Bloomberg Vladimir Putin is trying to cash in the gains of the biggest military wager of his career. Russian forces have helped Putin’s Syrian ally Bashar Al Assad drive back rebel forces after five years of fighting. The momentum clearly established, the Kremlin gave the green light to an agreement with the US and other powers on a partial cease-fire …

Bloomberg Turkish stocks declined the most in the world and the lira slid after an eruption of violence on the border with Syria triggered concern security risks were escalating. The Borsa Istanbul 100 Index fell 1.5 percent, the most among more than 90 gauges tracked globally by Bloomberg. The currency had the biggest decline in a week as Turkish artillery …

Tokyo / AFP Japan’s economy contracted in the last quarter of 2015, official data showed on Monday, dealing another blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s faltering bid to boost growth. The figures will fan talk of fresh Bank of Japan measures, after policymakers shocked markets last month with an unprecedented negative interest rate policy—widely seen as a desperate move to …