900,000 Chinese babies born with birth defects annually Beijing, August 24 (IANS): About 900,000 babies are born in China annually with birth defects, health authorities said on Thursday, calling for increased premarital medical checkups. The incidence of birth defects in 1996 was 87.8 per 10,000 people, but it grew to 149.9 per 10,000 people in 2010 from 120 per 10,000 people in 2003, when China abolished compulsory premarital checkups, according to official data. In response to China’s rapidly ageing population, the country started allowing married couples to have two children in 2016, ending the one-child policy implemented decades ago to rein in a surging population, reports Xinhua news agency. According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, 60 per cent of women eligible to have a second child are aged 35 years or older. The number of older women becoming pregnant will exceed 3 million each year from 2017 to 2020. This has also resulted in an increased risk of birth defects. China has designated August 25 as its Disability Prevention Day to spread information about disabilities and help the public better identify risks. There are more than 85 million disabled people in China. Russia sends nuke-capable bombers on mission near South Korea, Japan MOSCOW, August 24 (Reuters): Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers have flown over the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, prompting Japan and South Korea to scramble jets to escort them, Russia said on Thursday. Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement the Tupolev-95MS bombers, code named “Bears” by NATO, flew over neutral waters and were accompanied by Russian Sukhoi-35S fighter jets and A-50 early warning and control aircraft. It gave no details about the overall number of aircraft that had taken part in what it called a pre-arranged flight and did not say when or why the mission took place. The TU-95MS bombers were refuelled in mid-air during the mission, the ministry said. During parts of the route, the bombers were escorted by South Korean and Japanese military jets, it added. Russia, which shares a border with North Korea, has repeatedly voiced concerns about rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula caused by Pyongyang’s nuclear missile programme, and has complained about Japan’s plans to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system on its soil. Rare bush rat rediscovered after 30 years in W Australia Perth, August 24 (IANS): A rare bush rat has been rediscovered living in Western Australia (WA) 30 years after it was thought to have been wiped out of the region, researchers said on Thursday. The distinctive black-footed tree rat was spotted by chance last year on a seasonal monitoring trip, reports the BBC. Months of camera footage have now confirmed its existence. The researchers said they “cracked a bottle of champagne” to celebrate its return after a 30 year absence. The native rat has telltale black feet and a long black and white tail. Weighing up to 800g, it is considered enormous compared to its more common relatives such as the golden-backed tree-rat at around 200g. It was last seen in the Kimberley area in 1987. The species was believed to have been wiped out by bushfires, predatory cats and human activity. “If you haven’t seen an animal in 30 years you can start to make a case that it can be made extinct. We won’t need to do that now,” Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions ecologist Ian Radford told the BBC. Population estimates remain uncertain, with Radford saying that because they had been so elusive they were very difficult to track.
