AP - Each April, weather wizard William Gray emerges from his burrow deep in the Rocky Mountains to offer his forecast for the six-month hurricane season that starts June 1. And the news media are there, breathlessly awaiting his every word.

AP - With a sunny sky as the perfect backdrop, astronauts climbed aboard space shuttle Discovery on Saturday for a late afternoon launch to the international space station.

AFP - An experiment to develop a salmonella vaccine aboard the US space shuttle Discovery could pave the way for a gush of commercial biotechnology research in space, NASA and biotech industry officials said Friday.

Reuters - Scientists are learning more about how zoo animals feel and how a toy or a little training can sometimes help cut the endless pacing and other repetitive behaviors that are often assumed to be signs of distress.

AFP - All systems were go early Saturday ahead of a launch of the US space shuttle Discovery that will carry the main unit of Japan's ambitious Kibo science lab to the International Space Station.

AP - The remnants of Tropical Storm Alma dumped rain on Honduras on Friday and led to the death of a child who was swept away by a swollen stream.

AP - Brazil's government agreed to release stunning photos of Amazon Indians firing arrows at an airplane so that the world can better understand the threats facing one of the few tribes still living in near-total isolation from civilization, officials said Friday.

AP - Scientists for the Phoenix Mars Lander are wrestling with an intermittent short circuit on the spacecraft.

AFP - British oil and gas giant BG Group said Friday that it was "surprised" after Australia's Origin Energy rejected its bid worth 13.6 billion Australian dollars (13 billion US dollars, 8.4 billion euros).

AFP - The US space shuttle Discovery is set to blast into outer space carrying spare toilet parts, a tiny Disney doll and a huge Japanese experimental laboratory, NASA said on Friday.

AP - The remnants of Tropical Storm Alma swept across Honduras on Friday, dumping rain and leaving roofless homes and flooded streets in its wake.

AP - With good weather in the offing and no bumps in the countdown, NASA pushed ahead with Saturday's planned launch of space shuttle Discovery on a delivery trip to the international space station.