French far right leads after legislative elections' 1st round but rivals hope to deny it a majority

PARIS (AP) — France's National Rally surged into the lead in the first round of legislative elections, according to results released early Monday, bringing the far-right party to the brink of power and dealing a major blow to President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists in an election that could set...

European Union accuses Facebook owner Meta of breaking digital rules with paid ad-free option

LONDON (AP) — European Union regulators accused social media company Meta Platforms on Monday of breaching the bloc's new digital competition rulebook by forcing Facebook and Instagram users to choose between seeing ads or paying to avoid them. Meta has been giving European users...

European Union accuses Facebook and Instagram owner Meta of breaking bloc's digital rules with paid ad-free option

Stock market today: French shares surge as far right party takes lead in first round of election

Shares advanced on Monday in Europe, with the benchmark in Paris up 2.8% briefly after the far-right National Rally gained a strong lead in first-round legislative elections. Other European markets opened higher, while most Asian markets also gained. The euro rose,...

Surveys show Chinese economy growing but at modest pace

BANGKOK (AP) — Surveys of Chinese factory managers showed a mixed outlook for the world's second-largest economy in June, with growth steady but not picking up much steam. The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing's official purchasing managers index, or PMI, remained at...

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urges support for Ukraine, EU and NATO in his farewell speech

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Long-serving Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged his country to support Ukraine and international cooperation in his final address to his compatriots Sunday, as an inward-looking new government is set to take over the Netherlands in two days. “It...

The Latest | France's first-round voting ends. Bardella calls for rejection of 'dangerous far left'

France held the first round of an early parliamentary election on Sunday that could bring the country's first far-right government since Nazi occupation during World War II. The second round will come on July 7. The outcome of the vote is highly uncertain. Turnout is unusually high....

Hungary's Orbán presents a new alliance with Austrian and Czech nationalist parties

VIENNA (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday presented a new alliance with Austria's far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, which hopes to attract other partners and become the biggest right-wing group in the European Parliament. Orbán...

Macron weakened at home and abroad as an early French election gives the far right momentum

PARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron once appeared as a bold, young leader offering to revive France through radical pro-business, pro-European policies, leaving voters with “no reason anymore” to vote for the extremes. Seven years after he was first elected, his call for an...

Hungary's populist Orbán to take over EU presidency as many issues hang in the balance

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — When Hungary takes over the helm of the European Union on July 1, many politicians in Brussels will have the same thing on their minds: whether populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will use the role to further his reputation as the bloc’s main spoiler. ...