Britain has offered to host an international conference early next year to set a timetable for transferring security responsibilities to Afghan forces from 2010, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday.

The bloodiest year for British troops in Afghanistan has fuelled public opposition to the campaign, creating another headache for Brown as he tries to close a big gap on the opposition Conservatives ahead of an election due by June.

Grameenphone shares debuted on the country's twin bourses on Monday after a long wait but the prices were not as high as some shareholders had expected them.

Prices of the biggest-ever IPO in Bangladesh's history opened at Tk 160 on the Dhaka Stock Exchange, surged to Tk 195 at one point before ending on Tk 177.30.

Two new teams, four fielding substitutes instead of the lone 12th man, pink balls in practice matches and abolishing the Icon player status are some of the innovations which the Indian Premier League would embrace from its 2011 edition, reports PTI.

From next year onwards, IPL would also be played under the supervision of the ICC anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU), while players who skip the tournament despite not having any national assignment might have their contracts terminated, organisers of the event said in a statement.

Ratan Tata, who bought the Land Rover and Jaguar brands, and Rupert Murdoch and Carlos Slim, who bought or invested in US newspapers, said on Monday that they have no regrets with their purchases.

"No, it's been a very difficult time," said Ratan Tata, the head of Tata Motors Ltd, India's largest vehicle maker. Tata bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Co last year.

The High Court has ordered the government to report on progress of the committee formed to monitor the autonomy of government-run television and radio.

Deputy attorney general Nazrul Islam Talukdar told bdnews24.com the bench of justices Syed Rifaat Ahmed and Mainul Islam Chowdhury gave the order after hearing a petition filed by human-rights organisation Adhikar.

Finance minister AMA Muhith called for precautionary measures in the wake of a soaring foreign exchange reserve fearing it might trigger inflation. AMA Muhith urged the central bank to take necessary steps.

AMA Muhith was speaking at a programme hosted by Bangladesh Bank on Monday to celebrate Bangladesh's forex reserve topping the $10 billion mark this month.

Bangladesh Railway has proposed "the most convenient" route for rail transit to Nepal, ahead of the prime minister's India visit, top officials have said.

They said if Dhaka could strike deals with Delhi and Katmandu on Chilahati-Haldibari as the transit point, on the Bangladesh-India border, it would be most convenient for rail passage of goods to Nepal.

Australian surgeons have separated Bangladeshi conjoined twins Krishna and Trishna in a marathon operation at a hospital in Melbourne.

After more than 27 hours of surgery that began at 8:30am local time on Monday, plastic surgeons at the Royal Children's Hospital have separated the Bangladeshi girls, aged two years and 11 months.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina asked world leaders gathered in Rome on Monday, if trillions of dollars could be spent to save collapsing financial markets, why a similar duty was not felt to feed the world's hungry.

Hasina called on the leaders to adopt sustainable food policies, mobilise global funds and stressed the need for an equitable food governance system to fight world hunger.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina met with senior cabinet members Tuesday to identify strategic issues ahead of her visit to India next month.

The meeting at her office also raised specific projects, including new cross border rail and submarine cable links, to be placed before the Indian government.

The cabinet, in its weekly meeting Wednesday, is expected to finally approve a new pay scale for civil servants. The meeting began at around 11:15am at the prime minister's office.

Finance minister AMA Muhith hinted on Tuesday that civil servants were likely to get their November salary, ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, in line with the new pay scale.

Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserve crossed $10 billion, a new record, on Wednesday.

It stood at $10.3 billion on Wednesday with the addition of an Asian Development Bank loan, the Bangladesh Bank governor said.

Barack Obama this week makes his first trip to Asia as president, leaving behind a host of domestic problems with a visit that recognizes the region's economic and diplomatic importance to the United States.

The trip, which starts on Thursday, will take Obama to an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Singapore.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has sought the support of the European Union for rehabilitation of the refugees due to climate change.

There should be an independent fund at the United Nations to counter climate changes and it ought to be not mixed with the development funds, she told a five-member EU delegation team on Sunday.

A bicycle loaded with explosives killed five people and wounded 37 at a market in Mussayab, south of Baghdad, on Sunday and a bomb on a bus killed at least three more further south in Kerbala, police and health officials said.

The explosives in the first attack were stored in a water cooler attached to the bicycle, and women and children were among the dead and wounded, police said.

Parliament saw a bill tabled Sunday for amendments to the public procurement rules that includes disqualification of contractors if they quote more than 5 percent above or below the government's estimated costs for a domestic purchase of up to Tk 2 core.

Experts say contractors in many cases quote rates up to 30 percent less than government estimates to secure a lucrative public sector contract through the lowest bid.

Finance minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith told parliament Sunday that the government is looking to reintroduce a different kind of five year development plan than in the past, to replace the PRSP development model in two year's time.

In a parliamentary discussion on the revised Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, the minister said the new five year plan would be "indicative" rather than prescriptive.

England have arrived in South Africa for their two-and-a-half month tour with captain Andrew Strauss determined to build on his team's 2-1 victory in the Ashes during the summer, reports Cricinfo.

Strauss is especially keen for his team to stake its claim to the No 1 Test ranking, an honour that currently belongs to South Africa.

Tamim Iqbal scored a scintillating half-century as Bangladesh posted a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the third one-day international at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday.

The Bangladesh opener hit 80 off 72 balls as hosts reached 198-6 in 40.4 overs to go 2-1 ahead in the five-match series.

Winter vegetables have started coming to the kitchen markets in the capital and although the prices are a tad on the higher side, buyers are far from being turned off.

Cauliflower, cabbage, English spinach, red spinach, tomatoes, beans, radish, carrot, water gourd, arum, gourd spinach and potatoes were seen neatly stacked up by the sellers.