Britain will enter EU exit talks in a strong position, finance minister Philip Hammond declared Wednesday, after data revealed economic growth unexpectedly accelerated in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.

Japan on Monday posted its first half-year trade surplus since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, after the accident sent energy import bills soaring and led to a string of deficits.

Electronics giant Philips posted a 57 percent jump in second quarter net profit Monday on the back of a major arbitration award, as it warned of volatile markets ahead for the rest of the year.

Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei said on Monday that revenue surged 40 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2016, boosted by steady growth in smartphone sales.

Britain's finance minister warned Brexit would cast a "shadow" over the world economy but said he was eyeing a free trade deal with China in interviews with the BBC and Sky News on Sunday.

Thailand's junta chief vowed Monday to reboot the flagging economy of the kingdom's poor and rebel-hit south, including by making the Muslim-majority region a hub for halal produce.

Europe's Commissioner for Justice is working with EU consumer groups to pressure Volkswagen to compensate clients in Europe as it has in the United States over the diesel emissions scandal.

Singapore's central bank chief vowed Monday to name and shame other banks engaged in money-laundering after a scandal involving Malaysian state fund 1MDB hurt the city-state's financial reputation.

Spain will post growth of 2.9 percent for 2016, Finance Minister Luis de Guindos said Sunday, revising an earlier forecast of 2.7 percent as the country's recovery gathers momentum.

Britain's vote to leave the EU has had a limited impact on business confidence in Germany, with belief in domestic strength still strong, a key survey showed on Monday. The closely-watched business confidence index from the Ifo institute in Munich fell to 108.3 points in July from June's figure of 108.7.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has begun discussions with China on an ambitious free trade deal which could see greater access for major Chinese banks and businesses to the UK economy.

If you had asked Asia's refiners at the start of the year where they thought their profits would be coming from, it's likely many would have said gasoline. But China and India appear to have crashed that party.

Sharp growth in its commercial cloud computing business helped lift Microsoft Corp's quarterly revenue above Wall Street's expectations, sending the technology company's shares up more than 4 percent in after-hours trading.

In a stunning blow to Malaysia's political establishment, the US Justice Department said Wednesday it was moving to seize more than $1 billion in assets allegedly tied to corruption at a state-owned investment fund.

Unilever has bought US start-up Dollar Shave Club for a reported $1bn (£764m) in cash to compete in the male grooming market.

The EU said Wednesday it will no longer debate whether or not China's economy is market driven, but will instead focus on new measures to tackle Chinese dumping and illegal subsidies.

The UK unemployment rate has fallen to 4.9 percent, the lowest since July 2005, according to official figures.

"Want to win a million baht? Go for e-payment," says Thailand's junta, offering a lucky draw as an incentive to use a new online payment scheme for business, in an effort to bring some of the massive informal economy onto the books and boost tax revenues.

China insisted its controls over some raw materials exports were legal, after the European Union followed the United States to take it to the World Trade Organisation over the restrictions.

The plan by Netflix to conquer the world with its streaming video service is moving slower than expected.