AFP - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Friday faced a parliamentary crisis after falling out in spectacular style with his one-time ally, lower house speaker Gianfranco Fini.

AP - Firefighters plan an aggressive air attack at first light Friday against a fast-moving wildfire that exploded in northern Los Angeles County, chewing through more than 7 square miles of dry brush, forcing hundreds of evacuations and burning at least three structures.

AP - Three U.S. service members were killed in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the toll for July to at least 63 and making it the deadliest month for American forces in the nearly 9-year-war.

AP - If some of Chelsea Clinton's wedding guests want to make a weekend of it in Rhinebeck, there's a stage production of "The Rocky Horror Show" on the boards Saturday night and Sunday.

AFP - Investigators spent a third day searching Friday for the black box of a Pakistani jet that crashed into Islamabad's hills, killing all 152 people on board, officials said.

AP - A brush fire swept over more than 7 square miles, prompted evacuations and burned structures in rural Los Angeles County Thursday as water-dropping helicopters and crews scrambled to get ahead of the blaze.

AP - The already fragile economic recovery may be getting weaker.

Reuters - Economic growth likely slowed in the second quarter as a capital investment drive by businesses was sated by imports and consumer spending tapered off, a government report is expected to show on Friday.