Romania's top court annuls first round of presidential vote won by far-right candidate

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court on Friday annulled the first round of the country's presidential election, days after allegations emerged that Russia ran a coordinated online campaign to promote the far-right outsider who won the first round. The Constitutional...

The EU and a South American trade bloc reach a giant trade deal after 25 years of talks

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — The European Union reached a blockbuster free trade agreement Friday with Brazil, Argentina and the three other South American nations in the Mercosur trade alliance, capping a quarter-century of on-off negotiations even as France vowed to derail the contentious accord....

Police in Georgia turn increasingly brutal as mass protests over ending EU talks enter second week

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Mass protests in Georgia fueled by the governing party’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union entered a second week on Thursday, with police cracking down on the protesters with increasing force in an attempt to curb the demonstrations. ...

A Chinese vessel has been hijacked off the Somali coast, officials say

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A Chinese-owned fishing vessel with 18 crew members aboard was hijacked last week off the northeastern coast of Somalia, local authorities said Friday. An official in Xaafuun district in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, where the vessel is being...

The EU makes an urgent TikTok inquiry on Russia's role in Romanian election turmoil

LONDON (AP) — The European Union said Friday it sent TikTok an urgent request for more information about Romanian intelligence files suggesting that Moscow coordinated influencers on its platform to promote an election candidate who became the surprise front-runner in the nation's presidential...

European Union and Mercosur trade bloc announce free trade deal that’s 25 years in the making

Oil flow to Czech Republic through Russia's Druhzba pipeline resumes after unexplained shutdown

PRAGUE (AP) — Oil delivery to the Czech Republic from Russia through the Druhzba pipeline has resumed after it was interrupted two days ago, the state Mero company that operates the pipeline network in the country said on Friday. It was still not clear why the delivery was halted...

Blinken and Russia's Lavrov clash on Ukraine at a security meeting in Malta

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov clashed Thursday indirectly with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at an annual security meeting, accusing the West of risking escalation over Ukraine but walking out before Blinken and other speakers could respond. ...

EU chief in Uruguay for final talks on a huge trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Uruguay Thursday for the final stages in years-long negotiations to clinch a trade deal between the 27-nation EU and the South American Mercosur trade bloc that would create a trans-Atlantic market of some 700 million...

Stock market today: Wall Street edges back from its records as bitcoin briefly pops above $100,000

NEW YORK (AP) — The huge rally for U.S. stocks lost momentum on Thursday as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday. The crypto market had more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before pulling back. The S&P 500 slipped...