Globe Trotting

graft cases: Zia appears before court

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Thursday appeared before a court here to record her statements in connection with two graft cases in which she is accused of misappropriating more than Taka 8 crore. 

Putin wants to make me minister: Italy’s ex-PM

Rome: Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to give former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi Russian citizenship and the job of Economy Minister, the disgraced Italian billionaire politician was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Kiwi bird genome sequenced

Berlin: Researchers have sequenced the genome of the endangered kiwi bird and identified several genetic changes that likely reflect the bird’s adaptation to nocturnal life. Researchers found several genes involved in colour vision to be inactivated and the diversity of odourant receptors to be higher than in other birds.

Soon, windows to control heat, sunlight

Washington: Researchers are developing new smart windows that could allow people to control the heat and sunlight entering their houses. New materials have been engineered that let windows to allow light without transferring heat and, conversely, to block light while allowing heat transmission, researchers said.

China to replace boots with ‘liberation shoes’

Beijing: After suffering smelly feat and foot-related diseases for over six-and-half-decades, China’s 2.3-million-strong armed forces, the world’s largest, will replace their old boots with new lighter ‘liberation shoes’ designed after careful research.

Half-naked ‘Spartans’ create stir, held

Beijing: A publicity stunt for a restaurant in which over a hundred half-naked foreigners dressed as Spartans delivered lunches for the office-goers went horribly wrong, with the police taking them into custody for “affecting public order”.