Bloomberg South Korea’s early trade figures offered signs that global demand remains robust in February even as the value of shipments rose by the smallest amount in almost a year. Exports advanced 13.1% in the first 20 days of the month from the previous year, led by semiconductors and oil products, the customs office reported. Overall imports rose 12.9%, ...

  Bloomberg India’s monsoon, which irrigates more than half of the country’s farmland and is critical for economic growth, is likely to be normal this year, according to private forecaster Skymet Weather Services Pvt. This could mark a fourth straight year of normal monsoon, and is important because the June-September rainy season delivers as much as 90% of India’s annual ...

  Bloomberg Soaring gasoline prices are fanning inflation and causing a headache for governments and central banks worldwide. In countries with elections coming up, they’re an extra headwind for the incumbents. While the US mid-terms in November are the prime example of fuel prices feeding into the political sphere, upcoming votes in Asia may also be affected. Voting is already ...