Authorities may need powers to regulate the fixed pay of bankers as well as their bonuses, the Bank of England governor said Monday amid concern the current pay regime does not deter misbehavior.

In the latest scandal to hit the sector, six global banking giants were slapped with $4.2 billion in fines last week for trying to manipulate foreign exchange markets.

A landmark trading link that is expected to see billions of dollars in trades between Hong Kong and Shanghai's stock exchanges officially launched Monday, but early figures show mainlanders holding back from piling into Hong Kong.

At the opening ceremony Charles Li, chief executive of Hong Kong's stock exchange, declared the tie-up a "historic" moment and hailed a "new era" of trade, while chairman Chow Chung Kong said it was a "breakthrough in the opening up of China's financial market".

Australia and China sealed a landmark trade deal hailed Monday as a "game-changer", abolishing tariffs in the lucrative resources and agricultural sectors as Canberra confronts a painful downturn in mining.

The pact, signed during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, was lauded by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as the first Beijing had reached with a major economy and "the most comprehensive agreement China has concluded with anyone".

Government revenues in Kuwait dropped 4.4 percent in the first half of the fiscal year due to sliding oil prices, but the energy-rich emirate still reported a healthy provisional surplus.

Official figures posted Sunday on the finance ministry website put April-September public income at 15.1 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($52.1 billion) compared with 15.8 billion dinars in the same year-ago period.

Qatar, host of the 2022 football World Cup, pledged Sunday to introduce new legislation to replace the controversial "kafala" sponsorship system and improve conditions for migrant workers by early 2015.

The current law, which limits the rights of movement for foreign workers, would make way for legislation that was "currently under review," said the labor and social affairs ministry.

Asian powerhouse China will host world leaders for the G20 summit in 2016, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Sunday at the conclusion of two days of talks in Brisbane.

Turkey takes over the presidency from Australia and will host the event in Antalya next year, but in a communique the group of the world's biggest economies said China would be home to the G20 in 2016.

G20 leaders representing the bulk of the world's economy on Sunday committed to reform measures to lift their collective growth by an extra 2.1 percent by 2018, despite evidence of a slowdown in some major nations.

Iranian state television is reporting that the country has inaugurated a new gold-processing plant that will double the country's annual production to 6 tons.

The report says First Vice President Ishaq Jahangiri attended the inauguration Saturday of the plant near Takab in northwestern Iran.

As part of its efforts to develop professional and scientific activities to improve the pharmaceutical sector at all levels, the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists held its 22nd Annual Congress under the theme "Medication Safety in the Arab World" held along with the 29th scientific congress of the Arab Pharmacists Union under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister Mr. Tammam Salam represented by Minister of Labour Sejaan Azzi on October 24th, 25th, and 26th 2014 at the Hilton Habtoor, Beirut.

This was the declaration of Dr. Rabih Hassouneh, president of the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists, noting that the pharmacy conference and exhibition are considered one of the most eminent events in the pharmacy sector. The Order also endeavored to organize a well studied scientific program including all pharmacy specializations. The program included conferences focusing on the means of promoting drug safety in Lebanon and the Arab World, especially amidst the challenges facing the pharmacy profession as well as the continuous violations for which price is paid first and foremost by the Arab citizen whether in terms of health or cost. Moreover, conferences allocated to develop the technical and managerial skills of the pharmacists were presented by healthcare professionals coming from Europe and the Arab World. Multiple conference rooms were allotted for a period of three days to receive the audience of pharmacists.

Fitch ratings agency on Friday revised the outlook on Belgium from stable to negative, criticizing the country's efforts to tackle public debt.

The revision means the agency could in the medium term lower Belgium's "AA" credit rating, the third-highest level.