The move is included in a VAT law approved in 2024, designed to update China's tax system. VAT accounts for nearly 40% of China's total tax revenue. After nearly three decades of strict birth restrictions under the "one-child policy" (population control measure limiting families to one child), China has rolled out a series of incentive-based measures over the past decade to encourage births. These include raising the permitted number of children per couple to three and, in some provinces, offering subsidies for in vitro fertilization treatments and food allowances for additional children. Several local authorities grant young couples extra paid leave days to encourage marriage.

However, the fact that condoms and contraceptives are set to become more expensive has sparked ridicule on social media. One user on Weibo (a popular Chinese social media platform) wrote, "Are they really going this far just to make us have children?" The new VAT law also includes tax breaks for childcare and marriage matchmaking services.

This year, the government allocated 90 billion yuan (approximately $12.7 billion) to a first-of-its-kind national childcare subsidy program, offering 3,600 yuan annually per child up to age 3. On Saturday, the government announced plans to expand the national health insurance system to cover all birth-related expenses.

Despite the incentives, their impact on the birth rate has been minimal. In 2024, the birth rate stood at 6.77 per 1,000 people – a slight increase from 2023, but still a historically significant low figure. A high mortality rate resulting from an aging population means China's population has been shrinking for at least three years.

Now, concerns are emerging that authorities are turning to the "stick" to achieve the national birth target. In several regions, women have reported receiving phone calls from local authorities requesting information about menstrual cycles and pregnancy plans. In December, women in Yunnan province in southwest China were required to report the date of their last menstrual period to local authorities. The local health bureau claimed the data collection was necessary to identify pregnant women and expected births.

Social media responses included: "Today they require all women to report menstrual dates, tomorrow they'll demand reports on when sexual intercourse occurs, and the day after they'll call demanding intercourse during ovulation. This is mass breeding."

The tax increase on condoms is considered a symbolic move. A typical package of condoms costs 40-60 yuan (approximately $5.70-$8.50), and a birth control pill, available without a prescription, costs 50-130 yuan per monthly package.

Yun Zhou, a social lecturer at the University of Michigan, noted that the new tax will likely not affect people's decision-making processes, but it signals the government's position on "what constitutes desirable family behavior." Zhou added that if access to contraceptives becomes challenging, "the negative impact will fall primarily on women, especially women from vulnerable populations."

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Thursday morning brought the tragic conclusion when rescue teams recovered the body of Shagai Mor, a father of four, swept into the sea in Thailand after diving in to save his son. The incident happened on Koh Phangan.

Mor, 45, married to Inbal and father to four children aged 3-13, had lived in the Kela-Alon settlement in northern Golan for roughly 10 years. Shagai worked as a gardener. Over the past two years, he had been serving in active reserve duty. The community characterizes him as "a man of action who helped everyone. Beloved and friendly."

On Wednesday afternoon, the father entered the sea after his son, who had been swept away in the island's eastern bay, in the town of Chaloklum. The father succeeded in moving the son close to shore into the hands of nearby restaurant owners, who managed to pull the son onto shore while the father was pulled back into the sea, as the mother and her children stood on shore screaming for help.

Uri Kelner, head of the Golan Regional Council, stated, "The Golan Regional Council embraces the Mor family and the Kela-Alon community in this difficult hour. Our hearts are with his wife, Inbal, and the children." Inbal Mor, Shagai's wife, stated, "In these difficult hours, I want to express gratitude from all our hearts to the good people who mobilized to save Shagai. The hundreds of volunteers who searched throughout the night on nearby beaches, the Magen team, Klal Insurance, Chabad House, and the Foreign Ministry, and the round-the-clock support. We are now gathering within the family to cope with the difficult news and to strengthen the household."

Extreme weather hindered the search

The extensive searches faced significant difficulties due to extreme weather conditions, making it impossible to launch an emergency helicopter. Strong winds and nearly zero visibility blocked takeoff and safe navigation, while simultaneously the stormy sea and high waves prevented safe hovering or landing above the water.

Additionally, Koh Phangan has no emergency helicopters available, and regional helicopters are not authorized to operate under such conditions. Because of the powerful winds, drones also cannot take to the air, and significant difficulty exists in scanning the ocean surface from above. Deploying rescue boats also proved impossible. The breaking waves near shore create immediate capsizing danger, and the powerful side winds complicate vessel control and precise searching. Under such circumstances, dispatching a boat endangers both the rescued and the rescue team.

The entire Israeli community rallied for the searches, and for extended hours, approximately 160 volunteers combed the town's beaches with flashlights and motorcycles. Numerous young Israelis traveling in Koh Phangan joined the searches, along with tourists from across the world. Volunteers from the Israeli community on the island, social workers, and psychologists stayed with the mother and children constantly and provided emotional support for the family.

On Wednesday, during an overnight flight, a team from the Magen rescue and search company left Israel. Family members of the missing man were also aboard the plane. Wednesday night, at 1:30 a.m. (local time), the searches concluded as the sea rose again, becoming hazardous for the volunteers. The searches restarted Thursday morning. Numerous volunteers from the local Israeli community and Israeli tourists headed out for foot searches along the beaches and sea, scanning on private jet skis.

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The prime minister's resignation, along with those of multiple other lawmakers, occurred one day after authorities fired into crowds of young protesters, resulting in at least 19 fatalities, according to The New York Times.

Protesters also broke into the parliament and set it ablaze.

Protesters enter Nepal President Paudel's private residence, vandalise it.

Protesters in Nepal entered the private residence of Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel and vandalised it, according to videos that surfaced online.

Protests broke out in Nepal over alleged corruption… pic.twitter.com/3gyKcGA3a5

— Nitesh Sharma (@nitesh1572) September 9, 2025

Earlier on Tuesday, the government led by Oli had reversed its ban on major social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram – a restriction that had ignited years of simmering public anger over government corruption and social inequality – as reported by The New York Times. Officials also imposed a curfew in an attempt to prevent further demonstrations.

Nevertheless, a fresh wave of protests rapidly overwhelmed the capital, The New York Times detailed. Demonstrators breached the primary government administrative complex housing Oli's office. The protesters also set ablaze the homes of top leaders, the offices of their political parties, police stations, and government structures. Security forces positioned throughout Kathmandu were unable to safeguard the properties.

The headquarters of both Oli's Communist Party of Nepal and the Nepali Congress party were destroyed by fire. The homes of two former prime ministers, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sher Bahadur Deuba, were ignited, as was Oli's own residence.

Footage shared on social media depicted helicopters evacuating ministers from their quarters inside the main government administrative building and transporting them to secure locations.

The residence of former home minister Ramesh Lekhak, who stepped down on Monday citing moral responsibility for the 19 deaths, was also completely incinerated. In total, four cabinet ministers have resigned, three of whom belong to the Nepali Congress party. Internal flights departing from Kathmandu's international airport were grounded following reports of arson attacks in the vicinity of its perimeter.

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Video: Wang's rescue / Xiaoxiang Morning Herald

Police swiftly organized a search, involving the Xiangxi Shuguang Rescue Team and special police forces from Baise, Guangxi. Baise's cave divers conducted two deep dives, initially finding no trace of Wang. During the second dive, they heard knocking on rocks and signaled the surface team to stop boat engines, but the sound did not persist.

Reaching 130 meters (426.5 feet), the divers found no signs of Wang. On their ascent, near 100 meters (328 feet), they spotted him. Tian Yanglin, captain of the rescue team, told Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that Wang knocked on rocks as divers approached, receiving no response. He saw them pass deeper into the cave. With oxygen at four percent, Wang jumped from an air pocket, waving a charged flashlight to signal his rescuers. "That moment was his last chance," Tian said, per Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.

Wang endured by sheltering in an air pocket, sustaining himself on raw fish and losing all sense of time. Remarkably, he walked to the ambulance without aid, asking rescuers, "Do you have a cigarette?" according to Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.

Online reactions highlighted Wang's resilience. One user said, "Nine meters underwater, pitch black, survived for five days. Unbelievable. A true miracle. His mind did not collapse. What incredible willpower!" Another commented, "To survive five days and still be in good condition, he is not just lucky, he is superhuman." A third asked, "It must have been pitch black in that cave. I am really wondering, how did he manage to catch fish?"

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Trump said earlier in the weekend that he had spoken with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's interim Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai in a bid to restore calm. He also expressed hopes for concluding trade agreements with both countries "once peace is within reach."

"Both sides are seeking an immediate ceasefire and peace. They also want to return to the 'trade table' with the United States, which we believe should only happen once the fighting stops," Trump wrote.

"They agreed to meet immediately and to work swiftly toward a ceasefire and ultimately, peace!"

In the early hours of Sunday, local time, Hun Manet thanked Trump and said Cambodia accepted "the proposal for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armed forces." He noted he had previously called for a ceasefire in appeals to the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry released a more measured statement, saying Phumtham Wechayachai wanted to see "a sincere intention from Cambodia," but had also "asked President Trump to convey that Thailand seeks to convene bilateral dialogue as soon as possible to outline steps and procedures for a ceasefire and ultimately a peaceful resolution to the conflict."

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Thailand's Health Ministry confirmed the massive evacuation numbers as combat operations intensified throughout Friday, with civilians on both sides of the international boundary scrambling for safety while explosions and automatic weapons fire echoed across the borderlands. Officials from The New York Times reported that at least 15 fatalities have been documented on the Thai side since hostilities commenced Thursday, while Cambodian authorities have confirmed at least one death within their territory as families continue fleeing the escalating violence.

This 60 second video will let you know exactly what's going on between Cambodia and Thailand and why they are at War

Must watch pic.twitter.com/cPnew4yd0h

— Culture War Report (@CultureWar2020) July 24, 2025

 The disputed frontier area between Oddar Meanchey Province in Cambodia and Surin Province in Thailand became the epicenter of the bloodiest military engagement between the two nations since 2011, with artillery strikes and small arms fire creating a continuous barrage that forced mass population movements. The New York Times documented scenes of desperate families loading possessions onto farm vehicles as explosions rang out around them, while civilians sought shelter wherever possible as the conflict showed no signs of immediate resolution.

Combat operations continued unabated on Friday as both nations deployed heavy weapons along the contested boundary, creating a humanitarian emergency that has displaced over 100,000 people within 48 hours. Officials familiar with the situation told The New York Times that gunshots and artillery fire persisted throughout the day, preventing aid organizations from reaching affected populations and trapping thousands of civilians in active combat zones.

The current confrontation represents the deadliest military engagement between Cambodia and Thailand in at least 14 years, surpassing previous border incidents in both scale and intensity. The New York Times reported that the fighting has created the largest refugee crisis in the region since the last major border conflict, with entire communities abandoning their homes as military forces from both nations continue exchanging fire across the disputed territory.

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CNN reported the airstrikes followed a series of deadly incidents, including a Thai soldier losing his leg to a landmine explosion just one day earlier.

The Thai military's 2nd regional command announced on Facebook that F-16 fighter jets had been deployed and claimed to have "destroyed" two Cambodian regional military support units, according to CNN. Deputy Army spokesperson Colonel Richa Suksuwanont stated the airstrikes targeted only military positions, though Cambodian officials had not immediately confirmed the attacks.

Armed confrontations broke out along the disputed frontier early Thursday morning when Thai forces said Cambodian troops opened fire on a Thai army base near the ancient Ta Muen Thom Temple, which sits in contested territory between Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's northwest region, CNN reported. Thai officials accused Cambodia of deploying an unmanned drone before the temple and then sending armed troops into the area.

The fighting spread beyond the temple site as Cambodian forces allegedly fired heavy weapons into civilian areas of Thailand's Kap Choeng district in Surin province. "The attack injured three civilians. Thai authorities have promptly evacuated residents from the area to ensure the safety of lives and property," the Thai military stated.

Cambodia's Defense Ministry offered a sharply different account, with Lieutenant General Maly Socheata claiming their troops acted in self-defense following an unprovoked Thai incursion. "Cambodian forces acted strictly within the bounds of self-defense, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity," Socheata explained to CNN.

Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote on Facebook that Thailand had attacked Cambodian army positions at two temple locations in Oddar Meanchey province, as well as sites in Cambodia's Preah Vihear province and Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province. "Cambodia has always maintained a position of peaceful resolution of problems, but in this case, we have no choice but to respond with armed force against armed aggression," the Prime Minister declared while urging Cambodian citizens to remain calm.

The escalation injured at least two Thai soldiers Thursday, while three civilians were wounded in the crossfire, according to CNN. Two hospitals in Thailand's Surin province began evacuating patients as fighting continued near the clash sites, Thailand's ministry of public health confirmed.

Thursday's armed confrontation followed a devastating incident just one day earlier when a second Thai soldier in a week lost his leg to a landmine explosion at a different point along the disputed border. Five Thai soldiers were injured in that blast, prompting Thailand to immediately downgrade diplomatic relations with Cambodia by recalling its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelling the Cambodian ambassador, CNN reported.

Thailand also closed sections of its northeastern border to both local residents and tourists as tensions reached their breaking point. Cambodia responded by announcing it had downgraded relations with Thailand "to the lowest level" and ordered all diplomatic staff to return home immediately.

The current crisis builds on mounting tensions that began in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed during clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops in the contested Emerald Triangle region where Cambodia, Thailand and Laos converge. Both sides opened fire in that incident, which has since triggered major political consequences for Thailand and inflamed nationalist sentiment in both countries, according to CNN.

Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra now faces potential dismissal after being suspended from duties earlier this month following the leak of a phone call with Cambodia's powerful former leader in which she appeared to criticize her own army's actions in the border dispute. The leaked conversation has added domestic political turmoil to the international crisis.

The two nations share a complex relationship marked by both cooperation and rivalry across recent decades. Their 508-mile (817-kilometer) land border was largely mapped by French colonial authorities during their occupation of Cambodia, creating boundary lines that have periodically sparked military clashes and political tensions between the neighbors.

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Video shows people jumping into the sea as fire engulfs the KM Barcelona VA near Talise Island, Indonesia. Rescue teams have begun evacuating the burning ship. pic.twitter.com/gl2zZElWih

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 20, 2025

Jerry Harmonsina, secretary of the North Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Agency, confirmed to Indonesian outlet Detik that the blaze originated in waters surrounding Talise island, according to CNA.

Officials from Detik told CNA that casualty numbers remained unconfirmed, although Jerry indicated that the vessel fire began during the afternoon hours of Sunday. Indonesian media sources reported to CNA that the burning ferry, identified as KM Barcelona 5, had been transporting 280 passengers and was scheduled to arrive at Manado Port.

Jerry announced to Detik that search and rescue teams had been dispatched to the fire location for evacuation operations, while area fishing vessels were assisting in the rescue mission, CNA reported. "The evacuation is currently underway, involving various units from the Navy, the National Search and Rescue Agency, the Coast Guard (as well as) assistance from local fishermen in the surrounding area," Jerry stated, according to CNA.

Social media platforms, particularly TikTok, featured widespread distribution of the ferry fire footage, with some clips reportedly filmed by passengers who had abandoned the vessel for safety, CNA reported. Dense black smoke clouds formed the backdrop as passengers remained afloat in surrounding waters, while additional TikTok content posted by user Soalunsrat captured vessel occupants rapidly securing life vests as others displayed panic behaviors and attempted mobile phone communications, according to CNA.

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The powerful storm positioned itself approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Hong Kong as of 10:00 a.m. Sunday, according to the city's meteorological observatory, which documented massive waves crashing against Hong Kong Island's eastern coastline.

Weather officials implemented the T10 hurricane alert – the territory's highest storm warning level – announcing that "winds with mean speeds of 118 kilometers per hour (73 mph) or more are expected" and represent a "considerable threat to Hong Kong," The Guardian reported.

"Under the influence of its eyewall, hurricane force winds are affecting the southern part of the territory," the observatory stated, urging residents to "beware of destructive winds."

Mainland China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces received high alert designations as the storm approached, state news agency Xinhua confirmed.

The weather system, which intensified to typhoon status during overnight hours, tracked toward Macau and the adjacent Chinese municipality of Zhuhai. Meteorologists projected the storm would reach landfall late Sunday before continuing westward toward Vietnam later in the week.

Hong Kong's airport authority revealed that approximately 500 flights faced cancellation due to weather conditions, while another 400 flights received rescheduling for later departure and arrival times on Sunday.

Government-operated temporary shelters accommodated hundreds of residents seeking safety from the storm. Medical officials treated one individual at a public hospital emergency room Sunday morning, while authorities documented more than a dozen fallen tree incidents across the territory.

Education officials suspended Sunday classes at all day schools and daycare facilities throughout Hong Kong.

Local railway systems provided restricted services while completely halting operations in exposed sections of the network.

The typhoon delivered heavy precipitation and flooding conditions to the Philippines, where the national disaster council reported two missing persons in connection with the storm system.

Hong Kong previously activated the T10 warning designation for Super Typhoon Saola in 2023, marking the last time officials employed the territory's highest storm alert level.

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The military's logistics command simultaneously utilized the mass rapid transit system to transport munitions and supplies from the capital's eastern periphery, demonstrating how civilian infrastructure would be repurposed during wartime conditions, according to The Financial Times.

Video: A depiction by the PLA of what the unification with Taiwan might look like / Credit: Eastern Command

Taiwan's armed forces have brought the annual Han Kuang training exercise directly to civilian neighborhoods this year, representing a fundamental shift in how the island prepares for the anticipated realities of Beijing's military action while simultaneously educating the public about potential crisis scenarios.

The exercises delivered an unmistakable message to Taiwan's population about the proximity of potential conflict. "If there ever is war, they will be fighting right here," an elderly local resident identified as Lu told The Financial Times.

Beijing maintains territorial claims over the island of Taiwan and has threatened to seize control through military force if Taipei continues to resist unification indefinitely. Throughout the past decade, Beijing authorities have intensified pressure on what it consider a rebellious province, executing increasingly large-scale military operations in the island's vicinity.

Taiwan's authorities has responded by reinforcing the nation's defensive capabilities, particularly following Russia's comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, according to The Financial Times.

Military analysts observe the Han Kuang exercise as an evaluation of the armed forces' capacity to respond to evolving threats, replacing choreographed demonstrations with authentic training scenarios. The previous year's exercise eliminated rehearsals in favor of improvised combat situations.

This year's program has advanced significantly beyond previous iterations. Monday's mass rapid transit operation, designed to test "battlefield survivability" under conditions where mainland China would bombard the country with missile strikes, marked the first incorporation of public transportation infrastructure. The innovation represents one of numerous precedents established during this year's drills, which will conclude Friday after lasting 10 complete days, twice the duration of earlier versions.

In a recent Israel Hayom interview, the People's Republic of China's ambassador to Israel, Xiao Junzheng, warned that an attempt to fully break away from the mainland by forming an independent state would be met with a forceful response.

"When our two countries [Israel and the PRC] established diplomatic ties in 1992, the Israeli government acknowledged that there's one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative of the whole of China."

He continued with particular emphasis: "The Chinese government has already passed the Anti-Secession National Law. According to this law, if the so-called Taiwan government announced or declared independence, wow, the war will be unavoidable. The war is unavoidable. If they declare independence, yes."

The ambassador emphasized that "Taiwan is a province of China. It was never an independent state and it will never be an independent state. The future of Taiwan should be determined by 1.4 billion Chinese people, including the 23 million Taiwan people, instead of by the will of the 23 million Taiwan people alone."

Instead of solely practicing the repulsion of mainland China's invasion forces from beaches and coastal areas as in previous years, the military has focused on responding to scenarios where Chinese maneuvers – which the People's Liberation Army conducts near Taiwan almost daily – would suddenly escalate into active combat.

The final four days of the exercise will concentrate on training for sustained combat operations throughout the entire country – a scenario that military leadership has previously avoided addressing publicly, The Financial Times reported.

Nearly 22,000 reservists have been activated, exceeding any previous mobilization in the exercise's 41-year history and acknowledging that Taiwan's defense would require comprehensive societal participation. In another unprecedented development, the drill will incorporate the US-supplied HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system.

Admiral Mei Chia-shu, chief of the general staff, has emphasized that the exercises should implement "mission command," a doctrine that empowers individual units to execute their assignments without excessive oversight from superior commanders.

"If China attacks, one of the first things to go will be our communications systems," a senior military official told The Financial Times. "So if we say we do realistic training, we must train for our units to be cut off from their superiors."

However, experts suggested Taiwan's military would face challenges abandoning traditional centralized command structures, according to The Financial Times.

"Decentralization is a difficult thing for our armed forces," Sheu Jyh-Shyang, an assistant research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a defense ministry-backed think-tank, told The Financial Times. "It is still hard to see fast progress in that regard."

The most noticeable transformation involves the drills' proximity to Taiwan's civilian population. Tanks, troop transporters and large mobile missile launchers have been maneuvering through the dense urban development that covers most non-mountainous areas of Taiwan.

Their deployment has not proceeded without complications. At least three accidents involving military vehicles occurred during the previous week, The Financial Times reported. A US-manufactured Paladin howitzer damaged several parked vehicles, a window grille and a water tower after incorrectly entering a narrow residential street. A tank dented an illegally parked car on the roadside, while a Patriot air defense missile became lodged under a noodle shop's awning during a turning maneuver.

A foreign military official observing the exercises indicated that the accidents demonstrated the complexity of Taiwan's urban landscape, according to The Financial Times.

"It would be a nightmare for an attacker," the person said. "It really is very defensible, but that only applies if your own forces have mastered operating in this maze."

Taiwan's civilians have demonstrated tolerance for any operational difficulties during the adjustment period.

"They have to train, I understand that," one woman whose vehicle was damaged by the howitzer told The Financial Times. "And our street is really too narrow."

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