NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks rallied to the edge of their all-time high and crude oil prices eased. The S&P 500 rose 1.2% Tuesday, bringing the index within 0.2% of its record set in January. The Dow gained 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2%.

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) - The European Union's top foreign policy official on Friday urged North Macedonia to take "era-defining" decisions to advance its bid for EU membership.

BEIJING (AP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that the stability and certainty of China-Russia relations are particularly “precious” in the face of an international landscape intertwined with change and chaos.

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) - European Council President António Costa on Thursday called on North Macedonia to change its constitution to include the Bulgarian minority as a way for the country to continue its path toward full European Union membership.

TYRE, Lebanon (AP) – Israel pressed on with bombarding southern Lebanon on Wednesday, a day after historic talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington. Smoke rose over the coastal city of Tyre, underscoring the fragility of diplomatic efforts.

KOCANI, North Macedonia (AP) - Funeral services are being held Thursday across North Macedonia for dozens of victims of last weekend's devastating nightclub fire, as grieving communities gather for burials in several cities and towns throughout the country.

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

KOCANI, North Macedonia (AP) - After North Macedonia's deadliest tragedy in recent memory, with dozens dying in a nightclub inferno, the tiny Balkan nation is struggling to grapple with so many young lives lost while trying to hold those responsible to account and prevent another calamity.