Taiwan President William Lai vows to protect island's security, industries

Taiwanese President William Lai has vowed to protect the island's security and industries, as it navigates ongoing tariff negotiations with the US and growing pressure from China. Mr Lai said preparing for war is the best way to avoid it, and to achieve the goal of peace. China's Taiwan Affairs Office has hit back, calling the leader a "separatist" and slamming his anniversary speech as a "two-faced tactic" that is "doomed to fail".

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CNA

32 minutes ago

• CNA

Paws on board: China expands high-speed train access for pets as ownership booms

BEIJING: Pets are now allowed on more high-speed trains in China as authorities seek to make travel more accessible for a growing number of urban pet owners. Passengers can bring small dogs and cats aboard 38 high-speed trains under an expanded pilot scheme by state rail operator China Railway. This builds on the initial trial of 10 trains that began earlier this year. Eight major high-speed rail routes are now included in the expanded programme, covering popular lines such as Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Harbin, and Shanghai-Kunming, China Railway announced in a WeChat notice on Friday (Jun 20). The launch of the pilot in April marked the first time pets were officially allowed on high-speed passenger trains in China. Each passenger is limited to bringing one domesticated dog or cat. The pet must be in good health, weigh no more than 15kg and be no taller than 40cm at the shoulder, China Railway said. Pet owners also have to present a valid identity card and a certificate of animal quarantine for their furry companion when booking through the national rail ticketing system, called 12306. The pets are housed in climate-controlled containers in designated carriages, and monitored by railway staff at intervals of no more than two hours, according to local media reports. The expansion of the pilot scheme is to 'better meet the needs of passengers travelling with their pets', China Railway said in its Friday notice. China's pet industry has boomed in recent years, fuelled by young, affluent consumers increasingly willing to spend on their furry companions. An expanding number are seeking to travel with their animals, even abroad, despite challenges in securing pet-friendly transport and accommodation. According to the latest China Pet Industry White Paper released by Petdata, the urban market for pet dogs and cats rose by 7.5 per cent to 300.2 billion yuan (US$41.7 billion) in 2024.

Independent Singapore

2 hours ago

• Independent Singapore

Founder of Little India's iconic Jothi Store & Flower Shop passes away at age 93

- Advertisement - SINGAPORE: Murugaiah Ramachandran, the founder of the iconic Jothi Store & Flower Shop in Singapore's Little India, has passed away at the age of 93. Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Mr Murugaiah arrived in Singapore in 1948 as a teenager, working first as a compositor at The Straits Times and later as chief librarian at the Singapore Tiger Standard. In the early 1960s, he took a leap into entrepreneurship, opening a humble ottukadai—named 'Jothi Store' in honour of his daughter—to supply flower garlands, betel leaves, and essentials for the devout worshippers in Little India or Tekka as it is known among locals. Under his stewardship, Jothi Store expanded from a small stall to occupy a five-storey building at 1 Campbell Lane. It soon became a cultural mainstay and its reach now extends beyond Singapore, with exports to Malaysia, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. - Advertisement - In 1986, his son, Rajkumar took the reins and steered the business to new heights—modernising operations while retaining the family's commitment to serving the Singaporean Indian community . For more than six decades, Jothi Store became synonymous with Little India, providing goods for daily worship, Indian festivals, weddings, and community celebrations. It was honoured by the National Heritage Board as part of the 'Street‑Corner Heritage Galleries,' cementing its place in the nation's cultural tapestry . Despite semi-retirement, Mr Murugaiah remained a regular presence behind the counter well into his 90s. Tributes poured in as the Indian Heritage Centre confirmed his passing in a Facebook post on Friday (20 June). Members of the public, long-time customers, and community leaders shared heartfelt messages remembering the entrepreneur's kindness, humility, and lasting impact on Singapore's Indian community. - Advertisement - Many recalled personal interactions with Mr Murugaiah from his early days as a shopkeeper at Campbell Lane. Sowaran Singh, a former customer, recounted, 'I will remember him when he had a semi push cart cum shop in Campbell Lane. He was very kind and soft spoken. I did loads of events using his shop later. I last met him about nine months ago—he still came to the shop for a few hours. God bless his soul.' Fellow netizen, Vickna Anandarajah, described Jothi Store as an essential part of community life: 'Jothi Store became the go-to place to get traditional Indian, especially South Indian and Jaffna cookery and worship items. It became an icon of Tekka. My mum used to reserve Indian calendars from them, making it a yearly trip for her and then me.' Another Facebook user, Mathilda Dsilva, wrote: 'These are the pillars of the Singaporean Indian community, whose support and strong business commitment drive all of us forward. Singaporeans of all races have lost a prominent business role model and icon.' - Advertisement - Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry board director Shobha Tsering Bhalla added: 'We used to buy flowers and other puja essentials directly from him in the early days, 39 years ago, when we made Singapore our home. We have had the privilege of seeing his shop grow into a Singapore landmark.' She added, 'He was an institution. May his noble soul attain Sadgati. Om Shanti.' Mr Murugaiah's family has been moved by the tributes. His son Rajkumar said in a Facebook comment, 'On behalf of Jothi Store & Flower Shop ,we thank each and every one for your condolence on passing of my father, founder of JSFS Mr M Ramachandra. 'Truly appreciate your kind words about my father, a legend, truly a humble person who had built a 65 years old traditional business for the needs of the Indian Community for all religious festivals and Celebrations.'

Business Times

6 hours ago

• Business Times

Europe: Shares edge up as US stalls its Middle East moves

[BENGALURU] European stocks snapped a three-day losing streak and closed higher on Friday (Jun 20), as investors' nerves eased following a stall in US involvement in Middle East tensions. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.1 per cent higher. As Israel and Iran's air conflict entered its second week, European officials worked to bring Tehran back to diplomatic negotiations as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Geneva for talks. The White House signalled US President Donald Trump will decide within two weeks whether to throw US support behind Israel in the ongoing conflict, a move that buoyed market sentiment and reignited some appetite for risk assets, which had been battered earlier in the week amid uncertainty over the conflict's duration. Despite Friday's modest gains, European stocks logged a second consecutive week of losses, as investors continued to fret over the potential global fallout from unrest in the Middle East. 'The uncertainty around the conflict means the risk of energy prices being higher,' said Franziska Palmas, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics. She added that higher energy prices could prompt the European Central Bank 'to keep rates at their current level rather than cutting them further'. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up With the Jul 8 US tariff-pause deadline looming, movement on trade deals with Washington has shown little progress, save for a formal agreement reached with London. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remains hopeful for a broader deal by Jul 9. Meanwhile, BofA Global Research raised its year-end target for the Stoxx 600 to 530 from 500 on resilience in global growth following a US-China trade deal. Travel and leisure stocks were up nearly 1 per cent, led by a 6.5 per cent gain in Europe's largest travel operator TUI after Barclays upgraded the stock to 'overweight' from 'underweight'. Energy shares lagged 0.6 per cent as oil prices retreated, though the sector was the week's second-biggest gainer due to Middle East tensions that had boosted crude prices earlier. On the day, the insurance sector emerged as the top sectoral gainer, up 1.3 per cent. Among other stocks, London's Berkeley was the biggest percentage decliner, down 8.1 per cent. The homebuilder named current finance chief Richard Stearn as its new CEO, but reported an annual pre-tax profit slightly ahead of market expectations. Stora Enso jumped 14.7 per cent to the top of the Stoxx 600 after the Finnish forestry group announced a strategic review of its Swedish forest assets worth EUR 5.8 billion, including potential separation and public listing. Markets in Sweden and Finland were closed for a public holiday. REUTERS