Libya fears major showdown as military strongman eyes Tripoli
Khalifa Haftar, the military strongman who controls eastern Libya, announced on Thursday his forces were going to advance on the capital, Tripoli. Haftar commands the Libyan National Army (LNA) and is the predominant power holder in eastern Libya.
Libya currently has two power centres — one in the UN-backed government in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and the other in the eastern city of Tobruk, which is closely allied with Haftar’s LNA.
Haftar released a pre-recorded audio message on the official Facebook page of LNA’s media office in which he said, “We are coming Tripoli, we are coming.” Haftar also requested his forces in the message to not harm people who surrender.
Various armed groups have vowed to fight Haftar’s forces and defend Tripoli. It is being reported if LNA enters Tripoli and engages with other armed groups, Libya would be moving in the direction of another round of war.
Haftar’s declaration to capture Tripoli came as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited Tripoli pushing for a political solution as the way forward in Libya.
EU proposes to offer UK 12-month Brexit extension
Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, suggested giving the UK a 12-month extension to secure UK’s exit from the European Union (EU). The European Council is the key intergovernmental decision-making body of the EU.
The current Brexit deadline is scheduled for 12 April, and British Prime Minister Theresa May has already asked the EU for an extension. Both Tusk and May are aiming to devise a way, which rules out the scenario where the UK has to leave the EU without a deal.
As the UK is currently a part of EU’s single market, leaving without a deal would create a host of logistical issues for the country’s businesses and ports.
On the other hand, cross-party negotiations between May’s Conservative Party and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party are underway. After May failed to get a parliamentary approval for her Brexit bill, she reached out to Corbyn, asking for his support.
Trump hints at a delayed but ‘monumental’ trade deal with China
US President Donald Trump announced an official trade deal with China might still take four weeks. He further said there would be a summit between him and China’s President Xi Jinping, only if the two countries are able to finalize a trade deal.
Trump said the world should be expecting a “monumental” trade deal, which would finally put an end to the nine-month trade war between the US and China. His statement comes after his meeting with China’s Vice Premier Liu He.
Over the past nine months, the two countries have imposed duties of around $360 billion on each other’s goods. The trade war between the world’s two largest economic giants has adversely affected the global economy.
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