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• Liu is rare among his contemporaries for addressing the largely taboo topic. Only a tiny handful of activists from the Han Chinese majority have spoken out, among them the prominent legal scholar Xu Zhiyong.
• At the heart of the silence is Han Chinese indifference or even hostility to the Tibetan cause, despite some overlap with liberal Han activists who chafe at authoritarian controls. "We are victims ourselves," Xu wrote in a recent op-ed piece in which he apologized for the silence.
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Obama White House nixes calls for $850 quadrillion 'Death Star' super-weapon
• WASHINGTON (AP) -- A "Death Star" won't be a part of the U.S. military's arsenal any time soon.
• More than 34,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Obama administration to build the "Star Wars" inspired super-weapon to spur job growth and bolster national defense.
• But in a posting Friday on the White House website, Paul Shawcross, an administration adviser on science and space, says a Death Star would cost too much to build -- an estimated $850 quadrillion -- at a time the White House is working to reduce the federal budget.
• Besides, Shawcross says, the Obama administration "does not support blowing up planets."
• The U.S., Shawcross points out, is already involved in several out-of-this-world projects, including the International Space Station, which is currently orbiting Earth with a half-dozen astronauts.
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Kevin Durant scores 42 points as NBA-best Thunder hand Lakers a 6th straight loss, 116-101
• LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kevin Durant hit a 3-pointer in the final second of the first half and did a full reverse somersault to celebrate a 16-point lead. The Thunder were running the Lakers out of their own building, and not even Kobe Bryant could stop them.
• Oklahoma City is again clearly among the best teams in the Western Conference, and the struggling Lakers may not have enough time left in the season to join them.
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