UK Parliament’s first week: 5 things to expect

Robert Golob and his liberal green party's shock win over three-time Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa in Sunday's parliamentary election signals a vote against increasing authoritarianism say, political analysts.

We look at the flurry of reactions from the US over the leaked draft majority opinion which plans to roll back abortion rights. Filipinos head to the polls next week in presidential elections which could see the return of the Marcos dynasty. Germany's Olaf Scholz trades barbs with Ukraine's ambassador to Germany after Kyiv 'uninvited' the German president. Finally, the future of cooking is here: a robochef which can offer advice on seasoning your dishes!

Former dictator's son Ferdinand Marcos Jr., also known as "Bongbong," is widely expected to defeat current Vice President Leni Robredo in the presidential race. Grenade attacks were reported at two polling booths.

Lebanon is electing a new parliament soon. Even though many people harbour hope for change, it won't be a walk in the park for the opposition. Traditional power structures remain deeply embedded.

The Marcos political dynasty is back in power in the Philippines. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the late dictator, has rebranded his family name and won the presidential election. Nonetheless his popularity comes as something of a surprise, as his father was ousted by a popular revolt 36 years ago. We take a closer look.

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.

The Horn of Africa nation chooses its next president on Sunday amid tight security in the capital Mogadishu. The election is over a year behind schedule.

In a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD party, voters backed the conservatives, CDU, in an election Germany's most populous state. The Greens meanwhile more than doubled the number of votes they received.

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.

Australia is counting down to its next federal election on May 21. The environmental crisis is high on voters' minds and smaller parties and independents are gaining momentum by riding a wave of disillusionment over the conservative coalition's lack of climate action. With a hung parliament looking likely, these minor players could force the traditional parties to do more to tackle global warming. Climate change is an increasingly hot-button issue since the country's devastating bushfires of 2019-20. Our correspondents Richelle Harrison Plesse and Gregory Plesse report.

Brussels has said a British proposal to effectively override parts of a Brexit deal with a new law is "not acceptable." The UK has proposed a new law to drop part of the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland trade.