By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Asian markets a reluctant spectator to US political theatre
- US politics in focus as Trump forces Mattis out early
- Treasury Sec Mnuchin calls meeting of “plunge protection” team
- Market moves modest with Tokyo on holiday, S&P futures edge up
Oil Markets
- Oil eases on oversupply concerns ahead of holiday
- Brent, WTI hover near lowest levels since Q3 2017
- OPEC+ to meet again if cuts not enough – UAE minister
- US oil drillers add 10 rigs last week – Baker Hughes
- Brent crude futures down 0.5 pct at $53.55 a barrel (0106GMT)
- US WTI crude futures down 0.1 pct at $45.51 a barrel
Precious metals
- Gold rises as investors shy away from risk amid US political uncertainty
- Spot gold up 0.4 pct at $1,261.47 per ounce (0103GMT)
- US gold futures up 0.5 pct at $1,264.1 per ounce
Grains
- Wheat ticks up after deep losses, trades near 3-wk low
- Most active CBOT wheat futures up 0.7 pct at $5.17-1/2 per bushel (0123GMT)
- Most active corn futures down 0.3 pct at $3.77-1/2 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down 0.3 pct at $8.82-1/2 per bushel
- Most active rice futures up 1.4 pct at $10.78 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Markets to open for some hours ahead of festivities
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Sudanese police fire tear gas at protesting soccer fans
- Moroccan suspects in killing of Scandinavian women were acting alone, official says
- South Africa’s Transnet partially reopens coal export line after derailment
- South African power utility Eskom to cut 10 executive jobs
- Egypt appoints new military intelligence chief – security sources
- Morocco vigils honour Scandinavian women killed in Atlas Mountains
- Libya complains of arms cargo from Turkey, joint investigation launched
- Sudanese opposition leaders detained as protests continue
- South African jazz artist plays guitar during brain surgery
- At least 13 killed in Mogadishu car bomb claimed by al Shabaab
- At least one dead as price protests enter 3rd day in Sudan
- Nigeria police arrest suspected mastermind of 2015 Abuja bombings
- 7 killed in Congo cargo plane crash
- 9 more arrested in Morocco over murder of Scandinavian tourists
- AMCU strike at Sibanye-Stillwater legal – South African court
- Swiss ruling paves way to share documents in Nigeria oil graft case
- Congo opposition: we will not tolerate further delay to vote
- In Egypt, weddings get costlier as economic hardships deepen
- Sudanese police fire tear gas at dozens of protesters in Omdurman, Atbara and North Kordofan – witnesses
- BP greenlights Africa’s deepest offshore LNG project
- Congo’s Gomair says cargo plane crashed, no word yet on casaulties
- South Africa’s Transnet hopes to re-open one closed coal export line on Saturday
- South Africa coal train derails, export line shut – Transnet
- First Quantum Minerals plans 2,500 layoffs in Zambia over tax hikes
- Botswana’s economy slows in 3rd quarter of 2018
- Morocco inflation rises to 1.3 pct y/y in Nov
- In warming Mali, weather forecasts help cool flaring tempers
- Solar cures energy ills at Zimbabwe’s power-short clinics
- Congo election shows flaws in Trump’s Africa strategy
- Sudan price protests subverted by “infiltrators” – spokesman
- Sudan protests handled ‘without repression or opposition’ – govt spokesman
- Libyan state oil firm keeps El Sharara oilfield closed, rejects paying off protesters
- Morocco says suspects in Scandinavian tourists’ murder are linked to Islamic State
- 8 people dead in Sudan protests – officials
- Somalia lawmakers drop motion to impeach president – speaker
- State of emergency declared in 2nd Sudanese city amid protests
- Congo postpones Sunday’s presidential vote by a week to Dec 30
- Libyan coast guard says it has intercepted 15,000 migrants in 2018
- South Africa appoints new CEO for troubled state arms firm Denel
- Libya is restarting oil production in El Sharara – sources
- Uganda gives Tullow conditional approval to farm out stakes to Total, CNOOC
- Sierra Leone fruit bats infected with ebola-like Marburg virus
- Defying prejudice, Egyptian woman racks up global bodybuilding awards
- Egyptian court acquits 40 NGO workers whose case strained ties with US
- As ebola threatens mega-cities, vaccine stockpile needs grow
- Sudan signs mining, oil refinery agreements with Russian companies – oil ministry
- South Africa’s Shoprite faces hefty fine for anti-competitve behaviour
- German court partilly overturns war crimes verdict for Rwandan
- Sonangol secures $1 bln loan facility to fund operations, investment
- Congo commission says election delay due to fire, ethnic violence – candidate
- Most African currencies seen firming in week ahead
- Zambia pricing itself out of global mining with tax hikes – industry body
- Both candidates in Madagascar presidential runoff claim victory
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters