KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – When landlocked Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan started fighting late last year and their border crossings closed, Afghans turned to their western neighbor, Iran, for an alternate to Pakistan’s major shipping hub of Karachi.

CAIRO (AP) – The United States and Iran appear to be closing in on a deal to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that negotiations are “proceeding nicely,” while reiterating his warning that fighting would resume if no deal is reached.

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Today is Monday, May 25, the 145th day of 2026. There are 220 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a Black man, was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and pleading he couldn’t breathe.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to India has helped pave the way for a complete reset of Canada-India relations, India’s trade minister said Monday. The ties were strained under Carney’s predecessor in the wake of the 2023 killing of a Sikh activist in Canada.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) – Voters in Texas will see little of the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate on Monday. But that’s only if they stay away from screens.

ANGELES, Philippines (AP) – Rescuers pulled out three people Monday from an immense pile of rubble that was all that remained of a nine-story hotel which collapsed while under construction in a northern Philippine city, bringing the death toll to four with 17 others still missing, officials said.

BEIJING (AP) – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic deepened ties with China on Monday during a trip to Beijing as he faced pressure at home from anti-government protests in his Balkan country, including a major rally that prompted clashes over the weekend.