London / AFP 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. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a first estimate for April-June, which included …

  Bloomberg U.S. index futures climbed as Apple Inc. led technology shares higher and investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s update for clues on the timing of interest-rates increases. Apple rose 5.8 percent in early New York trading after posting a smaller-than-expected revenue decline as its cheaper iPhone model gained more traction. Suppliers Qorvo Inc. and Skyworks Solutions Inc. gained in …

  Brussels / AFP The European Commission on Wednesday backed away from slapping fines on Spain and Portugal for running high deficits, in what would have been a landmark move by the EU to impose tough budget rules. Under bloc regulations, the EU executive could have imposed fines of up to 0.2 percent of national gross domestic product (GDP) against …