* Zeman wins Czech presidential election - Financial Times (blog)

* Singapore underwrites Laxfield's £1bn fund

* Myanmar signs deal with foreign creditors

* Zeman wins Czech presidential election

* Bumi directors reject Rothschild plan

* Twitter targets Mideast with ads tie-up

* Volvo to ramp up exports at China venture

* Brazil nightspot fire kills at least 232

Markets: mixed

Singapore underwrites Laxfield's £1bn fund
The government of Singapore has emerged as the unlikely source of finance behind a £1bn mortgage fund for the UK's beleaguered developers of offices, shops and industrial real estate.
http://on.ft.com/WHAdJD

Myanmar signs deal with foreign creditors
Myanmar passed a milestone in its efforts to clear its foreign debts after announcing agreements with the Paris Club of creditors, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.
http://on.ft.com/WHAix5

Zeman wins Czech presidential election
The Czech Republic's first direct presidential election was won by Milos Zeman, a leftwing former premier expected to steer a more pro-European course.
http://on.ft.com/WHAoov

Bumi directors reject Rothschild plan
The two directors of Bumi that Nat Rothschild proposed keeping on the coal miner's board have said they do not support the financier's plans for the group, dealing a blow to his hopes of wresting back control of the company he helped create.
http://on.ft.com/WHAAnD

Twitter targets Mideast with ads tie-up
Twitter has launched a partnership to sell adverts in the Middle East as the social networking site seeks to boost revenue in a region where the number of its users trebled last year.
http://on.ft.com/VhFJS7

Volvo to ramp up exports at China venture
Volvo Group is hoping to exploit its new-found position as the largest maker of heavy duty trucks by sales by aggressively exporting vehicles from its Chinese joint venture partner, Dongfeng Motor, to other emerging markets.
http://on.ft.com/WHAI6o

Brazil nightspot fire kills at least 232
A fire has swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil, killing at least 232 people in one of Latin America's worst blazes in a decade.
http://on.ft.com/UuOyug

Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index down -0.15% at 1,068

Americas
DJIA up +0.51% at 13,896
S&P 500 up +0.54% at 1,503
Bovespa down -1.29% at 61,170

Asia
Nikkei 225 down -0.76% at 10,844
Topix down -0.02% at 916.95
Hang Seng up +0.47% at 23,692
Shanghai Composite up +1.71% at 2,331
MSCI Asia ex-Japan down -0.21% at 553.32
S&P CNX Nifty Index up +0.09% at 6,080

Currencies
€/$ 1.35 (1.35)
$/¥ 91.03 (90.89)

Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) down -0.06 at 113.22
Light Crude (Nymex) up +0.13 at 96.01
100 Oz Gold (Comex) unchanged 0.00 at 1,656