challenges

Tunisian and Libyan businessmen and officials agreed to create a Tunisian-Libyan business centre that will provide training and support to young entrepreneurs in both countries, on the sidelines of the closing ceremony, Wednesday, of the "Libya Food" exhibition held from March 13 to 16 in Tripoli, Libya.

European stocks closed at over two-week highs on Wednesday after fresh talks of compromise from Russia and Ukraine boosted gains spurred by China's promise to roll out more economic stimulus.

The United States and Britain are ramping up pressure on Saudi Arabia to pump more oil and join efforts to isolate Russia, while Riyadh has shown little readiness to respond and has revived a threat to ditch dollars in its oil sales to China.

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine and would not submit to what he called a Western attempt to achieve global dominance and dismember Russia.

The economic cost of Russia's assault on Ukraine was further exposed on Wednesday as the sanctions-hit country teetered on the brink of its first default on international debt since the Bolshevik revolution.