| * Emerging markets take taper in their stride * Rice boils over as Thai election issue * NSA fallout sees Brazil snub Boeing * West had been ready to loan Ukraine €20bn * India's parties unite in outrage at US * Putin is a spoiler, not a strategist * Citi picks AIA for Asia distribution deal * Markets: down Emerging markets take taper in their stride
Previous hints from the Fed that it planned to reduce its asset purchase programme sparked turmoil in emerging markets but Thursday's relative calm suggests the US central bank prepared the ground well for the start of the end of easy money
http://on.ft.com/18YrprD Rice boils over as Thai election issue
Farmers are complaining that the rice subsidies offered by the Yingluck government are drying up adding to the pressure on Thailand's prime minister ahead of national elections called for February 2
http://on.ft.com/18YrpHS NSA fallout sees Brazil snub Boeing
Brazil has awarded a coveted $4.5bn fighter jet contract to Sweden's Saab, delivering a bitter blow to Boeing of the US and Dassault of France
http://on.ft.com/18Yro6Z West had been ready to loan Ukraine €20bn
Total would have broadly matched the bailout package Russia pledged to Ukraine on Tuesday – and what Ukraine had publicly demanded
http://on.ft.com/18YrpHT India's parties unite in outrage at US
A diplomatic storm has blown up over the treatment of an Indian consular official who has allegedly abused a servant on American soil
http://on.ft.com/18YrpHV Putin is a spoiler, not a strategist
Russia-Ukraine deal is latest sign of hardball tactics. The west should be wary of the Russian president but recognise his fundamental weakness
http://on.ft.com/18YrpHW Citi picks AIA for Asia distribution deal
Citigroup has picked AIA Group as its partner in a multibillion-dollar distribution deal that will allow the Asian life insurer's products to be sold through the US bank's network across the region.
http://on.ft.com/1gHbRx4 Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index down -0.09% at 991.76 Americas
DJIA up +1.84% at 16,168
S&P 500 up +1.66% at 1,811
Bovespa up +0.94% at 50,563 Asia
Nikkei 225 up +1.74% at 15,859
Topix up +1.01% at 1,263
Hang Seng down -0.06% at 23,130
Shanghai Composite down -0.45% at 2,139
MSCI Asia ex-Japan down -0.25% at 544.51
CNX Nifty down -0.78% at 6,169 Currencies
€/$ 1.37 (1.37)
$/¥ 104.09 (104.26) Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) down -0.23 at 109.40
Light Crude (Nymex) down -0.09 at 97.71
100 Oz Gold (Comex) down -15.50 at 1,221 | 
