German carmakers BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Audi and U.S. competitor Ford said on Tuesday they would cooperate on a Europe-wide network of electric charging stations.

German airline Lufthansa said it had slashed 800 flights Tuesday as pilots walked out for a 48-hour strike following a four-day stoppage last week in a long-running pay dispute.

Qatar's emir on Tuesday pledged $1.25 billion (1.18 billion euros) in financial support for Tunisia's struggling economy.

Speaking at an investment conference in Tunis, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Qatar would provide the assistance "to support the Tunisian economy and strengthen its process of development".

Beijing is tightening screening on Chinese companies' overseas investments, according to the government and reports, after a record-setting shopping spree raised concerns of capital flight and reckless spending.

Authorities will "combine facilitating foreign investment with guarding against investment risks" by scrutinising proposed deals, said a statement posted on the website of the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner, without giving details.

The United Nations Human Settlements Program (U.N.-Habitat) and Azm & Saade Association have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a launching ceremony that took place on Monday, November 28.

Kuwait will buy 28 Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets to replace a fleet of earlier versions of the U.S. fighter jets, a top official said Monday. 

European stock markets retreated Monday, dragged down by falling banking stocks ahead of a crucial Italian referendum at the end of week.

Around midday, shares in Italian lenders Unicredit and Banco Popolare were down 4 percent compared with Friday's closing levels.

Tens of thousands of people turned out Monday for nationwide protests against India's controversial ban on high-value banknotes, which opposition party organizers say has caused a "financial emergency".

India is still reeling from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shock decision nearly three weeks ago to pull 86 percent of the currency from circulation overnight, triggering a chronic shortage of notes in an economy that operates almost entirely on cash.

The American shopping orgy known as Black Friday lured more buyers this year but they spent less per person thanks to great bargains, an industry group said Sunday.

OPEC members will seek to give oil prices a boost in Vienna on Wednesday by nailing down their first output cut in eight years, although a deal is far from certain.