Adidas, Nike and PUMA on Tuesday urged US President Donald Trump to prevent the shoe industry from falling victim to the trade war with China, saying new tariffs could be "catastrophic."

Cyprus will ramp up its search for gas, a minister said on Tuesday, after Turkey announced plans to carry out its own drilling in waters off the Mediterranean island.

Egypt's electricity minister announced a further price rise Tuesday, the latest in a series of austerity measures aimed at getting the country's economy back on track.

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it has launched a permanent residency scheme to attract wealthy individuals and highly skilled workers to the oil-rich Gulf country.

Abu Anas al-Hijazi scanned the stalls in the Syrian capital's Bab Srija market but bought nothing. For the cash-strapped 45-year-old wedding singer, this Ramadan is a frugal one.

The OECD on Tuesday cut its forecast for the world economy, urging governments to resolve their trade disputes as the latest flare-up in the China-US trade war threatens to crimp global growth.

Shares in Samsung Electronics climbed nearly three percent Tuesday on the back of its chief rival Huawei's mounting problems, including a decision by Google to sever ties with the Chinese mobile phone maker.

It is the latest in the months-long saga between Huawei and the United States analysts warn could see Chinese semiconductor demand fall, threatening a nascent Asian recovery in the industry.

Hong Kong stocks ended in negative territory Tuesday, extending losses fuelled by concerns about the Huawei row and its impact on the China-US trade talks.

After months of speculation that Japan's government could postpone an impending sales tax hike to avoid damaging the economy, it appeared set to go ahead with the move thanks to stronger-than-expected growth data released Monday.

In a cruel irony in the Chinese Year of the Pig, outbreaks of African Swine Fever are forcing huge culls that could send pork prices to levels never seen before.