GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian stocks firmed on Monday ahead of central bank meetings that are widely expected to deliver two more rate cuts and key U.S. inflation figures that should flash a green light for more easing there.

MKTS/GLOB

WORLD OIL PRICES

Oil prices rose on Monday, buoyed by concerns that heightened conflict in the Middle East may curtail regional supply and expectations last week's outsized U.S. interest rate cut will support demand.

O/R

EMERGING MARKETS

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AFRICA STOCKS

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SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS

The South African rand softened on Friday, cooling off after strong gains in a week that saw interest rate cuts by both the U.S. Federal Reserve and the South African Reserve Bank, plus a local inflation print.

KENYA MARKETS

Kenya's shilling was unchanged on Friday, with dollar inflows from companies preparing to pay taxes matching foreign-currency demand from importers, traders said.

GHANA VOTE

Ghana's electoral commission on Friday published a list of 13 candidates approved to run in the presidential election, which analysts say will be a two-man race between Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and former president John Dramani Mahama.

META KENYA

A Kenyan court ruled on Friday that Facebook's parent company Meta could be sued in the East African nation over the dismissal of dozens of content moderators by a contractor.

NIGERIA FLOODS

Nigerian farmer Enoch Fater has barely slept in the last few days after water levels started rising at his paddy rice farm and in a major river nearby, pointing to impending floods in Benue state, a major food producer in the central belt.

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