Ai Weiwei’s illegal detention reveals the ways in which the most stubborn dissidents joust with their tormentors and try to maintain resistance in the face of seemingly absolute power.

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First a Black Hood, Then 81 Captive Days for Artist in China

Peru’s interior and defence ministers resign in the face of criticism over a failed operation against Shining Path rebels.

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Peru ministers quit over clashes

Syria’s remaining cash reserves are quickly dwindling as the country’s anti-government uprising marks its 13th month , according to intelligence officials and financial analysts who describe a steady hollowing-out of the country’s economy in the face of sanctions. Read full article > >

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Syria running out of cash as sanctions take toll, but Assad avoids economic pain

Israel’s army said on Wednesday it had removed a senior officer from his post after he was caught on film striking a Danish pro-Palestinian activist in the face with a rifle.

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Israeli Officer Loses Post for Hitting Activist

The stance taken in England on replacing PIP breast implants – at the centre of a health scare – “flies in the face of common sense”, MPs say.

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MPs attack breast implant stance

A 22-year-old woman who received permanent facial scars after a pint glass was smashed into her face says her doctor has advised she attend counselling.

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Glass victim advised counselling

Constant repairs to the road that links the islands of the Outer Banks has caused some to question the approach in the face of unrelenting erosion.

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Highway 12, Outer Banks Lifeline, Is Under Siege by Nature

Between redistricting and a growing number of retirements, the face of California’s 53-member Congressional delegation is set to get younger.

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California Congressional Delegation Braces for Change

A model who was left blind in one eye after acid was thrown in her face tells of her joy after having her sight restored using stem cell treatment.

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Acid attack model gets sight back

What the moment meant was apparent on Vernon Davis ’s face, because when he caught that pass last Saturday – a franchise-changing, career-altering, season-sustaining play – the tears came and came quickly, running down his face for all to see. He rushed into the arms of his coach, Jim Harbaugh , as if – at 27, with the musculature of a fine sculpture — Davis needed a nurturing hug, a shoulder to cry on. He found Harbaugh’s shoulder, buried his head, and wept some more. Read full article > >

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NFL playoffs 2012: For 49ers’ Vernon Davis, it’s about the team again

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The way Bill Belichick describes Rob Gronkowski , his chiseled-from-granite tight end on the New England Patriots, could seem trite. “He’s always got a smile on his face, and he’s always working hard,” Belichick said Thursday, two days before the Patriots host the Denver Broncos in an AFC divisional playoff game. Read full article > >

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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski breaks NFL records, with a smile

The unfamiliar sights were in abundance as the Washington Wizards attempted to no longer be the NBA’s only winless team . But no amount of exuberance, extra effort and impassioned play could prevent them from an all-too-familiar result. New York Knicks all-star forward Carmelo Anthony gave Wizards reserve Trevor Booker an elbow to the face, then knocked down a decisive three-point shot with 15.9 seconds remaining as the Wizards lost, 99-96 , at Verizon Center. Read full article > >

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Wizards vs. Knicks: Carmelo Anthony’s 37 points, late three-pointer propel New York past Washington, 99-96

She hangs there nightly, a yellow or white or spookily orange disk, the bringer of tides, the caster of romantic shadows. She waxes and wanes and sometimes she turns ruddy as the shadow of the Earth crosses her face. For all her beauty, though, our moon hides a lumpy, unflattering secret: She’s lopsided. Her backside is much thicker than her front. And no one knows why. Read full article > >

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NASA’s lunar probes will test theory of why one side of the moon is lopsided

An officer who had been on the police force for 22 years was shot in the face in a basement apartment that had been robbed in Brooklyn. The officer, Peter J. Figoski, died five hours later.

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In Dark Brooklyn Doorway, Officer Confronts Gunman, and Dies

Manager Andre Villas-Boas says Chelsea gave their critics a “slap in the face” by reaching the Champions League knockout phase with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Valencia.

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Villas-Boas hits back at critics