| * Emerging market 'softening' hits Nestlé * China warns of human bird flu transfer * Pakistan court orders Musharraf's arrest * Tullow hit by dry well in French Guiana * Chinese smartphone sales boost TSMC * China permits giant Valemax to dock * Growth in Latin America boosts Carrefour * Brazil raises interest rates * EM consumers take a bit of a rest * US backs call for Venezuela poll recount * Amerisur trebles revenues from Colombia * Hikma pulls out of vaccines business sale Markets: mixed Pakistan court orders Musharraf's arrest
Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday fled an Islamabad courtroom after his arrest was ordered by a judge in connection with charges related to a showdown with the judiciary in 2007 when he was president.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/51de3f8a-a7f7-11e2-8e5d-00144feabdc0.html China warns of human bird flu transfer
Chinese authorities have admitted for the first time that limited human-to-human transmission of the deadly H7N9 flu virus is theoretically possible, adding to fears over the virus that has now claimed 17 lives in eastern China.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/369ca3c8-a80c-11e2-b031-00144feabdc0.html Emerging market 'softening' hits Nestlé
Nestlé's sales fell short of expectations in the first three months of the year as the world's biggest food company by sales struggled with a slowdown in some emerging markets.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f751311e-a7ef-11e2-b031-00144feabdc0.html Tullow hit by dry well in French Guiana
News of another disappointing drilling result off French Guiana dragged shares in Tullow Oil down sharply on Wednesday.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/75b8da38-a779-11e2-bfcd-00144feabdc0.html Chinese smartphone sales boost TSMC
Strong sales of smartphones and tablets, notably in China, boosted profits at TSMC and helped the Taiwanese contract chipmaker shake off the fall in PC sales that has hit other major chip producers, notably Intel, the US group.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0e0c725e-a801-11e2-b031-00144feabdc0.html China permits giant Valemax to dock
A port in eastern China has allowed one of the controversial giant Valemax ships to dock and unload a cargo of iron ore, potentially signalling a relaxation of China's 14-month-old ban on the ultralarge vessels.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ab14aba8-a7fb-11e2-b031-00144feabdc0.html Growth in Latin America boosts Carrefour
Carrefour, the French retailer which is in a turnround programme, reported higher sales in the first quarter as faster growth in Latin America helped offset "an unfavourable consumption environment" in Europe.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1f548570-a7fb-11e2-8e5d-00144feabdc0.html Brazil raises interest rates
Brazil's central bank sought to reassure markets on Wednesday night that it was still the nation's principal guardian of inflation by ending a period of easier monetary policy that lasted nearly two years.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/34ef68f2-a7b8-11e2-bfcd-00144feabdc0.html EM consumers take a bit of a rest
Emerging market consumers have been powering global economic growth in recent years – and with it the profits and share prices of companies that have successfully ridden this wave of spending.
http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/04/18/em-consumers-take-a-bit-of-a-rest/ US backs call for Venezuela poll recount
John Kerry, US secretary of state, on Wednesday backed the Venezuelan opposition's call for a recount of the vote after disputed presidential elections on Sunday, despite plans for the inauguration on Friday of Nicolás Maduro.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ec83e0fc-a77b-11e2-bfcd-00144feabdc0.html Amerisur trebles revenues from Colombia
Amerisur Resources held out the prospect of further growth in its reserves base as it confirmed a trebling of revenues and leap in profits from fields in Colombia.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/de7097a4-a757-11e2-bfcd-00144feabdc0.html Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index down -0.12% at 1,000 Europe
FTSE down +0.39% at 6,269
RTS up +1.08% at 1,342
Warsaw Wig down -0.24% at 43,812
FTSE 300 Eurotop up +0.29% at 1,151 Americas
DJIA down -0.94% at 14,619
S&P 500 down -1.43% at 1,552
Bovespa down -2.05% at 52,882 Asia
Nikkei 225 down -1.22% at 13,220
Topix down -1.15% at 1,123
Hang Seng down -0.26% at 21,513
Shanghai Composite up +0.17% at 2,198
MSCI Asia ex-Japan down -0.26% at 464.99
CNX Nifty up +1.66% at 5,783 Currencies
€/$ 1.31 (1.30)
$/¥ 98.38 (98.09) Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) up +1.05 at 98.74
Light Crude (Nymex) up +0.93 at 87.61
100 Oz Gold (Comex) up +3.70 at 1,386 | 
