An Air Serbia plane took off from Belgrade for New York Thursday -- the company's first direct flight to the United States after a 24-year interruption which began during the Balkan conflicts.

The direct connection "will boost our economic growth and bring our country closer to the United States and American people", said Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic at the launch, also attended by US ambassador Kyle Scott.

With its capacity boosted by nearly three times, Panama's enlarged canal -- set to be inaugurated on Sunday -- is expected to stimulate trade between the United States and Asia, and steal business from the rival Suez canal.

"A good deal of the commerce between Asia and the east coast of the United States can pass through directly on Neopanamax ships, which will help both sides," Nicolas Ardito Barletta, a former Panamanian president and former vice president of the World Bank in Latin America, told Agence France Presse.

Oil prices rose in Asia on Thursday, hours ahead of a high-stakes British vote on whether to remain in the European Union.

The International Monetary Fund warned the United States Wednesday over poverty and rising inequality in the country, saying both could hold back its economic potential.

The IMF cut its outlook for US economic growth this year to 2.2 percent, compared to 2.4 percent forecast at the beginning of the year. It cited the impact of slower global growth overall, the contraction in the energy industry due to low oil prices, and a slowdown in domestic consumer spending.

Global stocks largely rose Wednesday and the pound clawed higher on the eve of Britain's closely fought referendum as traders eye the country voting to remain in the European Union.

The European Central Bank on Wednesday launched a new round of ultra-cheap loans for banks in a fresh move to kick-start sluggish credit in the single currency area.

More than 1,200 business titans united Wednesday to warn against Britain breaking with the EU, as rivals battled for the last votes on the eve of a tightly fought referendum that will shape Europe's future.

As Cyprus emerges from a deep financial crisis, a new low-cost airline will launch next month to tap into the Mediterranean island's resurgent tourism market.

Mobile phones and rising connectivity in Africa will give rise to a new market in mobile financial services, creating explosive opportunities for business on the continent, research has found.

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimated that in three years, 250 million Africans without access to traditional banking services "will have mobile phones and a monthly income of at least $500".

Oil climbed in Asia Wednesday after Federal Reserve boss Janet Yellen's cautious remarks on the US economy weakened the dollar and traders nervously await Britain's vote on its future in the European Union.

Traders are also waiting for the release later in the day of official US stockpiles data, hoping for an idea about demand in the world's top oil consumer, after an industry group said supplies had tumbled last week.