Azerbaijan inaugurated on Tuesday part of a pipeline complex that will eventually create the first direct route to transport Caspian gas from one of the world's largest fields to Europe bypassing Russia.

Madrid's stock exchange plunged Tuesday led by Spanish banking giants as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy faces a no-confidence vote later this week, with investors rattled further by political turmoil in Italy.

European stock markets and the euro extended losses Tuesday as political uncertainty in Italy stoked fresh fears about the eurozone.

The euro extended losses in Asian trade Tuesday as political uncertainty in Italy stoked fresh fears about the eurozone.

Italy, one of the European Union's biggest economies, has been plunged into crisis after President Sergio Mattarella at the weekend vetoed the new government's nomination of a fierce eurosceptic as economy minister.

Italy's debt-risk premium on Monday soared to its highest level since November 2013 and the Milan stock exchange plummeted as the country continued in political turmoil, with fresh elections now very likely.

European stock markets and the euro dipped as chaos in Italy rattled investors who feared the nomination of a technocrat prime minister may fail on the long run to avert a eurozone crisis, analysts say.

Turkey's central bank said Monday it would complete moves to simplify monetary policy, sparking a strong rally in the country's currency.

Oil prices extended losses in Asia Monday after Saudi Arabia and Russia signalled they could raise output, but indications that Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong Un could be back on supported equity markets.

Qatar has ordered shops to remove goods originating from a group of Saudi Arabian-led countries which a year ago imposed a wide-ranging boycott on the emirate, Doha officials said Saturday. 

Paying income tax used to be a joke in Nigeria which, no wonder, has the worst tax to GDP ratio in sub-Saharan Africa.