The week at a glance...International

last updated 8 January 2015

Kim purges general: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un last week asserted his political control by firing the country’s most powerful military figure, and this week named himself marshal, the country’s highest military rank. The ousted general, Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho, was a close friend of Kim’s late father, Kim Jong Il, and chief of the general staff. The official reason given for his abrupt retirement was illness, but North Korean elites tend to hold their titles until death and Kim delivered no speech of thanks for his service, so most Korea-watchers suspect he was purged. The sudden shake-up could signal instability in the regime. “The young Kim may want to use Ri’s downfall to send a message to other potential challengers that he will not tolerate any rivals,” said analyst Sarah McDowall of IHS Janes.

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No nukes: More than 100,000 people rallied in Tokyo this week to demand that the government scrap its plan to restart the nation’s nuclear reactors, which provide nearly one third of its energy. After the Fukushima meltdown, the government shut down all the reactors for safety checks and said it would only restart them with local approval from each community. But last month, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made a unilateral decision to start powering them back up, angering many. Japan tends to view protesters with suspicion because of riots that broke out during the anti-U.S. rallies of the 1970s, and the anti-nuclear activists are trying to project a family-friendly image. They have even adopted a cartoon mascot, Monju-kun, who educates kids about the dangers of nuclear power.

Lancelin, Australia

Death to great whites: Officials want to lift the ban on hunting great white sharks after a surfer was bitten in half off Australia’s west coast. Ben Linden, 24, was the fifth person killed by sharks in the region in less than a year; his body, which was seen after the attack, was retrieved by the shark and has not been found. Western Australia Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said the mounting death toll could mean that great whites have rebounded in numbers and should be removed from the protected species list. He said he welcomed “any suggestions from anybody as to where we go to now, because we seriously have got a problem.” Shark experts argued against a cull and said educating swimmers about sharks would be more effective.

Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates

U.S. kills Indian fisherman: A U.S. Navy vessel patrolling the Persian Gulf mistook an Indian fishing boat for a terrorist threat this week and fired on it, killing one Indian and seriously wounding three others. The USNS Rappahannock was patrolling near a Dubai port when the boat approached it rapidly and ignored warnings, the Navy said. The fishing crew said it received no warning, and both U.S. and United Arab Emirates personnel are investigating. Navy ships have been particularly alert to potential small craft threats since 17 sailors were killed in the 2000 suicide attack on the USS Cole by an al Qaida–manned boat.

Qatif, Saudi Arabia

Shiites rise up: The arrest of a prominent Shiite cleric has reignited a protest movement among the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia, where civil disobedience is extremely rare. Protesters in the Eastern Province marched in support of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr after his arrest last week for calling for more rights for Shiites, who are banned from certain jobs and are rarely allowed to build mosques. The funeral of one of two demonstrators killed during the protest turned into a mass demonstration against the regime, with thousands of Shiites clashing with security police and some throwing Molotov cocktails. In the days since, masked gunmen have attacked police at least twice in the province, home to most of Saudi Arabia’s Shiites and to most of its oil reserves.

Jerusalem

Centrists bolt: The Israeli government shifted rightward this week as the largest party in the ruling coalition quit, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more dependent on hard-line religious and nationalist parties for his parliamentary majority. The moderate Kadima Party pulled out because it found Netanyahu was moving too slowly toward subjecting Orthodox yeshiva students to the draft; Kadima joined the coalition two months ago specifically to end the religious exemption. Analysts said both Netanyahu and Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz were weakened by their failure to compromise. “I don’t think there are any winners, except maybe the Orthodox parties—they’re off the hook for the foreseeable future,” said Ha’aretz commentator Yossi Verter.

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