Aging

China’s birth rate fell to an all-time low in 2025 as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year, underscoring a mounting demographic crisis despite a raft of policies aimed at encouraging couples to have children. Official figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show 7.92 million births last year, equivalent to 5.63 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest rate since records began in 1949, when Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China. Births declined by 1.62 million from the prior…

The recent arrest of five individuals in Lesotho for the illegal trade of pelargonium has revealed significant flaws in the government's capacity to safeguard endangered plant species, as reported by Sechaba Mokhethi for GroundUp. Back in 2004, the government classified Pelargonium sidoides—often called African geranium—as a protected species. This plant has gained global recognition for its medicinal properties, being a key ingredient in various herbal remedies, including some cough syrups. Yet, despite these protective…