By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica

Global Markets

• Asia shares inch higher as US markets holiday
• Oil prices climb on Libyan supply concerns
• Dollar firm as US economy outperforms
• Eyes on US earnings, Netflix to report on

Oil Markets

• Oil jumps to highest in more than a week after Libyan shutdowns
• Brent up 1.1% at $65.59 a barrel (0331GMT)
• WTI up 1% at $59.12

Precious metals

• Gold prices rangebound as strong US data fuels risk-on sentiment
• Spot gold up 0.1% at $1,558.47/oz. (0134GMT)
• US gold futures down 0.1% at $1,558.10/oz.

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

• UK-Africa investment summit in London
• South Africa ruling ANC executives meet; 19-20 Jan
• Nigeria supreme court to rule on gubernatorial appeals
• Ghana’s NPP parliamentary & presidential nominations open
• South Africa state capture inquiry resumes

Key African events or data releases over the weekend & early a.m today

• Australia’s FAR takes final investment decision for Senegal’s first oil project
• As Brexit nears, UK’s Johnson pushes for deeper trade ties with Africa
• Gargash says UAE supports Berlin conference on Libya – tweet
• Pompeo sees progress towards ceasefire in Libya at Berlin summit
• Libya’s oil output to drop to 72,000 bpd in a few days – NOC
• Libya summit in Berlin brough “little step forward” – Russia’s Lavrov
• Berlin summit on Libya did not discuss any sanctions – Merkel
• Italy ready to play leading role in monitoring Libya peace – PM Conte
• UN chief says he is very worried that oil ports, oilfield shut in Libya
• South Africa tries to secure funding for struggling SAA
• Libya summit in Berlin agrees to strengthen arms embargo – Merkel
• Southern Libyan oil fields face closure as pipeline blockaded
• France’s Macron says presence of foreign fighters in Libya must end immediately
• South African union angered by Telkom’s proposed job cuts
• Turkey’s Erdogan urges Libya’s Haftar to end aggressive stance
• Putin: Don’t lose hope that Libya conflict will be solved
• Qatar condemns storming of Libya’s eastern Zueitina port
• Ivory Coast rules that presidential candidate Soro can face trial
• Africa Crude – Nigerian OSPs, programmes emerge
• South African stocks hit near 7-mth highs, led by Richemont, miners
• Burundi’s mass graves reopen old wounds
• Nigeria’s debt rose to 26.2 trln naira as of Sept – debt office
• Nigeria to issue 150 bln naira worth of sukuk this year
• Nigeria’s lender Access acquires Kenya’s Transnational Bank
• Nigeria’s Access Bank eyes African expansion after Kenyan acquisition – spokesman
• ENI’s Agogo oilfield in Angola begins output at 10,000 bpd
• South Africa’s rand edges up after surprise rate cut
• Kenya shilling firms on horticulture inflows, remittances
• Nigeria inflation climbs for fourth month as prices rise across board
• Foreign investors bought less Nigeria bonds last year – debt office
• Foreign powers back Libya ceasefire as commander’s forces choke oil flows
• Rwanda GDP to grow 8% in 2020 – IMF
• South African retailers TFG and Mr Price lure holiday shoppers with discounts
• Guinea-Bissau Supreme Court calls for clarification of presidential vote result
• Eastern Libyan forces commander Haftar arrives in Berlin for summit
• Car bomb hits Turkish contractors, police near Somalia capital, six wounded – police
• Nigeria producing 1.774 mln barrels of crude per day – minister
• Mali’s new mining code sets “stability period” at 20 years
• Locust plague devastates crops in Horn of Africa
• Mozambique’s do Rosario stays on as prime minister in trimmed cabinet
• Iceland’s Samherji exiting Namibia following bribery scandal
• UK seeks to confiscate convicted Nigerian politician’s loot
• Portugese court rules against dos Santos over tweets she calls slander
• Amid Kenya power struggle, IMF says investment programme in crisis
• Tanzania’s shilling to weaken, Uganda’s currency to be steady
• IEA says oil stocks, non-OPEC output to buffer market from shocks
• Can ‘Made in Africa’ cigars compete with Cuba?
• Nigeria to talk to concessionary lenders about $2.8 bln borrowing: debt office
• Angola’s dos Santos moots presidency run despite charges
• Libya’s Haftar committed to ceasefire, Germany says
• Lesotho PM Thabane says he intends to resign – SABC
• Sudan appoints new intelligence chief in wake of failed revolt
• Kenya in talks with World Bank for loan of as much as $1 bln

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