BLOOMBERG China saw its biggest gain in imports in a year last month, while a slide in exports decelerated, adding to evidence that the world’s second-largest economy is recovering from the impact of pandemic lockdowns. Imports rose 4.2% from a year ago to $197 billion in February, following a slump of 21.4% in January and snapping four months of decline, …

BLOOMBERG Shares of Korean electronics makers surged after Japan said it’ll roll back export restrictions of key semiconductor materials, laying to rest concern about the fragility of an important link in the tech supply chain. SK Hynix Inc jumped as much as 7.3%, the biggest intraday rise in more than two months. Samsung Electronics Co rose more than 2% and …

BLOOMBERG Australia’s government is confident that plans to acquire a fleet of nuclear submarines under the Aukus agreement won’t derail progress in restoring its relations with China. Trade Minister Don Farrell said talks on reviving frozen ties were progressing well at an official level, and that an invitation for him to visit Beijing still stood. That’s despite the overarching aim …

BLOOMBERG President Vladimir Putin made a surprise trip to occupied Mariupol, the Ukrainian city largely destroyed by a months-long Russian siege, according to a Kremlin statement and video released on state television. The highly classified visit was Putin’s first to one of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia claimed in September to have annexed as part of its invasion launched …

BLOOMBERG North Korea test-fired a suspected short-range ballistic missile, adding to its barrage of launches in the past month that included two rockets designed to deliver a nuclear warhead to the US mainland. The missile was fired towards waters to the east of the Korean peninsula, Yonhap News reported, citing South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. It flew for about …

BLOOMBERG Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and her Pheu Thai party widened leads as the voters’ top choice in the latest opinion poll ahead of a general election tentatively scheduled for May. Paetongtarn, who represents the Southeast Asian nation’s largest opposition party, garnered 38.2% of support in a poll of 2,000. It’s the latest edition of …

BLOOMBERG For decades John Lewis Partnership Plc has been considered the pinnacle of British retailing, overshadowing archrival Marks & Spencer (M&S) Group Plc. While the owner of the John Lewis department store and upmarket grocer Waitrose was lauded for its employee-ownership, service levels and quality, M&S struggled with never-ending turnaround plans, a revolving door of CEOs and plunging profits. But …

BLOOMBERG London Heathrow stands to suffer severe disruptions during the busy Easter travel period after some workers at the airport voted in favour of walkouts, the latest flareup in the country that has seen months of strikes over pay amid a cost of living crisis. More than 1,400 security workers at the hub voted in favour of 10 days of …

BLOOMBERG The massive renovation to New York City’s John F Kennedy International Airport has gotten even more expensive. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey increased its funding authorisation for the infrastructure portion of the project by about $1 billion, making the new budget $3.9 billion, after costs surged due to higher inflation, soaring labour expenses and supply …

BLOOMBERG McDonald’s Corp is facing rising unrest among certain US franchisees — a potential stumbling block as the burger chain plots aggressive expansion. Squeezed by higher costs and grumbling at new operating rules, franchisees invited to a meeting with the company’s board will press their case in person. The session will give US operators “an opportunity to share with the …