producing goods more expensive for companies and if prices stay high for a while it will have an impact on the price of gasoline and as many countries

around the world are fighting high inflation, this move by opec could make that battle more difficult. the white house has been pushing opec to increase production, even making a special trip to saudi arabia last year to make a personal plea. unsurprisingly washington did not take the news of a production cut well, with the head of the national security council calling it inadvisable. joe biden has been pushing for lower gas prices to ease the cost of living burden on american pocket books. that was my colleague _ on american pocket books. that was my colleague reporting on that story for us. i want to turn your attention to australia now because later today the central bank there will make its latest decision on the cost of borrowing. the reserve bank of australia has in fact hiked rates nine times in fact hiked rates nine times in a row in a bid to stem sky high inflation in the country but recent data appears to suggest those rising prices may be slowing down and notjust in australia. a little earlier i

spoke with someone from street street global markets. inflation is still a problem in australia but the way that we are looking at it right now is that inflation is coming down, we have proprietary indicators of g ten inflation pressures and australia is seeing among the weakest of the g ten inflation pressures so we've certainly got an opportunity here to stay, on the whole we have to look at it and a broader context stopping growth is slowing, business confidence has weakened quite markedly in the last few months and maybe most importantly of all the riba is very sensitive to this. there is a direct knock on effect to mortgages in australia in terms of, an adjustment in mortgage rates later on this year stopping another rate hike. all that

simply does is it squeezes consumers and households even further. so given the slowdown in inflation we are seeing. excellent points there, particularly about that tricky balance between trying to combat inflation but also trying to maintain or ensure that growth remains stable. it is notjust australia that is in that difficult position, is it? other countries are facing that issue. it? other countries are facing that issue-— it? other countries are facing that issue. most countries are facin: that issue. most countries are facing that — that issue. most countries are facing that issue _ that issue. most countries are facing that issue because - that issue. most countries are facing that issue because we i facing that issue because we are now in the middle of what is, and obviously there is quite a wide debate around in terms of how deep the recession or the slowdown will be throughout various parts of the world, the saying is you are tightening into a recession or you are tightening into a slowdown. so in other words as a central bank what you have to try to avoid is accelerating the process of a slowdown that we are seeing and ensuring that you are not over tightening.

this is tricky because central banks invariably have a mandate which is inflation as opposed to growth but when we look at the rest of the region, we look at some of the emerging market, courier is one that stands out for example because there is a slowdown in terms of global growth, that means there is a slowdown in terms of the export sector, a vital part of the korean economy, and effectively engineer a slowdown. i korean economy, and effectively engineer a slowdown.— engineer a slowdown. i want to brina ou engineer a slowdown. i want to bring you some _ engineer a slowdown. i want to bring you some other— engineer a slowdown. i want to bring you some other news - engineer a slowdown. i want to j bring you some other news this morning because a federaljury in the us state of san francisco has ordered ev manufacturer tesla to pay $3.2 million to a former employee. this was after it was found to have failed to prevent severe racial harassment at its flagship assembly plant in california. hollywood actor

leonardo dicaprio made his appearance in a us court on monday to testify in the trial of a member of a hip—hop group. mr michelle is facing criminal charges for allegedly helping to funnel money to influence us politics. mr low himself is accused of losing billions of dollars from a sovereign wealth fund. the french president and the president of the eu commission ursula von der leyen will leave for china later today. they expect to arrive in beijing and to meet with the president xijinping and other top officials as well. a business reporter has more. it seems like european leaders these days just can't get enough of china, just last week we saw the spanish prime minister there, we saw the spanish prime ministerthere, now we saw the spanish prime minister there, now we see ursula von der leyen and we see emmanuel macron. the obvious reason why they are going is of course trade. china is europe's

second—largest trade and investment partner. 2—way trade reached more than $860 billion in 2021 and that is why macron is travelling with dozens of top company executives. what makes trade even more urgent right now is a timing. europe is emerging from a very painful breakup with russia and itjust can't afford to lose another important trading partner whereas for china, europe is only growing in importance at a time when ties with the us are souring. but for europe this is about more than just trade. european leaders understand china's outsized influence over russia and they want to make sure that china does not use that influence to support russia's war effort in ukraine. but there is a certain ambivalence in europe's position. ursula von der leyen made that clear when she said that given china's hardening policies, europe does not need to decouple from china but it

needs to de— risk politically and economically. we will have to see what that means in terms of trade going would.— of trade going would. finally to india now _ of trade going would. finally to india now which _ of trade going would. finally to india now which is - of trade going would. finally to india now which is home i of trade going would. finallyl to india now which is home to over 1.4 billion people and as you can imagine the challenges of running government welfare programmes there can be immense. but one start—up is hoping that it's app can address this.— hoping that it's app can address this. ., , , address this. consider this. the indian _ address this. consider this. the indian government - address this. consider this. i the indian government spends about 7% of its gdp on welfare and benefits. there are about 13,000 schemes that 900 million indians can avail of, anything from scholarships to pensions to healthcare. but very often the problem is people simply do not have the information about what they are eligible for. this start—up is using technology to connect beneficiaries with government welfare programmes. so, how does it work?— does it work? you essentially start by registering _

does it work? you essentially start by registering the - start by registering the citizen on the platform, asking basic graphic details their name, phone number, gender, where they live. this set of 40-50 where they live. this set of 40—50 questions ultimately lead to an icon saying what are the eligible government schemes and these are the identity documents required to get these. this is one of the 3 million people across some 7000 villagers who have claimed benefits using the app. it helped to get fruit tree saplings. i helped to get fruit tree saplinqs-_ helped to get fruit tree salinus. ., "~ , saplings. i got $25 to buy the [ants saplings. i got $25 to buy the plants and _ saplings. i got $25 to buy the plants and now _ saplings. i got $25 to buy the plants and now get _ saplings. i got $25 to buy the i plants and now get government help to keep them alive. when they are ready yet will help me supplement my family's income. now while the app might look easy to use for people like you and, most of its beneficiaries are neither literate nor are they tech savvy and that is where the company's army of ground agents comes into the picture. every day, this field

agent screens people for eligibility, uploads their documents and submits them to the relevant government department for processing. translation: in department for processing. translation:— department for processing. translation: in this village barely 100 — translation: in this village barely 100 people _ translation: in this village barely 100 people had - translation: in this village barely 100 people had a - translation: in this village . barely 100 people had a pension but since i began doing this i've helped 5000 of the 15,000 villagers claim it. ifeel very proud. it villagers claim it. i feelvery roud. . ., , ., proud. it charges a minimum fee for its services, _ proud. it charges a minimum fee for its services, barely _ proud. it charges a minimum fee for its services, barely enough i for its services, barely enough to cover costs. can they ever make money from this? we are creating the base for financial institutions, financial institutions, financial institutions, where they can build on top of it and offer product. 50 build on top of it and offer product-— build on top of it and offer roduct. , product. so there we see in the next 4- five _ product. so there we see in the next 4- five years _ product. so there we see in the next 4- five years really - product. so there we see in the next 4- five years really being. next 4— five years really being able to monetise and get profitable.— able to monetise and get profitable. able to monetise and get - rofitable. ., profitable. the aim in the next few years _ profitable. the aim in the next few years is — profitable. the aim in the next few years is to _ profitable. the aim in the next few years is to help _ profitable. the aim in the next few years is to help 100 - profitable. the aim in the next few years is to help 100 illien l few years is to help 100 illien indians claim what is rightfully theirs. it is a lofty goal especially since funding for start—ups has dried up funding for start—ups has dried up and getting corporate is to pay for welfare is getting

tougher in the slowing economy. that's it from us, thanks for watching, goodbye. the latest way to improve safety for people out partying in abbey gate barthe. the safe bus will be parked up every friday and saturday night outside bath abbey. that friday and saturday night outside bath abbey. at the end ofthe outside bath abbey. at the end of the bus _ outside bath abbey. at the end of the bus we _ outside bath abbey. at the end of the bus we have _ outside bath abbey. at the end of the bus we have this - outside bath abbey. at the end of the bus we have this private | of the bus we have this private area and this is obviously for people to come if they need their own private space, need some private medical treatment. then we've got kitted out. this is like the _ then we've got kitted out. this is like the kitchen _ then we've got kitted out. ti 3 is like the kitchen area, we got everything that you would probably need if you wanted to keep warm and have a nice drink tea, coffee facilities, water. underneath here with got sick bowls, emergency blankets,

flip—flops, which i've been told are really popular. spare clothing, phone charges, there will always be a paramedic, there will be a security marshal in the city without night marshals and then it will be a team of volunteers. may be people who need first date, they need the paramedic and that support. they need the paramedic and that smart-— that support. pressure on emergency _ that support. pressure on emergency services - that support. pressure on emergency services is - that support. pressure on i emergency services is known that support. pressure on - emergency services is known to be higher at weekends. if emergency services is known to be higher at weekends.- be higher at weekends. if you can deal with _ be higher at weekends. if you can deal with the _ be higher at weekends. if you can deal with the situation . be higher at weekends. if you can deal with the situation on j can deal with the situation on the ground where it happened then people don't need to take themselves up to a&e. the idea has already _ themselves up to a&e. the idea has already been _ themselves up to a&e. the idea has already been proven - has already been proven elsewhere and venues throughout bath had asked for their own bus. vulnerable, tipsy or maybe even lost. this bus is one that will always have a seat for you. i'm rachel with the catch up. first up to liverpool where olivia pratt korbel�*s keller

has been jailed for 42 years. she was shot by thomas cashman as he chased another drug dealer into her home last august. he refused to appear in court for the sentencing. olivia's mum spoke afterwards. we welcome the sentence given but what i can say is that my family and i have already started our life sentence having to spend the rest of our lives without olivia. some other news. russian investigators are holding a woman as a sub after a bombing killed a pro— war blogger in a cafe in simply to. in a video released by russian authorities, the woman is heard admitting she handed over a statue that later blew up. is your passport up—to—date? you might want to have a check. passport office workers across the uk have started a five—week strike over pay and the demand for new passports has gone up. the union is warning there may be delays in the lead up to

summer. but, for the women's world cup that some there will be a change and pictures of the new blue shorts have been released after players called for a different colour. to finish off, let's have a look at ten seconds of a hero. this is the moment that a skier spots and saves a snowboarder who was stuck upside down in a tree in america and the whole thing was caught on camera too. incredible. you are all caught up incredible. you are all caught up now, have a good night.

hello, i'm tulsen tollett, live from the bbc sport centre. coming up on this programme: everton strike late to grab a point against tottenham and move out of the relegation zone. chelsea's search for a new manager will have a lot of top candidates, but the time frame is unknown. and golf�*s big names play down talk that it's liv versus pga tour players at this weeks masters in augusta. hello, i'm tulsen tollett and this is your sports news, where we start with football. everton and tottenham hotspur shared the goals and the red cards at goodison park. after a lacklustre first half,

abdoulaye doucoure was sent off for pushing harry kane's face just before the hour mark.