Red ant attack

Beijing, March 13 (Reuters): Along with such weighty issues as an anti-secession law and a leadership transition, China?s Parliament also weighed the threat of invasion ? by red ants.

Hong Kong has been battling to stop the spread of the ants, whose fiery sting can be fatal to humans, since they were first found in the southern territory in January.

the insects were found to have moved north into the neighbouring province of Guangdong. ?Prompt, effective measures should be taken to stop hazardous red fire ants from making inroads into north China where the national capital of Beijing is located,? Xinhua news agency quoted a delegate to Parliament as saying.

?The fire ants can bring huge damage to cropland and electrical wires,? said Zhang, a scientist from the Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The red fire ant, which originated in South America, has defied efforts to stamp it out in Australia and the US.

Lid on theft

Beijing (Reuters): China?s capital is testing a new kind of manhole cover to put a lid on rampant theft, Xinhua news agency said on Sunday. Missing manhole covers are a hazardous fact of life here as they are stolen to be sold as scrap. ?The new manhole covers will be made of non-metal materials with no recycling value,? a spokesperson for the city?s utilities management department, said.