Australian journalist Cheng Lei formally arrested in China after six months' detention

Calls renewed for humane treatment of news anchor after arrest on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas'

Chinese authorities have formally arrested the detained Australian citizen Cheng Lei on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas", prompting fresh calls for the journalist to be treated humanely.

Cheng, an anchor for the Chinese state-owned English-language news channel China Global Television Network, has been detained in China since mid-August, but the decision to proceed to the next stage of criminal proceedings marks a blow to her hopes of release.