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Tennis: Azarenka upsets Kerber, faces Muguruza in Monterrey final

Tennis: Miami Open
FILE PHOTO: Mar 21, 2019; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Victoria Azarenka of Belarus hits a forehand against Caroline Garcia of France (not pictured) in the second round of the Miami Open at Miami Open Tennis Complex. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

April 7, 2019

(Reuters) – Victoria Azarenka used her superior serving and punishing groundstrokes to upset top seed Angelique Kerber 6-4 4-6 6-1 and advance to Sunday’s final of the Monterrey Open against Garbine Muguruza.

In a battle of former world number ones the momentum shifted in the Belarusian’s favor early in the third set when Kerber committed two double faults in a careless service game to hand Azarenka a 2-0 lead.

Azarenka seized the opportunity, consolidating the break in the next game before cruising to the finish line to reach her first final in more than three years.

“I’m very pleased with how I played today,” she said in an on-court interview on a warm night in northern Mexico.

“It was an important match and to see how I can do under pressure against a top player,” she said.

“I haven’t won many of those in the last couple years so it’s good that I’m able to turn it around and pick up my level.”

Earlier, second seed Muguruza eased past Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2 6-3 to book her ticket to the final.

Azarenka came out the victor in her only previous meeting with Spaniard Muguruza, a hard-fought 7-6(6) 7-6(4) win on the hard courts in Miami in 2016.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

Source: OANN

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Airbus proposes Rene Obermann as next chairman from 2020

FILE PHOTO: Deutsche Telekom CEO Obermann attends news conference to present a joint initiative for encrypted email with United Internet in Berlin
FILE PHOTO: Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann attends a news conference to present a joint initiative for encrypted email with United Internet in Berlin August 9, 2013. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

April 10, 2019

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – European planemaker Airbus said it would propose former Deutsche Telekom chief Rene Obermann as its next chairman starting from 2020, completing the shift to what current chairman Denis Ranque called a “new generation of management”.

Obermann was chief executive of Deutsche Telekom from 2006 to 2013. He is currently a managing director of private equity investor Warburg Pincus and had been seen in Berlin as the favorite of the German government for the post.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)

Source: OANN

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President Trump: 'I don't want immigrants that will be dependent on welfare'

President Trump said in an interview released Monday that he does not want any immigrants to come to the United States who would be on welfare.

“I don’t want to have anyone coming in that’s on welfare,” Trump told Breitbart News.

“We owe a lot of money. We’re taking care of everybody in the world’s military. But now as you know I got over $100 billion from NATO countries," Trump said in the interview. "But that’s not enough, that’s not enough, we’re paying for massive portions of NATO."

[The Democrats will] take anybody into this country and we’re not allowing it.

— President Trump

Trump's comments came in response to questions citing a report by the Center for Immigration Studies that said "63 percent of households headed by a non-citizen reported that they used at least one welfare program" in 2014. However, some critics have challenged the numbers. The think tank describes itself as an "independent, non-partisan, non-profit, research organization" and has the slogan "low-immigration, pro-immigrant."

TRUMP RELEASES BUDGET SEEKING BILLIONS FOR BORDER WALL

Trump accused politicians and Democrats of being weak or having vested interests in allowing immigrants needing welfare assistance to come into the country.

“We have a problem, because we have politicians that are not strong, or they have bad intentions, or they want to get votes, because they think if they come in they’re going to vote Democrat, you know, for the most part," Trump said.

Speaking about the Democrats, he added, “They’ll take anybody into this country and we’re not allowing it, but because of the success of the country economically, some people say—I blame myself, but that’s a good blame not a bad blame—but because of the country’s success and you need workers here.”

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He continued: “You do need workers. You have homes in Houston, and they can’t get people to build the homes—and lots of other places. But because of what’s happened, and because of the people coming up, they want them to come in and they don’t care how they come in.”

The president concluded: “I don’t like the idea of people coming in and going on welfare for 50 years, and that’s what they want to be able to do—and it’s no good.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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Sri Lanka Muslims brave militant threats for Friday prayers

At 12:10 p.m. Friday, men and boys in a Muslim neighborhood in Sri Lanka's capital did something everyone had warned them not to do: They came together to pray.

Hundreds gathered at the Masjidus Salam Jumma mosque for their communal Friday prayers, one of many mosques that conducted services despite warnings of more bomb attacks by Islamic State-claimed militants.

And while praying through tears to Allah to help their fellow countrymen, all stressed one thing. The Easter attacks targeting churches and hotels that killed at least 250 people came from people who didn't truly believe the teachings of Islam.

They are "not Muslims. This is not Islam. This is an animal," said Akurana Muhandramlage Jamaldeen Mohamed Jayfer, the chairman of the mosque. "We don't have a word (strong enough) to curse them."

Up until the call to prayer echoed through Colombo's Maligawatta neighborhood at noon, it wasn't certain the community would be able to pray. On Thursday, the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka issued a stark warning over Twitter that places of worship could be targeted by militants through the weekend. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also told The Associated Press he feared some of the suspects "may go out for a suicide attack" and local authorities urged Muslims to pray at home.

But Friday prayers hold a special importance to Muslims as the Quran has its own chapter on the worship called "Al-Jumah," or Friday in Arabic.

"When the call is made for prayer on Friday, hurry toward the remembrance of Allah, and leave all business," the Quran commands.

For Muslims, Friday prayers means dressing in their nicest clothes and communing with others, often sharing a meal after listening to the imam and praying.

The day carries the same significance for Muslims in Sri Lanka, where Arab traders brought Islam in the 7th century. Today, nearly 10% of Sri Lanka's 21 million people are Muslim.

In the hours before, community leaders decided that women should stay home for the prayers because of the threat. It remained unclear if they would hold the prayers, even as young men stopped in the mosque for a moment of quiet prayer, their sweat dripping from their brows as they bowed down on the purple-and-gray carpeting.

"Everyone is nervous," said Abdullah Mohammed, 48. "Not just the Muslims. Buddhists, Christians, Hindus — everybody's nervous."

But as the time drew closer, they decided to hold them. Sri Lankan police officers armed with Kalashnikov rifles stood guard around the mosque, blocking the street. Organizers posted young volunteers to watch surrounding streets above the mosque, near a major cricket stadium.

Inside the mosque, a young man worked on its internal security cameras, one hanging above wooden carvings of Arabic calligraphy and copies of the Quran. Jayfer said they had been installed two years earlier, but they needed repair "given what's happening."

When the electronic clock struck 12:10 p.m., a caller got on the loudspeaker, saying "Allah akbar," or God is great. Men and boys quickly filled two floors of the mosque and part of a third as Imam Mohamed Imran stood before them on the minbar, the pulpit from which he preached.

In English and later Tamil, Imran reminded the congregation they remain a minority in Sri Lanka, that they need to pray and ask for God's help.

As the sermon ended, he offered a prayer, growing emotional as he asked for God for help. Several men in the congregation cried.

Then they bowed toward Mecca and its cube-shaped Kaaba, finishing their prayers and walking safely out of the mosque into the street below. A new sign in Sinhala hung by the mosque outside offered condolences, saying that just because the attackers had Arab names didn't make them Muslims.

"It is our country. We are Sri Lankans," Jayfer said. All "Sri Lankans have a duty to be calm and quiet. (There) has to be peace."

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap

Source: Fox News World

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Media ‘vilify’ border agents and ‘romanticize’ illegal immigrants, says National Border Patrol Council President

National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said on “Fox and Friends” Thursday morning that the media “vilify” border patrol agents while they “romanticize” migrants coming to the U.S. illegally.

“It's so frustrating and disappointing to see that border patrol agents are vilified for strictly enforcing the laws that Congress put in place,” Judd said, in response to a question whether border patrol agents are becoming more mindful of their enforcement amid the criticism from the media.

“We're trying to protect the American public. Yet, they romanticize those people crossing the border illegally and vilify the good guys that are trying to do the job for the American public.”

We're trying to protect the American public. Yet, they romanticize those people crossing the border illegally and vilify the good guys that are trying to do the job for the American public.”

— National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd

OBAMA'S BORDER CHIEF WARNS CONGRESS: IMMIGRATION CRISIS 'AT A MAGNITUDE NEVER SEEN IN MODERN TIMES'

Judd also welcomed President Trump’s suggestion of bringing additional troops to the existing 6,000 at the border to deal with the crisis, saying the border patrol doesn’t have enough resources to deal with the surge in illegal border crossings.

“What we are looking at is all of our resources being pulled from the field as the [Chief Patrol Agent Rodolfo Karisch] testified that we just don't have the resources in the field to deal with the numbers of people that are crossing the border,” he said.

“What we are looking at is all of our resources being pulled from the field as the [Chief Patrol Agent Rodolfo Karisch] testified that we just don't have the resources in the field to deal with the numbers of people that are crossing the border.”

— Brandon Judd

“And what we have to look at is the number of people that are actually getting away, evading apprehension. Texas Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz from the same sector said within this fiscal year alone, we have 25,000 people that were able to evade apprehension.

“Those are people we do not know what their purpose for coming into the United States are. We don't know where they are from. That's a very dangerous situation and dynamic we are setting up,” he added.

BORDER PATROL OFFICIAL: CARAVAN-SIZE INFLUX OF MIGRANTS ARRIVING EVERY WEEK IN RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Karisch testified before Congress earlier this week, claiming that a caravan-size influx of migrants is flooding across the border each week in just a single sector.

“Much media attention has focused on caravans coming across from Central America,” he said at a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing. “But the fact is that RGV is receiving caravan-equivalent numbers every seven days.”

Karisch said his sector has apprehended people from 50 different countries, including China, Bangladesh, Turkey, Egypt and Romania. “People are traveling across hemispheres to attempt to illegally enter the U.S., using the same pathways as the Central Americans,” he said.

The National Border Patrol Council President also said the leadership changes in the administration, particularly the resignation of Kirstjen Nielsen, is for the better.

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“It's absolutely for the better. If you look at Secretary Nielsen, she is second to none in cybersecurity. That's where her expertise lies. Unfortunately, she did not have that experience in border security,” he said.

“So we elevated the commissioner of customs and border protection who had a career at CBP to face the problems that the DHS is looking at in the face right now and that is border security.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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Oil prices rise, adding to biggest quarterly gain in 10 years

FILE PHOTO: A view of Equinor's oil platform in Johan Sverdrup oilfield in the North Sea
FILE PHOTO: A view of Equinor's oil platform in Johan Sverdrup oilfield in the North Sea, Norway August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nerijus Adomaitis/File Photo

April 1, 2019

TOKYO (Reuters) – Oil prices rose on Monday, adding to gains in the first quarter when the major benchmarks posted their biggest increases in nearly a decade, as concerns about supplies outweigh fears of a slowing global economy.

Brent crude for June delivery was up by 34 cents, or 0.5 percent, at $67.92 a barrel by 0055 GMT, having risen 27 percent in the first quarter.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 30 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $60.44 barrel, after posting a rise of 32 percent in the January-March period.

U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela along with supply cuts by members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other major producers have helped support prices this year, overshadowing concerns about global growth and the U.S.-China trade war.

Sigal Mandelker, U.S. under-secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, told reporters in Singapore on Friday that the United States had placed further “intense pressure” on Iran.

U.S. officials are keen to ensure see that Malaysia, Singapore and others are fully aware of illicit Iranian oil shipments and the tactics Iran uses to evade sanctions, Mandelker said.

The U.S. has also instructed oil trading houses and refiners to further cut dealings with Venezuela or face sanctions themselves, even if the trades are not prohibited by published U.S. sanctions, three sources familiar with the matter said.

A deal between OPEC and allies such as Russia to cut output by around 1.2 million barrels per day, which officially started in January, has also supported prices.

U.S. production has also steadied since mid-February. The U.S. government reported on Friday that domestic output in the world’s top crude producer edged lower in January to 11.9 million bpd.

U.S. energy firms last week reduced the number of oil rigs operating to the lowest level in nearly a year, cutting the most rigs in a quarter in three years, Baker Hughes energy services firm said. [RIG/U]

Hedge funds and other money managers raised their net long U.S. crude futures and options positions to 243,209 in the week to March 26, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said.

(Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick; editing by Richard Pullin)

Source: OANN

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Ahold says on course to meet U.S. online sales growth targets

The Ahold Delhaize logo is seen at the company's headquarters in Zaandam
The Ahold Delhaize logo is seen at the company's headquarters in Zaandam, Netherlands August 23, 2018. Picture taken August 23, 2018. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

February 27, 2019

By Anthony Deutsch

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Ahold Delhaize, which operates supermarkets in Europe and the United States, is on track to meet a 20 percent U.S. online sales growth target this year as it opens automated grocery distribution points along the East Coast, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

Frans Muller, promoted to the top job last July, said in an interview that Ahold, which makes roughly two-thirds of its sales in the United States, plans to open several more of the automated hubs in 2019.

The comments came after Ahold said on Wednesday that group net consumer online sales rose 25 percent to 1.1 billion euros in the fourth quarter at constant exchange rates.

In the Netherlands, where it also operates the non-food Bol.com retailer, Ahold saw strong online sales growth of 28 percent. In the U.S., online sales rose 12 percent at constant exchange rates to 203 million euros in the three months through Dec. 31.

Overall, Ahold said its core earnings rose 9.5 percent in the fourth quarter, bolstered by strong online sales growth, meeting market expectations.

Muller has said the company hopes to make acquisitions to meet targets of 20 percent online U.S. sales growth in 2019 and 30 percent in 2020.

“We are on track for 2019 to make our 20 percent. That’s all planned for and I am excited about reaching 30 percent,” Muller told Reuters. “I think the market is there.”

Speaking about acquisitions, Muller said, “we see more opportunities in the U.S. The market is consolidating. We have a strong base and strong brands along the East Coast.”

In November, Ahold announced plans to roll out small, automated warehouses to increase order picking and cut delivery times, part of a revamp of its ecommerce business to help fight competitors like Kroger, Walmart and Amazon.

Muller said several new centers will be opened this year, with a higher number in 2020, but gave no specific number.

Ahold’s underlying income increased to 691 million euros ($786 million) in the three months through Dec. 31, in line with forecasts. Ahold shares slipped 1.8 percent by 0835 GMT.

Ahold, which operates the ‘Stop & Shop’ and ‘Food Lion’ chains in the United States, confirmed its 2019 target of 750 million euros in gross synergies from the merger with Delhaize.

(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Keith Weir)

Source: OANN

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Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas
Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero

April 26, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s foreign minister and a Venezuelan judge, according to a statement on the department’s website.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and a judge, Carol Padilla, were targeted over the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, the Treasury Department said, the latest in a list of officials blacklisted by U.S. authorities for their role in President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of
Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of “Avengers: Endgame” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake

April 26, 2019

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Marvel Studios superhero spectacle “Avengers: Endgame” hauled in a record $60 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices during its Thursday night debut, distributor Walt Disney Co said.

Global ticket sales for the film about Iron Man, Hulk and other popular characters reached $305 million for the first two days, Disney said.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Funeral of journalist Lyra McKee in Belfast
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attends the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland April 24, 2019. Brian Lawless/Pool via REUTERS

April 26, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Friday he had turned down an invitation to a state dinner which will be part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Britain in June.

“Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honor a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric,” Corbyn said in a statement.

He said maintaining the relationship with the United States did not require “the pomp and ceremony of a state visit” and he said he would welcome a meeting with Trump “to discuss all matters of interest.”

(Reporting by Andy Bruce; Writing by William Schomberg)

Source: OANN

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A bedridden 67-year-old woman and more than a dozen animals were rescued Thursday after a welfare check found that they were living in a home filled with trash, urine, and feces, Florida police said.

Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies said when they arrived at the home in Dunedin around 7:20 p.m. Thursday, they could smell the odor of rotting trash and animal feces as they walked up to the driveway.

“Inside the residence, the odor of feces and urine was so overwhelming that deputies had to don masks,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

FLORIDA SHERIFF ON BORDER CRISIS AFTER MAJOR DRUG BUST: ‘IT MAKES ME ABSOLUTELY CRAZY’

Walking throughout the residence, the deputies found 10 emaciated dogs and puppies living in bins filled with their own feces, five large Macaw birds flying freely, rats, bugs and overall squalor.

Puppies discovered living in their own feces inside a Florida home that was filled with trash, urine, and feces.

Puppies discovered living in their own feces inside a Florida home that was filled with trash, urine, and feces. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

Deputies said due to the large amounts of trash in the home, they had to clear a path to reach the victim’s bedroom.

“None of the home’s toilets were working and all were found to be overflowing with feces,” deputies said. “The only working sink was located on the opposite end of the house from the victim’s bedroom.”

They said there was no food or water for the victim or the animals.

FLORIDA MAN IN EASTER BUNNY COSTUME CAUGHT IN VIRAL BRAWL IS WANTED IN NEW JERSEY, HAS HISTORY OF ARRESTS

The victim was transported to a local hospital for injuries that were non-life threatening, while the animals were transported to shelters.

The woman’s caretaker, Richard Lawrence Goodwin, 65, was arrested and charged with abuse and neglect of an elderly person, disabled person, and cruelty to animals.

Richard Goodwin, 69, was arrested for abuse and neglect of an elderly and disabled person after deputies found she was living in deplorable conditions.

Richard Goodwin, 69, was arrested for abuse and neglect of an elderly and disabled person after deputies found she was living in deplorable conditions. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

The sheriff’s department said this was Goodwin’s second arrest for abuse and neglect of the same victim. He was previously arrested in May 2018.

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Neighbor Victoria Muenzerbeer told FOX 13 that Goodwin and the victim were hoarders and the conditions inside the home were horrible years ago when she visited once.

“I went in and it was absolutely, a human being couldn’t live there,” she said. “The kitchen wasn’t usable and part of the wall was falling in.”

Source: Fox News National

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Libyan Minister of Economy Ali Abdulaziz Issawi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli
Libyan Minister of Economy Ali Abdulaziz Issawi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli, Libya April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Hani Amara

April 26, 2019

By Ulf Laessing

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s U.N.-recognized government has budgeted up to 2 billion dinars ($1.43 billion) to cover costs of a three-week-old war for control of the capital, such as treatment for the wounded, to be funded without new borrowing, the economy minister said.

Ali Abdulaziz Issawi suggested the government hoped for business to continue more or less as usual despite the assault on Tripoli, in the country’s northwest, by forces tied to a parallel administration based in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Once Africa’s third largest producer of oil, Libya has been riven by factional conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with the country now broadly split between eastern-based forces under Khalifa Haftar and the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, in the west, under Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

Still, with Haftar’s Libyan National Army forces unable so far to pierce defenses in Tripoli’s southern suburbs, normal life and business activities continue in much of the capital and western coastal towns.

Issawi, in an interview with Reuters in his Tripoli office, also said Libya’s commercial ports and wheat imports were still functioning normally, although some roads have been blocked.

He said the Serraj government estimates it will spend up to 2 billion dinars extra on medical treatment for wounded, aid for displaced people and other “emergency” war costs.

He said this was not military spending but analysts believe that the sum will also cover expenditures such as pay for allied armed groups or food for fighters.

“We could actually spend less,” he added, in comments that gave the first insight into the economic impact of the fighting.

Issawi said the Tripoli government, which controls little territory beyond the greater capital region, would not incur new debt to fund the war costs, sticking to a plan to post a 2019 budget without a deficit.

Tripoli derives revenue largely from oil and natural gas production, interest-free loans from local banks to the central bank, and a 183 percent surcharge on foreign exchange transactions conducted at official rates.

But with centralized tax collection greatly diminished, public debt has piled up – to 68 billion dinars in the west, including unpaid state obligations such as social insurance.

Some analysts expect Serraj’s government will be forced to raise new debt if the war for control of Tripoli drags on.

With much of Libya dominated by armed factions that also act as security forces, the public wage bill for both the western and eastern administrations has soared as fighters have been made public employees in efforts to buy their loyalty.

The east has sold bonds worth 35 billion dinars outside the official financial system as the Tripoli central bank does not fund the parallel government apart from some wages.

Despite its limited reach, the Tripoli government still runs an annual budget of around 46.8 billion dinars, mainly for public salaries and fuel subsidies.

“This year we cannot finance via debt…we will not borrow (by agreement with the central bank),” Issawi said.

According to International Monetary Fund data, Libya’s central government debt-to-GDP ratio is 143 percent, making it one of the most heavily indebted in the world on that measure.

Issawi declined to say what parts of the budget would be trimmed to support the extra outlay for war costs.

However, with some 70 percent of the budget allocated to public wages, fuel subsidies and other welfare benefits, a portion devoted to infrastructure is most likely to be axed.

Widespread lawlessness has meant there have been no major infrastructural projects since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi, leaving schools, hospitals and roads in acute need of restoration.

FOREX SURCHARGE

Issawi said the government planned to raise as much as 30 billion dinars by the end of 2019 from hard currency deals after imposing in September a 183 percent surcharge on commercial and private transactions done on the official rate of 1.4 to the U.S. dollar. That fee has effectively devalued the official rate to 3.9, much closer to the black market equivalent.

Some 17 billion dinars have been raised since then, with hard currency allocated for import credit letters now issued without delays, Issawi said. The forex fee has helped the government forecast a budget in the black for 2019.

Despite the narrowing spread between the two rates, the black market continues to thrive. Dozens of traders remained at their favorite spot behind the central bank headquarters in Tripoli when Reuters reporters visited it last week.

But traders said it could take time for the Serraj government to register the extra forex receipts as official banking channels were taking up to six months to approve import financing, keeping the black market in play for dealers.

Issawi said authorities planned to lower the forex fee from 183 percent, without saying when. The black market rate has dropped from 6 to around 4.1 since September but it has hardly moved of late as demand for black market cash remains high.

The Tripoli government has stopped subsidizing food and bread, which used to be cheaper than drinking water in Libya. Wheat imports are now being arranged by private traders and there are surplus stocks of flour at the moment, Issawi said.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing in Tripoli with additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: OANN

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