Ayoola Atitebi

India recently overtook China as the world's most populous country, yet southern states are now grappling with unexpected demographic challenges. Despite having nearly 1.45 billion people, states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are discussing population growth strategies amid rapidly declining fertility rates. Currently, India's fertility rate has dramatically fallen from 5.7 births per woman in 1950 to just two today. Seventeen states have already reached below-replacement fertility levels, with southern states leading this demographic transition. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka now have fertility rates (1.4 and 1.6 respectively) comparable to European countries. These states are particularly concerned about potential electoral and financial consequences. The upcoming 2026 delimitation exercise could reduce their parliamentary seats and federal revenue allocations, as northern states with higher populations stand to gain representation. Demographic experts warn of more significant challenges. India is experiencing accelerated population aging, […]

A federal court in St. Louis has indicted 14 North Korean nationals for an elaborate conspiracy involving widespread fraud against US companies, revealing a sophisticated international cybercrime operation designed to generate funds for the North Korean regime. The indictment alleges that the defendants, working through two companies - Yanbian Silverstar in China and Volasys Silverstar in Russia - generated at least $88 million over six years using complex fraudulent tactics. The scheme involved approximately 130 North Korean IT workers internally referred to as "IT Warriors," who used stolen and fabricated identities to secure remote employment with US firms. These workers were instructed to seek monthly salaries of $10,000 and employed multiple strategies to extract additional funds. Prosecutors detailed that beyond their regular wages, the workers would steal valuable company information and use extortion tactics, threatening to leak sensitive data unless […]

Queensland has enacted new legislation allowing children as young as 10 to face adult-level penalties for serious crimes, a move that has triggered significant opposition from experts and international organizations. The state government, led by Premier David Crisafulli, argues the laws are necessary to address community concerns about youth crime. The Liberal National Party campaigned on these reforms, positioning them as prioritizing victims' rights. Contrary to the government's claims, statistical data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows youth crime in Queensland has actually halved over the past 14 years, reaching its lowest recorded rate in 2022. The new laws, dubbed "adult crime, adult time," introduce mandatory life detention for murder, with a 20-year non-parole period. Previously, the maximum penalty for young offenders was 10 years. The legislation removes provisions favoring non-custodial sentences and allows judges to consider a child's […]

President Joe Biden has issued the most extensive single-day presidential clemency action in US history, pardoning 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes and commuting nearly 1,500 sentences. The White House highlighted the pardons as an opportunity for rehabilitation, focusing on individuals who demonstrated commitment to strengthening their communities. The non-violent convictions primarily involved drug offenses, with recipients including a decorated military veteran, a nurse who assisted in the Covid vaccine rollout, and an addiction counselor. Many of the commuted sentences targeted individuals placed in home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic, whom Biden believed were serving disproportionately long sentences under outdated laws. This action follows Biden's previous categorical pardons, including full pardons for simple marijuana possession in October 2022 and for military personnel convicted of offenses based on sexual orientation. The move continues a presidential tradition of clemency, with Biden's predecessor […]