World

A Political Tiger Returns From the Wild in Pakistan

As the results of Pakistan’s election became apparent in the early hours of May 12, cheering supporters of Nawaz Sharif spilled out into the streets of Lahore. Sharif’s party had beaten expectations and was cruising toward a convincing victory that gave it control of the national Parliament. Young men whizzed by on motorbikes, fluttering party flags attached at the back. “Look, look who has come! The tiger has come, the tiger has come!” they chanted, referring to Sharif’s election symbol.

The tiger has been there before, though. In 1999, then Prime Minister Sharif was overthrown in a military coup by General Pervez Musharraf. He was tossed in jail and later dispatched into exile for seven years. In his absence, some claimed that Sharif’s party and his political career were finished. Now, in an astonishing turn, Sharif is set to become Pakistan’s Prime Minister for the third time, while Musharraf is under arrest and will possibly face trial for alleged crimes involving abuse of power.

Sharif, a pro-business politico with a religiously conservative bent, has much to do. He’ll have to resolve Pakistan’s crippling electricity shortages and boost its sluggish economy. He must confront the Pakistani Taliban despite a mixed previous record of dealing with domestic militants. And he must strike a balance between managing relations with Washington and assuaging anti-U.S. sentiment at home.

It was a disappointing night for cricket legend Imran Khan, the dashing candidate for “change” who surged into election day on a wave of support from youth and the urban middle class. His party failed to secure a breakthrough, finishing second and winning about 35 out of 242 seats in Parliament. Although Khan alleges widespread vote rigging, the former star athlete was no match for the reborn tiger.

Waraich writes about Pakistan for TIME.com

CANADA

‘Is the money in the banana stand?’

THOMAS MULCAIR, head of Canada’s New Democratic Party, quoting a popular Arrested Development line to ask why the Prime Minister’s office hadn’t yet located $3.1 billion set aside for antiterrorism spending

DATA

WHICH BUGS SHOULD YOU EAT?

A new U.N. report suggests that nutrient-rich insects are too often overlooked in everyday diets. Here are some average protein contents (per 100-g serving).

Crickets

8–25 g

Caterpillars

10–17 g

Grasshoppers

13–28 g

Termites

13–28 g

Raw beef

19–26 g

SOURCE: FAO

Face-Off

A Tale of Two Trips

Two of Britain’s biggest names visited the U.S. to promote U.K. interests in different ways: Prince Harry, by rehabbing his post-Vegas image, and Prime Minister David Cameron, by distracting from Europe’s economic woes. But their methods were strikingly similar.

THE PM VS. THE PRINCE

PRESIDENTIAL SCHMOOZING

Attended a White House meeting with President Obama to discuss global trade, Iran and Syria

Attended a White House tea hosted by Michelle Obama to honor U.S. military families

BIT OF FUN

Rode on a double-decker bus around Manhattan with Prince Harry to promote U.K. tourism and opportunities

Rode on a horse around a polo field in Greenwich, Conn., to captain his team for a charity match

DISASTER DUTY

Visited a makeshift memorial in Boston’s Copley Square with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; offered condolences to victims of the marathon bombing

Visited New Jersey towns devastated by Superstorm Sandy with that state’s governor, Chris Christie; commended local officials on their recovery efforts

A War Spills Over

TURKEY

Relatives cover the body of 22-year-old Ayten Calim with a prayer rug and her wedding dress in the town of Reyhanli, near the Syrian border. She and some 50 others died when two massive car bombs ripped through the town on May 11. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Turkish officials blame agents of the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Photograph by Umit Bektas–Reuters

Roundup

Landmarks in Peril

Sana’a, Yemen, may be the latest site in danger of losing its World Heritage status–a coveted title bestowed by the U.N.-affiliated World Heritage Committee and one that tends to bring a tourism boost–but these three aren’t far behind.

THE TOMB OF ASKIA

The pyramidal Malian landmark, a testament to the potential of mud building in the West African Sahel, is located in Gao, a battlefield for Islamists and other rebels

PORTOBELO–SAN LORENZO

These centuries-old structures along Panama’s Caribbean coast, built by the Spanish to protect transatlantic trade, are wearing down from weather and poor maintenance

THE BAMIYAN VALLEY

Prolonged war in Afghanistan has made repairing the valley’s Buddha statues, carved out of sandstone cliffs and once the largest in the world, a constant challenge

ISRAEL $127,000

Cost of a custom bed installed for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife on a flight to attend Margaret Thatcher’s funeral in April; officials say he wasn’t aware of the price tag

Trending In

LAW

A court in Hong Kong ruled that a transsexual woman can marry a man, making the current law unconstitutional

MUSIC

Fans flocked to a museum devoted to 1970s pop group Abba that opened in Stockholm on May 7

ANIMALS

A London zoo said its collection of “gorgeously ugly” Mangarahara cichlid fish (all male) will die out without a mate

SCANDAL

A spokesman for South Korean President Park Geun-hye was fired for sexually harassing a female guide in Washington