North Macedonia plan to take tariffs off US goods

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) - North Macedonia announced plans Monday to abolish all import taxes on the United States in the hope of reaching a reciprocal zero-tariff deal with the Trump administration.

US stocks fall sharply as investors punish companies seen as losers from AI

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks fell sharply as the market punished companies seen as potential losers from artificial-intelligence technology. The S&P 500 sank 1.6% for its second-worst day since Thanksgiving, though it's still near its all-time high set late last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.3% and the Nasdaq composite lost 2%.

EU presses North Macedonia to make 'era-defining' decisions for membership

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.

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Morning Edition

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country’s future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation. NIS officials are closely monitoring whether Kim’s daughter will appear with him before the Workers’ Party Congress.

North Macedonia's EU membership stalled by Bulgaria

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.

US allies at NATO focus on Europe as the Trump administration steps back

BRUSSELS (AP) – European allies at NATO on Thursday brushed aside concerns that the United States has stepped back from its leadership role of the world’s biggest security organization, leaving them and Canada to do the lion’s share of defending Europe. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not attend Thursday’s gathering of defense ministers in Brussels.

A nation in mourning, North Macedonia holds mass funerals for young victims of nightclub fire

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.

Editorials from New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Deadly nightclub blaze leaves North Macedonia in grief and desperate for accountability

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.