Monday briefing: Pakistan's stunning election results
Khan's party shakes Pakistan
Candidates aligned with jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party won the most seats in Pakistan's parliamentary elections, despite the military's efforts to suppress support.
The stunning feat humiliated the country's powerful generals, upended most political predictions and sparked a political crisis. Now the uncertainty threatens to become great.
Khan's supporters are electrified. But they are also outraged by what they call blatant manipulation, and are disputing dozens of results. Protests have erupted and many more are planned as pressure mounts on the country's election commission to acknowledge widely reported irregularities in vote counting.
Khan's supporters are also bracing for the possibility that other parties will eventually lead the government. Preliminary results suggested his supporters did not win a full majority and would have to form a coalition to govern. The military's favored party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – is exploring ways to take control through alliances.
The army: The wave of discontent over the interference in politics will most likely put pressure on the army chief, General Syed Asim Munir. He must now decide whether to reconcile with Khan or force a coalition of Khan's opponents, a coalition that many believe would be weak and unsustainable.
The campaign: From behind bars, Khan rallied his supporters with speeches that used AI to replicate his voice, appealing to an internet-savvy youth group that is rewriting the politics of the country.
NATO is on alert after Trump's outburst
Donald Trump suggested at a meeting this weekend that he would incite Russia to attack 'delinquent' US allies: not only would he not defend the member states he was deemed to be in arrears against an attack by Russia, he said, but he would do that too. in that it “encourages” Russia to “do whatever they want” against them.
The stunning statements could foreshadow fundamental changes in the world order if Trump is re-elected this year. Never before has an American president — even a former president — suggested he would incite an enemy to attack the country's closest allies.
His comments also raised uncomfortable questions about his strange affinity for President Vladimir Putin of Russia — and reignited his long-standing frustration with the alliance. As president, he undermined NATO by pushing strong-armed members to keep their promises to spend more on their militaries, under the threat that he would otherwise not help.
Stake: If the US cannot be counted on to help its European allies, other countries with mutual security agreements – such as Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama – can hardly be assured don't help them either.
A ground offensive is threatening in Rafah
Israeli airstrikes in Rafah and other parts of southern Gaza killed more than 20 people this weekend, ahead of a widely expected ground offensive there. More than half of Gaza's 2.2 million residents are now sheltering in place and don't know where else to go.
Nutmeg was once so valuable that in 1667 the Dutch exchanged Manhattan for Pulau Rhun, a small island in Indonesia where it was grown. Today, there is little trace of the wealth it generated: Rhun has 2,000 people, no high school, poor cell service and no air conditioning.
The Australian letter: Some former Australian officials are trying to bring Beijing and Washington together in an effort to build on common interests and de-escalate tensions.
A guide to the Super Bowl
Nothing brings Americans together more than the Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will start about two and a half hours after we send out this newsletter. The Morning has a guide.
The teams: The Chiefs have reached the Super Bowl in four of the past five seasons, but have failed as of late. The 49ers played great in the regular season, but looked defeated in the playoffs. Our experts expect the Chiefs to prevail.
The halftime show: R&B star Usher will perform, and he has hinted he may be joined by architects of the genre.
Taylor Swift: She'll likely be there to cheer on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who plays for the Chiefs. She just performed in Japan, where her fans' enthusiasm clashed with local sensitivities.
Ratings: Swift's presence could boost viewership and help the Super Bowl break the 1982 record for the highest percentage of Americans watching: 49 percent.