With elections coming up this Saturday in Pakistan, the country has been rocked this week with blasts aimed at disrupting the electoral process. Yesterday, a bomb attack targeted an Islamist Party candidate in northwest Pakistan. He survived but five others were killed and many wounded. Monday saw the deadliest attacks in the run up to the elections when a suicide bomber targeted an election rally killing 25.

This week, the beloved Dutch Queen Beatrix abdicated her throne to make room for her son, Willem-Alexander. In a ceremony outside the royal palace attended by tens of thousands of people, the Queen ended her 33-year reign. What makes the Dutch monarchy so special? We take a closer look at a monarchy that remains relevant in the modern day.

History is being made in the nation of Bangladesh this week. In response to the garment factory collapse last week, representatives from major retailers convened in Frankfurt, Germany to discuss what can be done to improve factory safety. Novelist M. T. Anderson recently wrote about the cyclical, unregulated, nature of the industry in an op-ed piece for our partner The New York Times.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder now affects 11 percent of school-aged children.  At the same time, it's been found that kids are getting at least an hour less of sleep now than they were a hundred years ago.  Vatsal Thakkar, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, argues that hyperactivity could be caused by sleep deprivation.

A longtime proponent of stricter gun laws, New York Representative Carolyn McCarthy considers how the effort to push for tougher gun regulations is likely to move forward, after the Senate defeated several proposed gun control measures earlier this month.

Anthony Weiner is not the only public figure who has recently tried to clean-up his image and restore his career. Earlier this month, as Tiger Woods reclaimed his number one World Golf Ranking spot, Nike published an ad with a photo of woods captioned: “Winning takes care of everything.” Around the same time, former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford marked his return to politics, winning a sixteen-way Republican primary for a congressional seat in South Carolina's 1st District. This all as fallen cycling superstar Lance Armstrong announced plans to compete in a masters swim meet in Austin. Dorie Clark, “Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future” describes the ethics, etiquette and personal branding strategies of image rehabilitation.

After a week of aggressive threats from North Korea, Pyongyang continues to warn of an imminent missile test, possibly on Monday, the birthday of Kim Il-sung, the late founder of North Korea. This week, the BBC’s Dan Damon has been hosting his program "World Update" from South Korea. Dan traveled to the banks of the Imjin River, at the border between North and South where he found a range of perspectives on Peninsula’s conflict.

According to her spokesman, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died of a stroke this morning at 87. She served at the head of the Conservative party from 1979 to 1990. She was the first female prime minster. 

The Syrian opposition has a new alliance which has broad international support, but it has struggled to establish effective leadership and overcome internal divisions.

Think about this: Nearly 15 percent of people aged 71 or older, about 3.8 million people, have dementia. By 2040, that number will balloon to 9.1 million people. And costs are expected to rise accordingly.

On Tuesday the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to approve a first of its kind global arms trade treaty. Republican Senators and at least one Democrat immediately condemned the treaty, calling it a "non-starter" and vowing to oppose Senate ratification. And without ratification, it's just another piece of paper.

For almost a year, Eliot Higgins has been carefully watching and analyzing hundreds of videos posted online every day in an effort to determine how arms are getting into Syria. Even though he has no formal training in tracking arms, he's considered something of an expert.

A retrial has been ordered in Italy for Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, who were accused of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher. Nina Burleigh, a columnist for the New York Observer, has followed the developments with the Knox case for many years.

Early this morning, a deal was done that gives the small island of Cyprus a life line, and it has the financial markets breathing a little easier at the start of the working week. Richard Quest, anchor for CNN International, explains the latest on the financial crisis in Cyprus.

Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was formally installed as pope today. The Argentine pope was elected last week; today tens of thousands of people greeted him for his inaugural mass at the Vatican. Rachel Donadio, the Rome bureau chief for our partner, The New York Times, has been reporting on Pope Francis's inauguration.

Like many Iraqis, Abdulrazzaq Al-Saiedi initially welcomed the invasion that brought an end to Saddam Hussein’s brutal dictatorship. But he wasn't prepared for what happened next.

Cardinals have been gathering in Rome for their final day of talks ahead of the official conclave: the process of electing the next pope. Rachel Donadio, the Rome bureau chief for our partner The New York Times, is following the story.

There is a growing sense of emergency about the Syrian refugees who continue to pour into neighboring countries. According to UN estimates, the number of Syrian refugees living in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq, could soon reach 1 million. Nancy Lindborg has seen the needs of Syrian refugees firsthand. Earlier this year, the USAID Assistant Administrator, traveled to refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan to learn more about the crisis and the problems facing the refugees.

Dr. Steven Zeitels is a world-renowned throat surgeon who has treated hundreds of singers and performers including Adele, James Taylor, and many others who have developed successful careers with their powerful voices.

Drawing back lapsed Catholics to the church, has been a concern of Pope Benedict XVI, who will officially resign from office on February 28. The Takeaway considers the success of efforts to reach those who have left the Church, including the "Catholics Come Home" initiative.