Washington, Mar 6: A research team led by an Indian origin scientist has shed light on how stem cells turn into blood cells.

Stem cells are the building blocks of every organ and tissue in the body. They have a unique ability to become any type of cell in the body including bone, muscle and blood cells.

Dr. Mick Bhatia, director of the McMaster University Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute claim to have identified a particular cell pathway, known as the noncanonical Wnt that prompts stem cells to specialize and become blood cells.

Washington, March 6: NASA's Kepler mission is all set to take off on March 6 from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, in a mission that would to seek other Earth-like planets.

Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars in habitable zones - regions where water could pool on the surface of the planets.

Liquid water is believed to be essential for the formation of life.

Washington, Mar 6 : Cate Blancett has been named the best on-screen monarch for her portrayal of English royal Elizabeth I, in a new poll.

The Oscar-winner topped the lovefilm. com survey, held to mark the release of The Young Victoria.

Blanchett narrowly defeated Dame Helen Mirren, who played the role of Elizabeth II in `The Queen', and landed the second spot in the poll.

Standing at the third position in the survey was Sean Connery for his cameo as King Richard in 1991''s `Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'.

Washington, Mar 6 : Oprah Winfrey has decided on a name for her latest pet cocker spaniel-Sadie.

Winfrey and long-time partner Stedman Graham adopted the dog on March 1 at the PAWS shelter on Clybourn.

The talk show queen's beloved cocker spaniel Sophie died last March, and she still owns another dog of that same breed named Solomon.

And now, she has revealed that she's settled on ``Sadie'' as the name for the new canine addition to her household.

Washington, Mar. 6: As he introduced his new choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services this week, President Obama turned his head from right to left, but he was not looking at the audience. He was reading from two teleprompters strategically set up outside the tight television camera shot.

When he was done, the teleprompters quietly began retracting down to the floor. As she stepped forward to make her remarks, the nominee, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, seemed momentarily surprised.

Washington, Mar 6 : Sydney Chaplin, the Tony Award-winning son of film legend Charlie Chaplin, has died at his home in California. He was 82.

Sydney, who once starred on Broadway opposite Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, passed away on Tuesday at his Rancho Mirage home after a long struggle with a stroke.

The young Chaplin appeared in two of his father''s films, Limelight and The Countess From Hong Kong, reports Contactmusic.

He won a Tony for musical Bells Are Ringing in the mid-1950s.