Johnson pushes toward a Brexit showdown

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has set May 21 as the date for Australia's general elections. The vote will be a battle to stay in power for Morrison after three years rocked by floods, bushfires and the pandemic.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Finance Minister Rishi Sunak are to be fined by police for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules. The leader of the UK's main opposition party has called for both to resign.

While supporters praise Sharif's plans for major infrastructure projects, critics accuse him of corruption and cronyism.

In an unexpected announcement, Prime Minister Patrick Achi and his Cabinet have tendered their resignation. The leader of Ivory Coast's government had held the job for a little over a year.

The British prime minister insisted he did not knowingly breach pandemic lockdown rules. He is the first modern UK leader to receive a fine for breaking the law.

The British prime minister has begun a two-day visit by talking up post-Brexit trade. But clouds are looming back home as parliament votes on whether he misled the House of Commons in denying COVID lockdown breaches.

The British prime minister has faced calls to step down after breaking COVID lockdown rules. In Northern Ireland, polls suggest the Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein could win the largest number of seats.

Colombo has seen clashes between government supporters and protesters outside the offices of the president and prime minister. Hours later, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa offered to step down.

Enter the twilight of the world's longest reign. The 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth II missed what is arguably the highlight of any British monarch's calendar: the reading of the government's parliamentary program instead delivered by her son, the crown prince. The importance is mostly symbolic, since the Queen's Speech is written by the prime minister. However the optics of the exercise beget the question: what United Kingdom will Charles inherit?

Britain said it would "not shy away from taking action" over post-Brexit trade tensions in Northern Ireland as it rejected EU proposals to resolve the standoff.

Boris Johnson has again threatened to break post-Brexit agreements with the EU as victorious Sinn Fein accuses him of pandering to the DUP, which is blocking the formation of a government after recent elections.

She is the first woman to hold the position in over 30 years. French President Emmanuel Macron and Borne were expected to appoint the full government within days.