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Spermageddon, ‘greedy jobs’ and abject fear: why birth rates are plummeting – and why it matters

The author of Generation Maybe, Camilla Cavendish, explains the many reasons people are having fewer children, from dating apps to unaffordable housing and the climate crisis Generation Maybe is the most tactful possible title for Camilla Cavendish’s bracing new book – because the trend she’s describing is anything but a “maybe”. “The wave of childlessness that is sweeping the globe is extraordinary,” she writes. It’s in the UK, where the fertility rate hit 1.39 children per woman in 2025 , the lowest on record. It’s across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, visible in so many measures – nearly half of Canadian women surveyed in their 40s said they’d had fewer children than they would have liked. But it’s also a global story. “The UAE, Chile and Tamil Nadu in India have even lower birthrates than Germany,” Cavendish writes. “China is growing old before it gets rich, and Russia has maintained its population size purely by annexing Crimea and parts of Ukraine.” In fact, when it comes to falling populations, “only the Black Death in the 14th century is comparable to what is happening now”. When I meet her in central London, Cavendish is tailored, self-possessed, you might even say poised, but very open – she never gives an opinion without asking yours, she talks very freely about her family and she is upfront about what she sees as her faults. Now 58, she started her career at McKinsey, the mega-management consultancy, having done PPE at Oxford at the same time as David Cameron, for whom she worked as policy director when he was in government and to whom she remains intensely loyal (every time his name comes up, we have a fight). Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Zoe Williams17 Sept

India Pushes Back on U.S. Tariff Threat Over Russian Oil

India will continue prioritizing the energy security of its population despite attempts by the United States to squeeze Russian oil and gas exports, many of which go to India, the country’s Foreign Ministry said today. It also warned that any move by Washington that affects energy security concerns could sour bilateral ties. “The Indian side has also made clear its determination to take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests,” the Foreign Ministry said, as quoted by Reuters. The latest sanction bill…

OilPrice.comOilPrice.com•Irina Slav17 Sept

India warns US tariffs over Russian oil could hit ties, vows to protect energy security

NEW DELHI: India has warned Washington that new measures to levy tariffs over the purchase of Russian oil could impact bilateral ties, the South Asian nation's foreign ministry said on Thursday, hours after the U.S. made a new move to punish such buyers. Earlier in the day, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping sanctions and tariff bill intended to increase economic pressure on Russia over its invasion ⁠of Ukraine. The bill, now sent to President Donald Trump to sign into law, authorizes him to impose stiff tariffs of up to 100% on China, India and other countries to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. The Indian foreign ministry said that it had noted the passage of the bill, adding that New Delhi had raised the issue with various U.S. interlocutors ‌in recent months, and had "very clearly articulated" the potential implications for the bilateral relationship and the international energy market. New Delhi remains "firmly committed" to ensuring energy security for its people and will continue to source supplies from diverse sellers based on market dynamics, the ministry said in a ‌statement. "The Indian side has also made clear its determination to take all necessary measures to ‌protect its trade and economic interests," said the ministry, adding that the government would work closely with trade and industry ‌bodies to deal with the implications of the legislation. India, ‌the world's third-biggest oil importer, is among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which is seen as helping Moscow replenish its budget since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was ‌hit with sweeping Western sanctions. New Delhi has repeatedly sought to resist pressure to scale back its ⁠oil trade with Russia, saying its large population and economy need secure, affordable and reliable energy supplies. Indian refiners have arranged oil for September and October which includes Russian oil, according to sources aware of the matter. Two refining sources said they want the government to take up the issue with ⁠U.S. authorities as oil prices will ⁠rise sharply if Trump decides to impose new tariffs. Oil supplies have reduced substantially due to the war in the Middle East and cutting Russian supplies will have a big impact on the profits of refiners as they are already selling fuels at below-market costs, ⁠the sources said. Refiners want the government to seek some relaxation, instead of imposing a 100% tariff, to allow them to wind down the existing transactions and fix a quota for India to buy Russian oil, they added. Complicating trade talks Indian analysts say the possibility of new U.S. tariffs on Indian exports could complicate ongoing India-U.S. trade negotiations and potentially delay or make an agreement on a trade pact more difficult. "Washington may use the tariff threat to pressure India to reduce Russian ‌oil purchases and accept a deeply unequal trade agreement," said Ajay Srivastava, founder of New Delhi-based think-tank Global Trade Research Initiative and a former trade official. After months of talking, India and the U.S. are yet to reach a consensus on a trade agreement with New Delhi holding out for a better deal. Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal will travel to the United States for the G20 trade ministers' meeting later this month where he is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with the United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and discuss the path forward for the deal.

MBMobile Business•Reuters17 Sept

‘When you tell people the story, it’s almost too good to be true’: the incredible journey behind The Cycle of Love

Documentary director Orlando von Einsiedel on how the real life tale of a man who cycles 6,000 miles from India to Sweden to find his true love will warm your heart New Delhi, December 1975. It was love at first sight when a Swedish hippy called Lotta von Schedvin sat down to be sketched by an Indian street artist, Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia, known to everyone as PK. In the 10 minutes it took PK to complete her portrait, everything clicked into place for the pair. They were swept headlong in a whirlwind romance, and PK took Lotta to his village in the east of India to meet his family. But soon after, the time came for Lotta to pack up her VW campervan and head back home with her friends. Heart-stricken PK promised to follow, but a plane ticket to Sweden was an impossible dream. Determined not to lose the love of his life, PK bought a secondhand Raleigh bike, and with $80 sewn into the waistband of his trousers, set off to cycle 6,000 miles to Lotta . He knew the sun set in the west, so that was the direction he took. His plan was to follow the hippy trail, cycling through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey, crossing Europe, finally arriving in Sweden. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Cath Clarke17 Sept

Meet Rapper Maddy: The Indian expat living two lives – and nailing a Dubai-it mindset in both

Dubai: Anshit Sharma had a feeling when he switched from aeronautical engineering to journalism in New Delhi, India. He knew it when he became Rapper Maddy, performing in clubs, and starring in interviews on radio and TV channels. And in 2024, he believed it to be true when he moved his whole life from India to Dubai. Sharma had figured out the recipe for success: a little courage and a whole lot of faith. The Indian national said he approaches life without any agenda, other than hard work and determination. Enter Rapper Maddy Sharma currently works as the head of a global marketing firm in Dubai. But he has an alter ego: Rapper Maddy. Sharma fell in love with rap during his university days, where he built up a reputation as a musician and poet. He said: “A Tibetan friend of mine showed me how to combine poetry with music – he introduced me to rap. And that’s when I turned to this form of music.” He began performing in clubs and events all over India. In 2009, he appeared on All India Radio (known today as Akashvani) and his rapping career took off. As he performed, Sharma also learned to promote himself, and became fluent in the inner workings of marketing. He said: “I wanted to reach people who didn’t like rap, or who didn’t listen to that kind of music. I understood how to network and knew some marketing tips and hacks that helped me meet everyone in the music industry.” Even as he rubbed shoulders with artistes and managers, performing at shows, singing at weddings and building his brand, Sharma made a life-changing pivot. In his professional life, he established his own public relations firm in New Delhi in 2022, and became a marketing professional, gaining international clients from all over the country and abroad – even the Middle East. Sharma said he has had to learn to separate his two personalities in his head – Rapper Maddy and marketing professional Anshit. He said: “Maddy is the free-spirited extrovert who goes with the flow, while Anshit is like his employee, who keeps him anchored, and is steady and reliable.” It’s Anshit whose marketing connections brought Rapper Maddy to Dubai in 2024. Sharma, who speaks five languages, and even a little Arabic, is finding that he’s able to reach diverse audiences, thanks to Dubai's multicultural community. Picture credit: Supplied Starting over in Dubai For years, Sharma made frequent visits to Dubai, both for his public relations work, and to perform as Rapper Maddy at events. In 2024, he decided to move here full time. Initially, he found it challenging to go from knowing everyone in India, to having just a few connections in a new city. He said: “In India, if you know somebody, they are connected to someone else. You are introduced to them, and then go on to know everyone. When I first came to Dubai, I thought, ‘How do I start from scratch?’” But networking is a natural part of Sharma’s communication style. He said: “I realised how important networking is, after coming here.” Gradually, he managed to get noticed, appear on radio interviews, perform in shows, and establish Rapper Maddy in Dubai. He credits Dubai’s culture of hospitality and lifting each other up, for his success: “I received so much love from everyone I met in Dubai. Money is not money – people are money, and if they are with you, you can do anything.” Sharma, who speaks five languages – English, Hindi, Punjabi, Portuguese and Spanish – and even a little Arabic, is finding that he’s able to reach diverse audiences, thanks to the city’s multicultural community. He said: “Who knew that the Portuguese that I learned in India, and never got the opportunity to speak there, is helping me connect with people in Dubai?” Just two years into his life in the city, Sharma has learned to Dubai-it with gusto – he’s following the city’s philosophy of achieving excellence in record time. He currently works as the head of a global marketing firm, and he has shows regularly lined up for Rapper Maddy. He said: “I feel like I’m meeting the right people. My dual life – Anshit and Rapper Maddy – are both gaining full exposure, which I believe is just not possible in any other country.” Going with life’s flow He knows this from experience. From a very early age, life has been opening up different paths for Sharma. He was raised in New Delhi, but went to school in Dehradun, India. His childhood was a great time: “I participated in every extracurricular activity, won competitions, and loved to dance.” At university, he enrolled in 2006 for an aeronautical engineering degree and worked in aircraft maintenance for a while, but the career didn’t stick. For Sharma, the demands of the job clashed with his laidback personality: “It was a very high stress job, and there was always a big ‘if’ – if something were to go wrong, it would have been a major responsibility.” So, he pivoted. He enrolled in another Bachelor’s degree in 2009, this time in mass communications and journalism. While studying, he found a passion for rap music, and eventually launched Rapper Maddy. He has been featured in reality shows, like MTV Splitsvilla and MTV Roadies, and became the first host to anchor an entire show through live rap, on Disney (India) Yeh Hai Aashiqui, a romance anthology. He has even shared the stage with international music artistes, such as Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren and American hip-hop artiste Fatman Scoop. So, what’s next? Sharma doesn’t have a plan, but he has faith everything is going to work out. His next rap song ‘Tera Bhai’ is set to be released soon. By gaining exposure to Dubai’s incredible events calendar, celebrity roster, and networking platforms, Sharma hopes to amplify his career even more: “I want to go international!”

MBMobile Business•Sanya Nayeem17 Sept