China Arrests 10,000

Chinese officials arrested more than 10,000 people since May in a crackdown on Internet gangs, news reports said Thursday. But Beijing police have also threatened to punish any online “political rumor” or “attack” on Communist Party officials—causing many to worry that the country is becoming more restrictive of free speech. The Ministry of Public Security said there were “major crimes uncovered” during the four-month raid, and 600 gangs of hackers were reportedly smashed and cyberpolice deleted 3.2 million messages deemed “harmful.”