What's happening in the world next week

Crunch Brexit votes are coming

British Prime Minister Theresa May will try to negotiate directly with the EU's other 27 leaders and ask for an extension to Article 50, which currently stipulates that the UK will leave the EU on March 29, at the European Council meeting on March 21-22 in Brussels.

May has indicated she will ask for a new Brexit date of June 30. She will now bring her EU withdrawal agreement to Parliament for a third time next week. Members have voted against the deal twice before.

May says that if members vote for her deal, the UK could leave the EU earlier than June 30. However, if they vote against it, May says there could end up being a much lengthier extension.

"During my consultations ahead of (the leaders' summit next week), I will appeal to the EU27 to be open to a long extension if the UK finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around it," European Council President, Donald Tusk, wrote on Twitter.