In brief: Church official quits over protest unrest

LONDON – The dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral quit Monday, the second high-profile clergy member to step down over anti-capitalist protests that have spilled across the historic church’s grounds.

The resignation of Graeme Knowles leaves the cathedral without a leader and will delay its planned legal action to evict the protest camp – though the neighborhood’s governing body says it will formally ask the protesters today to leave and will go to court if they refuse.

Knowles said his position had become “untenable” as criticism of the cathedral mounted. Knowles had urged protesters to leave the cathedral area to allow it to reopen its doors.

Officials shut the church to the public on Oct. 21, saying demonstrators’ tents were a health and safety hazard. It was the first time the 300-year-old London church had closed since German planes bombed the city during World War II. After a public outcry, it reopened Friday.

Knowles’ resignation follows that last week of Giles Fraser, a senior St. Paul’s Cathedral priest who had welcomed the anti-capitalist demonstrators to set up camp outside the landmark.

Small earthquakes reported in China

BEIJING – Two moderate earthquakes shook China’s northwest and southwest regions today.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude-6.0 earthquake hit China’s Xinjiang region about 60 miles from the city of Yining at 8:20 a.m. today, while the other quake struck the region bordering Sichuan and Gansu provinces at 6 a.m. at a magnitude of 5.5.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Unmanned craft launched into space

BEIJING – China’s unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou 8 blasted off this morning, the latest step in what will be a decade-long effort by the country to place a manned permanent space station in orbit.

The spacecraft took off from a base in the far western city of Jiuquan, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Minutes later, Xinhua cited Chang Wanquan, who leads China’s space program, as announcing the launch a success.

China launched its own space station program after being rebuffed in its attempts to join the 16-nation International Space Station, largely on objections from the United States. The U.S. is wary of the Chinese program’s military links and the sharing of technology with its chief economic and political competitor.