Putin rejects Zelenskyy’s offer to meet, saying he sees ‘no point’ in it

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face-to-face meeting, saying he sees “no point” in it. Speaking Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin described Zelenskyy’s open letter a day earlier proposing the meeting as “boorish.” In earlier remarks at the investment forum, Putin said that by freezing Russian assets abroad, Western nations eroded trust in their own currencies. He alleged that soaring state debt had helped undermine global trust in Western institutions. The Russian leader said the world needed a “modern, flexible and responsible financial architecture — free from risks, bans and barriers.”

Senate OKs $70B immigration bill after rejecting efforts to permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies, sending it to the House. The Friday morning passage came after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill. Senators voted for the $70 billion legislation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the next three years, through the end of Trump’s term. The final vote came after Republicans narrowly defeated multiple attempts to add language to the bill that would permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund to compensate allies who believe they’ve been politically persecuted. The House is expected to take up the bill next week.

The US job market is strong but many Americans are still frustrated by prospects and rising prices

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a surprising 172,000 jobs in May as the labor market continued to show resilience in the face of rising costs from the Iran war. The Labor Department reported Friday that job growth was down slightly last month from a revised 179,000 in April. The unemployment rate stayed at a low 4.3%. The job market has been recovering this year from a miserable 2025, so far shrugging off higher energy prices and increased economic uncertainty since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

Lebanese leaders lash out at Iran and say their country should not be used as a ‘bargaining chip’

DIBBINE, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanon’s president and prime minister are criticizing Iran for rejecting the latest ceasefire deal between the Lebanese government and Israel. In separate remarks on Friday, they said their country should not be used by Tehran as a “bargaining chip” in its talks with Washington. The comments by the Lebanese leaders came as the Israeli military struck multiple parts of southern Lebanon and issued evacuation warnings for nine villages, including one that has sheltered thousands of people displaced by the three-month war. The strikes killed nine people in six locations in southern Lebanon, the state news agency reported.

A federal judge strikes down Trump administration immigration policy affecting 39 countries

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy enacted after the shooting of two National Guard members that made it harder for immigrants from dozens of countries to stay and enter the country. In a ruling harshly criticizing the administration, U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. said the policy “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo,” and he accused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of ignoring the law. The policies, enacted after the National Guard shooting last year, meant that immigrants from dozens of countries 39 have been “categorically barred” from receiving final decisions on, among other things, their asylum and work permits green card.

Trump’s troop reversals in Europe could cost millions and have left soldiers in limbo, officials say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is waiting for clarity from the Pentagon following President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth on troop levels in Europe. That’s upending the lives of military personnel and potentially costing taxpayers millions of dollars. That’s according to two U.S. defense officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. NATO allies were bewildered in May when Trump said he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number pulled out of Europe. U.S. Transportation Command says sending all the equipment to Europe for the canceled unit cost the military $32 million.

Virginia man gets life in prison for double murder scheme in affair with Brazilian au pair

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man who was having an affair with the family’s Brazilian au pair has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of his wife and a man who was lured to the couple’s home as a fall guy. Brendan Banfield claimed he shot Joseph Ryan after he came across Ryan attacking his wife on the morning of Feb. 24, 2023. But prosecutors said Brendan Banfield and the au pair set Ryan up in a scheme to get rid of Christine Banfield. During Friday’s sentencing hearing, the judge called Brendan Banfield’s actions evil and calculated. Some media have dubbed the case the “au pair affair.”

LAPD arrest girlfriend’s son in stabbing death of actor James Handy

Actor James Handy has been stabbed to death, and police have arrested the son of his girlfriend in the killing. Police say officers found the 81-year-old stabbed in the chest and unconscious outside his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday. They say Michael Gledhill told officers he’s the person they were looking for. The 44-year-old lives at home with his mother. Jail records did not show an attorney for him and messages left with the county public defender’s office were not immediately returned. Handy was a character actor in films and on TV for decades, including “Jumanji” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Actor Anthony Head, known for ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ has died at 72

LONDON (AP) — Actor Anthony Head, known for his roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Ted Lasso,” has died at 72. His family announced Friday that he passed away peacefully due to complications from pneumonia, surrounded by loved ones. Head first gained recognition in the 1980s on British TV as part of a romantic couple in Nescafe ads. He later achieved U.S. fame as Rupert Giles in the supernatural series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” which aired from 1997 to 2003.

Stocks slump as Big Tech sinks and a strong May jobs report boosts odds for higher interest rates

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are sinking on Wall Street as big technology companies lost ground and weighed down the broader market. Meanwhile, bond yields surged as a strong jobs report boosted expectations that the Federal Reserve will be forced to hike interest rates at some point this year. The S&P 500 fell 1.6% Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 373 points, or 0.7%. The Nasdaq composite fell 2.6%. Nvidia and Broadcom were among the heaviest weights on the market. The Labor Department reported that employers added 172,000 jobs in May, roughly double what forecasters had expected. Oil prices fell.