Australian PM Morrison calls election for May 18

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday called a national election for May 18. The vote will decide whether the conservative government gets a rare third term in office – and whether embattled incumbent Morrison can beat the odds and hang onto power. The prime minister’s policies on climate change and immigration are deeply unpopular, but coalition partners and hardliners within his party have forestalled any shift to the center, AFP said. Polls have consistently shown his center-left Labor opponents with a commanding lead, suggesting a new administration led by former union leader Bill Shorten.