Beijing Olympics Diary

Taiwanese fans have found an ingenious, if confusing, way to cheer on their athletes: the country competes as Chinese Taipei and uses a special Olympic flag.

China considers the island part of its territory despite its de facto independence since the end of the civil war in 1949. But a Taiwanese newspaper reports that spectators are planning to skirt the ban on their regular flag by waving that of Burma instead: since it also sports a blue star-studded square on the upper left corner of a red backdrop, it is close enough to be mistaken at a distance.

• A prominent Christian detained en route to a church service attended by George Bush during the US president's Olympic visit is now in hiding, a New York-based group has said. Human Rights In China said Hua Huiqi had written to it describing how plainclothes officers dragged him into a car.

According to its statement, he wrote: "They threatened me, saying, 'You are not allowed to go ... because President Bush is going there today. If you go again, we will break your legs.'" He later fled but was afraid to go home. The Beijing Public Security Bureau told the Associated Press: "We have not had any contact with Hua Huiqi. Hence the situation that he has been detained does not exist."

• Tony Blair is not the only one to regard the media as feral beasts, it seems. Olympic volunteers are on the alert for biological weapons, bomb threats and foreign journalists. According to Caijing magazine, they have been urged to avoid contact if possible and reply to direct questions with the phrase: "I do not know the specific circumstances." If a picture is requested, they should avoid looking at the lens, lest people wrongly think that they are eager to have their photograph taken. One volunteer summarized their job description: "Prevent drugs, prevent bombs, prevent journalists."

• The games may have begun, but Olympic construction continues: today Beijing unveiled the Great Wall Express - a sleek new train service halving the time it takes to reach the World Heritage site from the city. At present Badaling, the nearest stretch of the wall, is around two hours away. Zhou Zhengu, vice head of the Beijing Municipal Committee of Communication, said it had taken only four months to overhaul an existing rail link: "We have what we call 'Beijing speed'."

• Three police were stabbed to death at a road checkpoint in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang today in the bloodiest fortnight in more than a decade for the region.

In what appears to be an attempt to use the Beijing Olympics to attract attention, Uyghur separatist militants have dramatically escalated the number and intensity of their attacks since the start of last week. Since the Olympics began, 20 people have been killed, 18 have been injured and numerous buildings and cars have been damaged or destroyed in the area.

The state-run Xinhua news agency said the attack took place at 9am in the town of Yamanya, in Shule County. It said the number of assailants was unknown and that they were still at large.

Yamanya is a mere 20 miles or so from Kashgar, where last week two alleged Muslim jihadists drove a lorry at high speed into a rank of jogging paramilitaries, and killed the survivors with bombs and knives. Sixteen people died in the attack.

On Sunday, militants, including a 15-year-old girl, launched a wave of suicide bombings and grenade attacks on police barracks, trading offices and a bank in a shopping center in the city of Kuqa, killing a security guard.

• With China's stock market continuing to slide, it's little wonder that Shanghai traders are looking at other options. Reuters reported today that they have organized an informal "swap" market and are betting on their country taking between 40 and 42 gold medals in this year's games - a massive increase on the 32 it netted in Athens. "Opinions are divided over how China will do in individual events, but it seems almost everyone expects at least 40 golds, which is very optimistic," said one trader.Contract prices move in increments of a quarter of a medal.