| * Relief rally sweeps across Asia * Africa turns to sukuk to fund infrastructure * IBM blames China for slide in revenues * Russia-South Korea pipeline talks revived * Africa adopts Islamic sukuk to fund big infrastructure projects * Coke vs Pepsi in EMs: different strategies, same gloom * Batista's OGX jettisons chief Markets: up Relief rally sweeps across Asia
Equities join advance begun in the US after the Senate voted in favour of a deal to avert a debt default
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f28bb18a-36cf-11e3-aaf1-00144feab7de.html Africa turns to sukuk to fund infrastructure
Use of Islamic finance is likely to increase as countries in sub-Saharan Africa tap into Middle East investors to fund large infrastructure projects
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ba880638-30d7-11e3-b478-00144feab7de.html IBM blames China for slide in revenues
IBM blamed stalling sales in China, caused by uncertainty ahead of the country's pending economic reform plan, for a large part of an unexpected slide in revenues in the latest quarter, wiping 6 per cent from its market value late on Wednesday.
http://on.ft.com/16Osb9I Russia-South Korea pipeline talks revived
Russia and South Korea revived talks on Wednesday on a long-mooted gas pipeline crossing North Korea, in a sign of continuing efforts to bring Pyongyang into the international economic fold despite diplomatic tensions this year.
http://on.ft.com/19S5uEb Africa adopts Islamic sukuk to fund big infrastructure projects
Africa is for the first time embracing large-scale Islamic finance as countries seek to tap cash-rich Middle Eastern investors to finance their large infrastructure programmes.
http://on.ft.com/1eqD973 Coke vs Pepsi in EMs: different strategies, same gloom
Coca-Cola and Pepsi are known for their cheery attitudes to the world. A list of their slogans include: "open happiness"; "life tastes good"; "the best drink created worldwide". But these days, life is tasting a lot less sweet for the two drinks giants as both struggle with waning growth in key emerging markets.
http://on.ft.com/1cVfhub Batista's OGX jettisons chief
Shares in Batista's flagship group surge as it elevates finance chief to top job and hires international auditing group to review statements
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/269cdc02-3670-11e3-8ae3-00144feab7de.html Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index up +0.28% at 1,034 Americas
DJIA up +1.36% at 15,374
S&P 500 up +1.38% at 1,722
Bovespa up +1.80% at 55,973 Asia
Nikkei 225 up +1.07% at 14,622
Topix up +0.90% at 1,208
Hang Seng up +0.26% at 23,288
Shanghai Composite up +0.50% at 2,204
MSCI Asia ex-Japan up +0.53% at 555.91
CNX Nifty up +0.12% at 6,096 Currencies
€/$ 1.35 (1.35)
$/¥ 98.65 (98.76) Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) down -0.04 at 110.55
Light Crude (Nymex) down -0.11 at 102.18
100 Oz Gold (Comex) unchanged 0.00 at 1,282 | 
