Nurses holding babies at the Xiyuege Centre, or “Lucky Month Home”, in Beijing. Since the late 70s, strict measures in the world's most populous country restricted most couples to only a single offspring with a system of fines for violators and even forced abortions. But concerns over an ageing population, gender imbalances and a shrinking workforce pushed authorities to end the restriction, allowing all couples a second child from January 1 2016. Photo: Agence France-Presse