Thousands of protesters on cars and motorbikes took to the streets of Colombia's main cities on Monday to reject recent hikes in gasoline prices that have drastically increased the price of fuel in the South American country.

Protesters say that the monthly price hikes set by Colombia's first leftist government are making it harder for small businesses to operate, and could push up the price of food.

All 28 vehicle assembly lines at Toyota's 14 auto plants in Japan shut down Tuesday over a problem in its computer system that deals with incoming auto parts.

The automaker doesn't believe the problem was caused by a cyberattack but the cause is still under investigation, said spokeswoman Sawako Takeda.

The top Chinese official in charge of economic relations with Washington told Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Tuesday he was ready to "make new positive efforts" to improve cooperation following an agreement to reduce trade tension by launching groups to discuss export controls and other commercial disputes.

The agreement Monday was the most substantial result to date out of a string of visits by American officials to Beijing over the last three months to revive relations that are at their lowest level in decades. They express optimism about better communication, but neither side has given a sign it is ready to compromise on disputes about technology, security, human rights and other irritants.

Asian and European stock markets advanced Monday as investors welcomed the latest signals from central bankers regarding monetary policy and Chinese stimulus measures.

Rising trade barriers. Aging populations. A broad transition from carbon-spewing fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The prevalence of such trends across the world could intensify global inflation pressures in the coming years and make it harder for the Federal Reserve and other central banks to meet their inflation targets.

Santos Brizuela spent more than two decades laboring outdoors, persisting despite a bout of heatstroke while cutting sugarcane in Mexico and chronic laryngitis from repeated exposure to the hot sun while on various other jobs.

The United States and China will set up a new working group for discussing trade tensions, Washington said Monday, as the world's largest economy seeks to cool tensions with its strategic competitor.

A second civilian cargo ship to sail from Ukraine since Russia withdrew from a U.N.-backed Black Sea grain export agreement safely reached Istanbul on Monday, marine traffic monitors said.

The Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Primus hugged the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria after departing Odesa on Sunday in defiance of a Russian blockade.

The Finance and Budget Parliamentary Committee convened Monday to discuss the Alvarez & Marsal preliminary forensic audit report and question the government and the central bank governor about financial reform laws.

Minister of Finance Youssef al-Khalil and Interim Central Bank Governor Wassim Mansouri attended the meeting. Minister of Justice Henry Khoury also attended the meeting to give answers about the judicial course of the audits.

Asian shares mostly fell Friday, discouraged by a Wall Street slump that followed a blowout profit report from Nvidia and mixed reports on the U.S. economy.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.8% to 31,713.24 in morning trading. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped nearly 1.0% to 7,111.60. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.6% to 2,522.09. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 1.0% to 18,035.97, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.3% to 3,073.25.