cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/61046669

Archived

[...]

Official data released in the last week show the ratio of China's dependent elderly people compared to the working age population rose to 23% last year, overtaking the figure for children, which stood at 22%.

The numbers are closely watched for signs of how China's shrinking workforce will impact both the world's second largest economy and global growth as a whole.

The latest figures mark a significant milestone as China grapples with an ageing population that could have implications for families, pensions and healthcare spending, analysts say.

[...]

The demographic shift is "symbolic" and could suggest more public spending will move from families and schools to pensions and healthcare, said Professor Stuart Gietel-Basten from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

It may also pose a challenge to the country's ambitions, as it could limit its economic growth as well as people's spending power, said National University of Singapore sociology lecturer Mu Zheng.

[...]

China's ageing population has been driven by a mix of factors, including rapid urbanisation and the effects of the controversial one-child policy, which was in place from 1980 to the end of 2015.

[...]

Despite easing restrictions on the size of families, Beijing has struggled to persuade couples to have more children, with birth rates hitting historic lows.

Other contributing factors include changing gender roles, rising living costs and higher education levels that have put pressure on fertility rates, Mu said.

[...]

As a result, China's birth rate hits record low as population continues to shrink.

Government data on Monday showed that the country's birth rate fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people – a record low since the Communist Party took power in 1949 – while its death rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 people, the highest since 1968.

Its population fell 3.39 million to reach 1.4 billion by the end of 2025, marking a quicker decline than the previous year ...

China has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, at around one birth per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1. Other economies in the region, such as South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, have similarly low fertility rates ...

China is also one of the most expensive countries in which to raise a child, according to a 2024 report by the YuWa Population Research Institute in Beijing ...

Donald Trump is accused of raping a former Miss Switzerland in a report probing the president’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein released by House of Representatives Democrats this week.

Beatrice Keul, a retired model and beauty pageant contestant, told the House Judiciary Committee about an incident alleged to have taken place at New York’s Plaza Hotel in 1993. The report, released a week ahead of the midterm elections, also summarizes previously reported allegations from four other women against Trump.

The White House has strongly denied all of the reports’ claims, accusing “crazed” Democrats of “a desperate attempt to distract Americans” and insisting that the president has been “fully exonerated of anything related to Epstein.”

Keul previously claimed in October 2024 that Trump had sexually assaulted her at a beauty pageant staged at the Plaza Hotel, which Trump then owned.

"The president may have raped someone, but we need to double down on the made up rape threat that transgender people pose to women!"

-Republicans, demonstrably.

I rather write garage code than using slop

A Republican candidate running to unseat a Democratic incumbent in the state Legislature is facing charges for exposing himself to a child walking to her bus stop earlier this month.

Authorities charged Andre Stafford, running for Georgia House District 42 in Smyrna, with one felony count of child molestation and one count of public indecency.

Reached by phone, Stafford said he was innocent, but would not comment further about the accusations or his campaign for state House.

Authorities arrested Stafford on Thursday. Records show Stafford was released on Saturday on a $27,720 bond.

According to an arrest report, Stafford is accused of telling a girl she was pretty before exposing himself and driving away from a bus stop early on Oct. 15. The report did not give the age of the alleged victim.

What is it with Republicans and sexual indecency? Something about being rich and powerful must make people not see other people as anything other than sec toys.

It's ok if you don't, but if you do, try peaches too!

Critics warn of climate danger as president in Texas claims change will save companies and consumers billions

Donald Trump announced his administration is “terminating” Biden-era regulations holding oil and gas companies accountable for large leaks of planet-warming methane during a rally in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday evening.

Trump said during a campaign rally in Texas that the change would save consumers and energy producers $45bn and unlock 210 million barrels of oil – equivalent to about 10 days of US petroleum consumption. “Tonight, I’m officially terminating Biden’s expensive and unnecessary methane regulations to save consumers and energy producers,” Trump said, lifting what he called “crippling regulations on methane that caused prices to skyrocket” for small oil and gas operators.

The move aims to encourage more domestic drilling as Trump faces criticism over high fuel prices stemming from the US war in Iran.

Archived

[...]

Official data released in the last week show the ratio of China's dependent elderly people compared to the working age population rose to 23% last year, overtaking the figure for children, which stood at 22%.

The numbers are closely watched for signs of how China's shrinking workforce will impact both the world's second largest economy and global growth as a whole.

The latest figures mark a significant milestone as China grapples with an ageing population that could have implications for families, pensions and healthcare spending, analysts say.

[...]

The demographic shift is "symbolic" and could suggest more public spending will move from families and schools to pensions and healthcare, said Professor Stuart Gietel-Basten from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

It may also pose a challenge to the country's ambitions, as it could limit its economic growth as well as people's spending power, said National University of Singapore sociology lecturer Mu Zheng.

[...]

China's ageing population has been driven by a mix of factors, including rapid urbanisation and the effects of the controversial one-child policy, which was in place from 1980 to the end of 2015.

[...]

Despite easing restrictions on the size of families, Beijing has struggled to persuade couples to have more children, with birth rates hitting historic lows.

Other contributing factors include changing gender roles, rising living costs and higher education levels that have put pressure on fertility rates, Mu said.

[...]

As a result, China's birth rate hits record low as population continues to shrink.

Government data on Monday showed that the country's birth rate fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people – a record low since the Communist Party took power in 1949 – while its death rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 people, the highest since 1968.

Its population fell 3.39 million to reach 1.4 billion by the end of 2025, marking a quicker decline than the previous year ...

China has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, at around one birth per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1. Other economies in the region, such as South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, have similarly low fertility rates ...

China is also one of the most expensive countries in which to raise a child, according to a 2024 report by the YuWa Population Research Institute in Beijing ...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/12143328

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/12143041

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/12143036

• EU-Australia FTA will remove 5.5% critical minerals tariff
• Agreement expected to be signed early next year
• Australia, EIB 'very close' to MOU for funding arm
• Looking initially at rare earths, gallium, antimony

...

The European ​Union expects a wave of investment into the Australian critical minerals sector as it ‌pushes to diversify its supply chain away from China, the bloc's ambassador to Australia Lawrence Meredith said on Tuesday.

Australia and the European Union struck a free trade agreement in March after eight years of negotiations, removing tariffs on almost all goods ​and easing EU access to Australian critical minerals.

...

"It is going to be a game changer," Meredith said.

In parallel, talks are "very close" for Australia to ​sign a memorandum of understanding with the European Investment Bank, which would act as the bloc's funding ​vehicle, Meredith added.

"The European Union will be massively investing in critical minerals. Since we wish to diversify away from China, then one of the most likely partners has to be Australia," he said.

EU policy proposals have laid out as much ​as €10 billion ($11.2 billion) for critical raw materials within the larger €409 billion competitiveness fund, as the EU debates its ​budget from 2028 to 2034. Australia is one of several critical minerals "superpowers" in which the EU is looking to invest, ‌including Brazil, ⁠South Africa and Canada. The EU also expects to invest along the supply chain, including in processing, Meredith said.

...

Finding good Discord servers relevant to your interests can be tough unless you sift through Discord's own database or get an invite to one.

The popular messaging and chat service is looking to solve that problem with an obvious yet big change to the platform. Discord will now make public servers discoverable through Google Search.

On Tuesday, Discord announced that starting Nov. 16, 2026, all Discoverable Servers will receive a Server Web Page. These public Server Web Pages will include summaries of discussions happening in that public server. In addition, starting in mid-December, some messages within these servers will be made publicly accessible on the Server Web Page. There will be no need for visitors to join the server or even have a Discord account in order to see these messages.