beyondbrics

* Indonesia GDP hits 6.5% in fourth quarter

* China bars airlines from EU tax plan

* India: Facebook, Google remove content after court warning

* 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

* Markets: mixed

Indonesia GDP hits 6.5% in fourth quarter
Indonesia’s powerhouse economy grew faster than expected in the final quarter of last year, according to data released on Monday, the FT reports. Fourth-quarter growth hit 6.5 per cent year on year, above the median forecast of 6.4 per cent, according to polling by Reuters. Indonesia remains on track to record full year growth of 6.5 per cent, the strongest performance since before the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/efbd376c-5085-11e1-ab40-00144feabdc0.html

China bars airlines from EU tax plan
The Chinese government has barred the country’s airlines from complying with a European Union charge on carbon emissions, escalating a dispute that officials have warned could turn into a trade war, the FT reports. Chinese airlines had previously said they would not pay the EU carbon tax, but the formal prohibition by the State Council, or cabinet, puts Beijing in direct opposition to Brussels.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b33cdd2a-507a-11e1-a3ac-00144feabdc0.html

India: Facebook, Google remove content after court warning
Internet giants Google Inc and Facebook removed content from some Indian domain websites on Monday following a court directive warning them of a crackdown “like China” if they did not take steps to protect religious sensibilities, Reuters reports.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/02/06/india-internet-idINDEE8150AP20120206

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/cms/s/0/dfec7cf0-501a-11e1-a3ac-00144feabdc0.html

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/cms/s/0/a4e559a0-5007-11e1-a3ac-00144feabdc0.html

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

Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index down -0.31% at 1,045

Europe
FTSE up -0.23% at 5,888
RTS down -0.01% at 1,625
Warsaw Wig up +0.10% at 41,774
FTSE 300 Eurotop down -0.46% at 1,072

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 +1.10% at 8,929
Topix up +1.20% at 769.85
Hang Seng down -0.23% at 20,710
Shanghai Composite up +0.03% at 2,331
MSCI Asia ex-Japan down -0.20% at 516.12
S&P CNX Nifty Index up +0.67% at 5,362

Currencies
€/$ 1.31 (1.31)
$/¥ 76.57 (76.61)

Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) down -0.68 at 113.90
Light Crude (Nymex) down -1.11 at 96.73
100 Oz Gold (Comex) down -21.10 at 1,717