Business

VERONA, October 25. /TASS/. European companies refusing to work with Iran, as well as a possible ban on imports of Iranian oil, could have serious consequences for the European economy, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin said at the Eurasian Economic Forum.

MOSCOW, October 22. /TASS/. Russia’s foreign ministry sees it as one of its priorities to reach visa-free travel agreements with as many countries as possible, Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov, who is in charge of consular issues, said on Monday.

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in Zhuhai has been officially opened. The bridge in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province is considered to be the longest in the world.

The bridge officially opened to traffic at 9 a.m. on Oct. 24. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

KATHMANDU, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Nepal is approaching an electric future by launching the Made-in-China electric buses for the first time in the country.

Amid a special function organized in Lalitpur on Tuesday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the battery-operated buses, which have been developed by the Chinese company BYD.

The formation of electric bus fleet has been regarded as a major milestone for the South Asian country for moving towards a green economy.

COLOMBO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has claimed the top spot in the world's leading travel guide, the Lonely Planet as the best travel destination in 2019, local media reported Tuesday.

Sri Lanka topped the list of best countries to visit primarily because travel has become much easier in the island country since the civil war ended in 2009, the Lonely Planet said.

Sri Lanka ranked first followed by Germany and Zimbabwe.

LANZHOU, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A new rail and road cargo service was launched Tuesday, linking Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, with Islamabad in Pakistan.

The first train carrying 30 carriages of mechanical equipment, auto parts and daily necessities left a logistics center Tuesday morning in Lanzhou, bound for Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The goods will then be transported to Islamabad by a highway.

RIYADH; GANASHAKTI  - Pakistan is seeking loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and friendly countries to reservice debt and shore up its economy, prime minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday.

“What we are hoping is that we do a bit of both, get a loan from IMF and other loans from friendly governments,” Khan told an audience at an investment conference in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh.

Islamabad has already asked the IMF to open negotiations for the country’s second potential bailout in five years.

GENEVA (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump wants to rip up the rulebook for global trade. China is by many accounts abusing it.

As a battle rages between the world’s top economic power and the fast-growing Asian giant striving to take its place, Canada and the European Union are quietly working to update the laws of international commerce, which have not been changed since the internet boom.

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May sought to scotch a growing rebellion against her Brexit plans Monday, saying a divorce deal with the European Union is 95 percent complete and urging fellow lawmakers to “hold our nerve” during the difficult last push in negotiations.

May told the House of Commons that “the vast majority” of issues had been settled, including the status of Gibraltar, Britain’s territory at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula.

ROME, October 22. /TASS/. Italy calls for Russia’s return to the Group of Seven (G7) as Moscow is an important participant in the process of solving global crises, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told a news conference at the Foreign Press Association in Rome on Monday.

"If President [Vladimir] Putin returns to the G7 negotiating table, we will be able to solve international problems, which haven’t been settled so far," Conte told reporters, noting that he has been sticking to this stance since assuming office.