CNA938 Rewind - How the L.A protests are impacting Singaporeans living there
Play
Day 4 of protests over illegal migrants and gang members in Los Angeles - U.S President Donald Trump is sending 700 marines into the city and doubling the number of National Guard to manage things. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak with Winnie Puah, Founder of AshburyCo Co and Shabnam Melwani, Founder of Sun Moon Rain - two Singaporeans living in Los Angeles who own their own businesses there.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
32 minutes ago
- CNA
Trump moves nuclear submarines after statements by former Russian president
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Friday (Aug 1) he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be repositioned to the "appropriate regions" in response to recent threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. 'I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,' Trump posted on social media. He described Medvedev's recent remarks as 'highly provocative' and warned that 'words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances.' The move marks the latest escalation in rhetoric between the two leaders, who have traded barbs over Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Trump gave Moscow a 10-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face new US tariffs on Russian oil and on countries that purchase it. Russia has not signaled any willingness to meet Trump's conditions and continues to advance its own demands for peace. Medvedev, currently deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, responded by accusing Trump of playing a 'game of ultimatums' and reminded the US leader of Russia's legacy nuclear strike capabilities inherited from the Soviet Union. The Kremlin has not directly commented on Trump's latest move, but Medvedev's remarks were widely covered in Russian state media. Once seen as a more moderate figure, Medvedev has in recent years become one of Moscow's most vocal anti-Western hardliners, often issuing hawkish statements that Kremlin critics describe as reckless. However, some Western diplomats view Medvedev's rhetoric as a window into broader thinking within the Kremlin's senior policy circles.
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Stocks sink on Trump tariffs, US jobs data
LONDON: Stock markets slid Friday (Aug 1) after US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on dozens of trading partners and weak US jobs data fuelled the fall. Wall Street's Dow Jones index dropped more than 1.2 per cent as trading got underway in New York, while Paris and Frankfurt tumbled more than two per cent. The dollar gave up earlier gains against key currencies. With hours to go before Trump's Aug 1 deadline for governments to make toll-averting deals, the president unveiled a list of sweeping levies. Hours later, the US Labor Department said the US economy added just 73,000 jobs in July while revising lower the figures for May and June. "The US payrolls data has eclipsed news about the latest tariff rates applied to the world's economies by Donald Trump, and is now dominating markets," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading group. Earlier, she noted, tariffs were "the main theme sucking risk sentiment from financial markets". Governments around the world have been scrambling to cut deals with the White House since Trump unveiled his bombshell "Liberation Day" tariffs on Apr 2. He has delayed implementation of the tariffs several times - the latest move pushing them back by a week to Aug 7. SWITZERLAND, CANADA TARIFF HIT Some trading partners have reached deals with the United States - including Britain, the European Union, Japan and South Korea. China remains in talks with Washington to extend a fragile truce in place since May. For those in the crosshairs of the latest outburst, tariff rates range from 10 per cent to 41 per cent. Trump unveiled new levies Thursday on about 70 economies - including a blistering 35 per cent rate on Canada - as he seeks to reshape global trade to benefit the US economy. The Swiss government on Friday said it would negotiate with the United States to try to avoid the 39 per cent tariff that could hit key industries. Shares in European pharmaceutical firms meanwhile slumped following the president's threat to punish them if they did not lower prices for medicines in the United States. Tariffs uncertainty overshadowed earnings from major tech titans this week that saw Apple on Thursday post double-digit quarterly revenue growth that beat expectations. Amazon said quarterly profits jumped 35 per cent as key major investments in AI technology paid off, though its outlook for the next three months disappointed. Google, Microsoft and Meta have also posted bumper results in recent days.
CNA
8 hours ago
- CNA
Why has India vowed to protect its farmers in the face of tariff threats?
MUMBAI: United States President Donald Trump on Thursday (Jul 31) slapped a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods after prolonged talks that got bogged down over access to India's labour-intensive agricultural sector, which New Delhi has pledged to protect. WHY IS INDIA OPPOSING THE PRODUCTS THE US IS LOBBYING FOR? The US is pressing India to open its markets to a wide range of American products, including dairy, poultry, corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, ethanol, fruits and nuts. While India is willing to provide greater access for US dry fruits and apples, it is holding back on corn, soybeans, wheat and dairy products. A key reason for this resistance is that most US corn and soybeans are genetically modified (GM), and India does not permit the import of GM food crops. GM crops are widely perceived in India as harmful to human health and the environment, and several groups affiliated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are opposing their introduction. The commercial cultivation of a high-yielding GM mustard variety that India developed itself is currently not allowed due to an ongoing legal battle. Like GM crops, dairy is also a highly sensitive issue, as it provides a livelihood for millions of farmers, including many who are landless or smallholders. The dairy industry helps sustain farmers even during erratic monsoon seasons, which can cause significant fluctuations in crop production. In India, where a large proportion of the population is vegetarian, food choices are strongly influenced by cultural and dietary preferences. Indian consumers are particularly concerned that cattle in the US are often fed animal by-products - a practice that conflicts with Indian food habits. WHY ARE AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS POLITICALLY CHARGED? India is self-sufficient in most farm goods, with the exception of vegetable oils. After liberalising cooking oil imports over three decades ago, the country now has to import nearly two-thirds of its supply to meet demand. India does not want to repeat this mistake with other basic foods, which account for nearly half of its consumer price index. Though agriculture makes up just 16 per cent of India's nearly US$3.9 trillion economy, it is the lifeblood for nearly half the country's 1.4 billion people. Four years ago, this powerful voting bloc forced Modi's government into a rare retreat on a set of controversial farm laws. Some in power fear a flood of cheaper US imports would bring down local prices and hand opposition parties an opportunity to sharpen their attack on the government. New Delhi is also worried that a trade deal with the US could force it to open its agricultural sector to other countries. HOW DOES FARMING IN INDIA AND THE US DIFFER? The vast disparity in the scale of farming makes it difficult for Indian farmers to compete with their US counterparts. The average Indian farm is 1.08ha, compared to 187ha in the US. For dairy farmers, the difference is even more dramatic - a small herd of two or three animals versus hundreds or more in the US Many Indian farmers also rely on traditional, unmechanised techniques, while American agriculture has developed into a highly efficient, tech-driven industry. WHY IS INDIA HESITANT TO USE US ETHANOL IN ITS BIOFUEL PROGRAMME? One of India's key goals with its Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme is to reduce energy imports and support domestic farmers by using sugarcane and corn for biofuel production. Indian companies have invested heavily in new distilleries, and farmers have expanded corn cultivation to meet the rising demand. India recently achieved its ambitious target of a 20 per cent ethanol blend in petrol. With state assembly elections approaching in Bihar, a major corn-producing state in the east, allowing US ethanol imports would lower local corn prices. This would probably anger farmers and turn them against the BJP ahead of the election, and also undermine the growing distillery sector.
