Politics this week

Venezuela’s state security service arrested the mayor of metropolitan Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, after the president, Nicolás Maduro, accused him of plotting a coup against his government with the help of the United States. Venezuela’s left-wing regime has been shaken by food shortages, soaring inflation and the falling price of oil. It faces parliamentary elections later this year. Critics of the government contend that Mr Ledezma’s arrest shows that it intends to hold on to power by force. See article.

The downgrading of Petrobras’s credit rating to junk status by Moody’s sent shivers through Brazilian markets. The state-controlled oil company is mired in a corruption scandal involving politicians from Brazil’s ruling Workers’ Party, preventing Petrobras from undertaking a proper financial audit. See article.

Jamaica’s parliament passed a law that decriminalises the possession of small amounts of marijuana. It had hesitated legalising use of the weed for fear of reprisals by America. That fear eased after a few American states decriminalised cannabis. Marijuana was made legal in Washington, DC, this week following a local referendum last November. But Congress, which officially oversees the city, has warned that it is breaking federal law.

Taking it on all fronts

The government of Ukraine struggled to cope with mounting economic problems, including a sharp decline in the value of its currency. The central bank intervened to prop up the hryvnia through currency controls. Fighting was more subdued in the country’s east, ten days after a ceasefire was supposed to come into force. See article.

The new left-wing government in Greece managed to satisfy, at least provisionally, finance ministers from fellow members of the euro zone with its reform plan, staving off the immediate risk of a financial meltdown. But in Athens some supporters of Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister, were disappointed by the climbdown from the radical programme on which his Syriza party was only recently elected. See article.

The European Commission granted France an extra two years to meet its mandated budget deficit target of 3% of GDP. The deadline had already been extended by two years in 2013. It gave little explanation for the latest extension, which disappointed fiscal hawks.

The Austrian parliament passed a controversial change to a law governing Islam that replaces legislation dating back to the Austro-Hungarian empire a century ago. The new law forbids foreign funding for imams and mosques, a restriction that does not apply to Christian or Jewish places of worship.

In Britain Sir Malcolm Rifkind stepped down as the head of the parliamentary committee that oversees the intelligence and security services, after he was caught in a media sting promising a fake Chinese firm that he could provide access to ambassadors. Jack Straw, who, like Sir Malcolm, is a former foreign secretary, was similarly ensnared. Both claimed not to have broken parliamentary rules on “cash for access”. See Bagehot.

Office politics

The chairman of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change resigned amid claims that he sexually harassed a female researcher. Rajendra Pachauri had led the IPCC since 2002, steering it through major controversies, such as the leaked documents that formed the basis of “climategate”. He had been due to step down in October.

A court in Bangladesh issued a warrant to arrest Khaleda Zia, the opposition leader, on five-year-old charges. Since boycotting elections a year ago, Mrs Zia has been in a stand-off with the ruling Awami League and Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister. At least 100 people have been killed in recent clashes.

China responded angrily to a visit by India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, to the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Most of the state is claimed by China as part of neighbouring Tibet. Mr Modi did not publicly mention territorial disputes, which have plagued relations between the two countries since a border war in 1962.

The family of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father, admitted that he had been in hospital since early February and is on life support.

North Korea banned foreigners from taking part in a cult (for Westerners) marathon in April in Pyongyang. Strict entry restrictions to the country have applied since October, when the threat of Ebola was cited as being necessary to quarantine visitors. State media have suggested that the virus was created by America as a biological weapon.

A disruptive guest

Controversy mounted within Israel and America over the decision by Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to address both houses of Congress in early March. Mr Netanyahu was invited by John Boehner, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who did not consult the White House. Several prominent Israelis and Americans have warned that his speech could damage relations with the American administration.

Between 90 and 285 Christians were believed to have been abducted by Islamic State in the north-east of Syria. Concern is mounting for their welfare because of the mass-rape and murder of the group’s other captives, including Yazedis in Iraq.

Football’s governing body said that it would hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during November and December that year, to avoid the hot summer. Holding it in those months would cut the revenue earned by football clubs by disrupting their normal schedule, and add heat to the contentious decision to stage the tournament in Qatar in the first place.

No longer the teachers’ pet

In Chicago’s mayoral election Rahm Emanuel, the incumbent, failed to secure an outright win. He got 45% of the vote, which is below the majority threshold and means he will have to face Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who came second, in a run-off on April 7th.

As expected, Barack Obama vetoed a bill that would have given the go ahead for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Mr Obama quashed the bill because he said it circumvented the State Department’s lengthy appraisal of the project. It was only the third veto of his presidency; more are expected now that the Republicans control Congress. See article.