World at a Glance is a column discussing major world events on a weekly basis.

Kim Jon Un’s Absence Persist along with Rumors and Speculation

The leader of North Korea Kim Jon Un has not been seen in the international spotlight since early September and rumors of his disappearance are growing. On Friday, Kim Jon Un missed a ceremony honoring his father and grandfather, the first time he has ever missed the ceremony.  North Korea, one of the most secretive and isolated nations in the world, is downplaying his absence and describing Kim Jon Un’s situation as one of sickness and discomfort.

Some rumors say that he has Gout which is a disease similar to arthritis that causes joints to become inflamed, swollen, tender, and very painful even under light weight and pressure. Kim Jon Un is also known to be a heavy smoker, drinker, and to be overweight. Others speculate of a coup in North Korea and that Kim Jon Un has been overthrown or arrested and killed. Kim Jon Un’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, is also missing further driving the rumors of a coup.

Kim Jon Un is known to make many changes politically which can cause resentment among his leaders. His Uncle, Jang Song-thaek, reportedly acted against the North Korean government and may have even attempted to stage a coup. Last year Jang Song-thaek was executed along with his relatives by the North Korean government. Kim Jon Un has replaced almost half of his top leaders in less than three years leading rumors to assume mistrust in Pyongyang. Most rumors are unconfirmed but the disappearance of the attention seeking leader Kim Jon Un is certainly one to take note of.

Indian Child-Rights Activist and Pakistani Teenager Win the Nobel Peace Prize

Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi from India have both won the Nobel Peace Prize. Yousafzai, only 17 years old, is a young and persist activist of a girls’ right for education and the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2012 she was shot in the head by the Taliban on a bus after actively campaigning for education for girls in Pakistan. She recovered and has continued to fight for girls’ education even under very dangerous circumstances. Yousafzai has written a book called “I Am Malala” and given many speeches and presentations including at the U.N. where she said, “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.”

The second winner, Kailash Satyarthi, is the first Indian winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and has fought hard against child trafficking. He is the leader of the Indian non-profit Save the Childhood Movement and has reportedly rescued 83,000 Indian children from servitude since 1981. Child labor and education was a big focus this year for the Nobel Committee and they felt these two candidates best represented the fight against extremism and poverty.

The fact that the Nobel Prize was given to an Indian and Pakistani is significant since recently India and Pakistan have been hostile towards each other. Pakistan has been firing artillery over the de facto border into India and has displaced more than 25,000 people who are now living in refugee camps set up by the Indian government.

Some previous Nobel Prize winners are Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Martin Luther King Jr., Henry Kissinger, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, and Barack Obama.

Will Anyone Host the Winter Olympics 2022?

After the world saw Sochi, Russia spend $51 billion on the Winter Olympics, fewer and fewer nations are open to hosting the Winter Olympics in 2022. Poland was the most recent candidate to withdraw their bid for hosting the games last week after its citizens overwhelmingly rejected the idea of hosting them. Stockholm, Sweden, and Krakow withdrew their bids after deciding that the Winter Olympics would be a poor use of taxpayer money. Ukraine is still in the running for hosting the games but considering recent events between Ukraine and Russia, it is unlikely they would end up hosting the Winter Olympics.

The United States Olympic Committee has said they would present two or three cities that would be viable hosts for the games. Among the cities being considered are Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, Dallas, and Washington D.C. Only two remaining cities are in serious contention for hosting the games: Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing, China. The sheer capital and resource needs of the Olympic games have chased away most of the bidders. It turns out that, when given the chance to speak their mind, residents only have one word to say to the Olympic Committee: no.

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