| * South Korea growth at two-year high * Colombia votes down gay marriage * Etisalat and Ooredoo battle for stake in Maroc Telecom * Nigeria's Dangote Cement lifts revenues 24% * Axa targets growth with share in Chinese insurer * Rwanda and Costa Rica: riding the wave of cheap money * China reels in Hollywood as multiplex screens thrive Markets: up South Korea growth at two-year high
South Korea's economy grew at the fastest quarterly pace for two years in the first three months of the year, boosted by recovering exports and facilities investment.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/207f2d18-ad3e-11e2-b27f-00144feabdc0.html Colombia votes down gay marriage
Colombian lawmakers scorned a proposed law to allow same-sex marriage, bucking a growing regional trend. The polarising bill, which sparked a bruising parliamentary battle, was rejected by 51 to 17 votes.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/acb35fec-ad44-11e2-b27f-00144feabdc0.html Etisalat and Ooredoo battle for stake in Maroc Telecom
Etisalat, the Emirates-based telecoms group, and Ooredoo, the newly renamed Qatari telecoms group, have lodged bids to acquire the majority stake owned by Vivendi in Maroc Telecom, the largest telecoms operator in Morocco.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/70108920-acf4-11e2-b27f-00144feabdc0.html Nigeria's Dangote Cement lifts revenues 24%
Dangote Cement, Nigeria's largest company, increased its revenues and profits by 24 per cent in 2012 after opening two new plants in Africa's most populous country.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a06230c4-acf9-11e2-b27f-00144feabdc0.html Axa targets growth with share in Chinese insurer
Axa, the French insurer, is expanding its business in Asia through a €485m deal to buy 50 per cent of Tian Ping, a Chinese car insurance company, as part of its pledge to double its size in "high-growth" markets.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9aaaa7c8-acf0-11e2-9454-00144feabdc0.html Rwanda and Costa Rica: riding the wave of cheap money
What does Rwanda, a poor African country that has suffered a horrific war and genocide, have in common with Costa Rica, a Central American country of 4.5m best known for its beaches and high-quality coffee beans?
http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/04/24/rwanda-and-costa-rica-ride-wave-of-cheap-money/ China reels in Hollywood as multiplex screens thrive
Not long ago most Chinese figures appearing in Hollywood films were peripheral characters, villains and bad guys – with the notable exception of Jackie Chan. But Chinese characters – and China as a setting – are becoming increasingly prominent, judging by Iron Man 3, the latest blockbuster from Walt Disney's Marvel division.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8025f474-acf6-11e2-9454-00144feabdc0.html Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index up +0.60% at 1,024 Americas
DJIA down -0.29% at 14,676
S&P 500 up 0.00% at 1,579
Bovespa up +0.18% at 54,984 Asia
Nikkei 225 up +0.48% at 13,910
Topix up +0.43% at 1,169
Hang Seng up +1.11% at 22,430
Shanghai Composite up +0.17% at 2,222
MSCI Asia ex-Japan up +0.67% at 544.47
CNX Nifty up +0.83% at 5,885 Currencies
€/$ 1.30 (1.30)
$/¥ 99.39 (99.47) Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) up +0.38 at 102.11
Light Crude (Nymex) up +0.41 at 91.84
100 Oz Gold (Comex) up +17.70 at 1,441 | 
