VIENNA — Left-leaning Alexander Van der Bellen triumphed over his right-wing rival Sunday in the vote for Austria's presidency, a victory welcomed by moderate politicians across Europe as a blow against the populist forces looking to weaken the European Union.

While the Austrian presidency is a mostly symbolic post, it had attracted attention from across Europe as the next possible victory for populists after political outsider Donald Trump's presidential win in the United States and the Brexit vote in Britain.

“What happens here today has relevance for all of Europe,” Van der Bellen said after he cast his ballot, later noting that his win showed most voters backed his message of “freedom, equality, solidarity.”

With all votes except for absentee ballots counted, Van der Bellen had 51.68 percent of the vote to 48.32 percent for Norbert Hofer. But pollsters predicted a final result of 53.3 to 46.7 percent in favor of Van der Bellen after the approximately 500,000 absentee ballots were tallied. The final result of Sunday's vote was expected by Tuesday at the latest.

Powerful euroskeptic populist politicians facing elections next year in other EU nations shrugged off Hofer's loss as a temporary setback, but the result was greeted with relief and congratulations by mainstream politicians.

French President Francois Hollande said Austrians “made the choice of Europe, and openness.”

German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, who heads the center-left Social Democrats, told the Bild newspaper that “a load has been taken off the mind of all of Europe.” He called the result “a clear victory for good sense against right-wing populism.”

Chaos erupts as Iraq delivers aid to beleaguered Mosul residents

MOSUL, Iraq — Chaos erupted in eastern Mosul on Sunday when hundreds of civilians overwhelmed aid trucks distributing food and water as men, women and children fought over provisions.

The Iraqi government has called on Mosul's residents to stay indoors during the effort to retake the city from the Islamic State group, hoping to avoid large-scale displacement, but as progress slows, hundreds of thousands are stuck with dwindling food and water supplies.

The Iraqi government sent truckloads of food, heating oil and drinking water to residents in areas retaken from Islamic State militants on Sunday, but few of the trucks could make it to civilians trapped near front-line fighting.

More than six weeks in, the battle for Mosul is proceeding slowly, with Iraqi forces battling street by street against heavily armed militants.

Uzbekistan is about to get first new president in over 25 years

MOSCOW — Uzbekistan held a tightly controlled presidential election Sunday, the first vote since the death in September of authoritarian leader Islam Karimov, who ruled the country for 27 years.

Karimov led Uzbekistan since before the 1991 Soviet collapse, first as its communist boss and then as its president. During his long tenure, he ruthlessly crushed all opposition and was denounced by international rights groups for abuses that included killings and torture.

The odds-on favorite in Sunday's election was acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who spent 13 years as Karimov's prime minister.

Karimov never cultivated a successor, and his death raised concerns that the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 32 million might see fierce infighting over its leadership.

U.S., China, EU, others fail to reach environmental goods deal

GENEVA — Forty-six countries including the U.S., China and European Union nations failed Sunday to agree on a list of “environmental goods” like solar-powered air conditioners or LED light bulbs that could see lower tariffs.

The two-day meeting at the World Trade Organization involved a bid to agree on reducing tariffs on over 200 environment-friendly goods worth around $1 trillion in trade annually, part of a process that EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom called important “to show that trade and the environment can go hand in hand.”

Officials said China's presentation of a late list of goods to include threw off the weekend negotiations.

“In the last seconds, China proposed a list that was not studied enough,” said Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci.

Clinton, Biden to headline tribute to Sen. Reid

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden will headline a star-studded send-off for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday as the Nevada Democrat ends his historic 30-year run in the chamber.

With Congress aiming to end the legislative session this week, Reid's last big day in office will conclude at a gala in the Kennedy Caucus Room at the Russell Senate Office Building, according to senior advisers.

The event will also include the unveiling of Reid's portrait, which will hang in the Capitol corridors near the Senate chamber.

Earlier Thursday, Reid, who is tied for third-longest-serving Senate leader, will deliver his final floor speech, one of the most anticipated farewell addresses in some time.

Judge to rule on when Mich. can launch the recount of vote

DETROIT — A federal judge in Detroit said Sunday he will rule on whether a recount of Michigan votes in November's presidential election can proceed immediately or if elections officials will have to wait two business days to begin hand-counting about 4.8 million ballots.

Judge Mark Goldsmith said his decision would come after a hearing in U.S. District Court.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein requested a recount, but Republican President-elect Donald Trump sued elections officials to stop it.

Stein's lawyers argued that waiting until Wednesday to start a recount would cut too close to the Dec. 13 deadline to have it finished.

Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by 10,704 votes in Michigan. Stein received about 1 percent of the vote.

Italy's Renzi to step down: Italian Premier Matteo Renzi announced he will resign Monday after suffering a stinging loss in a reforms referendum, triggering immediate calls from a populist party and other opposition forces for elections to be held soon. “The ‘No's' have won in an extraordinary clear-cut way,” Renzi said.

Palestinian leadership: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tightened his hold on the governing Fatah party and shut out a key rival, according to results Sunday of leadership elections in the West Bank politics for decades. The election comes as senior Fatah members are jockeying to one day succeed Abbas, 81.