MOSCOW (AP) – President Vladimir Putin hosted leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Wednesday as Russia seeks to bolster business and other ties with the nations of the regional bloc.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senior U.S. officials dictated the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists Wednesday after days of secrecy, and Iran suggested that its deal with the United States could be signed by Presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian.

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip have killed 1,005 Palestinians since a ceasefire was reached between Israel and the militant group Hamas last October, the Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Most Americans believe civil liberties like the right to vote are under threat, according to a new AP-NORC poll, while also continuing to agree that the rights expressed in the nation’s founding documents are still core to American identity.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will leave the G7 summit on Wednesday without a formal meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump as the free-trade agreement between their countries faces an uncertain future.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The interim deal between the United States and Iran is supposed to usher in a two-month period that would address the most divisive issue between the longtime adversaries – Tehran’s nuclear program.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Germany and Poland signed a new defense agreement on Wednesday, putting aside their complicated past to strengthen European military cooperation amid heightened tensions with Russia and growing uncertainty over U.S. engagement in Europe.