First Past the Post: March 27

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East and South Asia

More threats from North Korea.

New protests in Bangladesh among those still gathered at Shahbagh.

North America

Ezra Klein’s wrap-up of the main arguments in Tuesday’s same-sex marriage case (on Proposition 8 in California) before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Total coverage of the Prop 8 case from SCOTUSBlog.

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider a second case on same-sex marriage rights today — the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.

The New Democratic Party holds a 20-point lead over the Liberal Party in upcoming British Columbia provincial elections.

Venezuela

Acting president Nicolás Maduro appoints a new chair of the foreign exchange management committee.

Venezuela has loaned $2.1 million to Nicaragua in the past four years. [Spanish]

Presidential challenger Henrique Capriles pledges to protect the misiones of former president Hugo Chávez.  [Spanish]

Latin America / Caribbean

Problems with the stadium in Rio de Janeiro that was to be used in the upcoming 2016 summer Olympics.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Spiegel interviews Malian coup leader Amadou Sanogo.

Congolese war crimes suspect Bosco Ntaganda appears before the International Criminal Court.

Former Zambian president Rupiah Banda (pictured above) pleads not guilty over oil-related charges.

International implications of the rebel coup in the Central African Republic.

Kenya’s top court delivers a setback to the challenge of presidential candidate and prime minister Raila Odinga.

Europe

Former British foreign secretary, onetime Labour leadership contender (he lost the Labour leadership to brother Ed) David Miliband will leave Parliament to head the International Rescue Committee in New York.

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk opens a path for a referendum on Poland’s eurozone membership (sometime after 2015).

Former French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing thinks Germany finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble should be president of the Eurogroup.

Doubts about Jeroen Dijsselbloem.

Italian foreign minister Giulio Terzi has resigned over the flap over Italian marines in India.

Still no movement in the Italian government formation process, with center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani running out of time.

Google gets aggressive with Sweden for coining the term ‘ungoogleable’ (‘ogooglebar‘ in Swedish).

Pope Francis has shunned the papal apartments in the Vatican for something simpler.

Croatia will become the 28th member of the European Union on July 1.

Middle East and North Africa

Syria’s opposition gets a seat at the Arab League’s table.

New curbs on the right to protest in Egypt.

Prime minister Najib Mikati may lead a new national unity government in Lebanon (very good news, if true).

Speculation about Jordan’s new government.

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