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Oil prices have fallen as a rebound in Libyan oil output weighs against upbeat economic data from Asia that point to strong energy demand from the region.

Benchmark Brent futures for June delivery lost US82 cents, or 0.44 per cent, to settle at $US53.09 a barrel. That, however, was up from Friday's close when May was still the front-month, making it the highest close for the contract in nearly four weeks.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, meanwhile, declined US37 cents, or 0.73 per cent to settle at $US50.23 per barrel.

Traders noted both US and Brent futures retreated in intraday trade after failing to rise much above their 100-day moving averages, a technical resistance level.

Libya's Sharara oil field, the country's largest, resumed production on Sunday after a week-long disruption. State-owned NOC lifted force majeure on loadings of Sharara crude on Monday, sources told Reuters.

The field was producing around 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) on Monday and about 220,000 bpd prior to the March 27 shutdown.

"The main development over the weekend is the restart of Sharara," managing director of PetroMatrix Olivier Jakob said.

Uncertainty about Libyan output added volatility to oil prices, he said, calling it "a swing factor that can make it move both ways if one looks at the balances for the second half of the year."

Also pressuring oil prices, energy services firm Baker Hughes said the US rig count rose last week, making the first quarter the strongest for rig additions since mid-2011.

Still, data from Asia suggested solid energy demand going forward.

Manufacturing data showed factories across much of Asia posted another month of solid growth in March. Purchasing managers' index (PMI) data from China showed its factories expanded for a ninth straight month.

"The global economy remains on track for continuing growth in 2017, a support for the demand side of the petroleum market," Tim Evans, Citi Futures' energy futures specialist, said in a note.

Last week, oil prices rallied for three days on reduced Libyan output and expectations that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers would extend production cuts beyond June.

But in a sign of investor caution, hedge funds and money managers have been cutting net long positions, data released by the Intercontinental Exchange and the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed.

"Excess speculative froth has been taken off the market in allowing fresh buying interest to be more impactful," said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Chicago-based energy advisory firm Ritterbusch & Associates.

Link:
Oil falls as Libya output recovery weighs - NEWS.com.au

Abdu Raheem with his mother Patricia Fitzpatrick: Raheem was shot in both legs in Libya

Abduraheem Duibi, an English teacher in Libya, was in a car with work colleagues when it was fired upon by local militia on Saturday, March 4th.

Mr Duibi is an Irish citizen who grew up in Dublin but moved with his family to Tripoli five years ago.

After the driver was shot, Mr Duibi ran away but was shot in both legs. Mr Duibi bled profusely on the ground for about 30 minutes before being brought to a local hospital for treatment.

Libyan hospitals are bereft of drugs and treatment options due to the instability in the country so Mr Duibis family transported him the next day across the border to Tunisia.

Surgeons in the hospital in Tunis operated to remove the bullets but his condition grew septic. His family was forced to buy his antibiotics due to the shortage of supplies in the hospital.

As his condition deteriorated, family and friends contacted the Departments consular services in Tunis and Dublin to seek help in having him medically evacuated. Officials told them it did not have a fund to pay for an air ambulance.

I talked to the consul in Tunisia, but she told me she could do nothing, said his father, Libyan businessman Khairi Duibi. I was shocked. If he were a German citizen, Im sure their government would have acted.

His mother, Patricia Fitzpatrick, said she was gobsmacked when the Department said it did not have a budget to help him get back to Ireland for treatment. You dont expect a thing like that to happen to your son. He was raised in Ireland, he worked in Dunnes Stores and paid taxes. We didnt have the money. Is a childs life not more important?

As he was medically unfit to travel by normal flight, friends began a crowdfunding campaign online to raise the 22,000 cost of an air ambulance transport.

With the air ambulance service insisting on payment in advance, 18 days were to pass before Mr Duibi was successfully brought to Ireland. He landed in Shannon, where an ambulance brought him to University Hospital Galway.

He was highly septic and about to die, and he had suffered an incredible amount of pain, said renowned vascular surgeon, Prof Sherif Sultan. You dont see the terror of war very often in Galway but the amount of psychological trauma suffered by this man was unbelievable.

The multidisciplinary medical team in Galway were forced to amputate Mr Duibis right foot to control the infection. Eventually, they succeeded in stabilising his condition and he is now recovering well.

Prof Sultan said the medical outcome would have been completely different if Mr Duibi had been medically evacuated from Tunis immediately. He would still have both legs today if that had happened.

Read this article:
Family of Irish citizen criticise Government after he was shot in Libya - Irish Times

A new batch of Gambian backway boys from Libya, are expected to arrive in Banjul today, the Freedom Newspaper can reveal. The stranded Gambians migrants are returning home voluntarily. They have sleeping slums during their stay in Libya. Some were imprisoned.

The Gambian government is facilitating the airlifting of the backway boys in Libya. The Ministry of Interior, has been playing a pivotal role in ensuring that the migrants are reunited with their families.

The plane carrying the Gambian migrants is expected to land at the airport this evening. Our reporter on the ground said plans are afoot to receive the migrants at the airport by their families.

In another development, the Director of Public Prosecution at the Ministry of Justice, has returned to his native country, Nigeria. Mr. Bakum, contributed towards the jailing of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe co. He was assigned to oversee the prosecution of Darboe and co. He has since left the country.

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Gambia: Another Batch Of Gambian Migrants From Libya Are Due To Arrive in Banjul Today; DPP Bakum Returns Home! - Freedom Newspaper

Abduraheem Duidi, from Crumlin, was shot in Tripoli and is receiving treatment at University Hospital Galway

A young Irish man who had a foot amputated after being shot in Libya has expressed his sadness at the Governments refusal to fund his medical evacuation from the region.

Abduraheem Duidi claims the Government was more concerned with saving on the cost of an air ambulance than with his life or the loss of his foot.

Mr Duidi, who grew up in Crumlin, Dublin, was shot in Tripoli on March 4th. The Department of Foreign Affairs, in accordance with its normal rules, refused to fund his medical evacuation. Almost three weeks passed before friends and family raised enough money to privately fund an air ambulance transport to Ireland.

Currently receiving treatment in University Hospital Galway, he is due to undergo a further operation on his surviving leg on Tuesday. He says he has been told he has a 20 per cent chance of losing it.

It is sad that you are Irish and there is no one from your Government to help you when something like this happens, Mr Duidi said, speaking to The Irish Times from his hospital bed. They told my parents we cant help you until you arrange the money. With them it was a problem with money, but they didnt see the risk of me losing my leg, or even my life.

Mr Duidi says he is still in enormous pain after being shot in both legs, and has suffered nightmares and depression.

On the morning of the attack, the 23-year-old English language teacher was in a car with a work colleague when they were stopped by a gang of armed men.

There were about 20 of them. One of them, out of his head on drugs, shot my friend, who was driving. Then he came running to me, he jumped on me, hit me and shot me in the legs.

At first I thought it was only the right leg. The only thing holding it on was skin. I felt all the blood coming out and I got real dizzy.

Mr Duidi pleaded with the men to take him to hospital, which they did after half an hour. However, no doctor was present. When his family arrived they found him another hospital where doctors performed emergency surgery. The following day he was taken to a hospital in Tunisia, where further operations were carried out.

Family and friends made contact with the Department in Dublin and Irelands consul in Tunisia, but were told there was no funding available for an air transport. Surgeons there recommended a double amputation but Mr Duidi declined in the hope of having his leg saved in Ireland.

He says he would have repaid any money the Department provided for transport. If I came to Ireland they would have got their money. That wasnt a problem. Yet the more it was delayed, the more I got infected.

When he got to Galway, the medical team had to amputate his right foot in order to stop the infection spreading to his vital organs. Vascular surgeon Prof Sherif Sultan says the outcome would have been completely different if Mr Duidi had been brought to him immediately after being shot.

Official advice on the Departments website advises people who need hospital treatment abroad to contact the nearest Irish embassy or consulate. The Department says it can contact family, help find English-speaking doctors and communicate with medical personnel, but it cannot pay hospital bills or other medical expenses.

Despite his traumatic experience over the past month, Mr Duidi is positive about the future. What happened, happened. I cant really change it. Ill put my artificial leg on and do my best to get back on my feet.

See the original post:
Irish man shot in Libya criticises Government's refusal to help - Irish Times

africanews

Southern Libya tribes sign peace deal after secret talks in Rome africanews A Libyan border guard will be operational to monitor the 5,000-kilometer borders of southern Libya, Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti told the newspaper La Stampa. Securing the border in southern Libya means securing the border in southern ... In Libya Italy brokers deal with locals to curb migrant influxPulse Nigeria Libyan southern clans reach peace agreement in ItalyLibyan Express all 13 news articles »

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Southern Libya tribes sign peace deal after secret talks in Rome - africanews