beyondbrics

* China tackles public skepticism over euro bailout

* ‘US puts pressure on Assad to quit

* Iran softens line on cutting oil to Europe

* China’s low New Year sales ripple across Asia

* Seeking safeguards for unskilled workers abroad

* Brazil airport auction to test investment climate as World Cup draws near

* Egypt move on foreign groups puts aid at risk

* Romania, IMF agree on $664m tranche as growth slows

* Carlyle to focus on Turkey and Saudi Arabia

* Markets: up

China tackles public skepticism over euro bailout
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao offered a forceful justification for helping Europe out of its debt crisis, in remarks that appeared aimed in part at countering public skepticism about the wisdom of using Chinese money to support rich world countries, the WSJ reports.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203315804577204760639996168.html?mod=WSJINDIA_hpp_LEFTTopStories

‘US puts pressure on Assad to quit
The US vowed on Sunday to put “immense pressure” on Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to step down after Russia and China vetoed a resolution aimed at ending the fighting in the country, the FT reports.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/dfec7cf0-501a-11e1-a3ac-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1lZHgv78P

Iran softens line on cutting oil to Europe
Iran has indicated that its threat to cut oil supplies to European states in order to pre-empt a European Union oil embargo that comes into effect in July may be only a symbolic one, the FT reports.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a4e559a0-5007-11e1-a3ac-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1lZHgv78P

China’s low New Year sales ripple across Asia
Chinese shoppers on their Lunar New Year holiday were less lavish than expected at Hong Kong jewelers, curbed spending on beauty brands and slowed spending at South Korean stores. They may keep that pace in the coming year of the dragon, Bloomberg reports.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-05/china-s-lowest-lunar-sales-since-2009-seen-dimming-asian-outlook-retail.html

Seeking safeguards for unskilled workers abroad
Indonesia, the Philippines and other developing countries are demanding more rights and higher wages world-wide for their legions of unskilled laborers—a trend that could shake up global labor markets, the WSJ reports.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203735304577166431120402026.html?mod=WSJINDIA_hpp_MIDDLETopStories

Brazil airport auction to test investment climate as World Cup draws near
Brazil today will auction rights to operate three of its busiest airports in a deal worth 16bn reais ($9bn) in investments that tests the government’s ability to attract private capital ahead of the 2014 World Cup, Bloomberg reports.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-06/brazil-airport-auction-to-test-investment-climate-as-world-cup-draws-near.html

Egypt move on foreign groups puts aid at risk
Egypt has referred 40 employees of local and foreign civil society groups to a criminal court in a move that could jeopardise some $1.55bn in US military and economic assistance to the country, the FT reports.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/108356e4-5017-11e1-a3ac-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1lZHgv78P

Romania, IMF agree on $664m tranche as growth slows
Romania and the International Monetary Fund reached a staff-level agreement to unlock about 505m euros ($664m) in funds from its standby loan, IMF Mission Chief Jeffrey Franks told Bloomberg.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-05/romania-imf-agree-on-664-million-tranche-as-balkan-nation-s-growth-slows.html

Carlyle to focus on Turkey and Saudi Arabia
Carlyle Group has installed a leadership pairing at its Middle East and north African arm as the private equity group reframes its investment strategy, focusing on the region’s main growth markets in Turkey and the Gulf, the FT reports.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/246cbfa4-4e8e-11e1-ada2-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1lZHgv78P

Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index up +0.17% at 1,050

Americas
DJIA up +1.23% at 12,862
S&P 500 up +1.46% at 1,345
Bovespa up +0.97% at 65,217

Asia
Nikkei 225 up +1.14% at 8,933
Topix up +1.21% at 769.92
Hang Seng up +0.51% at 20,862
Shanghai Composite up +0.39% at 2,340
MSCI Asia ex-Japan up +0.26% at 518.49
S&P CNX Nifty Index up +1.07% at 5,383

Currencies
€/$ 1.31 (1.31)
$/¥ 76.77 (76.61)

Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) down -0.06 at 114.52
Light Crude (Nymex) down -0.54 at 97.30
100 Oz Gold (Comex) down -4.40 at 1,734