TopNews

Johannesburg, Feb 07 - Former Australia paceman Brett Lee is hoping that the pitches during the World Cup would be their traditional Australian pitches with real bouncy and fast wickets, and has claimed that his country's bowling is very balanced for the tournament.

Speculations are rife that the Australian pitches for the February 14-March 29 tournament might be better suited to batting after a record number of runs were scored during India's recent four-Test series Down Under.

Washington, Feb 7 - A small satellite, named 'Twinkle,' is set to give radical new insights into the chemistry, formation and evolution of planets orbiting other stars.

A team of scientists and engineers from University College London (UCL) and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has announced plans for Twinkle's fast-track mission, which will be launched within four years, to unveil exoplanet atmospheres.

Lead scientist Giovanna Tinetti said that Twinkle is a very ambitious mission and nearly two thousand exoplanets, that is, planets orbiting stars other than our Sun, have been discovered to date, but they know very little about these alien worlds.

New Delhi: Taiwan-based electronic chip firm Media Tek's Chairman MK Tsai on Friday met Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and expressed keen interest in expanding presence in the country.

"Media Tek chairman (MK Tsai) shared his commitment to make technology more accessible for people. He was encouraged by the great market potential that India holds in the field of technology and high tech services. He share with the Minister that Media Tek is keen on expanding its presence in India," an official statement said.

Media Tek makes electronic chips that are used mostly in low-priced phones. It does not own any chip manufacturing facility but designs chips and gets product made from vendors.

Melbourne - Christchurch and Melbourne are set to host spectacular opening events for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 on February 12.

The Melbourne celebration will involve former and current World Cup players and legends, cultural and music performances from Jessica Mauboy, Tina Arena and Daryl and Nathaniel Braithwaite, a spectacular fireworks display and a yet to be revealed 'special moment'.

It will reflect the diversity and excitement of the 14 competing nations and include some icons in Australian entertainment, according to an ICC release.

Washington : President Barack Obama on Saturday said that even though violent extremism and an evolving terrorist threat raise a persistent risk of attacks on America, the country is now stronger and better positioned to safeguard its interest in an "insecure world".

"Today, the US is stronger and better positioned to seize the opportunities of a still new century and safeguard our interests against the risks of an insecure world," Obama told the Congress in a letter conveying his second National Security Strategy, which would drive his foreign policy and national security for the remaining of his nearly two years term.

Los Angeles - Amy Pascal is stepping down as co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment following the hacking crisis at the studio that saw the leak of several private emails.

Pascal's exit from the post was widely expected in the aftermath of the scandal that saw the studio facing a disabling cyberattack which was done to protest the release of 'The Interview', which mocks North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

She was the obvious target of the hackers, who leaked several embarrassing conversations between Pascal and producer Scott Rudin where they discussed President Barack Obama's assumed interest in movies starring black actors and made some unflattering comments about Angelina Jolie.