Moldovans head to polls in major test for EU future

Moldovans living abroad voted in record numbers in a presidential runoff that secured victory for pro-Western President Maia Sandu, in a pivotal race that pitted her against a Russia-friendly opponent amid ongoing claims of Russian interference, voter fraud, and intimidation

Moldova's pro-European Union incumbent President Maia Sandu won a tense presidential runoff election Sunday, beating a rival backed by a pro-Russian party in what she called as a "lesson in democracy."

Sandu's win, on a campaign promise to advance Moldova's candidacy for European Union membership, was a major boon for the pro-Western government, which strongly backed her candidacy.

The election in the ex-Soviet republic, sandwiched between war-torn Ukraine and the European Union, has been overshadowed by accusations of interference from Moscow.