AP - Little work remained for shuttle Discovery's astronauts to complete aboard the international space station Tuesday before they closed the hatches between the two spacecraft in preparation for their return trip to Earth.

AP - Long-tailed macaque monkeys have a reputation for knowing how to find food — whether it be grabbing fruit from jungle trees or snatching a banana from a startled tourist.

AFP - Australian fashion and farming figures Tuesday hit back at animal rights activists' claims that wool production was cruel to sheep, saying bans on wool exports were misguided and hurting farmers.

AFP - Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide put the robotic arm of the Japanese Kibo module through its paces Monday before stowing it away, as the shuttle Discovery crew completed its mission at the International Space Station.

Reuters - A dam near the Wisconsin Dells resort area broke on Monday, sweeping away some homes, as torrential rains caused more flooding across parts of the U.S. Midwest, authorities said.

AP - First-century burial grounds near Rome's main airport are yielding a rare look into how ancient longshoremen and other manual workers did backbreaking jobs, archaeologists said Monday.

AP - Shuttle Discovery's astronauts wrapped up their few remaining chores at the international space station on Monday, flexing the robot arm belonging to the newly installed Japanese science lab and opening its attic.

AP - Scientists troubleshooting the Phoenix lander said Monday they will try one last shake to get a scoopful of Martian dirt inside a tiny oven in hopes of jump-starting their study of Mars' north pole region.

AFP - US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Monday that surging world crude oil prices were a "problem" and welcomed a call by oil-rich Saudi Arabia for talks with energy-hungry consumer nations.

AP - Elena Neralairen threw rocks at an aggressive Komodo dragon and scavenged for mussels on a remote Indonesian island where she and fellow divers were stranded for days after being swept away in treacherous currents.

AFP - More heavy storms were headed to the flood-ravaged US midwest Monday as the east coast wilted in a sweltering heat wave, the National Weather Service warned.