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China will begin charging a 13% value-added tax on contraceptives starting Jan. 1 while exempting childcare services from the same tax, a move authorities say is part of a broader effort to boost births as the country faces a sustained population decline, according to the BBC and The Associated Press.

The tax overhaul, announced late last year, removes exemptions that had been in place since 1994, when China was still enforcing its decades-long one-child policy.

Alongside the new tax on contraceptives such as condoms and birth control pills, the Chinese government is exempting childcare, marriage-related services and elderly care from the value-added tax (VAT), the BBC reported.

Beijing has been pressing young people to marry and have children as it grapples with an aging population and a sluggish economy. Official figures show China’s population has shrunk for three consecutive years with about 9.54 million babies born in 2024.

WHY GEN Z DOESN’T WANT TO HAVE KIDS

A caregiver carries a baby in a woven basket in China as the government rolls out new tax and social policies aimed at encouraging families to have more children amid a population decline. (Cheng Xin/Getty Images)

That figure is roughly half the number of births recorded a decade earlier, when China began easing limits on family size, according to national statistics cited by the BBC and the AP.

China’s population pressures have been mounting for years. Births fell from about 14.7 million in 2019 to roughly 9.5 million in 2024. In 2023, India officially overtook China as the world’s most populous country.

The new tax on contraceptives has drawn ridicule and concern inside China. On social media, some users joked about stockpiling condoms before prices rise, while others argued that the cost of contraception is insignificant compared with the expense of raising a child, the BBC reported.

“I have one child, and I don’t want any more,” Daniel Luo, a 36-year-old resident of Henan province, told the BBC. He said the price increase would not change his family plans, comparing it to small hikes in subway fares that do not alter daily behavior.

Others worry the policy could have unintended consequences. Rosy Zhao, who lives in the central city of Xi’an, told the BBC making contraception more expensive could lead students or people under financial strain to take risks. She called that the policy’s most dangerous potential outcome.

A SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM: MARRIAGE

China reversed its controversial one-child policy in 2015. (Adek Berry)

Health experts echoed those concerns in interviews with the AP, warning that higher prices could reduce access to contraception and contribute to more unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. China recorded more than 670,000 cases of syphilis and over 100,000 cases of gonorrhea in 2024, according to data from the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration.

China has also reported some of the highest abortion numbers in the world. Between 2014 and 2021, authorities recorded between 9 million and 10 million abortions annually, according to the National Health Commission. China stopped publishing abortion data in 2022.

Demographers and policy analysts remain skeptical that taxing contraceptives will meaningfully raise birth rates. Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, told the BBC the idea that higher condom prices would influence fertility decisions amounts to overthinking the policy.

Value-added tax revenue, which totaled close to $1 trillion last year, accounts for about 40% of China’s tax collection, according to figures cited by the BBC.

Henrietta Levin of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) described the move as symbolic, reflecting Beijing’s attempt to lift what she called strikingly low fertility numbers. She also cautioned that many incentives and subsidies depend on provincial governments that are already heavily indebted, raising questions about whether they can fund the measures adequately.

JAPAN REJECTS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TO SAVE ITSELF FROM DEMOGRAPHIC COLLAPSE

A family of three takes a selfie at a shopping mall in Beijing as the Chinese government weighs options to increase the birth rate. (Yang Yuran/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Public health experts interviewed by the AP said the policy could disproportionately affect women, who shoulder most responsibility for birth control in China. Research released by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2022 found condoms are used by about 9% of couples, while 44.2% rely on intrauterine devices and 30.5% on female sterilization. Male sterilization accounts for 4.7%.

Some women say the tax revives resentment toward the government’s long history of involvement in reproductive decisions. The Communist Party enforced the one-child policy from roughly 1980 until 2015 through fines, penalties and, in some cases, forced abortions, according to the AP. Children born outside the policy were sometimes denied household registration, effectively rendering them non-citizens.

“It is a disciplinary tactic, a management of women’s bodies and my sexual desire,” Zou Xuan, a 32-year-old teacher in Jiangxi province, told the AP.

Concerns about further state intrusion have also surfaced in recent months. The BBC reported that women in some provinces have received calls from local officials asking about menstrual cycles and pregnancy plans. A health bureau in Yunnan province said the information was needed to identify expectant mothers, a move critics say risks alienating the very families Beijing hopes to encourage.

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Levin warned that such approaches could damage public trust. She told the BBC, “The [Communist] party can’t help but insert itself into every decision that it cares about. So, it ends up being its own worst enemy in some ways.”

While the government is adjusting policies once used to limit population growth, experts caution that reversing decades-long demographic trends will be much more difficult than increasing prices at the checkout counter, especially after years of policies that shaped whether families could have children.

Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.

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During an August meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Donald Trump reportedly interrupted discussions to make remarks about “beautiful” women from Ukraine and then arranged for former Miss Ukraine to speak with the Zelensky over the phone, according to a new report.

Just days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the U.S. president met with Zelensky and seven other European leaders in the Oval Office, where discussions about the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia took a more lighthearted turn.

Amid conversation, Trump reportedly interjected that “Ukrainian women are beautiful,” citing his time overseeing the Miss Universe pageant, according to the New York Times.

Shortly thereafter, Trump called his friend, American businessman Phil Ruffin, who is married to former Miss Ukraine Oleksandra Nikolayenko, to have her speak with Zelensky for 10 to 15 minutes. Although the sudden phone call was unexpected, it reportedly brought Trump closer to Zelensky. “The room went on pause as the two spoke in Ukrainian,” the report stated.

One official who was in the room told NYT that Trump’s sudden maneuver away from peace talks changed the “temperature” of the room.

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During an August Oval Office meeting, the president interrupted talks about a Russia-Ukraine peace deal to discuss ‘beautiful’ women of Ukraine (Getty Images)

“Everyone laughed. What it did was create a human connection. It was kind of a mind meld. It humanized Zelensky with Trump,” the unnamed official claimed.

The anecdote is among many reported by NYT as part of an in-depth report about the Trump administration’s journey trying to strike a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine over the last year.

The report details how Trump and his team have sought to deliver peace between the two countries, which have been embroiled in a bloody war since February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Over the course of several months, the administration has tried to get Putin to meet them at the negotiation table while trying to convince Zelensky to concede more than he anticipated.

At the start of Trump’s second term, he appeared more sympathetic to Putin. In February, Trump’s less-than-warm feelings toward Zelensky were put on full display during a televised Oval Office meeting when he and Vice President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian president in front of reporters.

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Trump’s February Oval Office meeting with Zelensky ended in shouting and animosity, worrying some about the future of the US and Ukrainian relationship (AFP/Getty)

But over time, the president has seemingly warmed up to Zelensky – and the August Oval Office meeting appeared to be somewhat of a turning point.

In September, approximately one month after the amicable Oval Office meeting, Trump called Zelensky a “great man” at the United Nations General Assembly and reportedly discussed providing Ukraine with weapons – signaling a policy change by the administration.

Then, on Truth Social, the President said he believed that “Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.”

One adviser suggested that the president’s sudden change in public affection toward Zelensky, which surprised even those close to him, may have been a strategy to “shock” Russian officials.

Trump insisted that peace was “closer than ever before” after hosting Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, even suggesting “Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed.” However, both presidents admitted that several issues, namely Ukrainian land, still need to be ironed out. Trump also said he had an “excellent,” two-and-a-half hour conversation with Putin before meeting with Zelensky, according to the Associated Press.

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NEED TO KNOW

• A wife said in a post on Reddit that she is “against” paying for her in-laws to live in a retirement home
• The woman’s husband “wants to commit to this” even though his parents have “never” helped the couple financially
• The woman is also concerned about the impact a financial decision like this would have on their two sons, who are both on the autism spectrum

A woman says her in-laws are expecting her and her husband to pay for them to live in a retirement home, but she and her partner do not see eye-to-eye on the financial matter.

In a post shared on Reddit, the 45-year-old woman said her mother-in-law and father-in-law, both 65, recently made it clear that they want to make the move, and that she and her husband should foot the bill.

But while the husband, 45, “wants to commit to this” (he is “sensitive to his mother’s wishes,” according to the Redditor) the wife is “against” the plan altogether.

First, according to the wife, she and her husband “have created a good life” for themselves and their two children, both of whom are on the autism spectrum.

The wife also pointed out that her husband’s parents “never gave him/us a dime” and own two homes, one for themselves and another for their younger son, her husband’s brother. The wife’s family, though, “has always been helping financially.”

Additionally, the wife does not think her in-laws need to move to a retirement home. “Besides being too young for this, they are also both very healthy and active,” she wrote on Reddit. “They just feel like they’d enjoy being waited on and have somebody else clean/cook/care for them.”

Even if there was a need, the wife believes her in-laws should simply pay for the retirement home themselves by selling their current home, but noted that “they want to leave it to their younger son,” who she believes “will quickly sell” the house, leaving her in-laws with nothing to return to.

“I am not ready to commit to this since our kids might need a lifetime of (money) support due to being on the spectrum,” the wife wrote, noting that her husband’s brother is not facing the same circumstances.

Many Reddit users sided with the wife, but placed blame on her husband. One person said the husband “needs to understand that paying for their retirement will not make his parents love him.” 

“Little brother is clearly the golden child,” the user wrote. “From one scapegoat child to another, nothing your husband does will ever be good enough for them. It isn’t worth putting yourselves in a bad financial position.”

Another person wrote, “You have a husband problem, not an in-law problem. Somewhere deep inside, your husband wants the love and attention his brother receives and your husband may think that this is how he gets it.” 

They added, “You and your husband need to be on the same page and he needs to deal with his parents. It is not fair to make you the bad guy in this situation.”

Several users suggested the woman tell her husband that he must first pay back the money her parents gave them before paying for his parents’ retirement. Some even suggested threatening her husband with divorce.

“Tell husband if he does this, you will leave and take the kids and will file for divorce,” one person wrote. “Then you will find out if he loves you or just wants to take care of his parents. His reaction will tell you all you need to know.” 

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They added, “If he sides with them, I hope you love yourself enough to know that you deserve better than to be his parents caretakers for the rest of your life, because I suspect that’s all he thinks of you.”

Ultimately, most Reddit users who replied to the post felt the husband’s parents should be responsible for paying for their own retirement. “Your in-laws can take care of themselves just as they have expected you and your husband to do,” one person wrote.

Another person said, “It is ridiculous for them to even ask you to pay for something like that, let alone expect it from you. They need to use their own assets for that.”

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A headscarf-wearing woman scolded a journalist for asking her if she is running a daycare out of her Seattle home amid a national spotlight on Somali-owned fraud schemes. 

Daycare centers are under intense scrutiny across the country after a massive Somali fraud scandal in Minnesota was unveiled. 

After independent journalist Nick Shirley shared footage of an apparently empty Minneapolis daycare with a misspelled name sign, the federal government froze all child care payments to the state on Tuesday.

The FBI is also investigating the fraud, and Director Kash Patel said he believes Minnesota is ‘just the tip of a very large iceberg.’

In Washington, local independent journalists have turned their attention to Somali-run daycares in their state.

On Tuesday, an unidentified headscarf-wearing woman, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, was seen wagging her finger at journalist Jonathan Choe outside of her Seattle home.

‘Is this an actual daycare? Are you aware of the Somali daycare fraud going on? We’re just trying to check out if this is a real daycare,’ Choe, who works for the non-profit Discovery Institute, asked.

‘I am working. You don’t have to come to my home,’ the woman said. 

A headscarf-wearing woman scolded a journalist for asking her if she is running a daycare out her Seattle home

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown (pictured) posted on social media warning journalists not to show up to home-based daycare providers and ‘harass’ them

‘Where are all the children? If you have a daycare, where are all the children?’ the journalist asked.

‘I don’t have to… I don’t have to tell you what I have or what I don’t have,’ she said. 

Notably, the Seattle Public School system is on winter break from December 22 to January 2, and it is unclear if children would be attending daycare when the interaction occurred. 

When Choe asked if she could prove the daycare was legitimate, she replied, ‘I am not proving anything for you,’ while wagging her finger. 

Later that day, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown posted on social media that his office had received an influx of complaints from Somali community members about being harassed.

‘My office has received outreach from members of the Somali community after reports of home-based daycare providers being harassed and accused of fraud with little to no fact-checking,’ Brown wrote.

‘Showing up on someone’s porch, threatening, or harassing them isn’t an investigation. Neither is filming minors who may be in the home. This is unsafe and potentially dangerous behavior.

‘I encourage anyone experiencing threats or harassment to either contact local law enforcement or our office’s hate crimes and bias incident hotline.’

According to a 2024 report from the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), 283 of the state’s 5,779 daycare providers list Somali as their primary language. 

Join the debate

How should authorities balance investigating fraud with protecting minority communities from harassment?

The unidentified woman, who has not been accused of wrongdoing, told independent journalist Jonathan Choe she did not have to prove anything to him

Journalist Nick Shirley shared footage of an apparently empty Minneapolis daycare with a misspelled name sign after a  massive Somali fraud scandal was unveiled

Washington’s Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson told KOMO that he was not aware of any fraud schemes in the state. 

‘I think we can all agree that if someone is violating the law in Minnesota or any state, you need to be held accountable. If there is fraud, you need to be held accountable, I don’t care who you are,’ Ferguson said.

He added that he stands with the Somali community and has received reports of Somalis feeling unsafe amid the national spotlight.

‘That community is scared; their kids are scared as well. And so, I was there to express my support for them during a challenging time, but obviously, whether it’s in any work we do as a state, if anyone is violating the law, of course, we take action on that,’ Ferguson said. 

Jim Walsh, chairman of the Washington State Republican Party, told the local news outlet he welcomes federal accountability. 

‘We don’t know that with certainty, and we do need to be careful. It may be that some or a lot of this money is being spent properly,’ Walsh said.

‘But the emerging evidence is that a number of these childcare centers look like they’re empty, and they’ve been empty for a while.

‘This is not singling out any racial or ethnic group. This is about state government projects, programs that are using taxpayer dollars, and would we want to make sure that the dollars are being spent correctly?’

The Daily Mail contacted DCYF for comment. 

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Usually, the use of fireworks is not allowed between certain hours of the day

Certain rules must be followed regarding firework use (Image: Westend61/Getty Images)

Fireworks may be a New Year’s favourite, but using them incorrectly could result in an ‘on-the-spot’ £90 fine. The Mirror has now explored the key rules on where, when, and how they can be used in 2026.

The Fireworks Regulation 2004, which applies to much of the UK, contains specific provisions aimed at reducing risks to nearby property, people, and animals. Under this law, it’s illegal not only to buy ‘adult’ fireworks if you’re under 18, but also to set them off during certain hours.

On a typical day, fireworks are not permitted between 11 pm and 7 am, but this schedule changes on specific occasions, such as New Year’s Eve and Diwali. Instead, many areas allow fireworks to go off between 7am and 1am the following day, after which the normal rules come back into effect.

Beyond this, people are generally required to purchase fireworks only from registered sellers between October 15 and November 10, December 26 and 31, or three days before Diwali and Chinese New Year. This includes sparklers, and the highest noise level allowed for consumer fireworks is currently 120 decibels.

On a typical day, fireworks are not permitted between 11pm and 7am(Image: Martin Diebel/Getty Images)

Official advice on the UK Government’s website also summarises: “You cannot buy ‘adult’ fireworks if you’re under 18, and it’s against the law for anyone to set off fireworks between 11 pm and 7 am, except on certain occasions. Adult fireworks are category two and three fireworks – they do not include things like party poppers.

“Category four fireworks can only be used by professionals. The law says you must not set off or throw fireworks (including sparklers) in the street or other public places.”

Before setting off fireworks in your area, make sure to check with your local council for any specific rules that may differ. The Government warns that you can be fined an unlimited amount and imprisoned for six months for selling or using fireworks illegally. You could also receive a £90 on-the-spot fine.

READ MORE: Doctor Amir Khan says eyelid symptom is telltale high cholesterol signREAD MORE: NHS urges people taking warfarin to be mindful of foods that affect ‘how it works’

While the sale of fireworks is regulated in Scotland by the UK Government, their use is considered a devolved matter, so some rules may differ. In Northern Ireland, rules also vary significantly, requiring a valid fireworks licence for anyone wanting to buy, possess, or use fireworks, except for indoor fireworks and sparklers. You can find out more information about UK-focused rules here.

In November, the Government also issued an important update in response to calls for a nationwide ban on the public sale of fireworks. It came as over 180,000 people had signed a petition which argues that unregulated use of fireworks is a threat to vulnerable people and an ‘act of wide-scale cruelty to animals’.

Although the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) recognised that fireworks can have a negative impact on people, animals, and property, but stressed that they also bring joy to many others. In a response, it explained: “The Government recognises the negative impact fireworks can have on some people and animals. However, when used responsibly, they are a source of enjoyment for many people.

A recent petition called for a nationwide ban on fireworks (stock image)

“The Government’s intention is to minimise the negative impact of fireworks and to support their considerate use, while reducing the risks and disturbances to individuals, animals, and property. The majority of individuals who use fireworks do so in a responsible and safe manner and there are enforcement mechanisms in place to tackle situations when fireworks are misused.”

While there are no plans to ban fireworks sales, the DBT has initiated a fireworks campaign this year aimed at promoting responsible use and reducing the impact on animal welfare. As part of this, people are encouraged to use low-noise fireworks as part of this campaign or to visit a public display instead.

The online response continued: “Public displays are more likely to be well-publicised, providing people with an opportunity to prepare ahead of the display taking place. The campaign also includes new guidance for those running community fireworks events, and social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks. This supplements existing guidance from Government and other organisations that is available to help people to use fireworks safely and appropriately.”

You can view the petition and its response in full here.

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Latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 33 and the number of people killed to at least 112 since early September.

Published On 1 Jan 20261 Jan 2026

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The United States military has killed at least five people in yet another attack on alleged drug smuggling boats, and ordered the country’s coastguard to launch a search for survivors.

The statement by US Southern Command on Wednesday did not reveal where the attacks occurred.

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Previous attacks have been in the Caribbean Sea and in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

A video posted by the Southern Command on social media shows the boats travelling in a close formation, and the military said they were in a convoy along known narco-trafficking routes and “had transferred narcotics between the three vessels prior to the strikes”.

The military did not provide evidence to back up the claim.

“Three narco-terrorists aboard the first vessel were killed in the first engagement,” it said. “The remaining narco-terrorists abandoned the other two vessels, jumping overboard and distancing themselves before follow-on engagements sank their respective vessels,” it added.

It later said it carried out another strike on the vessels and that two people were killed in the second strike.

The military said it had notified the US Coast Guard to “activate the Search and Rescue system”.

The request for a rescue effort was notable because the US military drew heavy scrutiny after it killed the survivors of an attack in early September with a follow-up strike on their disabled boat.

Some Democratic lawmakers and legal experts said the military committed a crime, while the administration of US President Donald Trump and some Republican lawmakers say the follow-up strike was legal.

The Reuters news agency, citing a US official, said eight people had abandoned their vessels and were being searched for in the Pacific Ocean.

The US Coast Guard also told the agency it had deployed a C-130 aircraft to look for survivors and was working with vessels in the area.

This is not the first time there have been survivors of a US strike under the Trump administration. In October, two survivors were repatriated to their home countries after surviving a US military strike.

Later ​that month, Mexican authorities launched a search and rescue effort after ‌another US strike left a survivor. That individual was not found.

The attacks on Wednesday bring the total number of known boat strikes to 33 and the number of people killed to at least 112 since early September, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.

Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the US and asserted that Washington is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

His administration has also built up military forces in the region, including the deployment of more than 15,000 troops, as part of an escalating pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the US accuses of narco-terrorism.

Caracas denies any involvement in drug trafficking and insists that Washington is seeking to overthrow Maduro to seize the country’s oil reserves, which are the world’s largest.

Trump said on Monday ‌the US had “hit” an area in Venezuela where boats are loaded with drugs, marking the first known time Washington has carried out land operations in Venezuela.

Officials said the land strike was ‍not carried out by the US military, and Trump has previously said he has authorised the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.

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Republican representative Lauren Boebert has fired back at Donald Trump for vetoing a bill that would have funded a drinking water project in her Colorado district, implying the president was playing at political retaliation.

The bill was aimed at funding a decades-long project to bring safe drinking water to 39 communities in Colorado’s eastern plains, where the groundwater is high in salt and wells sometimes unleash radioactivity into the water supply.

Trump vetoed the bill on Tuesday, writing in his veto letter to Congress that his administration is “committed to preventing American taxpayers from funding expensive and unreliable policies” and that “ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts and restoring fiscal sanity is vital to economic growth and the fiscal health of the Nation”.

Boebert criticized the move, calling the bill “completely non-controversial” and pointed out that it passed the House and Senate unanimously earlier this year.

Trump’s veto comes after Boebert had pushed the administration to release the government’s files on the late convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein. Boebert, a longtime Maga ally and supporter of the president, said in a statement to a local news station: “I sincerely hope this veto has nothing to do with political retaliation for calling out corruption and demanding accountability.”

Trump also vetoed a second bill on Tuesday for a project in Florida. The measure aimed to spend $14m to protect an area known as Osceola Camp within Everglades national park that is inhabited by members of the Miccosukee Tribe of Native Americans. The tribe has fought Trump’s makeshift immigrant detention center “Alligator Alcatraz”. A federal judge has now ordered the detention center to be shut down.

Trump said the tribe was never authorized to inhabit the Osceola Camp area, and that his administration would not support projects for special interests, especially those “unaligned” with his immigration policies.

Trump’s vetoes were the first two of his second term.

The veto of the Colorado bill came after Trump’s vow to retaliate against Colorado for keeping his ally Tina Peters in prison, despite his attempt to pardon her earlier in the month.

Peters, a former Colorado county clerk, is serving a nine-year prison term after being convicted on state charges for illegally tampering with voting machines in the 2020 presidential election. The charges against Peters were brought under Colorado state law, and so are exempt from a Trump pardon, which can only cover federal charges.

It was not immediately clear whether the Republican leaders in Congress would allow a vote to override Trump’s veto in Colorado. Boebert was one of four Republican lawmakers, along with Marjorie Taylor Greene, who played a key role in forcing the release of justice department files on Epstein. Trump fought the release of the files for months before ending his opposition.

In her statement to Colorado’s 9News, Boebert said: “Nothing says ‘America First’ like denying clean drinking water to 50,000 people in Southeast Colorado many of whom enthusiastically voted for him all three elections … But hey, if this administration wants to make its legacy blocking projects that deliver water to rural Americans; that’s on them.”

Boebert did not immediately return the Guardian’s request for comment.

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Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday released nighttime video footage it claimed shows the wreckage of a Ukrainian drone intercepted during an attempted attack on a residence used by President Vladimir Putin.

The video, filmed in a snow-covered, forested area in Russia, shows a Russian serviceman standing over debris that Moscow said belongs to a Ukrainian-made Chaklun-V drone.

Russian officials also said the drone was shot down before it could strike Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai in the Novgorod region and was carrying a six-kilogram explosive device that failed to detonate.

The footage was released as Moscow faced mounting skepticism over its account of events.

PUTIN REJECTS KEY PARTS OF US PEACE PLAN AS KREMLIN OFFICIAL WARNS EUROPE FACES NEW WAR RISK: REPORT

Satellite imagery shows Vladimir Putin’s residential complex in Roshchino, Novgorod Region, Russia Aug. 31, 2023.  (Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters)

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that U.S. national security officials concluded Ukraine did not target Putin or any of his residences in the alleged drone incident.

The Journal said the finding was supported by a CIA assessment that determined no attempted attack on Putin occurred, citing a U.S. official briefed on the intelligence.

Instead, Ukraine, they said, was believed to be targeting a military site it had previously struck in the same region but not near Putin’s residence, the official said.

Ukrainian officials have continued to reject the allegations, with a military drone expert claiming the video provided little evidence of an attempted strike on one of Russia’s most heavily secured locations.

UKRAINE SAYS IT CARRIED OUT FIRST-EVER UNDERWATER DRONE STRIKE ON RUSSIAN SUBMARINE IN NOVOROSSIYSK

Russia releases drone footage of the alleged Ukraine attack on Putin’s residence. (Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters )

“This footage, unfortunately, does not offer proof of anything other than that there is a wrecked drone on the ground somewhere being stood over by a Russian serviceman,” Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital.

Chell, whose firm supplies drones to the U.S. Department of Defense and its allies, said the drone shown in the video looked ill-suited for such a mission.

“The attacks that occurred on Dec. 29 were also hundreds of kilometers away,” he added.

“The engines on the drone in this new footage are very small, and though capable of multiple hours of flight with the type of fixed-wing drone displayed, it would be extremely slow and unsophisticated.

“This drone is not untypical of many Ukraine drones, but these would only be used for infrastructure targets and woefully ineffective in an attack on a facility the likes of Putin’s residence,” Chell concluded.

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA WON’T LAUNCH NEW ATTACKS ON OTHER COUNTRIES ‘IF YOU TREAT US WITH RESPECT’

The Russian Defense ministry shows a downed drone after an alleged drone attack on Putin’s residence. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters )

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi also dismissed the footage as “laughable,” saying Kyiv was “absolutely confident that no such attack took place,” according to Reuters.

Russia alleges the drone was part of a broader Ukrainian operation targeting Putin’s residence earlier this week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted 91 drones had been intercepted en route to Putin’s residence, a figure that appeared to conflict with earlier Defense Ministry statements.

The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were shot down across eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, before revising the numbers upward. 

RUSSIA ALLEGES ATTACK ON PUTIN RESIDENCE AS UKRAINE DENIES CLAIM AHEAD OF TRUMP TALKS

A Ukrainian air intelligence soldier carries a drone in the direction of Bakhmut, Ukraine, May 10, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Only after Lavrov’s remarks did the Defense Ministry claim that 49 drones intercepted over Bryansk — nearly 300 miles from Valdai — were also targeting the presidential residence.

The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were shot down across eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, before revising the numbers upward. 

The timing of the allegations has also drawn scrutiny, coming shortly after what Moscow described publicly as a positive meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.

Zelenskyy also called the alleged drone attack a “complete fabrication,” saying it was designed to justify further Russian strikes and undermine diplomatic efforts.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Ukraine’s denials and said Moscow would toughen its diplomatic stance.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture. 

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Actor George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney were granted French citizenship because “they contribute, through their distinguished actions, to France’s international influence and cultural outreach,” the French government said Wednesday, defending their naturalization that was questioned by a junior French minister.

The naturalizations of the Kentucky-born star of the “Ocean’s” series of heist movies, his wife and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, and their twins Ella and Alexander were announced last weekend in the Journal Officiel, where French government decrees are published.

Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a junior minister at the Interior Ministry, expressed misgivings Wednesday that some of the Clooneys’ new French compatriots may think that the star couple was granted special treatment. The actor speaks only what he himself says is “horrible, horrible” French.

“The message being sent is not good,” Vedrenne said in an interview with broadcaster France Info. “There is an issue of fairness that, in my eyes, is absolutely essential.”

The couple purchased an estate in France in 2021 and Clooney has said that it’s their primary residence. Non-French residents of France have multiple possible routes to becoming naturalized. It wasn’t clear whether the 64-year-old actor retained his American citizenship. His 47-year-old wife was born in Lebanon and raised in the U.K and naturalized by France under her maiden name, Amal Alamuddin. The 8-year-old twins were born in London.

The Foreign Ministry said the Clooneys were eligible for citizenship under a French law that allows for the naturalization of foreign nationals who contribute to France’s international influence and economic well-being.

It argued that France’s cinema industry will benefit from the actor’s clout as a global movie star and said that as a lawyer, Amal Clooney regularly works with academic institutions and international organizations in France.

“They maintain strong personal, professional and family ties with our country,” the ministry said.

“Like many French citizens, we are delighted to welcome Georges and Amal Clooney into the national community,” it concluded, giving the actor’s first name a French twist by adding the “s” at the end.

The decision was also defended by Vedrenne’s superior at the Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who said he signed the naturalization decree.

“It’s a big chance for our country,” he said.

In recent media interviews when he was promoting “Jay Kelly,” Clooney said that he is trying to teach himself French using a language-learning app. He said that his wife and children speak the language perfectly.

“They speak French in front of me so that they can say terrible things about me to my face and I don’t know,” he joked, speaking to French broadcaster Canal+.

French media have reported that the Clooneys live part-time in their luxury 18th-century villa outside the town of Brignoles in southern France, where they can keep a lower profile and their children are protected from unauthorized photographs by French privacy laws.

In an interview with Esquire in October, Clooney said: “I was worried about raising our kids in L.A., in the culture of Hollywood.”

“I don’t want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don’t want them being compared to somebody else’s famous kids,” he said. Growing up away from the spotlight in France, “they have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life.”

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NEED TO KNOW

• Amy Schumer shared a glimpse of her New Year’s Eve as a newly single woman
• In early December, the actress and comedian announced that she and Chris Fischer would divorce after seven years of marriage
• The former couple are parents to one son, whom they welcomed in May 2019

Amy Schumer is gearing up for New Year’s Eve in her single era. 

Hours ahead of the big ball drop, the 44-year-old Kinda Pregnant actress gave her followers a sneak peek into how she would be spending her evening with two posts on Instagram.

“Happy New Year! #sensualphoto,” she captioned a Wednesday, Dec. 31 Instagram snap.

The single picture featured the newly single Schumer sitting alone on a sofa in a dimly lit room. She wore a loose-fitting T-shirt underneath a black hoodie and was makeup-free with her hair in a ponytail. She also crossed her eyes and made a funny face while holding onto a container of spaghetti. 

Amy Schumer.

Amy Schumer/instagram

Schumer shared the same photo in a post to her Instagram Stories, this time adding the text, “Who’s kissing this at midnight?”

On Dec. 12, the Trainwreck actress confirmed her split from Chris Fischer, announcing online that the couple had called it quits after seven years of marriage.

“Blah blah blah Chris and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage after 7 years,” the comedian wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. 

“We love each other very much and will continue to focus on raising our son. We would appreciate people respecting our privacy at this time. blah blah blah not becisse I dropped some lbs and thought I could bag s basket and not because he’s a hot Janlmes beard award winning chef who can still pull some hot tail. Amicable and all love and respect! Family forever,” she continued.

At the time, a source close to the pair exclusively told PEOPLE, “There’s nothing ugly. It’s a cohesive split. They’ve just been finalizing a few things.”

The former couple, who tied the knot in February 2018, are parents to son Gene, whom they welcomed in May 2019. 

Months before news of their divorce, Schumer showed off a dramatic weight loss transformation in October. 

Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer at the Minetta Lane Theatre in January 2019.

Cindy Ord/Getty

More recently, the I Feel Pretty actress showed off her shape in an Instagram Stories selfie of what appeared to be her makeup-free face with her hair pulled into a ponytail on Monday, Dec. 29.

The photo, which was taken near a full-length mirror, included her body from her head to about mid-thigh. 

“@skims lyfe,” she wrote over the image of herself in a short and form-fitting bodysuit.

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Schumer also prepped for the New Year by letting go of the home she once shared with Fischer, 45. 

In March, they listed their Brooklyn townhouse for $14 million. However, the home sold for $3 million less at $11 million in late November, a representative for The Corcoran Group previously confirmed to PEOPLE.

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By JAMIE BULLEN, LIVE COVERAGE EDITOR and SAM CHISHOLM and NOOR QURASHI, NEWS REPORTER and SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER

Updated: 23:47 GMT, 31 December 2025

New Year’s Eve celebrations are taking place across the world tonight as we mark the final remaining hours of 2025.

Japan and South Korea became the first Asian nations to see in the new year with traditional bell-ringing celebrations taking place across Tokyo and Seoul. 

Parties soon followed in Beijing, Singapore, Taiwan and Manila where the clock struck midnight an hour later. 

It comes as Australia and New Zealand were the first major countries to enter 2026 with celebrations in Sydney particularly poignant as people honoured the victims killed in the Bondi Beach terror attack earlier this month. 

Throughout the day, the final countdown will take place in cities across Asia, Africa and Europe before Big Ben strikes at midnight to kick off the new year for the UK.

Across Britain, revellers have been told to wear extra layers when they head out to watch fireworks displays with the Met Office issuing a snow warning for London later this week.

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Follow the latest updates on New Year’s Eve celebrations below 

How are YOU celebrating the new year? Will it be with a packet of Tesco’s 12 (seedless!) grapes – on offer for £1.25?

Let us know in the comments how you plan on ringing in the new year.

If you plan on following the century-old Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, perhaps you’ve gone and purchased them from Tesco – which is selling a dozen grapes a pack (seedless, mind you) for £1.25.

Have a read about it below.

Keir Starmer: A message of ‘hope’

If you missed Keir Starmer’s message of ‘hope’ for the coming year, you can watch it here below, in all its glory.

Scotland is READY to celebrate the new year

Fireworks are currently lighting up the sky over Edinburgh Castle.

Images show the city’s streets packed with revellers who are ready for midnight.

In some, people can even be seen donning hats with the Scottish flag across as they hold up cans of drink with some of the country’s iconic landmarks behind them.

And so the chaos begins … police are pictured detaining a man in Birmingham while elsewhere in the city a reveller is wheeled away on a stretcher by paramedics

With celebrations now fully underway across the UK, police are already having to deal with incidents ahead of the new year.

In Birmingham, officers were pictured detaining a man on the street.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, a reveller was wheeled away by paramedics.

IN PICTURES: France welcomes in the new year with stunning display

Fireworks explode in the early hours of this morning as ‘2026’ was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe during the New Year’s celebrations on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, France.

Fireworks displays cancelled in Russia’s capital

New images show armed officers patrolling Russia’s capital, Moscow.

In the city’s Red Square, fireworks displays were cancelled, with the area shut to visitors until 8am on January 1.

However, not too far away, happy Russians were pictured embracing one another as they celebrated the beginnings of 2026 next to St Basil’s Cathedral.

Breaking:More than 45 European countries now welcome the new year … with just one hour to go before the UK follows…

Germany, France and Spain are among the more than 45 countries that have now welcomed in 2026.

Also ringing in the new year are African nations including Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic and Morocco.

This means there is now just an hour to go before the UK follows suit.

Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate this evening is pictured below as well as fireworks exploding over Thermaikos gulf next to the White Tower in Thessaloniki during the country’s celebrations.

IN PICTURES: Partygoers across the UK gear up for the high and lows of New Year’s Eve

Partygoers take to the streets of Leeds and Newcastle to celebrate the upcoming year.

Huge crowds forming in central London

With little more than one hour to go huge crowds have now formed by the London Eye – with the landmark already illuminated in blue ahead of the clock hitting 12.

The Metropolitan Police has issued a dispersal order across vast swathes of central London after barriers were erected and park gates locked in a bid to stop crowds of revellers gathering on New Year’s Eve.

The force declared a large area across the capital city had been placed under a dispersal order as officers prepare to tackle anti-social behaviour while ushering in 2026.

‘It gives officers the power to order people to leave the area. Those who refuse to do so are liable to arrest,’ it said, while reasserting London’s spectacular fireworks display was ‘fully sold out’.

‘Please be aware of scammers trying to sell fraudulent tickets. We’ve just arrested three people doing so near Trafalgar Square,’ the spokesperson added.

It comes as barriers were erected and gates have been locked in parks across London ahead of tonight’s celebrations in a bid to prevent partygoers congregating.

Among the famous parks in the capital city that have been blocked off to the public by ‘grotesque’ barriers tonight is Primrose Hill in Camden.

A popular viewing spot for the fireworks with its panoramic views of London, there were an estimated 30,000 people celebrating at the park last year.

But tonight, the area has been turned into a no-go zone for ‘public safety’, with the gates set to be locked until 6am after parks police were axed in a bid to reduce costs.

READ MORE BELOW:

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wishes the nation a Happy New Year’s

Sir Keir Starmer has wished the nation as he promised ‘renewal’ would become ‘reality’ in Britain.

By Martin Beckford

Sir Keir Starmer has promised that his Government will make people’s lives easier in 2026 in an attempt to turn round his failing fortunes.

In an upbeat New Year’s message on Wednesday night, the Prime Minister echoed the New Labour anthem as he vowed that ‘things can and will get better’.

He admitted many Britons are still struggling and said he too felt frustrated by how slow change has been, in an acknowledgment of his administration’s failings since his party won the election 18 months ago.

But he insisted that the situation will change this coming year, with reduced bills and improved public services, amid a widespread belief in Westminster that his own job will be on the line unless he can turn around his party’s dire poll ratings as crucial elections loom.

In a video message broadcast online on New Year’s Eve, Sir Keir said: ‘Things have been tough in Britain for a while. For many, life is still harder than it should be. You long for a bit more money in your pockets, a meal out, a holiday. The chance to make a special family moment extra special.

‘In 2026, the choices we’ve made will mean more people will begin to feel positive change in your bills, your communities and your health service.

‘But even more people will feel once again a sense of hope, a belief that things can and will get better, feel that the promise of renewal can become a reality, and my government will make it that reality.

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New Year’s Eve: UK gears up to celebrate ‘best of British’ after dazzling displays in Europe and UAE – live updates

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An intruder was apprehended after twice gaining entry to Kensington Palace in London, in incidents a policing expert claimed were a ‘serious cause for concern’

The intruder broke into the home of William and Kate twice(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Prince and Princess of Wales were twice intruded upon by a man allegedly wearing a “heavy rucksack”, who vaulted into their official residence as the royals prepared for Christmas.

Derek Egan, 39, was reportedly seen hauling the rucksack as he climbed over a fence into Kensington Palace, the couple’s royal residence, two days before Christmas this year. The Metropolitan Police confirmed Egan had been charged, in a statement this evening. A spokesperson for the police service said Egan was able to gain access to the property’s gardens but was apprehended both times by specialist royal protection officers from the London Metropolitan Police.

The reported incidents were branded a “serious cause for concern”, with the intruder managing to gain entry twice despite having been initially bailed by police.

The intruder is said to have vaulted over the barrier to Kensington Palace twice(Image: Getty Images)

The Met Police said the intruder was charged with two counts of trespassing following the repeated alleged incidents on December 21 and 23. A spokesperson said: “On Tuesday, 23 December, Derek Egan, 39, of Clayfield Way, Hillingdon was charged with trespassing on a protected site and breaching bail conditions. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 24 December.

“The charges relate to incidents on Sunday, 21 December and Tuesday, 23 December when Egan was arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site in Palace Green, Kensington.”

Experts have called for a major investigation after the latest royal intrusion – which took place as the royals and their staff prepared for Christmas. Dai Davies, the former head of the Met Police’s Royal and Specialist Protection branch, said the nature of the offending gives “serious cause for concern”.

He added the police must now work out what level of danger the Royal Family was in at the time. He told The Sun: “The fact he repeated the offending after being given bail, given the nature of it, gives serious cause for concern. The police must work out what level of danger the Royal Family were in, and based on the charges, why on Earth he was given bail?”

The Prince and Princess of Wales, who reside permanently in Windsor, are not believed to have been living in Kensington Palace at the time.

But they were reportedly spending the days preceding the alleged dual incidents in London while preparing for the Royal Family’s traditional Sandringham Christmas. The alleged intruder is the latest in a long line of intruders who have gained access to royal properties before being apprehended.

The royals were reportedly not at home at the time, but were over the previous days(Image: AP)

In 2023, Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, was sentenced to nine years in jail for treason after he was found to have tried entering Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021 armed with a crossbow while the late Queen Elizabeth II was in residence.

The Old Bailey in London heard during his trial that he was spurred on by an AI “girlfriend” named Sarai, and inspired by storylines from the Star Wars films. Chail was also subject to a hybrid order under the Mental Health Act, and remanded in a psychiatric hospital before being treated to custody following treatment.

Judge Mr Justice Hilliard passed his sentence during a live television broadcast, saying Chail had experienced homicidal thoughts he had acted on before becoming psychotic.

He said: “His intention was not just to harm or alarm the sovereign – but to kill her.” The judge added that Chail’s intention to kill made his offence “as serious as it could be”. The judge added Chail, a former supermarket worker, was also “culpable to a significant degree” when he applied to join the Ministry of Defence Police and Grenadier Guards as he “wanted to get close to the royal family”.

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Published On 31 Dec 202531 Dec 2025

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New Year’s Eve celebrations are unfolding across the world as countries move into 2026 one time zone at a time.

The first major cities to mark the new year welcomed midnight with fireworks over their waterfronts, and large crowds gathered at public viewing points.

As the night continues, countries across the Americas will close out the global transition with events stretching from Rio de Janeiro’s beaches to Times Square in New York City and beyond.

This gallery shows how people are marking the start of 2026 around the world.

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The Department of Health and Human Services is freezing all childcare payments to all states, an official for Donald Trump’s administration told ABC News in a report published Wednesday. States’ funds will be released “only when states prove they are being spent legitimately”.

The report came a day after Jim O’Neill, the HHS deputy secretary, and Alex Adams, an HHS assistant secretary who oversees the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), appeared in a Tuesday evening video message. O’Neill declared that the department had “activated our defend-the-spend system for all ACF childcare payments across America” and would now require “justification, receipt or photo evidence before we make a payment”.

Originally, O’Neill and Adams’s message was interpreted as an announcement that HHS would stop childcare funding in Minnesota, not all 50 states. However, the Associated Press reported late Wednesday that the freeze would apply to every state and that all states would need to provide more documentation about their childcare programs before receiving federal money.

The department did not immediately reply to a Guardian request for comment to clarify the nature of the freeze, but HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told ABC News that “it’s the onus of the state to make sure that these funds, these federal dollars, taxpayer dollars, are being used for legitimate purposes”.

Recipients of childcare funding will have to provide HHS with extensive documentation, such as “attendance records, licensing, inspection and monitoring reports, complaints and investigations”, Nixon added.

The changes to US childcare services as part of a response to a viral video, made by a self-described “independent journalist” and rightwing influencer, that purported to discover massive fraud at daycare centers operated by Somali Americans in Minneapolis.

However, other news outlets have not been able to verify the claims made in the video. Allegations of exploitation of Minnesota’s social safety net have also been extensively covered by local and national news media over the past several years, and prosecutors brought charges over one allegedly massive scheme during the Biden administration.

In recent weeks, Trump has intensified his xenophobic attacks on Somali Americans, including his long-running nemesis Ilhan Omar, a representative from Minnesota who is Somali American and came to the US as a refugee. He has said that Omar is “garbage” and said Somalia is “no good for a reason”.

“When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch, we don’t want them in our country,” Trump said in one December cabinet meeting. “Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.”

Tim Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota who is running for re-election this year, denounced the Trump administration’s freeze of Minnesota’s funding as part of “Trump’s long game”.

“We’ve spent years cracking down on fraudsters. It’s a serious issue – but this has been his plan all along,” Walz said in a Tuesday post on X.

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Osmond Chia,Business reporterand

Yan Chen,BBC News Chinese

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Chinese people will pay a 13% sales tax on contraceptives from 1 January, while childcare services will be exempt, as the world’s second-largest economy tries to boost birth rates.

An overhaul of the tax system announced late last year removes many exemptions that were in place since 1994, when China was still enforcing its decades-long one-child rule.

It also exempts marriage-related services and elderly care from value added tax (VAT) – part of a broader effort that includes extending parental leave and issuing cash handouts.

Faced with an ageing population and sluggish economy, Beijing has been trying hard to encourage more young Chinese people to marry, and couples to have children.

Official figures show that China’s population has shrunk three years in a row, with just 9.54 million babies born in 2024. That is around half of the number of births recorded a decade ago, when China started to ease its rules on how many children people could have.

Still, the tax on contraceptives, including condoms, birth control pills and devices, has sparked concern about unwanted pregnancies and HIV rates, as well as ridicule. Some people point out that it would take a lot more than pricey condoms to persuade them to have children.

As one retailer urged shoppers to stock up ahead of the price hike, a social media user joked: “I’ll buy a lifetime’s worth of condoms now.”

People can tell the difference between the price of a condom and that of raising a child, wrote another.

China is 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. Costs are pushed up by school fees in a highly competitive academic environment, and the challenge women have juggling work and parenting, the study said.

The economic slowdown, partly brought on by a property crisis that has hit savings, has left families, and especially young people, feeling uncertain or less confident about their future.

“I have one child, and I don’t want any more,” says 36-year-old Daniel Luo, who lives in the eastern province of Henan.

“It’s like when subway fares increase. When they go up by a yuan or two, people who take the subway don’t change their habits. You still have to take the subway, right?”

He says he is not concerned by the price hike. “A box of condoms might cost an extra five yuan, maybe 10, at most 20. Over a year, that’s just a few hundred yuan, completely affordable.”

Getty Images

Young couples in China, like elsewhere, are having fewer or no children

But cost might be a problem for others, and that’s what worries Rosy Zhao, who lives in the city of Xi’an in central China.

She says making contraception, which is a necessity, more expensive could mean students or those struggling financially “take a risk”.

That would be the policy’s “most dangerous potential outcome”, she added.

Observers appear divided on the aim of the tax overhaul. The idea that a tax hike on condoms will impact birth rates is “overthinking it”, says demographer Yi Fuxian from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He believes Beijing is keen to collect taxes “wherever it can” as it battles a housing market slump and growing national debt.

At nearly $1tn (£742bn), China’s VAT revenue made up close to 40% of the country’s tax collection last year.

The move to tax condoms is “symbolic” and reflects Beijing’s attempts to encourage people to lift China’s “strikingly low” fertility numbers, said Henrietta Levin from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

What is also hampering efforts, she adds, is that a lot of the policies and subsidies will have to be implemented by indebted provincial governments – and it’s unclear if they can spare sufficient resources.

China’s approach to urging people to have children also risks backfiring if people feel the government is being “too intrusive” about what is deeply personal choice, she said.

Recently there have been media reports that women in some provinces have received calls from local officials asking about their menstrual cycles and plans to have children. The local health bureau in Yunnan province said such data was needed to identify expectant mothers.

But this has not helped the government’s image, Ms Levin said. “The [Communist] party can’t help but insert itself into every decision that it cares about. So it ends up being its own worst enemy in some ways.”

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China is one of the priciest countries to raise a child, a study in 2024 found

Observers and women themselves say the country’s male-dominated leadership fails to understand the social changes underpinning these broader shifts, which are not exclusive to China.

Countries in the West and even those in the region, such as South Korea and Japan, have been struggling to lift birth rates as their population ages.

Part of the reason is the burden of childcare, which disproportionately falls on women, research shows. But there are also other shifts, such as a decline in marriage and even dating.

China’s measures miss the real problem: the way young people interact today, which increasingly avoids genuine human connections, Mr Luo from Henan said.

He points to rising sales of sex toys in China, which he believes is a sign that “people are just satisfying themselves” because “interacting with another person has become more of a burden”.

Being online is easier and more comforting, he says, as “the pressure is real”.

“Young people today deal with way more stress from society than people did 20 years ago. Sure, materially they’re better off, but the expectations placed on them are much higher. Everyone’s just exhausted.”

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