Artificial snow brings hope

China has successfully created artificial snow in mountainous, water-thirsty Tibet, raising hopes of a man-made solution to drought and melting glaciers there, state media reported. The artificial snowfall was engineered April 10 at an altitude of 4,500 meters in Nagqu country in northern Tibet, Xinhua News Agency said, quoting the local meteorological station. The snowfall measured one centimeter deep.

Child crimes

Japan’s parliament has voted to lower the age at which juveniles can be sent to detention facilities to 12 from 14, in the country’s latest controversial measure to crack down on crime. Japan has one of the world’s lowest crime rates but has seen a series of grisly crimes by minors. In 2003, a 12-year-old boy was suspected of killing a four-year-old boy.

Crooked tellers

Chinese police have arrested two men suspected of stealing over C$12 million in cash from a state bank. Ren Xiaofeng, 34, and Ma Xiangjing, 37, tellers at a branch of the Agricultural Bank of China in northern China’s Hebei Province, were detained after being put on the country’s most-wanted list due to the crime.

Steel horror

At least 32 workers were killed and two injured when they were engulfed in white-hot molten steel in a metal factory in northeast China. The accident was triggered when a 30-tonne-capacity steel ladle sheared off from the blast furnace, pouring liquid metal onto the factory floor 3m below. Industrial accidents occur frequently in China.

Parrot thief

A rare parrot which speaks two languages has been stolen from a Hong Kong botanical garden. The 3-year-old military macaw, a species on the endangered list, is believed to be worth about C$2,800 on the black market. It was one of the most popular attractions because of its ability to say simple words in English and Chinese.