Bdnews24.com

Demand for the release of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from prison will top the Awami League's agenda during dialogue with the government, acting AL president Zillur Rahman said Friday.

Briefing reporters at his Gulshan home, he said: "We won't let conspirators to go ahead with the polls while Sheikh Hasina will be excluded from the process."

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Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has sought Tk 7,000 crore from the government to finance oil imports for June-December, BPC chairman Anwarul Karim said Friday.

Karim told bdnews24.com that the corporation had sought the money to cope with a feared fund crunch during the period.

The government had approved Tk 1,000 crore on April 20 in loan for the troubled BPC to help meet its immediate crisis

A government delegation will visit shrimp farms and processing plants on May 15, based on a recent report by a US labour organisation, commerce adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said Friday, reports bdnews24.com.

In the report "The True Cost of Shrimp", the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations has alleged that Bangladesh shrimp industry uses child labourers and exploits women workers.

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The Board of Investment and officials of Tata Group are likely to discuss an investment proposal by the Indian business giant Sunday, a senior official said, reports bdnews24.com

"A meeting with Tata officials is scheduled for Sunday," BoI executive chairman Md Kamaluddin Ahmed told bdnews24.com Friday.

The price of New York crude oil surged past 125 dollars per barrel on Friday, lifted by speculative demand amid concerns about tight global energy supplies, analysts said, report agencies.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for June delivery, spiked as high as 125.98 dollars in early afternoon London trading.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has faith that Bolton will provide a stern test for Chelsea in Sunday's Premier League title decider, reports BBC.

If Bolton beat Chelsea then United will be champions, regardless of the outcome of their clash with Wigan.

Rooney fit for final

Sky Sports

Manchester United have been boosted by the news that Wayne Rooney will be fit for their UEFA Champions League final against Chelsea.

The England international has not featured for The Red Devils since equalising against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last month.

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BRISBANE, May 9 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Australia vice captain Michael Clarke will delay his departure for the tour of West Indies due to the failing health of his fiancee's father.

Cricket Australia (CA) announced on Friday that Clarke would join the Australian team at a later, as yet unspecified, date and that Brad Hodge would act as a temporary replacement.

New York auction

REUTERS, NEW YORK - Citigroup Inc, hard hit by the global credit crunch, is expected to present plans to sell roughly $400 billion of extraneous assets when it meets with investors and analysts on Friday, people familiar with the situation said.

Newly-installed Chief Executive Vikram Pandit, scrambling to slash Citi's costs and get past credit market problems, also intends to reaffirm his promise to cut annual expenses at the largest US bank by roughly 20 percent, one of the sources told Reuters on Thursday.

REUTERS, NEW YORK - The U.S. economic downturn has spread personal financial worries far and wide, but women are more worried about paying bills, losing jobs, providing for children and saving for retirement, according to a study released on Thursday.

The study comes as the U.S. economy has been mired in a half-year-long period of stagnation accompanied by a shrinking job market, rising energy prices and a downward spiral in consumer confidence.

REUTERS, MANILA - India said on Friday it may allow limited rice exports, a sign that a global supply crisis could start to ease, as Philippine traders held off purchases hoping for new crops soon from southeast Asia.

Despite that optimism, US rice prices surged almost 5 percent as prospects of reduced output in cyclone-devastated Myanmar and a larger-than-expected purchase of rice by Malaysia raised fresh supply concerns.

Potato may be a better choice

Bdnews24.com

The Appellate Division on Thursday cleared the way for the trial court to continue the proceedings of an extortion case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, filed by businessman Azam J Chowdhury.

In a verdict, the appeals court overturned an order by the High Court that had scrapped the case. The government had appealed the HC verdict.

Death toll may hit 100,000

Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed has said that the works of Rabindranath Tagore are a source of inspiration to build a society full of enlightenment and free of prejudices, reports bdnews24.com.

"Rabindranath is significant in the determination and expectations of our national life," the CA said Thursday in his speech to a programme marking the 147th birth anniversary of world poet Rabindranath Tagore at Osmani Memorial