Shaky Asian markets, Patriots win the Super Bowl and commercialising My Little Pony

The daily briefing “FirstFT” from the Financial Times.

Stocks in Shanghai and Hong Kong fell on growth concerns after weekend data showed that China’s manufacturing sector shrank in January for the first time in more than two years. The Nikkei also slipped, tracking the fall in US stocks after weak GDP figures on Friday. (FT, WSJ$)

In the news

Greece wants to go cold turkey Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said Athens wouldreject further loans under its international rescue plan, despite its EUR172bn bailout expiring at the end of the month. “We have resembled drug addicts craving the next dose,” he said. “What this government is all about is ending the addiction.” (FT)

Kaisa chief quits Jin Zhigang, chief executive of the troubled Chinese property developer, becomes the fourth high-level executive to quit in the past six weeks. Kaisa’s troubles began in December when the local government imposed a sales ban on the company’s Shenzhen projects – trading in its stocks have been halted since late December. (FT)

US considers arming Ukraine Russia-backed separatists have ramped up their attacks on Ukraine and Nato’s military commander now supports providing defensive weapons to Kiev’s forces, so the Obama administration is considering military aid ahead of John Kerry’s visit to Kiev on Thursday. (NYT$)

Japanese hostage killed Isis released a video that appeared to show the beheading of Kenji Goto, a freelance journalist. The news has highlighted tensions over Shinzo Abe’s desire to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution , allowing for more proactive national defence, which opponents argue puts citizens at risk. (FT)

Egypt deports Peter Greste The Al Jazeera journalist had been jailed for more than a year on politicised charges over the content of his work. The journalists jailed with him remain incarcerated, although one might soon be deported to Canada, on the condition that he gives up his Egyptian citizenship. (NYT$)

The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to capture their first NFL title in 10 years. (Reuters)

The Super Bowl is the second most-watched annual television event in the world, behind only the Champions League football final, and advertisers pay an average $4.2m for 30 seconds of Super Bowl screen time. (FT)

It’s a big day for

The US budget, which the US president presents today. Obama plans to raise $238bn by levying a one-off tax on cash held by US companies overseas. The 14 per cent tax on an estimated $2tn of earnings will be used to repair crumbling US roads and bridges. (FT)

Exxon The world’s biggest oil company by market value reports fourth-quarter earnings and the slump in oil prices is expected to have pushed earnings per share down to $1.30, compared with $1.89 in the previous quarter. (FT)

Dominique Strauss-Kahn The former head of the IMF goes on trial for “proxenetisme aggrave” – aggravated procuring for the purposes of prostitution. Strauss-Kahn has admitted to a penchant for “libertine” parties but denies knowing that women were paid for their services. (Guardian)

Food for thought

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters marched through the streets of Hong Kong – the first large-scale demonstration since the Occupy Central campaign was cleared away at the end of last year. (Reuters)

Dollar danger A rising dollar is not the picnic it is made out to be, says Edward Luce. Export growth is slowing, the widely forecast stampede of reshoring is not really happening and the US recovery is based on rising consumption, rather than investment. (FT)

Immune to science The New York Times examines how a 1998 report on a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism was deemed fraudulent but continues to be accepted in faith. The Washington Post examines how the gulf has grown between what scientists think and what the public think about vaccines, genetically modified food and climate change. (NYT$, WaPo$)

Battling for the soul of ‘My Little Pony’ Cartoon producers are assigned a “toy partner” – if that partner drops out, the show dies. The artist behind the reimagined My Little Pony had to reconcile that commercial demand with her artistic choice, and managed to inspire a small and dedicated following of men and women in their 20s. (Longreads)

Experiencing Chinese rule of law A German journalist for Die Zeit describes how her Chinese news assistant disappeared after covering the Occupy protests in Hong Kong and her experience with the Chinese authorities when trying to free her. (Die Zeit)

Video of the day

New voices in African fiction Katrina Manson reports the growing demand for African novels and the changes needed to make African voices more prominent. (FT)

This article is published in collaboration with The Financial Times. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: FirstFT is the Financial Times’ editors curated free daily email of the top global stories from the FT and the best of the rest of the web.

Image: A man rides an escalator near Shanghai Tower (R, under construction), Jin Mao Tower (C) and the Shanghai World Financial Center (L) at the Pudong financial district in Shanghai July 4, 2013. REUTERS/Carlos Barria