Venezuela's government has announced enforced leave for public sector employees three workdays a week, in a bid to tackle an electricity shortage that is causing power cuts and protests.

"There will be no work in the public sector on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, except for fundamental and necessary tasks," Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz said on television Tuesday.

Lufthansa to cancel 900 flights in Germany Wednesday over strike

Lufthansa will cancel almost 900 flights in Germany Wednesday when airport ground staff are expected to join a strike called by the country's biggest services union, Verdi, the carrier said.

The financial services affiliate of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has raised $4.5 billion in funding, it said Tuesday, calling it the largest single private placement by an Internet company.

The move values Ant Financial Services Group at roughly $60 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting people familiar with the situation. Previous media reports had said the company aimed to raise $3.5 billion.

Oil prices rose in Asia Tuesday, rebounding from sharp losses sparked by a report that Saudi Arabia was close to completing an oilfield expansion.

A gigantic robotic arm capable of lifting an entire chassis at a General Motors plant in Shanghai is the U.S. automaker's secret weapon as it seeks to sell "Made in China" cars to America.

Saudi Arabia said Monday it would create the world's largest wealth fund and sell shares in state energy giant Aramco as it unveiled a vast plan to transform its oil-dependent economy.

The announcement of the long-term reform program, dubbed "Saudi Vision 2030", marks the beginning of a hugely ambitious attempt to move Saudi Arabia beyond oil, the backbone of its economy for decades, amid a steep fall in prices.

Crude prices fell in Asia Monday following a report saying Saudi Arabia could maintain its total production capacity with the expansion of an oilfield, fueling fresh concerns about the global supply glut.

The International Monetary Fund forecast Monday economic growth in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council will be 1.8 percent this year, down from 3.3 percent in 2015, and urged spending cutbacks.

The head of a Chinese wealth management firm who allegedly fled with more than $150 million in investors' money surfaced in an online video on Monday saying he will "be right back", as police searched for him.

"No more appointments today" reads a sign at a bank in Berlin where refugees are queuing to open an account -- a key step towards integrating into German society, even if not all banks are playing along.

But Mohammed is one of the lucky ones and has an appointment for the afternoon.