* Chinese fund and Schmidt-backed bank unite - Financial Times (blog)

* Asian shares rise on upbeat Chinese data

* Japan records largest ever trade deficit

* South Korean growth hits 3-year low

* Ex-girlfriend takes Berezovsky to court

* Ukraine to sign landmark shale gas deal

* Chinese fund and Schmidt-backed bank unite

* Bahrain makes overture to opposition

Markets: mostly down

Asian shares rise on upbeat Chinese data
Asian equities rose after manufacturing data pointed to a further acceleration of China's economic recovery, although technology stocks came under pressure following Apple's disappointing earnings report.
http://on.ft.com/Umn6PB

Japan records largest ever trade deficit
Japan recorded a record Y6.9tn ($77bn) trade deficit in 2012 as the cost of importing fuel rose following the Fukushima disaster, a strong yen, and frictions with China weighed on exports.
http://on.ft.com/10Lx0y9

South Korean growth hits 3-year low
South Korea's economy undershot market expectations in the fourth quarter of 2012, capping a year of disappointing performance in which struggling exports and fragile domestic sentiment weighed on the economy.
http://on.ft.com/ToRTNA

Ex-girlfriend takes Berezovsky to court
Boris Berezovsky, the Kremlin critic who lost his $6.5bn claim against Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich in one of the biggest court battles in the UK, is embroiled in a legal dispute with his former girlfriend.
http://on.ft.com/10Lxncb

Ukraine to sign landmark shale gas deal
Ukraine is expected to sign a potential $10bn-plus natural gas exploration and production deal on Thursday with Royal Dutch Shell, marking the biggest investment to date in "unconventional" gas in Europe.
http://on.ft.com/TnWK1v

Chinese fund and Schmidt-backed bank unite
A boutique merchant bank backed by Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has struck a deal with a Chinese state-owned fund to work together on media, sport and entertainment acquisitions.
http://on.ft.com/WME6gj

Bahrain makes overture to opposition
Bahrain's government has approached opposition groups with the view to restarting a national dialogue after almost two years of political deadlock.
http://on.ft.com/Xy691t

Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index down -0.45% at 1,072

Americas
DJIA up +0.49% at 13,779
S&P 500 up +0.15% at 1,495
Bovespa up +0.44% at 61,966

Asia
Nikkei 225 up +0.81% at 10,572
Topix up +0.96% at 896.32
Hang Seng down -0.19% at 23,591
Shanghai Composite down -0.26% at 2,315
MSCI Asia ex-Japan down -0.55% at 556.96
S&P CNX Nifty Index down -0.61% at 6,018

Currencies
€/$ 1.33 (1.33)
$/¥ 89.08 (88.59)

Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) down -0.04 at 112.76
Light Crude (Nymex) up +0.30 at 95.53
100 Oz Gold (Comex) unchanged 0.00 at 1,686