SINGAPORE, Dec 29, 2014 (AFP)- Oil prices rose in Asia Monday as fresh violence in Libya stoked concerns about possible supply disruptions, analysts said. West Texas Intermediate for February delivery rose 46 cents to $55.19 while Brent crude for February gained 35 cents to $59.80 in late-afternoon trade.Daniel Ang, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore, said investors are showing concern as the "armed conflict in Libya is affecting crude oil flows". Forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognised government on Sunday carried out air strikes against Islamist militia following attacks on the country's crucial Al-Sidra oil export terminal.
The Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) group has been been trying to take Al-Sidra and the nearby Ras Lanuf terminal since Thursday when it killed at least 22 soldiers in a surprise attack by speedboat.Seven oil storage tanks at Al-Sidra were set on fire as a result of the fighting.On Sunday firefighters managed to extinguish four of the fires, an oil official said.Since fresh clashes first erupted around the export terminals on December 13, Libya's oil production has dropped to fewer than 350,000 barrels per day compared with 800,000 previously, industry experts say.More than three years after dictator Moamer Kadhafi was toppled, Libya is awash with weapons and powerful militias, and has rival parliaments and governments.
DHAKA, Dec 29, 2014 (BSS)- At least six persons including a woman were killed and 10 others injured when a covered-van hit a train at Kamalapur Railway Station this afternoon.The accident took place around 1pm when a covered van rammed into Dhaka bound 219-Narayanganj local train after defying signal at Inland Container Terminal of Kamlapur Railway Station, officer-in-charge Abdul Majid of Dhaka Railway Police Station told BSS. Senior deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh Railway Abdul Matin filed an accident case with Railway Police Station in this connection, he also said. Two persons were killed on the spot while four others died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), hospital sources said while police claimed five persons were killed in the incident. Condition of four passengers out of 10, who are now undergoing treatment at DMCH, is stated to be critical, hospital sources said. Of the deceased, three were identified as Naim Islam, 16, a class ten student of Khoda Box Alia Madrasa under Bakerganj Upazila of Barisal district, son of Yunus Shikder, Mojibur Rahman, 50 and Alamgir Hossain, 45. All the deceased and injured are the passengers of the train, police and hospital sources said. 
A three-member committee headed by Dhaka divisional officer Nazmul Islam was formed to probe the incident. Two other members of the committee are: divisional engineer Mohiuddin Arif and divisional mechanical engineer (loco) Sadekur Rahman. The body has been asked to submit the probe report by three working days. After visiting the place of occurrence, Railways Minister Md Mazibul Hoque told newsmen that goods laden covered van hit a Dhaka bound 219-Narayanganj local train around 1pm. The covered van driver might have lost control over the steering or anything else and some injured passengers of the train are now undergoing treatment at hospital, he said. The train was badly damaged, he added.
AIBANDHA, Dec 29, 2014 (BSS) - President of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, MP, on Monday said no scope would be given to turn Bangladesh into a militant country despite conducting militancy by the anti liberation forces.
"BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia is always making conspiracy to go to power riding on the Islamic militants. All sorts of conspiracies and ill mechanism of Begum Zia to materialize her dream to go to power will be foiled with the united efforts of patriotic people", he said.Hasanul Haque Inu made the comments while addressing a district conference and council of JSD, district unit, on the premises of Shahid Minar of the town here at noon as the chief guest.Nazmul Haque Prodhan, MP, and Rezaul Karim Tansen, MP, were present as special guests.With acting president of district JSD Seliquzzaman Chowdhury Rubel in the chair, the function was also addressed, among others, by public relation secretary of JSD freedom fighter Shafiuddin Mollah, acting president of district AL Advocate Syed Shams-ul- Alam Hiru, general secretary Abu Bakar Siddique, workers' party leader Aminul Islam Golap, NAP leader Lutfar Rahman Ranzu, JSD leaders Shariful Islam Bablu, Golam Maruf Mona, Dr Akram Hossain, Advocate Sirajul Islam, Advocate TSA Alamgir and Khademul Islam Khudi. In the name of hartal and barricade, no destructive activities like terrorism and sabotage would be allowed in the country to foil its ongoing development process under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the minister said."The people of Bangladesh had boycotted Khaleda Zia and her allies for conducting militant and subversive activities in the country during her regime," he said, adding that the people would take initiative so that none could form government in the country in future taking the support of Razakars and the militants.He also urged Begum Zia to come to the healthy politics at the greater interest of the country shunning the path of violence and terrorism and leaving the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh which played anti liberation role in 1971.
JAKARTA, Dec 29, 2014 (BSS/AFP) - Multinational teams searched Monday for any sign of an AirAsia plane missing off Indonesia with 162 people on board, but one top official warned it was likely at the bottom of the sea.
Australia, Singapore and Malaysia deployed planes and ships to assist in the Indonesian search as anguished relatives waited for news of their loved ones more than a day after Flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java Sea.The Airbus A320-200 lost contact en route from Surabaya in Indonesia's east Java to Singapore on Sunday after the crew requested a change of flight plan due to stormy weather, in the third crisis for a Malaysian carrier this year."Based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea," National Search and Rescue Agency chief Bambang Soelistyo told journalists."That's the preliminary suspicion and it can develop based on the evaluation of the result of our search," he said.Currently search teams are scouring an area where the sea is 40-50 metres (130-160 feet) deep, he said, adding that Indonesia was coordinating with other countries to access any equipment needed to scour the seabed."Due to the lack of technology that we have, I have coordinated with our foreign minister so we will borrow from other countries which have offered. They are the UK, France and US," he said."It is not easy to look for something underwater... that will not break our spirit to continue searching, no way."- Hoping for news -Distraught relatives spent the night in Surabaya hoping for news of loved ones as international teams expanded their search area.Intan, 28, urged Indonesia to seek international help to find the plane which was carrying her brother and his family and friends."My hope is Indonesia seeks as much help as possible from other countries. Don't claim 'We have sophisticated technology', just ask other countries because they are better equipped," she told AFP."My prayer is I really, really hope that there will be news about the people on board. Whatever it is, what is important is we know where they are now," she said.
৪:২৩ AM
