By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares hobbled by mounting risks to global growth
• MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan index down 0.1 pct
• Nikkei up 0.5 pct, US stock futures up 0.2 pct

Oil Markets

• Brent crude dips on global economy worries
• US oil prices steady
• Brent crude futures down 0.2 pct at $60.16 per barrel (0248GMT)
• US WTI crude futures up 0.3 pct at $51.33 per barrel

Precious metals

• Gold prices edge down as firm dollar weighs
• Spot gold down 0.2 pct at $1,236.30 per ounce (0107GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.1 pct at $1,239.3 per ounce

Grains

• Soybeans firm, rebound from 8-day low
• Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.4 pct at $5.32-1/4 per bushel (0323GMT)
• Most active corn futures up 0.1 pct at $3.85 per bushel
• Most active soy futures up 0.7 pct at $9.06-3/4 per bushel
• Most active rice futures up 0.5 pct at $10.63 per hundredweight

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

• Nigeria’s Buhari to deliver 2019 budget speech on Wednesday

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

• Africa Crude – Burst of spot trade mops up Nigerian cargoes
• Nigeria’s president Buhari asks to present budget to parliament on Dec 19 – house speaker
• Zambia denies White House claim China taking over power utility
• Unidentified attackers torch 3 vehicles, kill 2 in Rwanda’s south – military
• Israel ex-general under US sanctions denies arming South Sudan war
• Kenyan warriors hunt cash not lions in Maasai Olympics
• PZ Cussons warns of weakening demand, Nigeria challenges
• Ethiopia jails soldiers who marched on PM palace to up to 14 years
• African Union force denies it was involved in arrest of ex-al Shabaab leader
• Nigerian opposition candidate signs election peace accord
• First Quantum Minerals to cut over 1,000 jobs st Zambia mine
• Zimbabwe ruling party okays Mnangagwa re-election bid in 2023
• South Africa’s Eskom evaluating bids for mortgage business
• US orders non-emergency staff out of Congo before election
• Nigeria lifts UNICEF suspension hours after accusing staff of spying for Islamists
• Ethnic violence in southern Ethiopia kills 21, wounds 61 – state news
• Nigerian court adjourns MTN case untill 22 January
• Nigerian opposition candidate absent from election accord ceremony
• Congo fire destroys thousands of voting machines for presidential election
• Arms firm Denel’s accounts littered with flaws
• UN alarmed by electoral violence and inflammatory speech in Congo
• Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa to publish post-election violence report next week
• Eritrean leader pays first visit to Somalia, seeking closer ties
• South Africa’s AMCU union to remain on strike at Sibanye-Stillwater
• Russia, China abstain on UN CAR vote, unhappy with France
• South Africa’s Aspen says on track to dispose of baby milk business
• Tunisia doctors protest against wage disclosure
• Eskom debt swap not an option – South Africa’s Ramaphosa
• MTN, Nigerian central bank dispute will be over ‘very soon’ – regulator
• Nigeria files $1.1 bln London lawsuit against Shell, Eni, over oil deal
• South Africa’s central bank to wait until May for next rate hike
• France arrests CAR war crimes suspect

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