Business

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tesla CEO Elon Musk had prepped Wall Street for a first quarter loss but analysts were still stunned by its size: $702.1 million, among the company’s worst quarters in the past two years.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s finance minister tried Thursday to dispel complaints its Belt and Road infrastructure-building initiative leaves developing countries with too much debt, promising “sustainable financing” as leaders gathered to celebrate the project.

Liu Kun’s comments came as Chinese authorities blanketed the capital with security for the forum celebrating President Xi Jinping’s signature foreign initiative.

MOSCOW, April 23./TASS/. The US crackdown on Iranian oil exports won’t enhance the international standing of the US, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s information and press department said in a communique on Tuesday.

"The US has obviously made a mistake in choosing tools, if it has decided to make Tehran an easy negotiator ready for any deals on American terms through suppressing it economically, dealing a blow to living conditions of ordinary Iranians," the commentary said.

24 Apr 2019; AFP: British Prime Minister Theresa May has given the go-ahead for China's Huawei to help build a 5G network, shrugging off security warnings from senior ministers and Washington, the Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

The country's National Security Council, which is chaired by May, agreed Tuesday to allow the Chinese technology giant limited access to build "non-core" infrastructure such as antennas, the report said.

24 Apr 2019; DW: German exports decreased again in the first quarter of this year — a decrease of 7.4 percent from the same point last year. Germany's Economy Ministry cites a "restrictive and responsible" export policy as the reason.

The German government approved arms exports worth €1.12 billion ($1.3 billion) in the first quarter of 2019, Germany's Economy Ministry reported on Tuesday.

24 Apr 2019; DW: Oil prices surged to a nearly six-month high after the US government said it would not extend sanctions exemptions to countries importing oil from Iran when they expire in early May.

Eight governments — India, China, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan — had been given six months to wean themselves off Iranian oil. Greece, Italy and Taiwan are believed to have eliminated imports from Iran. 

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank on Wednesday maintained Malaysia's 2019 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast at 4.7 percent, but warned of the risks emanating from uncertainty in the external environment and increased fiscal reliance on oil-related proceeds might drag the growth.

The international financial institution said in its April 2019 edition of the World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, private consumption will continue to be the main driver of Malaysia's growth, albeit expanding at a more measured pace.

KATHMANDU, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari left for a visit to China on Wednesday to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

During a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua in Kathmandu, the Nepali president said that Nepal is in the final stage of finalizing cooperation projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"I believe Nepal's engagement under the BRI framework and participation in this summit will help fulfill Nepali people's longing of development," she said.

JERUSALEM, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Tuesday warned Israelis vacationing in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to leave "immediately," citing threats of terror attacks.

The official warning was released by Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau hours after the Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility for the recent bombing attacks in Sri Lanka, which claimed the lives of at least 321 people and injured hundreds of others.

UNITED NATIONS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the Belt and Road Initiative is a "very important opportunity" to the world.