Tokyo's Nikkei index ends slightly higher

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index trimmed earlier losses and ended slightly higher on Tuesday despite falls in European stocks, after Beijing's central bank cut two benchmark interest rates.

The Nikkei 225 index inched up 0.06 percent, or 18.49 points, to end at 33,388.91, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.29 percent, or 6.65 points, to 2,283.85.