A week at a glance...International

Aba, China

Burning monks: The Chinese government has organized volunteer firefighting units to patrol Tibetan monasteries, after a wave of self-immolations. “They are expected to give first aid in emergencies,” one fire chief told Xinhua. Over the past three years, at least 77 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule; 64 of them died, including nine this month alone. The suicides are concentrated around Kirti monastery in Sichuan, adjacent to Tibet, where monks incited anti-Chinese rioting earlier this year. Authorities now require ethnic Tibetans to present two forms of ID when purchasing flammable liquids.

Mumbai, India

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Arrested for Facebook: A woman was arrested in Mumbai this week for a Facebook post, along with a friend who simply “liked” her post. Shaheen Dhada expressed annoyance that India’s biggest city was entirely shut down for two days for the funeral of Hindu nationalist leader Bal Thackeray, a firebrand who railed against immigrants. Authorities have cracked down on posts that could incite violence since this summer, when rumors spread by social media sparked ethnic riots in Assam that killed dozens and sent tens of thousands fleeing. Dhada quickly deleted her post, but not before a mob of some 2,000 enraged Thackeray supporters attacked her uncle’s office.

Bagram, Afghanistan

Prison confiscated: Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered troops to take over the U.S. prison at Bagram Air Base, saying U.S. forces had failed to turn over complete control of the facility as agreed in March. Afghan authorities said U.S. troops refused to release more than 50 detainees who have been acquitted in Afghan courts, and said the Americans are still arresting dozens of suspected militants every week and holding them in a closed-off part of the prison. Karzai ordered his defense minister to “take all required actions for full Afghanization of Bagram prison affairs and its complete transfer of authority to Afghans.” The U.S. government had no immediate reaction.

Amman, Jordan

King at protest? Jordan is abuzz with the rumor that King Abdullah donned a disguise and attended last week’s protests against a cut in fuel subsidies. Many observers were surprised that the king never addressed the demonstrations, which drew thousands of people, many chanting for the overthrow of the monarchy. Then this week, a video was posted showing a man covered head-to-toe in robes, standing calmly at a rally as riot police chased fleeing protesters all around him. Abdullah is known to have posed in the past as a taxi driver and a TV reporter to get a direct sense of how ordinary Jordanians live. Still, some analysts said the mysterious man could have been an imam or a security official.

Cairo

Clashes with police: Police battled demonstrators in downtown Cairo for days this week, marking the anniversary of deadly protests a year ago. The 2011 Mohamed Mahmoud Street riots—which left 47 dead and thousands injured—began when security forces broke up a sit-in organized by families of those killed earlier that year in the Tahrir Square uprising, which toppled President Hosni Mubarak. As that protest grew, police wielded batons and sprayed tear gas at close range; one officer, known as the “eye sniper,” fired birdshot directly at protesters’ eyes, blinding several. This year’s clashes injured at least 60 people, and activists blamed President Mohammed Mursi for failing to reform the police and security services.

Goma, Congo

Rebels take major city: The conflict in Congo threatened to become a regional war this week as Congolese rebels backed by Rwanda surged into the eastern city of Goma, sending tens of thousands of residents fleeing to neighboring Rwanda. Some 1,500 U.N. peacekeepers in the city simply stood aside. The U.N. said their mission was not to fight alongside the Congolese army but to protect civilians; aid workers said they failed in that mission as well. Congo has been unstable since 1998, when Rwandan troops invaded, touching off the first of two major wars that caused the deaths of millions of Congolese. Rwanda claims that Congo is a haven for the Hutu leaders of its 1994 genocide. The rebels Rwanda backs are mostly Tutsis.