Brett Lee, Australia's fourth-highest wicket-taker, has retired from Test cricket after admitting his body could no longer handle the demands of the five-day game. Lee has decided to focus on ODIs and Twenty20s as he aims to rejoin Australia's team and collect a second World Cup trophy in 2011., reports Cricinfo.

"I'm not 21, I'm 33," Lee told Seven on Tuesday.

Experts on Tuesday warned of rising inflation in wake of spiralling food prices, while the finance minister blamed "syndicates" for the continued hikes.

Unable to explain the recent rocketing price of rice, finance minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday blamed it on collusion of market players.

Eighty-four accused in BDR Pilkhana mutiny case were produced before the special court on Wednesday, the second day of the trial that began at Durbar Hall of the force's headquarters on Tuesday.

The court ordered giving copies of the charges to the accused before adjourning the proceedings till Apr 15 at around 11:45am after one-hour hearing.

Khagrachhari district town wore a deserted look on Wednesday following the imposition of an overnight curfew amid clashes between the indigenous and Bangali settler communities on Tuesday that left one person dead.

Residents did not come out of houses and shops and other establishments remained closed in the morning despite the end of the curfew.

Over two dozen of Islami Chhatra Shibir's top brass resigned en masse on Monday afternoon following secretary general Abdullah Al Mamun's resignation two days ago.

Mamun told bdnews24.com, "Twenty-five members of the central executive committee resigned late this (Monday) afternoon."

The word 'Zia' was removed from the name plaque 'Zia International Airport' on the terminal building of the airport on Monday at 8:30pm, airport directors said.

The name was removed following a government decision, they told bdnews24.com, preferring not to be named.

The Pilkhana mutiny trial began on Tuesday at Durbar Hall, almost a year to the day since border guards at the BDR's Dhaka headquarters took up arms against their officers, killing scores and holding their families hostage.

A special court began the proceedings at noon, at the very site of the bloody uprising.

Export and import through Benapole land port were halted on Saturday following a feud between two labour organisations at Petrapole port on the Indian side of the border.

Abdul Gafur, cargo superintendent of Benapole check post, told bdnews24.com on Saturday afternoon that no goods-laden trucks were able to cross the border since 6am.

People who are usually happy and enthusiastic are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend to be glum, scientists said on Thursday, and boosting positive emotions could help cut heart health risks.

US researchers said their observational study was the first to show an independent relationship between positive emotions and coronary heart disease, but stressed that more work was needed before any treatment recommendations could be made.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Saturday between the state-owned power operators of Bangladesh and India for cooperation in the power sector, an official said.

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) signed the agreement with National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) for assistance to set up a coal-fired power plant, develop human resources and in renovate old plants in Bangladesh, a BPDB official told bdnews24.com.

Local leaders say at least five indigenous villagers were killed as army opened fire during clashes at Baghaichhari in Rangamati hill district on Saturday.

Rangamati's deputy commissioner confirmed the death of one tribal by a bullet in the forehead. A senior local council leader named five who he said were shot dead, while a regional rights group also said the army had gunned down at least three tribals.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the first of two 120MW units at a new power plant in Sidhirganj on Sunday, but without any permanent solution to a critical gas shortage.

Project director Rahmat Ullah Ahmed told bdnews24.com on Saturday that although the unit was set to formally launch commercial production, a concrete long-term answer to the gas crisis is nowhere in sight.

Funds to tackle climate change must be easily available and free from burdensome conditions, officials, experts and climate activists stressed with one voice on Saturday, ahead of a key meeting of donors in Bangladesh.

Speakers at a day-long seminar on climate change funds also said that the mechanism to disburse these funds should be essentially controlled by the host government and not by foreign agencies.

Rajshahi University vice-chancellor M Abdus Sobhan on Saturday demanded "proper investigation" into the killing of an RU student during overnight clashes on Feb 8-9, blaming police for negligence and cheating the university administration.

A student was killed and scores were injured during the clashes between Bangladesh Chhatra League and Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Home minister Sahara Khatun has said the countrywide drive against violence would continue until the killers of the Rajshahi University student are arrested.

The home ministry last week ordered the law enforcers to hunt down Jamaat-Shibir cadres after the killing of a RU student.

Trying to quit smoking? So-called nicotine-free cigarettes may be as helpful as nicotine lozenges, hints a small study.

Smokers who used the nicotine-free cigarettes before quitting were as likely not to be smoking six weeks later as those who used nicotine lozenges, authors report in the journal Addiction. (Such cigarettes actually have a tiny amount of nicotine.)

Old tobacco smoke does more than simply make a room smell stale -- it can leave cancer-causing toxins behind, US researchers reported on Monday.

They found cancer-causing agents called tobacco-specific nitrosamines stick to a variety of surfaces, where they can get into dust or be picked up on the fingers.

The government Wednesday tabled a bill in parliament aimed at setting up an authority which will set standards for controversial genetically modified or GM foods in Bangladesh.

State minister for science Yeafesh Osman initiated the "National Institute of Biotechnology Bill-2010" amid absence of the main opposition BNP and its allies.

Two cases have been filed against hundreds of Shibir activists, while dozens have been detained, in connection with Tuesday's Rajshahi University violence that left one student dead and scores injured.

Of the total accused 64 have been identified and police have so far detained 45. Of them 34 are shown arrested, said Mrinal Kanti Roy, assistant commissioner of Rajshahi metropolitan Police.

Speaker Abdul Hamid has declared the Bhola-3 constituency void.

He made the announcement in parliament on Wednesday following a gazette notification from the Election Commission, which declared the seat of Awami League MP Mohammad Jashimuddin vacant on Sunday.