WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:
The Australian dollar is virtually unchanged from its local close on Friday as the market waits for the release of the federal budget.
At 0630 AEST on Monday, the local unit was trading at 93.60 US cents, slightly up from 93.56 cents on Friday.
And the Australian share market looks set to open flat despite a rally in US stocks with the Dow closing its last session at a fresh record high.
At 0645 AEST on Monday, the June share price index futures contract was flat at 5,445.
ELSEWHERE:
RABAT - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has said she "strongly hoped" Ukraine would honour commitments linked to a $US17 billion ($A18.39 billion) aid package agreed last month but which could be reviewed.
WASHINGTON - Moody's has raised the debt rating of Portugal one notch to Ba2 and said a further upgrade was possible as the country begins to pull away from its financial crisis.
ISLAMABAD - The International Monetary Fund says Pakistan's economic reform program remains broadly on track but rising inflation is a potential concern.
LONDON - British Prime Minister David Cameron is seeking to deflect criticism he's been working too closely with US drugmaker Pfizer in its proposed $US106 billion ($A114.69 billion) takeover of the Anglo-Swedish firm AstraZeneca.
NAIROBI - China has signed a deal to build a $US3.8 billion ($A4.11 billion) rail link between Kenya's Indian Ocean port of Mombasa and Nairobi, the first stage of a line that will eventually link Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
DOHA - Qatar's state oil company says it plans to spend $US11 billion ($A11.9 billion) to redevelop one of its offshore oil fields in an effort to extend its lifespan.
SEOUL - The head of Samsung Group, South Korea's largest business empire, has undergone an emergency operation after developing symptoms of heart failure.
LONDON - The number of billionaires living in Britain has risen to more than 100 for the first time.
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