Trump says US military strike killed leader of Tren de Aragua gang with help from Venezuela

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says a “swift and lethal kinetic” U.S. strike has killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, whom he called “the infamous leader” of the Tren de Aragua gang. Tren de Aragua has been labeled by the United States as a terrorist organization. Guerrero Flores has been charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other crimes, including lending support to terrorists in crimes that stretched more than a decade, authorities announced in December. Trump wrote on his social media site Friday that “Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else."

SpaceX stock soars in debut and makes Elon Musk the first trillionaire

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of SpaceX soared 19% in their Wall Street debut, making the rocket maker’s founder and CEO Elon Musk the first-ever trillionaire. The shares opened at $150 and finished Friday slightly below $161. That price gave the company a market value of around $2.1 trillion. Forbes estimates that Musk, who is also a major shareholder in Tesla, is now worth $1.1 trillion. Musk says SpaceX is going public because it needs money to fund its ambitions of putting satellites and data centers in space and eventually establishing a colony of people on Mars. The $75 billion in proceeds from the IPO tops the previous high of $26 billion for Saudi Aramco's IPO in 2019.

US and Iran have agreed to wording of a deal to end their war, Pakistan's prime minister says

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's prime minister says the United State and Iran have agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a social media post Friday that mediators are working with both sides to finalize a deal. He wrote: “Peace has never been this close.” Iran's foreign minister said both sides are working toward an initial agreement to end the war. He said terms dealing with Iran's nuclear program and other issues will be finalized during the following 60-day period.

Iranians endure war fatigue and soaring prices as conflict deepens domestic woes

CAIRO (AP) — Iranians are living between confusion and exhaustion as the country and its economy are squeezed between war and multiplying crises at home. Strikes on steel and petrochemical industries and energy infrastructure earlier in the war spurred a wave of business closures and job losses in Iran, where people now struggle to afford everyday groceries in the face of triple-digit food inflation. Many business owners are struggling to survive. The cratering economy and the threat of more war have left many people desperate for an end to the turmoil and deeply anxious about the future.

Trump's name poised to be removed from Kennedy Center after court denies last-minute move to keep it

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center is running out of options to keep President Donald Trump’s name on the facade of the iconic performing arts venue. A judge had rejected a request to pause a court-ordered deadline of Friday to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the Kennedy Center’s operations. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening. Scaffolding was erected earlier in the day around a section of the building that includes Trump’s name. After a round of storms passed Friday evening, multiple workers were back at the scene.