A new government started work in Pakistan this month. It faces a country awash with conflict. To get a sense of how serious this is, NPR's Philip Reeves focused on a 48-hour period. He chose this past weekend.

There is no more graphic example of the daunting challenges facing Pakistan's new prime minister than the bloody events playing out in the west of his nation. The fractured country is as threatened as ever by forces committed to its destruction.

Summers are swelteringly hot in Pakistan. So, when there's no power for up to 18 hours a day (and you can't afford a generator) what do you do? Head for the nearest lake. NPR's Philip Reeves reports from Lake View Park, on the edge of Islamabad's edge.

Pakistanis generally take a bleak view of their system of law and order, which tends to be dysfunctional and corrupt. But the recent conviction of two men for murder has caught the attention of many critics with hope for reform.

The British government is setting up a new terrorism task force following last week's brutal killing of a soldier by men wielding cleavers and knives. The task force will look at whether new laws are needed to clamp down on those who promote religious extremism.

Authorities in London are investigating what British Prime Minister David Cameron says is likely a terrorist attack. On Wednesday, two suspects brutally attacked a man near a London military barracks.

A man was hacked to death in daylight near a military barracks in Woolwich. A local parliamentarian says the dead man was a British soldier. Media reports say two young men hit the victim in a car, then used a machete and butcher's knives to kill him in the street. One witness reportedly said the assailants stood around, waving knives and a gun, and asked people to film them. The government has called an urgent meeting of its crisis response committee.

Sweden has a global reputation as a smoothly run, harmonious nation. But following the death of an immigrant, three nights of rioting have prompted some soul-searching.

Alex Ferguson, who is stepping down after 27 years at the helm of Manchester United, is widely regarded as the most successful British soccer manager ever.

Critics of the former prime minister have not remained silent in the wake of her death. Some Britons have openly celebrated her passing, with harsh graffiti, cyberattacks, drinking in the streets and even fireworks.

Britons remember the Margaret Thatcher era, her conservative principles, her determination and her record as prime minister. Thatcher, known as the "Iron Lady", died Monday following a stroke. She was 87.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died Monday at age 87. Known as the Iron Lady, Thatcher was the leader of Britain's conservatives from 1979 to 1990.

The Stones' 1969 concert at the park drew 250,000 people and was tinged with sorrow, coming just two days after the death of founding member Brian Jones. Just before performing, Mick Jagger silenced the crowd for a remembrance of Jones.

Italian Paolo di Canio's appointment as coach of the struggling Sunderland Football Club has reignited an old controversy over his comment in 2005 that "I am a fascist, not a racist" in describing his political beliefs at the time. After his appointment as Sunderland coach was announced Tuesday, he said it was "stupid and ridiculous" for that statement to be raised again after his many attempts to clarify it. DiCanio had an excellent record as a player. Though he had a fiery temperament, he was also honored for sportsmanship.

Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky died over the weekend in London. The oligarch made a fortune when the Soviet Union broke up but after disagreements with Russia's president, he sought and received asylum in Britain in 2003. In Britain, there's intense speculation over whether the Kremlin wanted him dead.

More than 200,000 marijuana-scented cards are being sent out to help educate the public on the smell of cannabis.

Pope Francis' status as the first Jesuit marks a momentous milestone in history. Relations between Jesuits and the Vatican have seen deep crises in the 479 years since the order was founded as humble missionaries. Their growing power and monopoly over education generated suspicion and hostility around Europe. In the 18th century, Jesuits were repressed by some of Europe's Catholic super-powers — Portugal, Spain, France. Emaciated, ragged Jesuit priests began roaming Europe, looking for refuge. Pressured by temporal powers, Pope Clement 14th jailed the Jesuits' leader, banned the order, closed their premises, and shared out their wine collection among his cardinals. There were further tensions in the 20th century in Latin America, between the Polish anti-Soviet Pope John II and Jesuits in Latin America, who were seen as too doctrinally close to Marxists opposing military dictatorships there.

Melissa Block talks to Philip Reeves about reaction to the selection of a new pope to lead the Catholic Church, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

On Tuesday, 115 cardinals convened, celebrated mass and then entered the Sistine Chapel for the first day of closed door deliberations on who should be the next pope.

The task of choosing the next pope falls to 115 red-robed cardinals, known by the faithful as the "princes" of the Catholic Church. Their average age is 72 — and they are all men. We examine how they came to have this massive responsibility, and how some Catholics resent their exclusive monopoly over electing pontiffs.