Rioting, earthquakes, Elephants, and a killer blizzard.  Here are some of the stories in the headlines around Asia.

More than 60 people are now dead in 4 days of rioting in Bangladesh.  Troops are deployed throughout the country to put down rioting that followed the death sentence given to a Jamaat-e-Islami political leader convicted of atrocities in that country’s 1971 war for independence.  Jamaat activists have attacked police and are calling for a nationwide strike.

Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says she will ban the Ivory Trade.  Environmentalists have criticized Thailand’s legal ivory market for fuelling Elephant poaching in Africa.  The say the poachers “launder” African Ivory in Thailand where tusks from domesticated Elephants can be sold, but that's coming to an end.

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake in southwest China collapsed more than 700 homes and injured dozens of people.  It happened in a rural area in Yunnan province.

Villagers in Shangpu in Southern China are locked in a stand-off with authorities.  A week ago they fought off gangsters hired by local politicians to put down village protests over an allegedly crooked land deal.  Now, they’re sealing officials out, and cops are sealing the area off, and it’s all taking place in the shadow of the annual meeting of the Nation People’s Conference. 

That meeting, by the way, is being “kicked” off by an appearance by action movie star Jackie Chan.  He’s ruffled feathers recently with his swing to a pro-Beijing stance, and calls for tighter controls on the people.

A massive blizzard led to six deaths in northern Japan, and even helped derail the famed Shinkansen “Bullet Train” near Akita.  No injuries there, but 4 family members died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning when their car was buried in the snow.  Another woman got lost in the white out and was found dead 300 meters from her car.