Briefs | Chengdu – Group says dozens detained in raid on church

A U.S.-based advocacy group says dozens of Christians have been detained in a raid on a prominent Chinese church that operates outside the government’s official protestant organization. ChinaAid says at least 80 churchgoers and seminary students from the Early Rain Covenant Church were taken away in the southwestern city of Chengdu beginning Sunday night. It says they include the church’s pastor, Wang Yi, and his wife, Jiang Rong. China has cracked down heavily on independent church groups this year as part of an assault on all religions. China requires that Protestants worship only in churches recognized and regulated by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Even within that framework, the officially atheist ruling Communist Party has been seeking to rein in religious expression, including removing crosses from official and unofficial churches.

Pingdu – Court charges 10 over riot at a military veterans’ protest

China state media say 10 people have been charged with various offenses over rioting at a gathering of military veterans protesting for better benefits. It wasn’t clear whether the suspects are veterans. However, the violence at the Oct. 4-7 gathering in the eastern city of Pingdu points to continued tensions between the authorities and ex-servicemen despite the establishment this year of a Cabinet agency to oversee veterans’ affairs. Multiple protests have been staged in recent years, including in the capital, Beijing, to demand better pensions and health care. Violence is rare though, and organizers generally try to keep a low public profile to avoid drawing the ire of Communist authorities, who seek to prevent any demonstrations that could challenge their control over society. The government refused to confirm the Pingdu riot at the time and censored reports about it on the internet. Some of the suspects have past records “for obstructing official business, causing disturbances, drug abuse, theft and swindling,” Xinhua said.

Hong Kong – Runaway school bus plows onto Hong Kong sidewalk, killing 4

A runaway school bus with no one aboard accelerated downhill and plowed into pedestrians in Hong Kong yesterday, killing four people and injuring 11 others, authorities said. Dash-cam video from another vehicle, posted online by the Apple Daily newspaper, shows a man who appears to be the driver standing outside the bus, closing the door and then running in front of it as it starts to roll away. The 62-year-old driver attempted to block the bus but was dragged for 20 meters as it gained speed, police said. The bus crossed a bustling thoroughfare, slammed into two taxis, and ran onto a sidewalk and into a store. Three people were pinned under the wheels of the yellow 19-seat bus. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, a fire department spokesman said at a news briefing. Six of the 12 injured are in critical condition, including the driver, who has been admitted to an intensive care unit, police said. The driver had just finished his last shift shortly before 2 p.m. The hand brake appeared not to be engaged, police said. Authorities are investigating.