Day: July 28, 2025

China offers parents $1,500 in bid to boost births

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Parents in China are being offered 3,600 yuan (£375; $500) a year for each of their children under the age of three in the government’s first nationwide subsidy aimed at boosting birth rates. The country’s birth rate has been falling even since the ruling Communist Party abolished its controversial one-child policy almost a decade ago. The handouts will help around 20 million families with the cost of raising children, according to state media. Several provinces across China have piloted some form of pay outs to encourage people to have more…

At least 30 killed as storms lash Beijing

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. At least 30 people have been killed as heavy storms lashed Beijing, while authorities relocated tens of thousands of people from the region around the Chinese capital after almost a full season’s worth of rain fell overnight. More than 80,000 people have been moved following the storms, which caused significant damage in the mountainous areas north of Beijing, according to state broadcaster China Central Television. President Xi Jinping said on…

China floods: more than 30 killed in Beijing and tens of thousands evacuated

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More than 30 people have been killed by heavy rain and flooding in Beijing and a neighbouring region, state media have reported, as tens of thousands more were evacuated from China’s capital. State broadcaster CCTV said that as of midnight on Monday, 28 people had died in Beijing’s hard-hit Miyun district and two others in Yanqing district as of midnight. Both are outlying parts of the sprawling city, far from the downtown. On Monday a landslide in neighbouring Hebei province killed four people, with eight other still missing. Heavy rain…

Watch: Nursing home residents rescued from China floods

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At least 30 people have been killed in floods that have inundated large parts of northeastern China. More than 80,000 people have been relocated from their homes after more than 543.4mm (21.4 inches) of rain fell in areas around Beijing over recent days. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has ordered an “all-out” search and rescue effort to minimise casualties. Video by James Chater. Follow live coverage of the China floods here. BBC

Labubu underground: Lafufu makers defy Chinese authorities to feed the world’s appetite for viral doll

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Trolleys piled high with decapitated silicon monster heads, tattooed dealers lurking in alleyways, bin bags of contraband hidden behind shop counters: welcome to the world of Lafufus. Fake Labubus, also known as Lafufus, are flooding the hidden market. As demand for the collectable furry keyrings soars, entrepreneurs in the southern trading hub of Shenzhen are wasting no time sourcing imitation versions to sell to eager Labubu hunters. But the Chinese authorities, keen to protect a rare soft-power success story, are cracking down on the counterfeits. “Labubus have become very sensitive,”…

No US stopover for Taiwanese leader could make room for Xi-Trump meeting this year

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Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has no immediate plans for overseas travel, his office said on Monday, following reports that his proposed stopover in the United States was declined by the Donald Trump administration. Advertisement Citing people familiar with the decision, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Washington told Lai he could not stop in New York on the way to South America, where he was earlier reported to be planning to visit Paraguay, Guatemala and Belize. 02:41 All 24 opposition Kuomintang lawmakers in Taiwan survive mass recall campaign…

Clorox sues Cognizant as troubles mount in India’s tech sector

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This article is an on-site version of the India Business Briefing newsletter. To receive it in your inbox regularly, sign up if you’re a premium subscriber, or upgrade your subscription here. Good morning. The clock is ticking on India’s trade deal with the US. Ahead of this Friday’s deadline, commerce minister Piyush Goyal said there was “fantastic progress” but also pushed back against concerns with time running out. With the Trump administration having already sealed deals with several major trading partners (most recently the EU), the prospect of a further extension…

Does this stone reveal Qin Shi Huang’s quest for immortality? A physicist chips in

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High on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in southwestern China and northeastern India, archaeologists recently discovered a 2,246-year-old stone inscription that might record one of the most mysterious chapters in Chinese history. Advertisement The team travelled by carriage to the mountain, arrived at Zhaling Lake in what is now Qinghai province on the day of Jimao, or first in the third month, and would proceed another 150 li – about 75km – to reach their final destination, according to the stone found near the lake, at an altitude of 4,300 metres (14,100…

Dutch pension giant pledges $650mn to Octopus Australia

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Renewable energy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. The biggest asset manager in the Netherlands has pledged to invest A$1bn ($652mn) in renewable energy group Octopus Australia, in a boost to Australia’s efforts to shift away from fossil fuels. APG Asset Management, which manages the €544bn Dutch pension fund ABP, said on Tuesday it was committing the funds to help develop big solar and battery projects, ending a two-to-three-year search by the energy company for a global funding…

Dutch pension giant pledges €590mn to Octopus Australia

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Renewable energy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. The biggest asset manager in the Netherlands has pledged to invest A$1bn ($651,945) in renewable energy group Octopus Australia, in a boost to Australia’s efforts to shift away from fossil fuels.  APG Asset Management, which manages the €544bn Dutch pension fund ABP, said on Tuesday it was committing the funds to help develop big solar and battery projects, ending a two-to-three-year search by the energy company for a global funding…