GLOBAL MARKETS Stocks struggled to make headway on Wednesday, the dollar nursed losses and bonds clung to gains, as signs of a slowing U.S. labour market made investors nervous about the economic outlook, while a bigger-than-expected rate hike lifted the kiwi dollar. WORLD OIL PRICES Oil prices rose on Wednesday, boosted by expectations of U.S. crude inventory declines as well as the latest output cut targets set by the OPEC+ producer alliance. EMERGING MARKETS For the top emerging markets news, double click on AFRICA STOCKS For the latest news on African stocks, click on SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS
South Africa's stocks jumped on Tuesday while the rand slipped after a decision by major oil producers to reduce supply on Sunday, which triggered concerns about a slowdown in global economic growth.
KENYA MARKETS
The Kenyan shilling was steady against the dollar on Tuesday, bolstered by improved foreign exchange inflows from aid agencies and exporters, and a resuscitated interbank market, traders said.
NIGERIA SECURITY
Gunmen in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state kidnapped eight secondary school students coming from school along with an unknown number of others, authorities said on Tuesday, the latest in a wave of such abductions.
AFRICA COCOA
Ivorian cocoa bean farmer Edouard Kouame Kouadio expects to die poor, despite rising demand for the raw material that feeds the world's insatiable appetite for chocolate.
SENEGAL POLITICS
Thousands of Senegalese took to the streets to celebrate the country's Independence Day on Tuesday, in a show of patriotism just a week after political tensions led to violent clashes between security forces and opposition supporters.
KENYA POLITICS
Kenya opposition leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday called for parties outside parliament to be involved in talks on electoral reform and the high cost of living, at odds with President William Ruto's plan for negotiations to be held only within parliament.
NIGERIA RAILWAYS
Nigeria's Senate has approved China Development Bank as new financier for the country's Kaduna-to-Kano rail project at a cost of $973 million, after another Chinese lender withdrew from the project in 2020, lawmakers said on Tuesday.
RWANDA IMF
The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday it has reached a staff-level agreement with Rwanda on policies needed to complete the first reviews of Rwanda's $319 million loan arrangement under the IMF's new Resilience and Sustainability Facility.
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