Nobel Winner's Wife 'Disappeared'

Liu Xiaobo still has yet to get the phonecall, and his wife, set to deliver the news of his Nobel Peace Prize to him in prison tomorrow, has "disappeared," according to her lawyer. The AP had earlier reported that Liu Xia's cell phone had been disconnected, but her lawyer fears Beijing has seized the opportunity to detain her.

China was less than thrilled with the selection, saying yesterday that it "desecrates the prize," and calling Liu a criminal. It continues to censor reports about the Nobel, and has maintained silence today, other than a state-run newspaper dismissing it as "an arrogant showcase of Western ideology." The AP notes that Liu Xia's freedom had been shrinking since the award was announced. "I think by the end of today if she has not reappeared, there will be a big brouhaha," says an expert. (More China stories.)