• The Latest: US Fires on 2 Iran-Flagged Oil Tankers
  • Starmer Says he Won't Quit After Losses
  • David Attenborough Turns 100
  • Rubio Presses Europe on Iran Action
  • 3 Australian Women Face Slavery and Terrorism Charges
US stocks rise to records after a solid jobs report

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks rose to records following the latest sign that the nation's job market is doing better than economists expected. The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% Friday to an all-time high after a report said employers added more jobs last month than expected, even though the war with Iran is raising fuel costs and uncertainty.

Today in History: May 8, Allies celebrate Nazi surrender in World War II

Today is Friday, May 8, the 128th day of 2026. There are 237 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 8, 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced in a radio address that Nazi Germany’s forces had surrendered, stating that “the flags of freedom fly all over Europe” on V-E (Victory in Europe) Day.

 

Russia's WWII victory celebrations are muted this year as Ukraine war weighs on Putin

Tensions are high as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday Saturday, with fears about security amid the war with Ukraine and signs of domestic discontent casting a shadow over annual celebrations in Moscow’s Red Square.

Trump's tariffs hit Toyota profit, though its global sales grew

TOKYO (AP) – Toyota’s profit fell 19% in the last fiscal year from a year earlier, as President Donald Trump’s tariffs bit into earnings at Japan’s top automaker. Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 3.85 trillion yen ($25 billion) profit for the fiscal year ended in March, down from nearly 4.8 trillion yen the previous fiscal year.

Japan's Sony reports declining profit but expects a record for this year

TOKYO (AP) – Japanese electronics and entertainment giant Sony Group Corp. reported a 3.4% drop in its annual profit but projected Friday a comeback to record profits for the current fiscal year.

US Employers Add Surprisingly Strong 115,000 jobs in April

WASHINGTON (AP) – America’s employers delivered a surprising 115,000 new jobs last month despite an economic shock from the Iran war. Hiring beat the 65,000 jobs forecasters had expected, though it decelerated from the 185,000 jobs created in March. The unemployment rate remained at a low 4.3%, the Labor Department reported Friday.

Rubio presses Europe on Iran action as he seeks to mend ties with Italy and Vatican

ROME (AP) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged European allies Friday to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action against Iran, even as he sought to repair strained ties with Italy and the Vatican during a two-day visit following tensions over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.

The Latest: US fires on 2 more Iran-flagged oil tankers trying to break blockade

U.S. Central Command said Friday that its forces have disabled two more Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade on Iran’s ports – the latest strain on the war’s shaky ceasefire. Hours earlier, the U.S. said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliated against Iranian military facilities.

Alarmed ASEAN leaders adopt crisis plan to mitigate backlash from Middle East war

CEBU, Philippines (AP) – Southeast Asian leaders adopted a contingency plan Friday to mitigate the impact of the Iran war on their people and economies but acknowledged it will be difficult to enforce complex steps like establishing a regional fuel reserve to ensure a steady supply.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – European leaders on Monday said President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany is just the latest signal that Europe must take more responsibility for its security.