Farmers in southeast France counted the costs from lost harvests on Sunday after a fierce storm battered the region with hail the size of ping-pong balls, decimating orchards and vineyards just as the summer season was kicking into high gear.

Saudi Arabia remains committed to selling shares in national oil conglomerate Aramco through an initial public offering but only at the right time, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said.

Turkey on Saturday lambasted Moody's ratings agency after it cut Ankara's credit rating further into junk territory, saying the downgrade raised concerns over the institution's "objectivity and impartiality".

The blasts detonated far from the bustling megacities of Asia, but the attack this week on two tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz hits at the heart of the region's oil import-dependent economies.

While the violence only directly jolted two countries in the region — one of the targeted ships was operated by a Tokyo-based company, a nearby South Korean-operated vessel helped rescue sailors — it will unnerve major economies throughout Asia.

Russia's central bank on Friday cut its main interest rate for the first time since March 2018 amid slowing economic growth and inflation in a widely-anticipated move.

The Bank of Russia lowered its key rate from 7.75 percent to 7.50 percent and said there could be another rate cut soon.

Oil prices soared Thursday after the US Navy reported two tankers had been attacked in the Gulf of Oman, fanning geopolitical concerns in the crude-rich region.

Hong Kong stocks on Thursday morning extended the previous days hefty losses fuelled by nervousness after violent protests hit the city, while investors are also keeping a cautious eye on the China-US trade row.

Falling prices for energy and used cars held down U.S. inflation in May, extending the long run of soft price pressures, according to government data released Wednesday.

Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard on Wednesday vowed a "fresh start" in his firm's alliance with Japan's Nissan and Mitsubishi, despite tensions flaring between the automakers in recent weeks.

Wall Street stocks were little changed early Wednesday amid uncertainty over ongoing U.S.-China trade developments, while tepid U.S. inflation data boosted speculation of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut.