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Choosing to be child-free in an ‘apocalyptic’ South Asia

Choosing to be child-free in an ‘apocalyptic’ South Asia

Zuha Siddiqui is currently designing her new house in Karachi, creating a blueprint for her future life in Pakistan’s largest metropolis. Her parents will live in the downstairs portion of this house, “because they’re growing old, and they don’t want to climb stairs”, she says. She will live in a separate portion upstairs, with furniture she likes. Siddiqui feels this is important because she recently celebrated her 30th birthday and wants a place she can finally call her own, she tells Al Jazeera over a phone call. Siddiqui has worked as a journalist reporting on topics including technology, climate change and labour in South Asia for the past five years. She now works remotely, freelancing for local and international publications. Despite all her plans for a family home of her own, Zuha is one of a growing number of young people in South Asia for whom the future does not involve having children. A demographic challenge is looming over South Asia. As is the case in much of the rest of the world, birth rates are on the decline. While a declining birth rate has been mostly associated with the West and Far East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea, countries in South Asia where birth rates have generally remained high are finally showing signs of following the same path. Generally, to replace and maintain current populations, a birth rate of 2.1 children per woman is required, Ayo Wahlberg, a professor in the anthropology department at the University of Copenhagen, told Al Jazeera. According to a 2024 US Central Intelligence Agency publication comparing fertility rates around the world, in India, the 1950 birth rate of 6.2 has plummeted to just above 2; it is projected to fall to 1.29 by 2050 and just 1.04 by 2100. The fertility rate in Nepal is now just 1.85; in Bangladesh, 2.07. Declining economic conditions In Pakistan, the birth rate remains above the replacement rate at 3.32 for now but it is clear that young people there are not immune to the pressures of modern life. “My decision to not have children is purely monetary,” says Siddiqui. Siddiqui’s childhood was marked by financial insecurity, she says. “Growing up, my parents didn’t really do any financial planning for their children.” This was the case for several of her friends, women in their 30s who are also deciding not to have children, she adds. While her parents sent their children to good schools, the costs of an undergraduate or graduate education were not accounted for and it is not common for parents in Pakistan to set aside funds for a college education, she says. While Siddiqui is single, she says her decision not to have children would stand even if she was attached. She made her decision soon after she became financially independent in her mid-20s. “I don’t think our generation will be as financially stable as our parents’ generation,” she says. High inflation, rising living costs, trade deficits and debt have destabilised Pakistan’s economy in recent years. On September 25, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $7bn loan programme for the country. Like many young people in Pakistan, Siddiqui is deeply worried about the future and whether she will be able to afford a decent standard of living. Even though inflation has fallen, living costs continue to rise in the South Asian country, albeit at a slower rate than before. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.4 percent in August after a 2.1 percent increase in July, local media reported. Work-life (im)balance Pakistan is not alone. Most countries in South Asia are grappling with slow economic growth, rising inflation, job shortages and foreign debt. Meanwhile, as the global cost of living crisis continues, couples find they have to work more hours than before, leaving limited room for a personal life or to dedicate to children. Sociologist Sharmila Rudrappa conducted a study among IT workers in India’s Hyderabad, published in 2022, on “unintended infertility”, which examined how individuals might not experience infertility early in their lives but might make decisions that lead them to infertility later on due to circumstances. Her study participants told her that they “lacked time to exercise; they lacked time to cook for themselves; and mostly, they lacked time for their relationships. Work left them exhausted, with little time for social or sexual intimacy.” Mehreen*, 33, who is from Karachi, identifies strongly with this. She lives with her husband as well as his parents and elderly grandparents. Both she and her husband work full-time and say they are “on the fence” about having children. Emotionally, they say, they do want to have children. Rationally, it’s a different story. “I think work is a big part of our lives,” Mehreen, who works in a corporate job at a multinational company, told Al Jazeera. They are “almost sure” they will not have children, citing the expense of doing so as one of the reasons. “It’s ridiculous how expensive the entire activity has become,” says Mehreen. “I feel like the generation before us saw it [the cost of raising children] as an investment in the kid. I personally don’t look at it that way,” she says, explaining that many from the older generations saw having children as a way of providing themselves with financial security in the future – children would be expected to provide for their parents in old age. That won’t work for her generation, she says – not with the economic decline the country is undergoing. Then there is the gender divide – another major issue where the younger generation differs from their parents. Mehreen says she is keenly aware that there is a societal expectation for her to take the front seat in parenting, rather than her husband, despite the fact that both of them are earning money for the household. “It is a natural understanding that even though he would want to be an equal parent, he’s just not wired in this society to understand as

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 961

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 961

As the war enters its 961st day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Sunday, October 13, 2024. Fighting Kyiv said Russian attacks killed two people in the eastern Donetsk region: a 19-year-old travelling in a civilian car and an 84-year-old pensioner. One person was killed when a Ukrainian drone struck the Russian village of Ustinka in the Belgorod region close to the border with Ukraine, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a statement. Russia’s air defence units destroyed 13 Ukrainian drones overnight over three regions bordering Ukraine, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said. Six drones each were downed over the Belgorod and Kursk regions, while one drone was destroyed over the Bryansk region, it said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow had attempted to push back Ukrainian positions in the Russian Kursk region but that Kyiv was “holding the line”. Zelenskyy also acknowledged that the situation for Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donetsk region and southern Zaporizhia region was “very difficult”. The Ukrainian military said its forces hit a fuel depot in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region on Saturday. The facility was used to store oil and oil products for the Russian army, it said on Telegram. Politics and diplomacy Ukrainian military recruitment officers raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv, checking military registration documents and detaining men who were not in compliance with the compulsory military service, media and witnesses reported. Observers said it is unusual for such raids to take place in the capital, and reflects Ukraine’s dire need for recruits. All Ukrainian men aged 25-60 are eligible for conscription, and men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country. Lithuanians vote on Sunday in elections likely to deliver a change of government but keep much else the same, including the NATO and European Union member’s strong support for Ukraine and moves to bolster defence policy. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he planned to partially suspend asylum rights for irregular migrants, accusing human traffickers and countries such as Russia and Belarus of abusing the system amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Adblock test (Why?)

In a first, casino hub Macau elects chief executive born in mainland China

In a first, casino hub Macau elects chief executive born in mainland China

Former judge Sam Hou Fai receives 394 out of 398 votes cast in an election where he was the sole candidate. Former judge Sam Hou Fai has been elected chief executive-designate of Macau, China’s special administrative region, setting him up to be the leader of the casino-dominated area next to Hong Kong. Sam received 394 votes out of 398 ballots cast in an election that lasted about one hour and 35 minutes on Sunday, according to a statement on the government’s website. He is the territory’s first leader born in mainland China. Critics fear the move will see Beijing’s agenda take priority over business interests. After being announced as the chief executive-elect, Sam walked onto the stage to applause from the committee members. “It is the highest honour of my life,” the 62-year-old said. He pledged to uphold national sovereignty, accelerate the city’s economic diversification, and better integrate it into the national development plans. Sam celebrates after being declared the winner of Macau’s chief executive election [Bertha Wang/AP Photo] The appointment of Sam to a five-year term as chief executive must be approved by China’s central government. “This was an election with one candidate. Ordinary residents here can’t vote here,” Al Jazeera’s Laura Westbrook reported from Macau. “Some people that I have been speaking to, they weren’t even aware there was an election happening today.” Sam was born in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong in 1962. He graduated from the prestigious law school of Peking University in Beijing. He also studied the Portuguese language, culture and law at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, and once practised law in mainland China. Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal. Beijing has called for the city to diversify its gambling-reliant economy. “He [Sam] is the first leader of Macau that doesn’t come from a business background, and he has had some pretty strong comments about the gambling industry here – where he says that he wants to diversify it away from gambling,” Al Jazeera’s Westbrook said. Sam has promised to accelerate the current government’s plan to boost tourism and other sectors such as traditional Chinese medicine, finance, exhibitions and commerce. However, the city will still need to rely on the gambling industry for government revenues to support the city’s welfare and accomplish other goals laid out by Beijing, analysts say. China wants Macau to develop into a world-class tourism and leisure centre and play a bigger role as a bridge for trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Adblock test (Why?)

‘Don’t even know who he is’: Wisconsinites talk Harris’ midwestern running mate, Tim Walz

‘Don’t even know who he is’: Wisconsinites talk Harris’ midwestern running mate, Tim Walz

WISCONSIN — Voters who spoke with Fox News Digital in the battleground state of Wisconsin were not particularly fond of Vice President Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., despite his proximity or Midwestern characteristics.  “Who’s Tim Walz?” asked Waukesha County, Wisconsin resident Diana Altwies, who said she plans to vote for former President Donald Trump after supporting him in 2016 and 2020.  Fox News Digital interviewed voters in Milwaukee, Kenosha and Waukesha counties, asking whether Walz’s status as a Midwesterner, hailing from neighboring state Minnesota, was relatable to them.  LEAD COUNSEL HITS NEW DEM EFFORT TO ‘DELEGITIMIZE’ SUPREME COURT AMID SENATOR’S REPORT ON KAVANAUGH PROBE “I mean, if you like people that are completely stupid, he’s great,” said Brian Morawski of Milwaukee County. “I mean, he’s relatable as somebody that I really dislike,” he said of Walz.  According to Altwies, she had heard his last name before, but didn’t actually know who Harris’ running mate was.  “I’ve never seen him on TV or anything,” she said. Harris and Walz have notably done far fewer interviews than Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio. ALSOBROOKS BACKS COURT-PACKING AS HOGAN FIGHTS GOP, MCCONNELL, TRUMP ASSOCIATIONS Kathy Przekwas of Kenosha County said she didn’t like Harris’ running mate “at all.”  “I see right through him,” she said.  She explained that Walz comes off as “fast-talking” and “throws in, like, a bunch of things that aren’t true but talks real fast.”  “I don’t like any of the things he did in Minnesota, you know, because I’m up on all of that and how he handled the pandemic.” ‘OUT OF MONEY’: WHISTLEBLOWERS ALLEGE LACK OF SECRET SERVICE FUNDS, DELAYED PAYMENTS, TOP SENATOR REVEALS During the COVID-19 pandemic, Walz instituted a Hotline for reporting people who weren’t abiding by the social distancing guidelines he put in place. “We’re seeing crowds that are a little too big, especially around the lakes,” he reportedly said in early 2020.  “It is being used, and we simply want to let people be able to call and let folks know,” he said. “It’s for their own good. If we see people that may not be as informed on this, it’s an educational piece,” Walz reportedly said in defense of the Hotline during the same time period. Walz’s stay-at-home executive order carried potential penalties of up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days of jail time, according to the Minnesota Reformer.  Przekwas explained that Midwesterners are “natural and down to earth,” but she doesn’t think this description fits Walz.  “I think he tries to portray that, but I don’t think he really is.” FOR WISCONSIN DEMS, A 2024 WIN IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE IS YEARS IN THE MAKING While Fox News Digital only found voters who did not like Walz, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler claimed, “So many people have said to me, ‘He’s like my dad.’” “Tim Walz has this extraordinary quality, for Wisconsin voters specifically,” he said.  “He’s such a familiar type of person.” According to the chairman, what Wisconsinites look for are good neighbors. “That stuff matters a lot,” he explained.  “And you can sort of see in Tim Walz in the way he carries himself, the stories that he tells, that he is that kind of good neighbor that everyone aspires to be and wants to live next to.” Asked about Walz, Wisconsin Republican Party Executive Director Andrew Iverson said, “Actually, I hear a lot of people who are really excited about JD Vance in Wisconsin.” Sen. Vance, Trump’s running mate, is also from the Midwest, having grown up in Ohio.  “A lot of folks are excited about him because he has such a great story to tell,” he said of the “Hillbilly Elegy” author.  As for Walz, Iverson claimed voters are aware of “his failed record.” “They know a lot of Minnesotans actually crossed the border and moved to Wisconsin because of his failed policies as governor,” he added.  According to him, “people are more excited about JD Vance than Tim Walz” in Wisconsin.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Gretchen Whitmer apologizes for video of her feeding Doritos to kneeling podcaster following backlash

Gretchen Whitmer apologizes for video of her feeding Doritos to kneeling podcaster following backlash

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, apologized amid scrutiny for a social media video in which she wore a Harris-Walz campaign hat and fed Doritos to a kneeling podcast host to promote the CHIPS Act. Whitmer was seen in the clip taking a Doritos chip out of a bag and placing it into the mouth of liberal podcaster Liz Plank, who was kneeling down on the floor, before the video panned to the governor wearing a camouflage Harris-Walz hat. The use of Doritos chips appeared to be a clever way to put a spotlight on the CHIPS and Science Act that President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022 that allocated nearly $53 billion towards efforts to bring semiconductor supply chains back to the U.S., create jobs, support American innovation and protect U.S. national security. MICHIGAN GOV FEEDS KNEELING FEMALE PODCAST HOST DORITOS WHILE WEARING A HARRIS-WALZ HAT “Chips aren’t just delicious, the CHIPS Act is a game-changer for U.S. tech and manufacturing, boosting domestic production of semiconductors to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers! Donald Trump would put that at risk,” Plank wrote in the caption of the video she posted on Instagram. The video was made as part of a viral TikTok trend where one person feeds another person, who is acting sexually, with the song “Dilemma” by Nelly and Kelly Rowland playing in the background before the first person stares uncomfortably into the camera. MICHIGAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONDEMN WHITMER’S DORITOS VIDEO STUNT AS OFFENSIVE Some critics mistakenly perceived the video as Whitmer pretending to participate in Holy Communion as a way to mock Christians who participate in the Eucharist. Following the backlash over these accusations, Whitmer apologized for the video and emphasized that the video was not meant to mock people of faith. “Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith,” the governor said in a statement to Fox 2. “I’ve used my platform to stand up for people’s right to hold and practice their personal religious beliefs.” “My team has spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference,” she continued. “What was supposed to be a video about the importance of the CHIPS Act to Michigan jobs, has been construed as something it was never intended to be, and I apologize for that.”