By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asian shares ride Wall Street surge, oil rally
• Trump official says Fed chief Powell’s job is safe
• Nikkei rise 3.7 pct; dollar gains most vs yen since April overnight
• Gold hovers below 6-mth highs

Oil Markets

• US oil prices extend gains as equities rise, but economic worries weigh
• Brent yet to trade; rose 8 pct to $46.22 per barrel previously
• US WTI crude futures up 0.6 pct at $46.48 per barrel (0032GMT)

Precious metals

• Gold edges up but risk-on sentiment limits gains
• Spot gold up 0.4 pct at $1,271.85 per ounce (0102GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.1 pct at $1,273.9 per ounce

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

• Ghana referendum on new regions today
• Nigeria FX reserves data for Dec-18 expected [prev. $41.99B]

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

• Deposed Egyptian presidents come face to face in court
• France drops charges against Rwandan officials – judicial source
• 3 Congo opposition cities excluded from presidential election
• Islamic State claims attack on Libya’s foreign ministry in Tripoli
• Security forces disperse Sudanese demonstrators after week of protests
• Congo opposition cry foul over web-enabled voting machines
• Several dead in suicide attach on Libyan foreign ministry
• Russia’s Nornickel terminates agreement with Botswana’s BCL on asset sale
• Gunmen attack HQ of Libya’s foreign ministry in Tripoli – Reuters witness
• More arrests made over murder of 2 Scandinavian women in Morocco
• Election fears dim Christmas cheer in Congo
• Clashes in western Tunisia after self-immolation of journalist
• Sudan police disperse protesters with tear gas on 6^th day of unrest
• NOC head and Libyan PM agree new plan to protect fields
• South Africa’s MTN pays $53 mln to settle $8.1 bln Nigeria dispute
• On 6^th day of protests, Sudan’s Bashir warns against incitement
• Nigeria’s central bank says agreement with MTN ends legal case, resolves dispute – statement
• Ghana’s first oil exploration licensing round attracts global majors
• Libyan authorities say they recover 34 bodies from IS mass grave
• Kenya lifts abortion ban on global charity Marie Stopes
• South Africa’s rand firms as US political uncertainty weighs on dollar
• Ugandan shilling weakens on uptick in interbank appetite
• Al Shabaab bomber executed in Somalia
• Madagascar’s Rajoelina leads election runoff, Ravalomanana alleges fraud

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