| * Brazil cement maker seeks $5.4bn via IPO * Egypt's public sector salary bill soars * China permits giant Valemax to dock * Indian court deals new blow to Vedanta * Russian blogger faces fresh charges * India partially lifts mining ban * Renminbi rides out weaker China growth Markets: mixed Brazil cement maker seeks $5.4bn via IPO
Votorantim Cimentos has announced its intention to raise $5.4bn through an initial public offering that will be the world's biggest this year if realised.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/68a96858-a86e-11e2-b031-00144feabdc0.html Egypt's public sector salary bill soars
Egypt's public sector salary bill has risen by 80 per cent since the 2011 revolution, according to an international aid official and a copy of notes taken at a private briefing by the International Monetary Fund.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/16ab0414-a830-11e2-8e5d-00144feabdc0.html China permits giant Valemax to dock
A port in eastern China has allowed one of the controversial huge Valemax ships to dock and unload a cargo of iron ore, potentially signalling a relaxation of China's 14-month-old ban on the ultra-large vessels.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ab14aba8-a7fb-11e2-b031-00144feabdc0.html Indian court deals new blow to Vedanta
India's Supreme Court dealt another blow to Vedanta Resources on Thursday, saying that bauxite could not be mined from eastern India's pristine Niyamgiri Hills without permission from an animist tribe, which worships the hills as the home of their local deity.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c7308a84-a821-11e2-b031-00144feabdc0.html Russian blogger faces fresh charges
Only a day after facing trial on embezzlement charges, Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin, was hit with another criminal investigation into alleged theft, as Russia's law enforcement agencies appeared to ratchet up pressure on political opponents.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1fa63ffc-a83a-11e2-b031-00144feabdc0.html India partially lifts mining ban
India's Supreme Court on Thursday further relaxed its previous blanket ban on mining in the mineral-rich southern state of Karnataka, providing some limited relief to the country's crisis-hit iron ore and steel industries.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d0ea5fe8-a829-11e2-8e5d-00144feabdc0.html Renminbi rides out weaker China growth
Poor growth, soaring debt and a rating downgrade. In most parts of the world such a cocktail would spell bad news for the currency. But not so in China. Despite a clutch of negative headlines in the past week, the renminbi has instead strengthened to reach a fresh high against the US dollar.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/faed9262-a81d-11e2-8e5d-00144feabdc0.html Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index up +0.64% at 1,004 Americas
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Hang Seng up +1.00% at 21,729
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MSCI Asia ex-Japan up +0.96% at 534.89
CNX Nifty up +1.66% at 5,783 Currencies
€/$ 1.31 (1.31)
$/¥ 98.53 (98.13) Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) up +0.25 at 99.38
Light Crude (Nymex) up +0.27 at 88.00 100
Oz Gold (Comex) unchanged 0.00 at 1,392 | 
