London, Mar. 25 : Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is aware about his challengers, but believes he can relax with the public pressure now off.

Speaking on the Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes Teamcast, the 24-year old said: "I feel less pressure this season. All my life I've had pressure from myself to be the best. I still have that- but I'm able to handle it better."

Swiss drug manufacturer Novartis AG made an open offer to purchase an additional equity stake of 39% in its Indian arm Novartis India Ltd. for a total value of up to Rs 440 crore.

The parent company would buy back the shares from public shareholders at INR351 a share.

After the successful completion of this offer, Novartis will hold 90% stake in the Indian arm from the current 50.9%.

Novartis AG made the offer at a premium of 27% to Novartis India’s closing price of Rs 275.6 on March 24.

Washington, Mar 25: Scientists at University at Buffalo (UB) have developed a nanoparticle that can silence a gene that triggers drug addiction.

Boffins in UB''s Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics and UB''s Department of Medicine have developed a stable nanoparticle that delivers short RNA molecules in the brain to "silence" or turn off a gene that plays a critical role in many kinds of drug addiction.

Islamabad, Mar. 25 : The Lashkar-e-Toiba is close to eclipsing Al Qaeda as the most feared terror group in Pakistan.

According to Sky News, Islamic extremism in Pakistan has taken on a new hue under the LeT.

The CIA is now warning that the LeT or the Army of the Pure has grown so powerful, so pan-national, that its brand of violence is just an e-ticket away from the West.

The LeT has never spoken publicly to western television, but now one of its commanders has gone so far as to refuse to acknowledge the influence of al Qaeda.

London, Mar 25 : Music mogul Simon Cowell had turned down US President Barack Obama's dinner invite - because he "wasn't available".

In an interview to US chat show host Jay Leno, the X-Factor judge revealed that he rejected a dinner invite Obama because he was too busy.

"He wanted to have dinner and our diaries didn't quite match," the Sun quoted him as saying.

"We just didn't quite connect," he added.