AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she's excited about a landmark trip she will make to Libya on Friday, becoming the highest-ranking American official to visit the North African country in more than a half-century.

AP - The flagship of the U.S. Navy's Mediterranean fleet anchored outside the key Georgian port of Poti on Friday, bringing in tons of humanitarian aid to a port still partially occupied by hundreds of Russian troops.

AP - The real question in Pakistan's presidential election is not who the winner will be but whether the new leader will be any more successful than his predecessor in tackling extremism and economic malaise.

AP - Asian stock markets plunged Friday in the wake of a sell-off on Wall Street amid mounting concerns about a slumping U.S. economy and its impact on global growth. European shares also opened lower.

AP - Tony Blair toured a Palestinian aluminum factory and was told it runs at one-third capacity because of Israeli import restrictions. He promised he'll take it up with Israeli authorities.

AP - Tropical Storm Hanna was accelerating early Friday as it made its way toward the United States' southeast coast.

Reuters - Condoleezza Rice hailed as "historic" her trip to Libya later on Friday, the first by a U.S. secretary of state to the former pariah nation in 55 years and a visit aimed at erasing decades of enmity.

AFP - Flamboyant front-runner Taro Aso formally announced his bid to become Japan's next prime minister on Friday as younger rivals called for generational change in the ailing ruling party.

Reuters - Australia's 25th governor-general was sworn into office as the representative of Britain's Queen Elizabeth on Friday, with republicans holding out little hope that Australia will abolish the job any time soon.