An order by the India's Supreme Court to halt limestone mining by Lafarge in the country's north-eastern state of Meghalaya may hit production at the French cement giant's $255 million state-of-the-art Bangladesh plant at Chhatak in Sunamganj district.

A three-judge bench of India's apex court headed by chief justice K G Balakrishnan passed the order to temporarily halt limestone mining by Lafarge Umiam Mining Private Limited (LUMPL) at Nongtrai in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.

Scientists say they have solved a crucial puzzle about the AIDS virus after 20 years of research and that their findings could lead to better treatments for HIV.

British and U.S. researchers said they had grown a crystal that enabled them to see the structure of an enzyme called integrase, which is found in retroviruses like HIV and is a target for some of the newest HIV medicines.

Sharmin Akhter Ratna secured Bangladesh's third gold medal in the SA Games on Tuesday after winning the 10m air rifle women's individual event at the National Shooting Range Complex, according to SA Games media press release.

She scored 499.4 out of 500 to clinch the gold medal. Her compatriot Syeda Sadia Sultana bagged silver with a score of 498.3 while Mampi Das of India finished with 496.9 to collect a bronze

A Dhaka court on Tuesday ordered Harkatul Jihad founder Sheikh Abdus Salam to be remanded for interrogation for eight days in connection with a terrorism case.

Dhaka additional chief metropolitam magistrate Abu Zafar Md Qamruzzaman granted the remand prayer at 12 noon.

The government has approved a project to give away more than 30 million energy saving bulbs countrywide, at a cost of Tk 279 crore, in a bid to save national power consumption.

A meeting of the Executive Committee for the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the 'Efficient Lighting Initiative for Bangladesh' project on Tuesday.

Former BNP state minister for home affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar has been shown arrested in the Kibria murder case.

Public prosecutor Akbar Hossain Jitu told journalists in Habiganj on Tuesday that Babar "confessed" in connection with the killing of former finance minister SAMS Kibria, while being interrogated in the August 21 grenade attack case.

A parliamentary watchdog has returned a bill, aimed at preventing harassment of journalists in defamation cases, to the law ministry for further clarification.

The parliamentary standing committee on law at a meeting Sunday night sought clarification from the ministry on the bill to revoke warrant orders against journalists and publishers.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said that absconding convicts in Bangabandhu murder case will be brought back and punished.

Her words sounded more like an ultimatum, coming just days after the five captured convicts of Bangabandhu murder case were executed.

The 11th South Asian Games, the greatest sports extravaganza of the region, got underway in Dhaka on Friday.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 12-day event after three and a half hours' opening ceremony at Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) at 4:45pm.

Toyota Motor Corp faced US Congress scrutiny over its biggest ever safety recall as rival Honda Motor Co, tipped to gain from Toyota's woes, also said it would recall thousands of cars worldwide.

Honda said it would recall a total of 646,000 units of its Fit/Jazz and City models, including 140,000 in the United States, because of a faulty window switch, after a child died when fire broke out in a car last year.

Main opposition BNP may join parliament next week ending a boycott since June last year. Opposition chief whip Jainal Abdin Farrouque dropped the hint at a press briefing at his Gulshan residence on Friday.

"BNP wants to return to parliament. A meeting of parliamentary party (of BNP) will be convened in one day or two. I hope a positive decision on joining the assembly will come out from the meeting," he told reporters.

Senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury has demanded trial for his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury's 'murder'.

He made the statement in a reaction to the execution of the five convicts found guilty of murdering founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at Chandpur circuit house on Friday.

The 11th South Asia Games, the greatest sports extravaganza of the region, gets underway in Bangladesh on Friday.

Nearly 1,800 athletes from eight countries are expected to take part in the Games dubbed 'The Olympics of South Asia'. They will compete in 23 disciplines, which offer 158 gold medals.

Chittagong Police imposed a Section 144 ban on public gatherings in the city's Riazuddin Bazar area on Thursday in a bid to control furious clashes between businessmen and hawkers that left 30 people, including 12 policemen, injured.

Police were forced to fire over 200 rubber bullets, throw teargas shells and charge with batons to disperse the rioters.

Dhaka metropolitan BNP leader and former MP Salahuddin Ahmed has been expelled from the party on charges of breaching discipline, a senior party leader said.

He was the cooperative affairs secretary of the newly formed central committee.

The five convicts executed for the murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been buried, and with them many feel, a dark chapter from Bangladesh's history.

The executions came swift on the heels of the Supreme Court's dismissal on Wednesday of the review petitions of the five detained convicts in the Mujib murder case, their last legal scope for deferral of the death sentences.

H M Ershad's dream of seeing Rangpur become a division has finally come true. It has been a long-cherished dream of the former military dictator, currently part of the Awami League-led ruling coalition as Jatiya Party chairman.

Originally from the district of Rangpur, Ershad had previously wanted to see it upgraded to higher administrative unit of division.

Iraq on Monday executed Ali Hassan al-Majeed, the Saddam Hussein henchman widely known as "Chemical Ali", for crimes against humanity, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said. "The death sentence against Ali Hassan al-Majeed has been carried out," Dabbagh said.

Majeed, a cousin of Saddam's who earned his nickname because of his use of poison gas, was executed by hanging, the government said in a statement.

Sam's Club, the warehouse club division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc is cutting roughly 11,200 jobs, or about 10 percent of its workforce, as it outsources in-store product demonstrations and eliminates positions used to recruit new business members.

Sam's Club Chief Executive Officer Brian Cornell said on Sunday that the retailer would outline charges associated with the job cuts in February, when it releases fourth-quarter results. He said he did not expect any "material impact" on its financial results.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday warned her party MPs against breaching laws, saying her government was trying to restore the rule of law.

Addressing the Awami League parliamentary party meeting, Hasina said the government's activities were focused on creating employment opportunities through enhanced economic activities.