By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji

Global Markets

• Asia shares off 7-mth peak, mood turns cautious
• China blue-chips fade from 1-yr peak, Nikkei highest since Dec
• Beijing signals more stimulus ahead
• Eyes on Fed minutes, latest Brexit deadline
• Oil prices reach highs for the year so far

Oil Markets

• Oil climbs to 5-mth high amid OPEC cuts, US sanctions and Libya fighting
• OPEC, allies have been witholding supply since start of 2019
• US sanctions against Iran, Venezuela also push up crude
• Strong US jobs data helping to support markets
• Analysts still warn of global trade slowdown
• Brent up 0.4 pct at $70.62 per barrel (0716GMT)
• WTI up 0.5 pct at $63.39 per barrel

Precious metals

• Gold prices hit 1-wk high as dollar turns lower
• Gold specs cut net long positions in week to April 2
• SPDR gold holdings fell 3 pct last week
• Platinum hits its highest since May 31 at $912.90/oz
• Spot gold up 0.4 pct at $1,296.06 per ounce (0605GMT)
• US gold futures up 0.4 pct at $1,300.40 an ounce

Grains

• Wheat eases for 3^rd session on improved US crop outlook, soybeans firm
• Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.5 pct at $4.65-1/4 per bushel (0119GMT)
• Most active corn futures up 0.1 pct at $3.62-3/4 per bushel
• Most active soy futures up 0.3 pct at $9.01-1/2 per bushel
• Most active rice futures up 0.1 pct at $10.53 per hundredweight

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

• South Africa state capture inquiry resumes [Adjourned to Thursday, 11 Apr]
• South Africa PIC inquiry resumes
• Inauguration of Kenya’s supreme court justice Ojwang probe tribunal
• Nigeria’s Buhari speech at 2019 Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai
• South Africa releases national school monitoring survey

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

• Tanzania to ban single-use plastics by July – environment minister
• UN says 2,200 people flee Libya clashes, many more trapped
• Kenya shilling gains ground, helped by inflows into govt bonds
• South Africa rand retreats from 5-wk high
• Sudan soldiers step in to protect protesters from security forces – witnesses
• Squeezed by US shale, Nigeria oil propped up by Asian demand
• Sudan security forces try to break up protest outside defence ministry – witnesses
• UN-backed Libya govt: 11 killed and 23 wounded in clashes in southern Tripoli
• Thousands of Sudanese protesters hold second day of sit-in outside Bashir’s compound
• Rwanda honours those killed in genocide 25 years ago
• Eastern Libya forces conduct air strikes on Tripoli as UN fails to reach truce
• American tourist kidnapped in Uganda park rescued – Uganda military
• Shell appoints its former Tunisia chief to head Egypt business
• Nigeria suspends mining in Zamfara state after banditry surges
• Sudan suffers total power blackout – ministry of electricity
• UN calls for truce in southern Tripoli, Libya to evacuate wounded
• Eastern Libya forces carry out air strike in south Tripoli – sources
• Thousands of Sudan protesters hold second day of sit-in outside Bashir’s compound
• France’s Macron to declare April 7 as commemoration day of Rwanda genocide
• After floods drench eastern Zimbabwe, water shortages parch Harare
• Egypt’s March non-oil private sector activity contracts, PMI shows
• Sudan protesters clash with security forces outside Bashir’s compound
• Civilian killed during protests in Sudan’s Omdurman
• France’s Macron, UN’s Guterres want political solution to Libya crisis
• Algeria’s parliament to elect new interim president on Tuesday – agency
• UN to hold Libya conference as planned despite surge in fighting – envoy
• Russia tells Libya’s Haftar it favours political solution to crisis
• G7 powers urge Haftar to halt advance on Libya’s capital
• Tunisia president Essebsi says he does not want to run for a second term
• G7: Libya’s oil facilities must not be sued for political gain
• G7 cannot accept military escalation in Libya, says Germany
• Egypt says Libya crisis cannot be resolved through military means
• Russia wants politicians in Libya to agree between themselves
• Ethiopia inflation up to 11.2 pct in year to March – stats bureau
• Egypt to slash fuel subsidies as it nears end of IMF programme
• Morocco court upholds prison sentences against Rif protesters
• Rwandan convicted of lying while seeking US asylum after genocide
• Eastern Libya forces control the former Tripoli airport – residents, spokesman
• Finely painted Ptolemaic tomb unveiled in Egypt
• Tripoli forces retake former airport – minister
• Thousands rally in Mali to protest ethnic violence
• Bereaved families blame Boeing after Ethiopia crash report
• DRC plans oil licensing round this year
• Hundreds of thousands of Algerians march for sweeping change
• US 2018 air strike in Somalia killed 2 civilians, US review finds
• Africa Crude – Buyers aloof as offers still too high
• UN secretary general says he is leaving Libya with “heavy heart”
• Libya El Sharar oil field and Zawiya port working normally – field engineer
• UN ups Zimbabwe aid appeal after cyclone
• Tunisia tightens border controls due to escalation between rival Libya factions
• Gulf states, Egypt say will boycott parliament meet in Doha
• Macron appoints researchers to evaluate role of France in Rwanda genocide
• Indonesia to send investigators to Ethiopia to aid crash probes
• Flows to emerging markets should recover in 2019, 2020, IIF says
• Libya forces allied to Tripoli takes 145 prisoners from Eastern forces
• Algeria protesters return to the streets as spy boss reported sacked
• Egypt kills hundreds of suspected militants in disputed gun battles
• Tanzania’s tourism revenues jump 7 pct in 2018
• Kenya shilling holds steady against the dollar
• Fitch sees Brent crude at $62.5/bbl in 2020 as economic woes bite
• Egypt says 2 bln eurobond offer completes international debt auction for FY 18/19
• Russia says it is not backing Libya commander Haftar’s westward push
• Guterres flying to eastern Libya to meet Haftar and lawmakers
• South Africa’s Steinhoff accounts publication postponed again
• Egypt says eurobond offer covered fourfold, no more international debt auctions in FY 2018/19
• South Africa’s net FX reserves fall to $43.3 bln in March

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