By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji
Global Markets
- Stocks, yuan fall as Sino-US trade talks deadlocked; investors await China retaliation
- Trump-Xi talks likely at G20 summit in June: White House advisor
- Major currencies calm for the moment; Bitcoin at 9-mth highs
Oil Markets
- Oil prices fall amid US-China trade impasse
- Brent down 0.2 pct at $70.49 a barrel (0013GMT)
- WTI down 0.4 pct at $61.31 a barrel
Precious metals
- Gold firms as US-China trade impasse fuels safe-haven demand
- Spot gold up 0.1 pct at $1,286.59 per ounce (0113GMT)
- US gold futures steady at $1,287.90 an ounce
Grains
- Soybeans fall to more than 10-yr low on US-China trade woes
- Most active CBOT wheat futures down 0.6 pct at $4.22-1/4 per bushel (0100GMT)
- Most active corn futures down 0.4 pct at $3.50-1/4 per bushel
- Most active soy futures down 0.6 pct at $8.04-1/2 per bushel
- Most active rice futures up 0.4 pct at $11.03 per hundredweight
Key African events or data releases today
[Posts & comments at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- South Africa’s ruling ANC to hold special NEC meeting in Pretoria today
- South Africa’s DA federal executives to meet today
- South Africa labour statistics on 14 May
- South Africa PIC inquiry resumes
- South Africa state capture inquiry resumes on 15 May
- South Africa retail sales data for Mar-19 on 15 May
Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today
[Posted & commented on some headlines below at my Twitter handle @DrRafiqRaji]
- Voice of resilience: Kenyan radio builds herders’ trust in drought insurance
- South Africa’s Vodacom FY down 6.6% on black ownership deal
- Soccer-US beat South Africa beat 3-0 in Women’s World Cup warm-up
- Egypt condemns actions against four ships near UAE territorial waters
- South Africa’s ANC celebrates election win with street party
- Egypt sentences two to death over church attack
- ANC keeps power in South Africa but scandals cost it votes
- South Africa’s ANC wins majority in parliamentary election – electoral commission
- South Africa’s Ramaphosa targets reforms after election win
- Hostages freed in Burkina Faso offer condolences for fallen French commandos
- Provisional results show South Africa’s ANC wins parliamentary election
- Sudan delivers fuel to power stations, has enough flour for June
- Tripoli urges Trump to stop Haftar’s backers meddling in Libya
- Dozens of migrants drown off Tunisia coast after leaving Libya
- Nigeria says ex-president and his oil minister took bribes – court filing
- Glencore’s Zambian unit to close two mine shafts
- UN Security Council calls for ceasefire in Libya
- Congo’s ebola outbreak ‘unlikely’ to be contained unless violence stops
- South Africa rand firms as ANC heads for re-election
- Sudan protesters dig in at sit-in-site during Muslim fasting month
- Namibia women say #MeToo in new movement against sexual violence
- Africa Oil – Buyers elusive for last Angolan cargoes, tighter Iran sanctions loom
- Nigeria bonds rally on central bank governor’s nomination, stocks falter
- Tens of thousands march to demand change in Algeria
- Morocco claims success in reducing illegal migration to Spain
- Kenya arrests 75 tax officials on suspicion of corruption
- Zambia delays receipt of $2.6 bln in loans as debt soars
- Ghana’s Pecan oilfield approval seen by late-Q3 – Aker CEO
- Nigeria militia frees nearly 900 children used in war on Boko Haram – UNICEF
- Two French soldiers killed in rescue of four hostages in West Africa
- Kenyan shilling steady on tight money market liquidity
- Uganda shilling unchanged amid limited activity
- Nigeria bonds, naira rally after central bank governor gets second term nomination – traders
- South Africa’s competition court to rule on Sibanye and Lonmin merger
- Miner Lonmin says delays in Sibanye-Stillwater deal to hurt sales
- After ousting Bashir, Sudna’s activists struggle to loosen military’s grip
N.B. Full stories of above headlines are available on Reuters
