Moldova’s ruling pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) has retained its parliamentary majority following Sunday’s closely watched election, a result seen as a decisive test of President Maia Sandu’s efforts to steer the country towards European Union membership. With more than 99.5 per cent of ballots counted, PAS secured 50.03 per cent of the vote, according to figures released by the Central Election Commission. The result translates into a majority…

The state of Oregon has launched legal action in federal court to prevent the deployment of 200 National Guard troops to Portland, accusing President Donald Trump of misrepresenting the city as “war ravaged”. Governor Tina Kotek said she had been informed by the Pentagon that the president had assumed control of the state’s reservists, citing powers to quell “rebellion” or disorder. Speaking at a press conference, she insisted there was…

A person has been killed and several others injured after a gunman launched a violent attack on a Mormon church in Michigan, crashing his car into the building before opening fire on worshippers and setting the property ablaze. The incident unfolded at around 11am local time on Sunday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, a community situated about 50 miles north of Detroit. Police…

China’s former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tang Renjian, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting bribes totalling more than 268 million yuan (approximately $38 million), according to a statement released by the People’s Court of Changchun in Jilin Province on Sunday. Between 2007 and 2024, Tang reportedly abused his positions of authority to solicit and receive bribes in the form of cash and property.…

Vietnam closed airports and began evacuating thousands of residents as Typhoon Bualoi intensified while moving toward the country’s central region, days after the storm caused at least 10 deaths and extensive flooding in the Philippines.

A Russian aerial bombardment lasting more than 12 hours has killed at least four people and injured more than 70 others across Ukraine, according to officials in Kyiv.

The United Nations (UN) Economic and Military Sanctions have been reimposed on Iran, a decade after they were lifted under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Sandu’s electoral hopes rest heavily on the Moldovan diaspora, which has traditionally supported PAS, as well as younger, urban voters.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

A Polish adventurer has become the first person to climb Mount Everest and ski back down without the use of supplementary oxygen. Andrzej Bargiel, 37, reached the summit of the world’s highest peak, standing at 8,849 metres (29,032ft), on his third attempt. Dangerous conditions forced him to abandon earlier efforts in 2019 and 2022. “The summit itself was arduous and difficult. I’d never spent so much time at such an…

The United States has revoked Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa following remarks in which he urged American soldiers to defy orders from President Donald Trump.

By Eniola Amadu Leader of Nepal’s recent youth-led protests, Sudan Gurung, that forced the government from power within days, has announced plans to run in the country’s March general elections. He said his movement would “fight till the end” to build what he called a government of the people. In an interview with Start Here’s Sandra Gathmann, Gurung said his group is mobilising supporters across the country to form a…