After five years of minority government

PORTUGAL agreed to the terms of a EURO78 billion ($116 billion) bail-out with the European Union and the IMF. Jose Socrates, the country's caretaker prime minister, boasted that he had achieved a better deal than Greece and Ireland, the two other euro-zone countries that have accepted rescue packages. Portugal holds a general election on June 5th.



After five years of minority government, the Conservative Party won a parliamentary majority in CANADA'S federal election. The centrist Liberals lost more than half their seats, and were replaced as the official opposition by the leftish New Democrats. Quebec's separatist Bloc Quebecois lost 90% of its seats and was nearly eliminated from Parliament.



MEXICO'S Congress passed a tougher competition law. Collusion will now be punished by up to ten years in prison, and first-time offenders will be subject to a maximum fine of 10% of annual sales.



Prosecutors in HONDURAS dropped corruption charges against Manuel Zelaya, the country's former president, who was ousted in a coup backed by the courts and legislature in 2009. The decision means that Mr Zelaya is free to return home without fear of arrest, and should pave the way for Honduras to be readmitted to the Organisation of American States.



After years of internecine conflict, Fatah and Hamas, the two biggest PALESTINIAN factions, signed an agreement to back a government of national unity. ISRAEL'S prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, condemned the reconciliation.



The SYRIAN government sent tanks into restive cities across the country. Its security forces detained several thousand protesters and political opponents, and killed more than 100 more people, bringing the death tally to at least 600 since protests began.



A NATO air strike in Tripoli killed one of Muammar Qaddafi's sons, Saif al-Arab, and three of the LIBYAN leader's grandchildren. As the fighting continued between rebels and government forces, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he wanted to arrest three (unnamed) individuals in Libya for crimes against humanity.



Opposition parties joined JAPAN'S government in passing a YEN4 trillion ($50 billion) emergency budget to bring disaster relief to the areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11th. More reconstruction packages will follow, bringing with them contentious tax rises and yet more government borrowing.



THAILAND'S prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, prepared the country for what he said would be a landmark general election, a year after the army crushed opposition protests in Bangkok. The election could take place in June or July. Human Rights Watch published a report that blamed the red shirts for plenty of last year's violence, but also accused Thai soldiers of violating human rights.



SINGAPOREANS voteD in an election on May 7th. The People's Action Party looked set to win another whopping majority, but had to contest 82 of its 87 seats, having defended just 47 last time. Support for the PAP has been diminishing, even as the
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