There may have been much negative press about the dramatic fall in the pound's value but for Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony it augurs well for his business.

European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi will be under pressure this week to clarify the bank's stimulus plans after investors were spooked by talk of an end to its massive bond-buying program.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wrote an article urging that Britain stay in the EU just days before becoming the chief campaigner for Brexit, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

The BRICS nations agreed on Sunday to fast-track the setting up of their own credit-rating agency to better cater to developing economies, rivaling existing ones based in Western countries.

Belgium's coalition government has agreed the basics of its budget, finding savings of some three billion euros ($3.4 billion) to help balance the books.

"Agreement," said Prime Minister Charles Michel in a tweeted message late Friday after lengthy talks finally produced an accord.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro issued the government's 2017 budget by decree Friday, bypassing the opposition-held legislature in a move that could deepen the country's economic crisis.

"Here is the 2017 budget and debt law. May it be fulfilled. I ask for the support of the people, the military and the street," Maduro said at a signing ceremony in Caracas attended by hundreds of supporters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed lucrative defence and energy pacts on Saturday following talks aimed at reinvigorating ties between the former Cold-War allies.

The parliament of the Belgian region of Wallonia voted Friday to block the CETA free trade deal between the EU and Canada, showing how one rebel local government can sink a key global agreement years in the making.

Indian police held talks with the FBI Friday as they said they believed the kingpin of a multi-million-dollar tax scam that duped thousands of U.S. citizens had fled the country.

Beijing is planning a mega-merger of chemicals giants Sinochem and China National Chemical Corp. in a massive deal that would reshape the chemicals industry, Bloomberg News reported Friday.