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.

A court in Moldova has placed former President Igor Dodon under 30-day house arrest.

A former Moldovan president has been ordered detained following a series of police raids as part of a judicial investigation into suspected treason, corruption, illicit enrichment and illegal party financing, prosecutors said.

A pro-reform party in Moldova seeking closer ties with the European Union appears to be heading to a clear majority in early returns from Sunday's snap parliamentary elections.

Moldovan voters go to the polls Sunday in a snap parliamentary election that could decide whether the former Soviet republic fully embraces pro-Western reforms or prolongs a political impasse under strong Russian influence.

Former prime minister Maia Sandu prepares to cast her vote in the country's presidential election runoff in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. Moldovans returned to the polls Sunday for the second round of voting in the country's presidential election, facing a choice between the staunchly pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon, and his popular pro-Western challenger, former prime minister Maia Sandu. “Preliminary results indicate that my opponent Maia Sandu is the winner, and I want to preliminary congratulate her,” Dodon said after the results were published. Sunday's election was seen as a referendum on two divergent visions for the future of the small Eastern European nation sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania. Sandu and Dodon, who Russian President Vladimir Putin identified as his preferred candidate, have been rivals since he narrowly defeated her in the 2016 presidential race.

Former prime minister Maia Sandu prepares to cast her vote in the country's presidential election runoff in Chisinau, Moldova, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. Moldovans returned to the polls Sunday for the second round of voting in the country's presidential election, facing a choice between the staunchly pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon, and his popular pro-Western challenger, former prime minister Maia Sandu. The challenger, former Prime Minister Maia Sandu, beat the odds to win the first round on Nov. 1, which narrowed the field from eight to two candidates. Sandu won over 36% of the vote, leaving the incumbent, President Igor Dodon, behind by over 3.5 points. Sandu, a former World Bank economist, promised during the campaign to secure more financial support from Brussels if she becomes president.

A separate data system operated by state health officials has documented around 2,300 infections among school-age children since Sept. 1. ___MILAN — Italy has tallied 2,548 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily total in five months. — Maryland is reporting zero coronavirus deaths in a 24-hour period for the first time since March 28. That doesn’t necessarily mean no COVID-19 deaths occurred in that time frame, because sometimes there is a delay in the submission of a death certificate. ___LONDON — The European Medicines Agency has begun its first review process for an experimental COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.