Venezuela has seen a mass exodus of citizens fleeing poverty, hyperinflation, failing public services and shortages of basic necessities. 

The French government has revised its growth forecast for 2019 downwards to 1.7 percent from 1.9 percent, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told the Journal du Dimanche.

"The growth forecast on which we will build this (2019) budget will be 1.7 percent," he told the weekly in an interview, while promising to maintain "the pace."

The United States and Mexico are close to reaching a consensus over key issues stunting efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, officials from both countries said Saturday.

The trilateral treaty, which includes Canada, has been a key target in the U.S. president's aggressive trade strategy, and he has repeatedly threatened to scrap it altogether, branding it a "disaster."

Iran's parliament impeached Economy Minister Masoud Karbasian on Sunday in the latest blow to the embattled government as it struggles to face down a mounting economic crisis.

US President Donald Trump and his allies tried to head off mounting talk of his impeachment, warning it would sink the world's largest economy and spark a public "revolt."

Speaking on the eve of a closely-watched meeting of central bank chiefs on Friday, Trump again took aim at his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, prompting a rare reaction from the embattled justice department chief.

Asian markets mostly fell on Friday as China-US trade talks wrapped up with little progress being made, while the dollar held gains ahead of a key speech by the head of the Federal Reserve.

The Australian dollar was among the worst performers as the country is gripped by political uncertainty with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ousted and the governing Liberal Party set to choose a new leader.

A day after breaking the record for the longest bull market ever, Wall Street stocks were little changed early Thursday largely shrugging off new U.S.-China tariffs and ambivalent to U.S. political turmoil.

Air France will end flights to Tehran on September 18, the airline said Thursday, citing poor commercial prospects linked to U.S. sanctions against Iran.

The announcement from Air France -- which had run connections to Tehran via its low-cost operator Joon -- came shortly after British Airways said it was suspending flights to the Iranian capital.

Britain on Thursday outlined plans for managing the fallout in the "unlikely" scenario of Brexit talks collapsing, warning that businesses faced more customs red tape and consumers risked higher card payment charges.

Brexit Minister Dominic Raab said London would adopt a series of EU rules in the event of no deal to allow EU imports in and urged Brussels to do the same for British goods traveling out.

British Airways on Thursday said it would suspend its London to Tehran service from next month as it was no longer "commercially viable."