A Crisis Is Separating Eastern Europe’s Strong From Its Weak

KYIV, Ukraine — Germany’s top diplomat arrived Monday in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on an unannounced visit, in what appeared to be a show of European support for Ukraine on the eve of a U. S. presidential election that could bring far-reaching changes in Washington’s policy toward Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Germany is Ukraine’s second biggest weapons supplier after the U.

VALENCIA, Spain — In a matter of minutes, flash floods caused by heavy downpours in eastern Spain swept away almost everything in their path. With no time to react, people were trapped in vehicles, homes and businesses. Many died and thousands of livelihoods were shattered. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Six days later, authorities have recovered 217 bodies — with 213 of them in the eastern Valencia region.

MAUMERE, Indonesia — Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency said Monday that at least six people have died as a series of volcanic eruptions widens on the remote island of Flores. The eruption at Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki just after midnight on Monday spewed thick brownish ash as high as 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air and hot ashes hit a nearby village, burning down several houses including a convent of Catholic nuns, said Firman Yosef, an official at the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki monitoring post. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The Disaster Management Agency lowered the known death toll from an earlier report of nine, saying it had received updated information from local authorities.

CHISINAU, Moldova — Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu has won a second term in a pivotal presidential runoff against a Russia-friendly opponent, in a race that was overshadowed by claims of Russian interference, voter fraud, and intimidation in the European Union candidate country. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] With nearly 99% of votes counted in the second round of the presidential election held Sunday, Sandu had 55% of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission, or CEC, compared to 45% for Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general who was backed by the pro-Russia Party of Socialists. The result will be a major relief for the pro-Western government, which strongly backed Sandu’s candidacy, and her push for closer Western ties on Moldova’s path toward the EU. “Moldova, you are victorious!

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the U. S. with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its allies. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke as Iranian officials are increasingly threatening to launch yet another strike against Israel after its Oct. 26 attack on the Islamic Republic that targeted military bases and other locations and killed at least five people. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Any further attacks from either side could engulf the wider Middle East, already teetering over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon, into a wider regional conflict just ahead of the U.

LONDON — Britain’s Conservative Party on Saturday elected Kemi Badenoch as its new leader as it tries to rebound from a crushing election defeat that ended 14 years in power. The first Black woman to lead a major British political party, Badenoch (pronounced BADE-enock) defeated rival lawmaker Robert Jenrick in a vote of almost 100,000 members of the right-of-center Conservatives. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] She got 53,806 votes in the online and postal ballot of party members, to Jenrick’s 41,388. Badenoch replaces former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who in July led the Conservatives to their worst election result since 1832.