North Korea executes leader's powerful uncle in rare public purge

Jang Song Thaek, with his hands tied with a rope, is dragged into the court by uniformed personnel in this Dec.13, 2013 

(Reuters) - North Korea has executed the powerful uncle of young leader Kim Jong Un, state media said on Friday, the biggest upheaval in years as the ruling dynasty sought to distance itself from responsibility for the isolated states's dire living standards.
Jang Song Thaek, considered the second most powerful man in the secretive North, was killed just days ahead of the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il, the father of North Korea's current ruler.