Asian markets were mostly lower Tuesday, tracking losses in Wall Street amid fears of U.S. military intervention in Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Syria it would face action over the "moral obscenity" of a chemical weapons attack, as expectations grow that Washington and its allies are preparing to launch a punitive missile strike.

Instability in Italy over Silvio Berlusconi's future could trigger early elections next year and punish the country on the financial markets starting this week, a top U.S. economist warned on Monday.

Nouriel Roubini, who teaches at New York University, said in an interview with La Repubblica daily that Italy, the eurozone's third-biggest economy, was currently in a period of "controlled volatility".

China's government tried Monday to reassure companies and its public about the economy's health, saying growth is stabilizing after a lengthy decline and should hit the official target of 7.5 percent for the year.

The announcement by the chief spokesman for the Cabinet's statistics agency was part of official efforts to defuse unease about the country's deepest slump since the 2008 global crisis.

Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum said it had agreed to sell a 10-percent stake in a natural gas field off the coast of Mozambique for $2.64 billion cash to an Indian corporation.

Anadarko said in a statement late Sunday that it had entered an agreement with ONGC Videsh, a subsidiary of Indian multinational Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, to sell part of its stake in Mozambique's Offshore Area 1.

Iraq's oil ministry, struggling with sputtering output, has blamed Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell over $4.6 billion in lost revenue due to production delays, in a letter seen by Agence France Presse Monday.

The document, dated July 21, 2013, sharply criticizes the foreign energy firm for shortfalls in oil extraction at the giant Majnoon field in south Iraq, and comes as oil exports have fallen to their lowest level in 16 months even as Baghdad has looked to cement its role as a key global energy producer.

Sultan Qaboos of Oman, the only Gulf leader to maintain good relations with Tehran, arrived in Iran Sunday for a visit focused on economic and diplomatic issues, Iranian authorities said.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi said "the main focus of the negotiations is boosting energy and economic cooperation."

Chevrolet will unveil a brand new edition of its classic Camaro at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new model, available as a coupe or convertible, will be released at the end of 2013.

Chevy has enhanced the Camaro's aerodynamics, allowing for a more effective cooling system and improved handling at high speeds. In terms of design, this translates to more fluid lines, a larger hood vent, a new front grill, redesigned rear lights, and a spoiler with a built-in antenna.

Four British oil companies carrying out exploration work near the Falkland Islands have been banned from operating in Argentina, the Buenos Aires government confirmed Friday.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner's office said the four companies -- Borders and Southern Petroleum PLC, Desire Petroleum PLC, Argos Resources Ltd and Falkland Oil -- had carried out "illegal and clandestine" operations near the Falklands.

Global investment giant Blackstone is reshuffling its vast real estate portfolio, shedding US assets to buy new ones in Europe and Asia.

The New York-based firm has plenty of firepower, with $64 billion in real estate assets under management, the world's largest portfolio in the sector.

Britain's economy grew faster than thought in the second quarter, official data showed on Friday, extending a broadly based recovery.

Gross domestic product (GDP) -- the total value of goods and services produced in the economy -- grew by 0.7 percent in the second quarter, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.