By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares buckle to European woes, Saudi anxieties
• Asian shares down 1.3 pct, US stock futures shed 0.8 pct
• World leaders not convinced by Saudi Arabia’s Khashoggi account
• European stocks hit by worries over Italy’s budget

Oil Markets

• Oil prices fall as Saudi Arabia pledges to play ‘responsible role’ in market
• Markets expected to tighten once Iran sanctions kick in
• US sanctions against Iran to start Nov. 4
• Rising US oil output to offset Iran
• Brent crude oil futures down 0.4 pct at $79.52 a barrel (0318GMT)
• US WTI crude futures down 0.3 pct at $69.16 a barrel

Precious metals

• Gold nudges up as Asian shares edge lower
• Spot gold up 0.1 pct at $1,222.53 an ounce (0056GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.1 pct to $1.225.30 an ounce

Grains

• US soybeans hit 2-wk low as harvest peace exceed forecasts
• Most active CBOT wheat futures unchanged at $5.08 per bushel (0120GMT)
• Most active corn futures down 0.1 pct at $3.69-1/4 per bushel
• Most active soy futures down 0.4 pct at $8.55 per bushel
• Most active rice futures up 1.6 pct at $11.22 per hundredweight

Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Day 2 of UNCTAD World Investment Forum #WIF2018 in Geneva (22-26 Oct); Botswana, Namibia presidents attending

Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]

• Morocco looks to privatisation to curb budget deficit in 2019 – minister
• Biya wins Cameroon election to extend 36-yr rule
• Africa Crude – Spot trade hampered by slow emergence of export programmes
• South Africa’s rand, stocks swept up in EM rally
• South Africa’s latest finance minister walks budget tightrope to fix ailing economy
• Morocco to deport 141 migrants arrested at Spanish enclave fence
• Kenyan ARM Cement’s administrator seeks asset sale to cut debt, keep it afloat
• Zambia revives plan to cull 2,000 hippos over next five years
• Uganda shilling unchanged as commerical bank, importer demand slumps
• Kenyan shilling weakens against the dollar
• Kenya warns against unlicensed online forex trading
• South African state firm Transnet removes CEO
• South Africa’s Verimark says majority shareholder intends to delist firm

N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters