Politics this week

America's Supreme Court heard arguments challenging Barack Obama's health-care reforms. The hearing took six hours (instead of the usual one) and was spread over three days, a measure of the importance of the issue before the court. The three main areas under review are whether the judges should rule on the reforms now rather than when they come into force; whether the central mandate requiring everyone to hold health insurance, or face a penalty, is constitutional; and if it is not, whether the rest of the reforms should be allowed to stand. See article

Rick Santorum cruised to victory in Louisiana's Republican primary, chalking up a 22-point margin over Mitt Romney. See article

Time out

A Pentagon official told Congress that America had suspended its provision of food aid to North Korea because the regime had broken the terms of last month's moratorium on missile tests, by planning a rocket launch for April. North Korea claims it is only launching a satellite. Barack Obama visited South Korea this week, where he went to the demilitarised zone along the border with the North and attended a global summit on nuclear security. See article

Rumours persisted about the sacking of Bo Xilai, until recently the Communist Party boss of the mega-city of Chongqing in China. It has emerged that Wang Lijun, his police chief, whose alleged attempt to defect at the American consulate in Chengdu sparked events leading to Mr Bo's ousting, had previously sought a meeting with diplomats at the British consulate in Chongqing. Meanwhile, the British government requested that China reinvestigate the death of Neil Heywood, a British businessman and family friend of Mr Bo, in China last November. See article

China's leaders at the last minute switched the candidate they were backing in the scandal-plagued election for Hong Kong's next chief executive. China's new man, Leung Chun-ying, got 689 votes of the 1,193 Election Committee members. Henry Tang, his business-backed main rival, garnered 285 votes. See article

Myanmar announced its intention to float its currency from April 1st, in the hope of unifying the country's official and black-market exchange rates. A unified rate would make it easier for companies to invest in the country if sanctions were eased, and marks one of Myanmar's biggest reforms.

General V.K. Singh, India's army chief, said the country's armed forces are “obsolete” and “woefully short” of weapons, in a leaked letter to Manmohan Singh, the prime minister. He also told an Indian newspaper that a lobbyist had offered him a $2.7m bribe to buy substandard vehicles. India is the world's biggest importer of weapons.

Fidel meets the pope

Cuba's government rounded up scores of dissidents during a visit by Pope Benedict. The pope celebrated public masses and held private talks with Fidel and Raúl Castro. He also spoke out against America's trade embargo on Cuba and called for “authentic freedoms” in the country. The pope also visited Mexico.

Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, began radiotherapy treatment for cancer in Cuba. Opinion polls suggest that Mr Chávez's poor health has increased the number of undecided voters ahead of October's presidential election.

Colombia's government said the army killed at least 35 FARC guerrillas in an attack on a base in the eastern jungle. This came a week after another army attack that killed 40 guerrillas in the central jungle.

Chile's energy minister resigned amid squabbling within the conservative government of President Sebastián Piñera about how to handle violent protests in the south over the cost of petrol.

Meeting in Guatemala three Central American presidents said that the war on drugs has failed and that they would propose a discussion on alternatives, including decriminalisation, at next month's Summit of the Americas.

Skirmishing over resources

Fighting erupted in oil-rich border areas between Sudan and South Sudan, the most serious escalation of hostility since the countries separated last July. The outbreak scuppered a planned summit between their leaders that was meant to cement a recent rapprochement.

The latest in a series of clashes between rival militias in Libya left more than 30 dead in the southern city of Sabha.

Israel severed relations with the UN Human Rights Council, after it decided to investigate Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Israel's main opposition party, Kadima, elected Shaul Mofaz, a former defence minister, to replace Tzipi Livni as its leader.

Syria's government agreed to accept the peace plan put forward by Kofi Annan, the envoy for the UN and Arab League, his spokesman said. The Syrian opposition, for the first time formally uniting at a meeting in Istanbul, appeared also to agree to the plan. See article

Socialists in the sun

Spain's ruling People's Party failed to win control in elections in Andalusia, the country's biggest region, surprising many. The result kicked off a tough week for the government, which faced a general strike as it prepared to deliver a harsh budget. See article

Bertie Ahern, a former prime minister of Ireland, was accused of lying about the source of large sums of money in his bank account by a tribunal investigating corruption. He quit his Fianna Fail party before it threw him out. See article

Mario Monti, Italy's prime minister, suggested that he might leave if his labour-market reforms are rejected. Mr Monti has been an energetic reformer during his five months in office.

The treasurer for Britain's ruling Conservative Party resigned after being caught on video suggesting to journalists posing as lobbyists that they could buy access to David Cameron, the prime minister, and influence policy. Mr Cameron said the party would investigate, but the opposition Labour Party called for an inquiry that was more robust. See article

An election in the German state of Saarland confirmed two national political trends: the FDP, junior coalition partner to Angela Merkel's CDU, is fading badly, and the insurgent Pirates' Party is not just a flash in the pan.