Li Na’s individualistic streak echoes the bold convictions of jailed Chinese activist Xu Zhiyong — and should worry Beijing’s authoritarian leaders
Asia
U.S. Diplomat Urges North Korea to Release Kenneth Bae
New call for release comes as his family meets with Kerry
Thailand Braces For Chaos and Violence As Elections Go Ahead
Polls to open on Sunday for snap elections as Yingluck presses ahead with bid to reassert mandate
Rahul on Rahul: Indian Voters Get a Prime-Time Look at Congress’ Main Man
A mixed performance from the political scion who will head his party’s next election campaign
Chinese New Year: Heat Map Tracks Earth’s Largest Seasonal Migration
Making total chaos look really rather pretty
Exposed: The World’s ‘Biggest’ Slaughter of an Endangered Species
Scared of sharks? The feeling is mutual
Award-Winning Mongolian Environmentalist Gets 21 Years for ‘Terrorism’
Harsh sentence is the latest blow for Mongolia’s green movement, which is struggling to contain environmental damage from mining
This Man Robbed a Jewelry Store and Then Made an Amazing Confession
Seriously, let the man speak
Did Kim Jong Un Really Execute His Uncle’s Extended Family?
A report from South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency cites unnamed sources who claim that Kim Jong Un put to death all the relatives of the leader’s uncle, including children and the country’s ambassadors to Cuba and Malaysia. In
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Chinese Transparency Activist Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison
In a closed trial, Xu Zhiyong, a Chinese scholar whose activism focused on upholding rule of law in China, was sentenced to four years in jail
U.S. Angry at Afghanistan’s Release of ‘Dangerous’ Prisoners
U.S. calls move to release 37 insurgents a “major step backward”
Japan Arrests Factory Worker in Pesticide Poisoning Scandal
The worker is suspected of lacing pizza and chicken nuggets with a flea-killing chemical
Thailand: Large-Scale Violence Feared in Run-Up to Polls
After a bloody Sunday in which a protest leader in Bangkok was killed and mobs surrounded polling stations, prospects look increasingly grim for Thailand