World at a glance

Japan not making enough babies; fund planned

TOKYO: The Japanese are not only failing to spend enough in the shops, but also not visiting the delivery room often enough, prompting politicians to propose a fund worth 1.6 billion to encourage people tohave more babies. The Japanese Times said the ruling conservatives and opposition Buddhist parties had agreed on the nappy-money. There were no firm plans yet on how the fund would be distributed, the report said, but ideas included providing day nurseries at railway stations and encouraging companies to allow employees more time with their offspring. The birth rate in Japan has been declining for many years to the point where in 1997 for the first time there were more over-65s than under-14s. Also in 1997, statistics showed the average Japanese woman had only 1.39 children. To keep the population constant the figure needs to be 2.1. Japan recently made the impotence drug Viagra legal, but the contraception pill is to be allowed after years of debate.