AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice headed for Georgia on Friday in a show of support for its pro-western government as it struggled to regain control of much of the country from Russian troops after a ceasefire.

Reuters - U.S. inflation hit a 17-year high last month, underscoring the pressure on Americans who face soaring gasoline and food costs while their job prospects dim and incomes shrink.

Reuters - American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp , knowingly flew planes that needed safety repairs, the U.S. government charged on Thursday in a letter that proposed a $7.1 million fine against the carrier.

Reuters - Thousands of protesters are expected to jam the streets of Denver and St. Paul at the Republican and Democratic conventions in a noisy counterpoint to the parties' carefully scripted speeches.

Reuters - Barack Obama's presidential campaign said on Thursday a potential hike in payroll taxes for wealthy Americans under an Obama administration would not occur for 10 years while taxes on dividends and capital gains would be capped at 20 percent.

Reuters - A Thai court sentenced Canadian "swirly face" pedophile Christopher Neil to 39 months in prison on Friday for abducting and molesting a 14-year-old boy and posting pornographic pictures on the Internet.

Reuters - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is ready to resign rather than face impeachment but is seeking immunity from prosecution for imposing emergency rule, a coalition government official said on Friday.

Reuters - Russian troops remain deep inside Georgian territory on Friday, hours before U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives to secure Tbilisi's signature to a peace deal with Moscow.

Reuters - Michael Phelps scorched to his sixth gold and his sixth world record of the Beijing Olympics on Friday in a great morning for the United States in the pool and the gymnastics arena.

AP - Donald Trump will soon be Ed McMahon's landlord.

AP - Times are tough for the Nebraska man who once weighed more than 1,000 pounds, but Patrick Deuel says he's trying to keep a positive outlook.

AP - Talks are under way that could lead to the resignation of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf or else reduce his role to that of a figurehead, an ally of the embattled leader said Friday.

AP - No runner-up finish to her friend and rival this time. Nastia Liukin won the biggest prize of all.

AP - Michael Phelps collected the sixth gold medal and stuffed it in his warmup jacket. No time to even savor that one as he rushed off to swim again.