National Australia Bank Tuesday said there had been a strong institutional uptake for shares in the country's biggest ever rights issue to raise Aus$5.5 billion (US$4.4 billion), as the stock held up well after resuming trading.

The country's fourth biggest lender went into a trading halt last Thursday as it outlined a proposal to demerge its British banking business and raise money as a buffer to meet tougher regulatory requirements.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait decided to shut the second oilfield in the neutral zone, effectively halting output in the area which produced 500,000 barrels of oil, an official said Monday.

"A decision has been taken today to shut operations at Wafra oilfield... for two weeks for periodical maintenance," head of the trade union of Kuwait Gulf Oil Co. (KGOC) Fadghoush al-Ajmi told Agence France Presse.

Global oil prices dipped Monday as investors took their cue from the rebounding dollar, awaited fresh U.S. economic data and digested another Chinese interest rate cut.

U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for June delivery slid 19 cents to $59.20 a barrel.

Australia Monday announced plans to go after large multinational firms shifting profits offshore to minimize taxes, with 30 companies in the government's sights.

It also outlined proposals to force companies selling digital products, such as streamed content and e-books, to pay a goods and services tax.

Greece will plead for leeway from an unwavering Europe on Monday, in a fresh effort to free up cash after months of deadlock in bailout talks.

The eurozone's 19 ministers meet in Brussels one day before Greece must pay a 750 million euro ($840 million) debt bill to the IMF that some fear the Mediterranean nation cannot afford.

Consumer inflation in China rose to 1.5 percent in April, authorities said Saturday, but came in below market forecasts and analysts called for more action to avoid deflation in the world's second-largest economy.

The rise in the consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was the highest since December, and a slight increase on March's 1.4 percent.

The head of one of Burkina Faso's largest banks has been arrested on suspicion of having embezzled billions CFA francs, a source close to the investigation said Friday. 

"The director general of the Banque de l'Habitat du Burkina Faso (BHBF), Pierre Zerbo, was arrested yesterday and remanded in custody today (Friday)," the security source told Agence France Presse.

Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda are considering a comprehensive tie-up in environmentally-friendly technology amid tightening regulations to cut greenhouse gas and tough emerging market competition, a report said Saturday.

The two companies are in the final stages of talks on the planned partnership, the Nikkei business daily said, adding that the two "intend to reach an accord in principle soon".

London's stock market rallied and the pound surged on Friday as Prime Minister David Cameron's "business friendly" Conservatives looked set for a surprise victory in Britain's general election.

The benchmark FTSE 100 index jumped 1.63 percent to 6,999.01 points in early trade, lifted by soaring share price gains for banks and energy majors.

Tokyo investors will be looking to Japanese trade data and U.S. retail sales next week, while bracing for any signs of a U.S. interest rate hike following a warning from Fed boss Janet Yellen on high equity valuations.

Japan's finance ministry is scheduled to release its March trade balance on Wednesday, while U.S. retail sales in April will be announced later in the day.