President Xi Jinping has pledged to crack down on fiscal waste, political corruption
Asia
American Detained in North Korea Arrives Home in California
Read scripted apology last month for killing during Korean War
China’s Eastern Coast Blanketed in Toxic Haze
Pollution spreads to southeast of country that normally remains largely unaffected
Brave Teen Offers Herself as Hostage to Save Younger Friends
Villagers demand national bravery award
Thai Protests on Pause for King’s Birthday
Protests are expected to pick up Friday.
Dark Skies: China’s Controversial Air Zone Clouds Biden’s Beijing Visit
The skies were blue in Beijing for U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden’s Dec. 4-5 visit — a break from the smog that occasionally envelops China’s capital. But the atmospherics surrounding Biden’s trip to Beijing — part of an …
What Delhi’s Local Polls Tell Us About India’s Upcoming Elections
A record turnout in the capital indicates that Indians are anxious for change
Philippine Militants Release Bin Laden Interviewer After 18 Months
But 16 people are still held by the Abu Sayyaf outfit, labeled “terrorists” by the U.S.
China is Cheating the World Student Rankings System
Enough is enough: Beijing must supply national data to assessors and not simply the results of a small minority of elite students
Chinese Paper to Biden: ‘Straighten Out’ Your Facts
The U.S. Vice President gets some tough counseling from the state-owned press on the eve of his visit
Washington Halts Military Shipments Through Pakistan
Anti-NATO protests prompt fears for convoy and driver safety
Supertyphoon Haiyan: Death Toll Reaches 5,719
Official count being hampered by difficult recovery of bodies
African, Asian Nations Agree on Deal to Stop Ivory Trafficking
The African Elephant Summit calls for “zero-tolerance approach”