Chinese authorities arrest 42 for spreading doomsday rumors YICHANG, China, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Police in China said they detained 42 members of the "Almighty God" religious group for spreading rumors about Friday's so-called doomsday. Arrests of the group members, from the city of Yichang in central China's Hubei province, began in October, Xinhua reported. Officials at the city's public security bureau said the 42 were detained for disturbing public order. BBC said the group was formed in 1990 in China's Henan province and promises salvation to those who join before the apocalypse occurs. Officials said the group adopted the theory that the world would end Friday, a belief based on an ancient Mayan prediction.