Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be more open than ever to a compromise with Japan that would end the two countries’ post-World War II territorial dispute. Both sides have been making tentative moves toward reconciliation since May, and a deal may finally be in the works after decades of false starts. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Putin ...

  Dubai / Reuters Gulf stock markets were mixed in quiet trade on Tuesday as Riyadh’s bourse pulled back after rising sharply on the previous day, when Saudi Arabia and Russia said they would cooperate to support oil prices. Riyadh’s stock index gained early on Tuesday but closed 0.2 percent lower at 6,190 points, failing a test of technical resistance ...

  New York / AFP Wall Street stocks rose early on Tuesday, lifted by merger announcements, including Canadian pipeline company Enbridge’s acquisition of Spectra Energy in an all-stock deal valued at $28 billion. The Enbridge deal will create an network of oil and gas pipelines serving most of Canada and the United States. Spectra surged 10.7 percent, while Enbridge advanced ...

  Bloomberg European stocks were little changed, poised for their highest close since January, as investors awaited this week’s European Central Bank meeting. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.1 percent at 1:43 p.m. in London, paring a rise of as much as 0.3 percent, while Germany’s DAX Index added 0.4 percent, inching closer to erasing its annual drop. Europe’s ...

  San Francisco / AFP Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone and maybe even a second-generation smartwatch at a special event in San Francisco on Wednesday. The rumour mill has been grinding away with talk of iPhone 7 models that will boast faster chips, more sophisticated cameras, and improved software while doing away with jacks for plugging in ...

  Relaxnews The German brand famous for premium pens, watches and leather goods is showing off an augmented notebook and pen set at IFA 2016 that automatically digitizes handwritten notes. Real-world pens that can capture real-world notes and send them to a computer, tablet or smartphone screen are nothing new — LiveScribe has been successfully cultivating a loyal following of ...

  Bloomberg The Meizu M3 MAX launched on Monday in Beijing is aimed that users that want a handset that’s good for business and entertainment. The phone boasts a Low Temperature Poly-silicon (LTPS) full HD 6-inch display. It goes easy on battery reserves and will also be kinder to users’ eyes if they want to use their handset at night. ...

  Bloomberg To help end the blind search for a parking gap in crowded city streets, Mercedes-Benz cars will start giving each other a headsup when a space is free. Drivers often pass by free spaces when they’re not looking to park and that information will be noted by the car and uploaded to help others, under a pilot project ...

  Bloomberg Shuhei Yoshida has reason to celebrate. The head of Sony Corp.’s games development is six weeks away from the introduction of its first virtual-reality headset and demand seems promising. The $399 headset is sold out at retailers around the world, even though most customers haven’t been able to try it out. But on a rainy evening in Tokyo, ...

  Bangkok / AFP A line of prisoners emerges from Bangkok’s sewers covered in a thick film of slime and hauling buckets of sludge — frontline troops in the battle against a rising tide of plastic waste. Located just 50 centimetres above sea level and criss-crossed with canals, Thailand’s throbbing capital has long had to fight off floods and an ...