* Several European indexes hit record highs on Tuesday, boosted by signs of easing US-China tensions, strong earnings, and dovish statements from the European Central Bank chief.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko discussed the migrant crisis on the Belarusian border with Poland by phone on Tuesday, the TASS news agency cited the Kremlin as saying.
* The three parties trying to form Germany's next government have made progress in negotiations and aim to present a coalition agreement next week, senior party officials said on Tuesday.
* Bulgaria's new centrist anti-graft party We Continue The Change (PP) will start talks to form a government on Tuesday after its surprise victory in Sunday's national election, the party's leader said.
* The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Tuesday upped its average Brent crude oil price assumption for 2022 to 79.40 USD a barrel, but predicted a rally may ease off as prices that hit a three-year high last month push up global production.
* OPEC is seeing signs of an oil supply surplus building from next month so its members and allies will have to be "very, very cautious" when they review output policy at regular monthly meetings, the group's secretary general said on Tuesday.
* Israel and the United Arab Emirates launched talks to establish a free trade agreement between the two countries, Israel's Economy Ministry said on Tuesday.
* Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday it will allow generic manufacturers to supply its experimental antiviral COVID-19 pill to 95 low- and middle-income countries through a licensing agreement with international public health group Medicines Patent Pool (MPP).
* Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, one of a handful of Indian drug companies licensed to make a new COVID-19 pill developed by Merck, said on Monday it was open to making a similar pill from Pfizer thought to be even more effective.
* Moderna Inc said on Tuesday it signed an agreement that enables European Union and European Economic Area countries to donate over 70 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the COVAX vaccine sharing scheme for low-and-middle income countries.
* Russia will lift its COVID-19 ban on flights to countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Mongolia, Costa Rica and Argentina from Dec. 1, the government coronavirus task force said on Tuesday.
* Japan intends to ease quarantine rules by the end of November for people inoculated with Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, the Nikkei daily reported on Tuesday.
* In the latest move to boost the United Arab Emirates' economic competitiveness, Dubai on Tuesday announced a five-year multiple entry visa to facilitate business trips for foreign employees of firms based in the emirate.
* Sri Lanka has temporarily shut its only oil refinery as part of efforts to manage dwindling foreign exchange reserves, the energy minister said on Tuesday, triggering long queues at petrol stations.
* Norway on Tuesday urged other countries to contribute to a United Nations fund by providing cash directly to Afghans so they can survive the winter, its foreign minister told Reuters.
* The head of the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority told Al Arabiya TV on Tuesday that the kingdom had restored 45% of pre-COVID passenger traffic estimated in 2019 at around 100 million passengers.
* The Iraqi Cabinet approved on Tuesday an agreement to send Lebanon 500,000 tonnes of gas oil, Iraq's communication minister said after a cabinet meeting.
* Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Burkina Faso's capital on Tuesday demanding President Roch Kabore resign for failing to rein in militants who roam the north and east and last weekend killed 28 soldiers and four civilians.
