LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood studios are counting on actor Robert Downey Jr. and his big-screen incarnation as “Iron Man” to blast them out of a box office slump as the lucrative summer movie season opens this weekend.

The latest Marvel comics adventure is expected to gross $60 million to $80 million or more during its initial Friday-through-Sunday run in North American theaters, experts said, buoyed by heavy promotion and largely favorable reviews. click here for feature

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Finish Line Inc (FINL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and shoe company Nike Inc (NKE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) have teamed up in a new back-to- school marketing campaign designed to sell Nike+ running shoes and boost the soft U.S. retail market for athletic shoes.click here for full story

By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - An unmanned Delta rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station early on Saturday, sending a water-analyzing science probe on its way to Mars.

The Phoenix spacecraft, which lifted off at 5:26 a.m., is expected to reach the northern polar region of Mars on May 25.click here for more info