HONG KONG / AP Asian stocks were uneven on Wednesday as investors weighed strong US economic reports against uncertainty as Britain readies a formal request to leave the European Union. Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was practically unchanged at 19,208.10 and South Korea’s Kospi rose less than 0.1 percent to 2,164.32. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 0.4 percent to …

  DUBAI / Reuters A small rebound in the Brent crude oil price towards $52 a barrel helped lift Saudi Arabia’s stock index on Wednesday, in an otherwise sluggish trading session in the region. The Saudi index rose 1.1 percent to 6,949 points as almost three-quarters of traded stocks advanced. Petrochemical shares were particularly strong with all but one of …

  As UK Prime Minister Theresa May starts the clock on Britain’s departure from the European Union, there’s no real question that the divorce is going to hurt both parties — and the UK, to be sure, much more than the EU. But this isn’t to say there’s no upside. The right kind of deal will recognize these opportunities and …