Moldova's parliament picked a new prime minister on Friday to lead the small nation's efforts to join the European Union and break free of Russia's political orbit. The appointment of Alexandru Munteanu, a 61-year-old economist, follows a parliamentary election in September in which President Maia Sandu's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) resoundingly defeated a Russia-leaning rival and won a fresh mandate to pursue Moldova's EU drive. Learn More

Republican U.S. President Donald Trump called on Thursday for the removal of the Senate's filibuster rule, to bypass a Democratic roadblock during a government shutdown now in its 30th day. The filibuster is the Senate rule for agreement by 60 of its 100 members to pass most legislation. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a 219-213 majority in the House of Representatives. Learn More

Democratic lawmakers in Virginia cleared a first big hurdle on Friday in their bid to redraw congressional maps in their favor next year — a move that counters Republican-led redistricting efforts in other U.S. states at President Donald Trump 's urging. Separately, Ohio's redistricting commission approved a new map that boosts Republican chances of flipping two Democratic seats in 2026 but stops short of a more aggressive effort that could have targeted three Democratic in