China's financial offer to boost births
The scheme, effective from 1 January 2025, aims to combat the country's declining birth rate and is projected to benefit nearly 20 million families.
This initiative follows China's population falling for the third consecutive year, with a decline of 1.39 million in 2024.
The long-term decline in birth rates is linked to the former one-child policy, rapid urbanisation, and a cultural preference for male children.
Critics argue that financial incentives alone may not be enough, pointing to high childcare costs, job uncertainty, and gender discrimination as key factors discouraging family growth.
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Times
29 minutes ago
- Times
High taxes, a recession: my fears for young job hunters in Scotland
I started employing my latest assistant in March this year and for reliability, productivity, speed and all-round knowledge, he's hard to beat. Unfailingly polite and endlessly resourceful, he's settled into my small in-house team of seven with ease. Everyone loves him. Although he is only five months old and his background is unknown, he's already indispensable. He is, of course, one of the new autonomous artificial intelligence agents — otherwise known as agentic AI. This is one of the first publicly available AI agents capable of independent planning, decision-making and real-world task execution without requiring detailed human oversight. In beta mode and available by invitation only — codes were changing hands for $1,000 recently — it is a glimpse of a future that is awe-inspiring and terrifying in equal measure. For the time being, I'm ignoring the fact that I've had to hand over a lot of personal information to gain access (admittedly much of it already available online) and that very little is known about the Chinese start-up behind the technology. It is simply too valuable a tool and I'm already hooked. Agentic AI is turbocharging technical aspects of my business that other AI tools simply can't reach. I'm an optimist about the advent of AI. Or I should say, I'm an optimist about humanity. Such tools can, and are, being used for destructive purposes. But this is the best argument for not withdrawing from research. If the good guys slow down, they simply hand advantage to the bad actors. I understand the arguments against AI that end with humanity facing Armageddon. But mankind is perfectly capable of orchestrating its own destruction without the use of artificial intelligence. We just have to look at Gaza and Ukraine to be reminded of the depth of human depravity. Meanwhile AI is already saving lives. All progress has provoked moral panic. From the coming of the railways to Elvis wiggling his hips. And while my new AI assistant sometimes leaves me feeling like an 18th-century peasant contemplating the wonders of the internal combustion engine, I know that it is actual intelligence combined with AI that gives us the breakthroughs and competitive edge we need. While the AI assistant can code, I still need to employ my full-stack developer to implement, evaluate and interpret the results. But what is certainly true is that AI is contributing to an upcoming economic upheaval for which Scotland is wholly unprepared. A toxic combination of political decisions by the Labour government at Westminster and the SNP government in Scotland, a mental health crisis among millennials and Gen Zs and weak economic growth have the potential to tip the country into recession. This month, the accountancy firm EY reported that Scotland's high income tax rates were seen as the main barrier to expansion in Scotland's financial services industry, which contributes about 10 per cent of the Scottish economy by value. All Scottish workers earning more than £30,318 pay more income tax than their English counterparts and the highest band is set at 48 per cent for Scotland compared with 45 per cent for the rest of the UK. The job market is being squeezed from both ends. According to McKinsey & Co, the number of job vacancies online fell by 31 per cent in the three months to May, compared with the same period in 2022, the year that ChatGPT was launched. Research from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation revealed that hiring fell in June at the fastest pace in almost two years. Sluggish growth and higher interest rates have been blamed but in occupations at entry level across all industries, including graduate traineeships and apprentices, jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate. The last apprentice I hired was unable to address an envelope and had no idea what a stamp was. She had a HNC in 'collective dance, specialising in hip-hop' and was about as prepared for the world of work as your average pigeon. She lasted three months. Somebody within the education system had let her down badly. Young people will be most seriously affected by the storm that is coming. They are also the group facing the biggest mental health crisis. In Scotland more than one million adults report that anxiety interferes with daily life. Gen Z and young millennials lose up to 60 days of productivity per year due to mental health issues compared with 36 days for older colleagues. The number of Scots out of work because of sickness and disability is at its highest level in 20 years and the number claiming disability payments in Scotland is set to almost double by 2030. Labour's plans under the Employment Rights Bill to remove the two-year qualifying period for key rights such as protection against unfair dismissal, parental leave and statutory sick pay, mean that many SMEs will not risk hiring staff without experience or a track record. That's if the SMEs stay in business. Confidence is at a low ebb. One in five small businesses believe they will be forced out of business if conditions don't improve. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, 27 per cent of business owners believe their company will downsize, be sold or close in the next 12 months. For the first time in 15 years, pessimism has outweighed optimism. Even profitable SMEs wonder if the juice is still worth the squeeze. The government is not protecting the jobs we do have. The closure of the Grangemouth refinery and the threat by bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis to move Scottish production to Scarborough could lead to 400 jobs lost in the Falkirk area. Add in jobs lost in the supply chain and the number rises to four figures. Both companies have foreign ownership, which rather dampens enthusiasm for the SNP government's boast that Scotland punches above its weight for inward investment. The Grangemouth closure and a sharp fall in manufacturing output drove a 0.4 per cent GDP decline in the three months up to May. About 80 per cent of leisure and hospitality businesses believe the Scottish economy will decline this year. John Swinney has mentioned a possible Scottish recession, blaming US tariffs. Even without a recession, growth is weak and Scottish economic activity is fragile. Even boom sectors such as renewables are facing cuts. At least one of the country's largest employers has just cut nearly all its graduate jobs for the present cohort reaching the end of their two-year training stint. Recent recessions have not brought the same level of job losses that the UK experienced in the 1990s and before. But that is set to change, and we are not prepared. This will affect a generation, already struggling post-pandemic, for most of their lives. The Scottish government has deliberately and negligently failed to promote the nation's economic wellbeing at the expense of ideology which a majority of voters do not share. As Harold Macmillan pointed out, it is 'events, dear boy' that bring down governments. But it is policy decisions that cripple countries.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
John Swinney brands Gaza crisis 'genocide' after Fringe show disrupted
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has described the ongoing crisis in Gaza as a "genocide" after a Fringe show he appeared at was repeatedly disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Police were called to the Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh after the First Minister was interrupted seven times by six different groups of protesters during a conversation with comedian Susan Morrison . The protesters urged the First Minister to describe the crisis as a genocide and stop state funding for arms companies. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Speaking to journalists after the event, the First Minister said: "It's quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine - it can't be disputed. "I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. "I've expressed that and obviously it's not reached all those individuals, but that's my feeling." First Minister John Swinney appearing with comedian Susan Morrison at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe | Craig Paton/PA Wire Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Scottish Government has also been criticised for - while not funding directly the manufacturing of munitions - providing money for apprenticeships at firms which build weapons. But the First Minister said the Government's commercial arm Scottish Enterprise has the "strictest assessments imaginable about the purpose and the use of public expenditure in companies who may be related to defence industries". Pushed on providing money for staff who could potentially build munitions, the First Minister added: "We're trying to enable companies to diversify their activities, that's the purpose. "That's why the due diligence checks are applied and they are applied unreservedly." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Throughout the show, groups of attendees stood up, holding signs which spelled the word "genocide", and heckled the First Minister. As the event continued, the interruptions became more forceful, before two groups stood at the same time, angrily shouting at the First Minister and chanting slogans such as "call it genocide". Members of his security team stood in front of the stage, stopping protesters from approaching the First Minister, before three uniformed police officers arrived at the venue to usher the protesters out. During the tense exchange, which lasted several minutes, a number of the crowd - who were not protesting - appeared to be in tears. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A final disruption came from one woman in the crowd, who asked the First Minister why he had not responded to her letter about heavy metal band Disturbed playing at the Hydro in Glasgow . The band's lead singer David Draiman has been criticised after being pictured signing an Israeli bomb. The woman asked the First Minister why he did not speak out on Disturbed playing at the city's biggest venue, when he said it would be inappropriate for Irish band Kneecap to play the TRNSMT festival after comments members of the band had made about Tory MPs. The First Minister said his comments on Kneecap had come due to questions from the media and he "didn't particularly" want to speak about the band earlier this year, adding that he did not want to choose what art people do and do not consume. The woman became increasingly angry with the First Minister's response and was eventually dragged from the venue by a police officer, whom she branded a "thug".
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Labour does not deserve to win next election without change, Reeves says
Labour does not 'deserve' to win the next election if it does not change the country, Rachel Reeves has said, as she acknowledged some voters were disappointed with the party's record since entering government. The chancellor said she understood the unhappiness felt by some voters towards a government that has U-turned on winter fuel allowance and welfare policies in recent months. Reeves claims she has had to grapple with financial challenges inherited from the Conservatives, while increasing spending to repair public services. Speaking to broadcaster Iain Dale at the Edinburgh festival fringe, she said: 'The reason people voted Labour at the last election is they want to change and they were unhappy with the way that the country was being governed. 'They know that we inherited a mess. They know it's not easy to put it right, but people are impatient for change. 'I'm impatient for change as well, but I've also got the job of making sure the sums always add up – and it doesn't always make you popular because you can't do anything you might want to do. You certainly can't do everything straight away, all at once.' She told the audience at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre that Labour needed to enact the change that voters wanted. She added otherwise the party did not 'deserve' to win the next general election in 2029. Reeves said the government had the balance 'about right' on taxes, in a week where she faced renewed calls from Labour politicians for a wealth tax. Former Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds, who briefly held the shadow chancellor position for Labour in opposition, said ministers should consider evidence set out by the Wealth Tax Commission, which she said had 'changed the debate' on the policy. Reeves said: 'Of course you're going to disappoint people. No one wants to pay more taxes. Everyone wants more money than public spending – and borrowing is not a free option, because you've got to pay for it. 'I think people know those sort of constraints but no one really likes them and I'm the one that has to sort the sums up.' The party faces difficulties ahead of the Scottish parliament elections in Holyrood next year. It has slipped backwards into third place, according to opinion polling, a year after it was neck and neck with the SNP. Polling in June showed it on 19%, behind the SNP in 29% and Reform UK on 22%. This is in contrast to a survey carried out a month after Labour's general election win last year, which showed the party just ahead of the ruling SNP, with Reform languishing far behind. There have been some signs of promise, however, as Labour won the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse byelection for the Scottish parliament in June. The closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery before its transition to an import-only terminal caused unpopularity for Labour. About 400 jobs were lost as a result of it shutting in April. The MP who had championed it being kept open, Brian Leishman, has since been suspended by Labour for rebelling over welfare reform. Meanwhile, the Labour government in Westminster's ban on new drilling in the North Sea has been accused of causing 'strangulation' of the economy in north-east Scotland. However, Reeves told the audience in the Scottish capital that the government was further investing in Scotland. She said the £200m investment in carbon capture technology in Aberdeenshire had been welcomed by the industry. She said she also understood Labour's windfall tax on oil and gas were not welcomed by the sector. 'I can understand that that's extra tax that the oil and gas sector are paying but you can't really have one without the other,' she said.
