Hello there. We start with amazon its the latest of the Silicon Valley tech giants to report how much money its been making over the past three months. And the numbers are staggering. Revenues of 108 billion up 44 on this time last year. And 8 billion in profits three times more than it made in the same quarter last year. We all know how much of our spending has migrated online during the pandemic. But as shops begin to reopen, will our amazon habit continue . Heres michelle fleury. Is on, the latest, basically saying that its profits tripled over the quarter. Joining the ranks of google, facebook and apple all reporting stellar results. Perhaps in some ways we shouldnt be too surprised because if you look at all of us over the last year, however lifestyle has changed because of the pandemic, our activities moving online, whether it is work, schooling, socialising or shopping, all of that has benefited these names in text. Perhaps the exception to that is twitter which reported disappointing earnings and its share price was being punished in after hours, down about 11 at one point. What i think the takeaway is from all of this is that you have seen the huge benefits of these companies, the question is, as the pandemic starts to move into the rearview mirror, what will happen to those companies� s fortunes Going Forward . In the case of amazon, we know that jeff bezos is stepping down and the task will fall to his replacement andy jassy. Also means that in all likelihood these companies are going to face increasing scrutiny from the Us Government whether it is how much taxes they pay, anti trust situation, whether or not competition is there with these giant players. So there is going to be some Interesting Times ahead for these dominant technology companies. That is certainly true. Joining me now is Frank Kochenash from e commerce consultants Wunderman Thompson commerce. Frank worked for amazon in the early days back in 2003. Thank you very much forjoining us, frank. Your Bossjeff Bezos is handing his successor a post pandemic pivot do you think he will be up to the task . Do you think he will be up to the task . ,. ,. ,. , the task . From all indications i have seen. The task . From all indications i have seen, yes. The task . From all indications i have seen, yes. Andy the task . From all indications i have seen, yes. Andy jassyl the task . From all indications| i have seen, yes. Andy jassy is i have seen, yes. Andyjassy is a strong leader, a long time hammers on employee. He has worked withjeff and knows the company well and the Company Knows him well. As well, dave clark leading the Consumer Retail business is a well known amazonian. Even beyond a single person, the culture and the ways of operating are very well established by amazon. And it should also be said that geoff pazos isnt stepping that far away and im sure he will have away and im sure he will have a reasonably close finger on the pulse of the company. I was auoin to the pulse of the company. I was going to ask the pulse of the company. I was going to ask about the pulse of the company. I was going to ask about that. The pulse of the company. I was going to ask about that. Do the pulse of the company. I was going to ask about that. Do you | going to ask about that. Do you Thinkjeff Bezos is still going to be pulling the strings here, is he effectively a Master Puppeteer forever for amazon . No, i dont think so. I think andy is going to run the company and the company will run itself. I think generally, jeff is going to do what we hear and that is experiment and think very long term and think of the next big invention. He is still the Chairman Of The Board and will still exert some influence. Board and will still exert some influence influence. Lets talk about hammers influence. Lets talk about hammers ons influence. Lets talk about hammers ons web influence. Lets talk about| hammers ons web Service Business because this is the really interesting bits and where a lot of the money is coming from now. According to an estimate here, Amazon Web Services accounts for a third of worldwide Cloud Infrastructure spend. That is staggering, should we be worried about that . Staggering, should we be worried about that . That is an interesting worried about that . That is an interesting question. Worried about that . That is an interesting question. A worried about that . That is an interesting question. A third, | interesting question. A third, i guess that gets into, within that segment, is that too much or too little, i am not really sure. I do know that there are very strong competitors in that space, notably microsoft and its cloud product. So the sense that i have from the market and customers is that in web services now, as in retail and broadly e commerce, that competition is very stiff. Broadly ecommerce, that competition is very stiff. Now, lookin competition is very stiff. Now, looking at competition is very stiff. Now, looking at amazon, competition is very stiff. Now, looking at amazon, lots competition is very stiff. Now, looking at amazon, lots of looking at amazon, lots of people, it has lots of distractors and lots of people who arent fond of the company, shall we say are the relative calls to break it up, who is really going to be in charge of the future of amazon here. Is it going to be amazon, the regulators, who decides what amazon is going to look like 10 years from now . Amazon is going to look like 10 years from now . Well, probably racticall years from now . Well, probably practically speaking years from now . Well, probably practically speaking all practically speaking all of those. First and foremost of those. First and foremost of those would be amazon and the leaders of amazon herself. And the leaders by proxy are going to be their customers. Amazon has always said that they are always Customer Centric and thatis always Customer Centric and that is what they aspire to be and what their customers need and what their customers need and they defined their customers as and consumers who are buying products or watching videos on their properties, as well as Small Businesses that sell on their platform online. And there are aspects of the platform off line and business customers who buy web services. And then of course they will be the influence of regulators as they are always has been. My best guess would be all those constituencies will help shape the future of amazon. 15 It Constituencies will help shape the future of amazon. Is it not a bit disingenuous the future of amazon. Is it not a bit disingenuous to the future of amazon. Is it not a bit disingenuous to say that l a bit disingenuous to say that amazon is Customer Centric because that would suggest that its demand based product but a lot of the time it is actually stoking demand and almost a supply Side Business here . Can supplySide Business here . Can ou supplySide Business here . Can you exoiain supplySide Business here . Can you explain that supply Side Business here . Can you explain that a little bit more, what do you mean by stoking demand or supply Side Business . Stoking demand or supplySide Business . �. ,. , stoking demand or supplySide Business . ,. , stoking demand or supplySide Business . �. ,. ,. ,. ,. , business . Amazon has more data than any Company Business . Amazon has more data than any Company Really business . Amazon has more data than any Company Really in business . Amazon has more data than any Company Really in the i than any Company Really in the world was not it knows what we want before we know what we want before we know what we want ourselves and so my point really here is that they say they are Customer Centric but that suggest that it is reactive to customer demand. In fact, they are stoking it themselves . I fact, they are stoking it themselves . Fact, they are stoking it themselves . ,. ,. , themselves . I see what you are caettin themselves . I see what you are getting at themselves . I see what you are getting at you themselves . I see what you are getting at. You know, themselves . I see what you are getting at. You know, from themselves . I see what you are getting at. You know, from my| getting at. You know, from my perspective and what i have observed while i was there and since then is that amazon will try to understand what customers want and what customers want and what customers need and they will invent ways to satisfy those needs. I guess that could be perceived in some ways as stoking demand but i think it is really. The mantra was always, and as we observe it through our clients that we work with is what is the Customer Problem and what is the customer need and how do we solve that. And i think they are very well seasoned and expert users of data and they use data to uncover those Consumer Problems to the best they can solve those problems and sometimes that works great and sometimes that works great and there have always also been some pretty famous failures there are those experiments. But i think they are generally committed to the Customer Centric promise. {lila Customer Centric promise. 0k, we will leave Customer Centric promise. 0k, we will leave it Customer Centric promise. 0k, we will leave it there. Customer centric promise. 0k, we will leave it there. Thank you very much Frank Kochenash there in seattle. Those Blockbuster Tech Results have been boosting Financial Markets the s p 500 closing at a new record high, buoyed by facebook shares, which also hit a record after reporting a surge in earnings. The asian markets not getting quite the burst from wall street overnight. And that is the us market there. Susannah streeter is Senior Investment analyst at hargreaves lansdown. The strongest performance from the us economy for the start of the year since the year i was born are guidance outlooks a little bit outsized as well these days . Bit outsized as well these da s . , bit outsized as well these da 5 . ,. , bit outsized as well these da s . ,. ,. , days . Yes, certainly we have seen a supersize days . Yes, certainly we have seen a supersize result, seen a super size result, havent we . As you have been outlining from the likes of amazon, a huge surge in profits, taking many in the Financial Markets by surprise, the scale of the increases that we have seen. The same for facebook, the same for apple as well this week. And i think that to some extent there was this expectation that there would be some kind of tailing off of the rapid growth we have seen for these businesses over the past year and not at all. It certainly seems as though really they are cementing their positions right at the top of The Food Chain in terms of everything that we do in our lives now, whether it is shopping, socialising, online. Whether it is trying to buy the kits that we need for this working from Home Revolution that has been undergoing. It certainly doesnt look like its going to be unravelling anytime soon. Take amazon for example, it has brought forward prime day back tojune. In the summer months it had pushed it to october last year and really hope that that momentum will continue. And the Network Effects of these companies, the very fact that the more users come onto the platform, the more they are bringing advertisers, the more that other businesses in the case of amazon and also facebook for example we want to be there as well. That Network Effect keep scribbling out. Scribbling out. 0k, susanna, thank you scribbling out. 0k, susanna, thank you very scribbling out. 0k, susanna, thank you very much scribbling out. 0k, susanna, thank you very much for scribbling out. 0k, susanna, i thank you very much for your time. Susannah streeter there in london. Should patents on covid vaccines be suspended so poorer countries can make their own, much needed, supplies . Thats what developing nations including india and south africa are asking for their proposal is backed by more than 100 countries. Its being resisted though by richer nations which are home to the global drugs companies. But the Biden Administration is now weighing up whether to back the idea ahead of final talks at the world trade organisation. Joining me now is thomas cueni, Director General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and associations. Thank you very much forjoining me, thomas. The white house has been holding talks with your industry in recent days, is it moving towards the backing of developing nations on this . I hope not because when you look at the problem, it is us seeing not one but several vaccines reaching people Around The World at an amazing speed. We are seeing a scaling up to up to 10 billion doses of covid 19 vaccines manufactured this year which is incredible. You wouldnt get a single more dose if you took the patents away. But why should Companies Profit from unprecedented International Government support . I International Government support . International government suort . ,. , support . I wouldnt say that Companies Support . I wouldnt say that Companies Profiting support . I wouldnt say that Companies Profiting on support . I wouldnt say that Companies Profiting on a Companies Profiting on a large scale because what we see is that the industry is really seizing its social responsibility. The way this was depicted quite often is that it was depicted quite often is thatitis was depicted quite often is that it is big pharma trying to protect its profits but when you look at it we are in there were small Biotech Companies, were small Biotech Companies, we are in their with developing manufacturers and we had a meeting a week ago with people from developing countries manufacturers, from india talking about the complexity of the new Vaccine Manufacturing and importance of free flowing goods. When you look at the bottlenecks in manufacturing, it is Export Restrictions for example, such as the defence Production Act in the united states. It is scarcity of Raw Materials and that is why we didnt wait. We signed partnerships already a year ago. You have Technology Trends happening on the larger scale ever. 275 contracts between industrialised country manufacturers and developing countries. India has become the largest Vaccine Manufacturer in the world. This wouldnt happen without the patent that gives you the certainty, but the complexity of Vaccine Manufacturing. You need to look at the Pfizer Biontech vaccine. They 286 ingredients from 19 countries are many suppliers. Those other barriers. We leaving no stone unturned but what were saying is we need also more solidarity from rich countries sharing the vaccines with poor countries. With poor countries. What you think is going with poor countries. What you think is going to with poor countries. What you think is going to happen with poor countries. What you | think is going to happen today, thomas, with the wto . I5 think is going to happen today, thomas, with the wto . Is likely the same that thomas, with the wto . Is likely the same that we thomas, with the wto . Is likely the same that we saw thomas, with the wto . Is likely the same that we saw over thomas, with the wto . Is likely the same that we saw over the l the same that we saw over the last six months. There will be talk but at the same time i am pleased to say we are seeing action. We do see a Manufacturing Task force in covax where the Vaccine Manufacturers from india and are in the same boat as the Biotech Companies and the innovative manufacturers. We are calling out to governments and to the wto and they are negotiators are calling out to governments to please left the trade barriers. We will set up visibility and has a mechanism that should improve the efficiency of manufacturing i better matching supply and demand. We need to tackle the scarcity of these ingredients, and we really need to continue to scale up as we have done in the past few months. The past few months. Thomas cueni, directorgeneral the past few months. Thomas cueni, directorgeneral of the past few months. Thomasi cueni, directorgeneral of the cueni, Director General of the international adoration of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and associations. Thank you very much for your time. Thank ou. As weve been reporting, President Biden has continued to promote his 6 trillion Spending Programme at a rally in georgia. In asia, though, theres been a lot of interest in his comments on Foreign Policy particularly on china. Sharanjit leyl and Our Asia Team have been taking a closer look. Sharanjit, tell us more. How have they gone down . I mean, fairly mixed. There has been quite a level of positive reaction to it but i should say that it reaction to it but i should say thatitis reaction to it but i should say that it is notjust china which continues to be a focus for the us but asia as a whole, and this comes as the white house announces just a few hours ago that south korean president moonjae in will be next to visit at Presentjoe Biden visit at Presentjoe Biden visit President Joe Biden in may. You remember earlier this month they met with Prime Minister suga, ofjapan, the minister suga, of japan, the first foreign minister suga, ofjapan, the first foreign leader during his presidency, and it is a sign that 100 days into his presidency, asia is playing a pivotal role in his Foreign Policy. Who can forget, of course, in his speech to the us congress this week how he spoke about china several times and said it was deadly earnest on becoming the most significant consequential nation in the world. But, as the policy agency institute said, it is just one part of his policy. It has to do with china but i think has to do with china but i think part of it is a recognition that asia is where it is happening, it is where the it is happening, it is where the growth is, where the dynamism is, the innovation is. It dynamism is, the innovation is. It is dynamism is, the innovation is. It is where dynamism is, the innovation is. It is where the geostrategic challenges are. If we are not working challenges are. If we are not working closely with our asian partners. Working closely with our asian partners, ourability working closely with our asian partners, our ability to address these transnational challenges like climate change, weather challenges like climate change, weather conditions, future pandemics is not going to be effective. ~ pandemics is not going to be effective pandemics is not going to be effective. ~. , effective. When he cut her, she went on to effective. When he cut her, she went on to say effective. When he cut her, she went on to say that effective. When he cut her, she went on to say that this went on to say that this region, where i sit, southeast asia, is also playing a more Important Role wendy cutler. It is assigned the us is back as a player on the regional stage. As a player on the regional state. , ~ , as a player on the regional state. , ~ , as a player on the regional state. ,. Stay with us on bbc news. Still to come The Travel Industry awaits the return of foreign travel as domestic bookings soar. Nothing, it seemed, was too big to withstand the force of the tornado. The extent of the devastation will lead to renewed calls for government help to build better housing. Internationally, there have already been protests. Sweden says it received no warning of the accident. Indeed, the russians at first denied anything had gone wrong. Only when Radioactivity Levels began to increase outside russia were they forced to admit the accident. For the mujahideen, the mood here is of great celebration. This is the end of a 12 year warfor them. They have taken the capital which they have been fighting for for so long. It was 7 oclock in the morning on the day when power began to pass from the minority to the majority, when africa, after 300 years, reclaimed its last white colony. This is Bbc World News. The latest headlines at least 44 people have been killed in a stampede at a jewish festival in north east israel. President biden holds a Drive Through Rally in georgia the first stop on a tour to promoting his economic plans to the american public. India is seeing over 350,000 new covid 19 cases a day the fastest rate of spread in the world. While the country battles a health emergency, the impact on the economy may be long lasting. As the bbc� s Arunoday Mukharji reports, the worst affected will be indias women. 0ne one month into lusty� s lockdown, Sergey Lost Herjob as an Event Manager and between march and april 2020 she was one of 17 million indian women who found themselves suddenly unemployed when the pandemic last years. Unable to find a job since then, she decided to start something on her own. Even before the pandemic indian women did not fare any better. Paid far less than men, majority of them worked in low paying occupations, resulting in lower chances of being promoted and getting managerial positions, reducing their lifetime and retirement pensions. Their lifetime and retirement ensions. Their lifetime and retirement pensions their lifetime and retirement ensions. , pensions. Looking at the gender i a. Pensions. Looking at the gender aa which pensions. Looking at the gender gap which is pensions. Looking at the gender gap which is already pensions. Looking at the gender gap which is already worrying, i gap which is already worrying, why did india, getting wider when the recovery comes and even lower base to start from. It is Reigniting A Public Debate Over Whether Indian Women who do nearly 3 billion hours of housework every day, should be compensated. Especially since men shoulder a tiny of that work. But critics say paying women for house work will only deepen the divide. In a country where already the sharing of domestic duties is so an ankle, if you start paying women for this work, than otherfamily paying women for this work, than other Family Members are never going to help unequal. Entrepreneurship is one way women are encouraged to pursue a career, given the challenges they face Finding Employment through formal channels. More needs to be done to provide the right support for indias mentor find. Mentor find. Their own businesses. Mentor find. Their own businesses. I mentor find. Their own businesses. I would. Mentor find. Their own | businesses. I would like mentor find. Their own businesses. I would like to see much more support for womens entrepreneurship, whether in the case of Small Business loans, the case of the government taking a lead to promote the idea that women actually do do business. The International Actually do do business. The International Monetary fund says achieving Gender Parity could boost indias gdp by nearly 27 . And in a post pandemic world, when india looks to rebuild its battered economy, increased participation of women could well hasten its recovery. Arunoday mukharji, bbc news, delhi. Viewers on Bbc World News can get more on this on talking business asia, this weekend at the times on your screen 110w. With Leisure Travel still banned across much of europe, The Travel Industry is anxiously waiting so see whether the Summer Holiday season can be saved. But in asia, things are moving much faster. This weekend marks the Spring Labour day holiday in countries including china and japan and in china, domestic bookings are already way ahead of pre pandemic levels, according to travel industry data. Jameson wong is asia pacific director at travel industry researchers forwardkeys. Thank you very much forjoining me. Has China Decoupled from the rest of the world . Well, essentially, yes. I mean, if you look at the pace of chinese Domestic Travel, especially in the lead up to the highly anticipated labour day holiday which officially begins from the first all the way through to the fifth, i say officially because we know from our data that even though it begins tomorrow, chinese Domestic Travel travellers have already begun travelling yesterday and today. The latest data, as of the 22nd of april, shows us that total Flight Tickets issued for Domestic Travel in china currently stands at 20 ahead 2019 levels. We are confident that as we get fresh data across the next few days, these Performance Figures will increase exponentially. Now, greece officially increase exponentially. Now, greece officially opens increase exponentially. Now, greece officially opens for. Greece officially opens for tourism on the 14th of may and policy seems to be if you have had a vaccination and test negative, come on in it negative, come on in yes. It is a precursor negative, come on in yes. It is a precursor to negative, come on in yes. It is a precursor to what negative, come on in yes. It is a precursor to what we negative, come on in ya; it is a precursor to what we will see over the next the rest of the world . See over the next the rest of the world . See over the next the rest of the world . Well, it remains to be seen of the world . Well, it remains to be seen. However, of the world . Well, it remains to be seen. However, one of the world . Well, it remains. To be seen. However, one thing is clear. Policy clarity, early communication of such decisions, early on in the game is highly beneficial. If we look at the Summer Travel season in europe, coming up in the next few months, we know for a fact that consumers are starting to book, especially in the past few weeks. However, generally speaking, we are seeing a limited level of reaction with bookings hovering around just 20 of 2019 levels. And this is not really surprising because by and large travel policies still remain unclear. If you look at for example france is announcing today and in the uk im sure as you are aware even though travel has been allowed on and off after the 17th of may under the traffic light system, there is still no clear information on which countries beyond the list. So coming back to the point of grease, greece and cyprus have been two of the most vocal in communicating that they want travellers back for the summer and not coincidentally these two countries are the most talked. Countries are the most talked. Countries are the most talked. ,. ,. ,. , talked. Jameson, we will have to leave it talked. Jameson, we will have to leave it there talked. Jameson, we will have to leave it there and talked. Jameson, we will have to leave it there and it talked. Jameson, we will have to leave it there and it will to leave it there and it will be interesting to see what happens with the Summer Season here, thank you for your time reach me on twitter. See you soon. Hello. April will continue to try to make amends with a bit more rain before the month is done during friday in the form of showers that will continue into the first weekend of may, and it will stay on the cool side with a risk of frost at night. And then for the bank holiday, look at this area of low pressure a long way away but its coming for us on monday. Until then, we find ourselves in the wake of low pressure. Unstable air, meaning showers and the flow of air coming in from the north east. Some cool direction. Temperatures below average for the time of year, and another frost out there for many, as we start the day for friday morning. Rather patchy in nature, more likely in the countryside than in the town and city centres, but it will be chilly. Therell be plenty of sunshine. Already a few showers running in towards the north sea coastal areas. But after the early sunshine elsewhere, some cloud is going to build and the showers break out more widely. Some heavy, perhaps with hail and thunder. Not everybody will catch them, though, and as for temperatures, it is quite cool, particularly along north sea coasts many of us just in the range of 9 12 celsius. Perhaps fewer showers in Northern Ireland compared with thursday, so more in the way of dry, sunny weather. As ever, the showers not everybody� s going to catch them they will tend to fade away after dark overnight and into saturday morning and with another chilly start, with another patchy frost, but a lot of sunshine to start the weekend, to start saturday. But wait for it, it all happens again. The shower clouds build, the showers break out, some heavy with hail and thunder. They will be wintry, too, over the higher hills and mountains, particularly in scotland. Maybe temperatures a degree or so higher on saturday and the winds are light, so if you are in some sunshine, it will feel reasonable, as it will again on sunday after a chilly start, but the showers will get going once again. More cloud gathering out to our west thats the area of low pressure i showed you coming in for the bank holiday. Now, theres still something to play for in the timing of the arrival of this wet and windy weather moving in from the atlantic on monday. It may well be that the far north of scotland, the far South East Of England stay dry for a large part of the day before the rain gets in. But if you think rain is coming on the bank holiday, the winds are going to be picking up as well and it is going to still be on the cool side for the time of year, you wont go far wrong. Good morning, welcome to breakfast with Charlie Stayt and naga munchetty. 0ur headlines today. Dozens of people are killed and many more injured in a stampede at a religious festival in israel. Sport goes silent. Football, rugby, cricket and more will start a four day boycott of social media today, to tackle online abuse. Actor and director noel clarke is suspended by bafta, after allegations of sexual harrassment. Why phones, cars, laptops, and even Washing Machines have been hit as Microchip Supplies run low. Car giant bmw is the latest to suffer a shortage as it halts prouction of its mini in the uk. Ill explain whats going on