Oil prices hit highest since October in anticipation of OPEC-led output cut.

Oil prices rose to their highest level since October on Tuesday as the market priced in an expected output cut led by producer cartel OPEC, but analysts warned that a failure to agree on a cut could lead to a deepening supply glut by early 2017.

International Brent crude oil futures rose as high as $49.63 a barrel on Tuesday, up 1.5 percent from the last settlement and the highest since Oct. 31, before dipping back to $49.22 per barrel at 0735 GMT, still up 32 cents, or 0.65 percent.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 35 cents, or 0.73 percent, at $48.59 a barrel.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is trying by Nov. 30 to bring its 14 member states and non-OPEC producer Russia to agree on a coordinated production cut to prop up the market by bringing production into line with consumption.

“With investors becoming more optimistic about OPEC reaching an agreement on production cuts, oil prices should continue to edge higher,” ANZ bank said on Tuesday.

“The single most important country in OPEC, Saudi Arabia, wants it (a production cut)… OPEC’s leadership is cognizant of the risks posed by failing to reach a deal,” RBC Capital Markets said on Tuesday in a note to clients.

“Another fall in oil prices could plunge the (Saudi) Kingdom further into the red, imperil key initiatives (e.g., Aramco IPO), and raise the prospect of higher borrowing costs,” it added.

Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients that the chances of an OPEC cut had increased as producers needed to react to eroding supply and demand fundamentals, which the bank said “have weakened sharply since OPEC announced a tentative agreement to cut production.”

Should OPEC and other producers, especially Russia, fail to agree a cutback, Goldman said it expected an oil supply surplus of 0.7 million barrels per day (bpd) for the first quarter of 2017.

World Food Prices Rise To Highest In 18 Months In September- UN

World food prices rose in September to their highest since March 2015, led mainly by sugar, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.

Except for a small dip in July, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food price index has been increasing steadily since January, when it hit a seven-year low.

The index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, averaged 170.9 points in September, 2.9 percent above the month before and 10 percent higher than the same month last year.

Sugar prices surged 6.7 percent in September from the previous month, largely because of bad weather in Brazil, the world’s biggest sugar producer and exporter, FAO said.

While cereal prices declined slightly, meat edged up and dairy and vegetable oil prices increased.

“A lot of the September increase has to do with sugar, so if sugar were to stop increasing, the index would be more or less flat,” said FAO senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian. “But the scope for big declines is not there.”

FAO raised slightly its forecast for world cereal production in the 2016-17 season rose to 2.569 billion tonnes, which would be a new record high and a 1.5 percent increase on the previous season. World wheat output is seen at 742.4 million tonnes, up slightly from the previous forecast of 740.7 million tonnes.

Credit: reuters

Nigeria Ranked As 5th Highest Exporter Of Football Talents

A study by research outfit, CIES Football Observatory, has revealed that Nigeria is the fifth highest exporter of football talents in the world and the biggest in Africa.

The report, the eight in the CIES Football Observatory’s monthly report, which focuses on international migration in football, reveals that Nigeria’s figure of 596 players scattered in leagues across the world, is only lower to biggest exporter, Brazil (1,784), Argentina (929), France (758) and Serbia (607).

The analysis includes a record number of 6,135 clubs and 458 leagues of 183 countries worldwide.
While Brazil is the most represented origin among foreigners both in Europe (1,137 players) and in Asia (437 players), Argentina is the main exporting country at Latin American level (511 players compared to only 124 Brazilians).

The CIES Football Observatory report entitled “Exporting countries in world football” provide an overview of migration of footballer’s around the world.

Read More: ngrguardiannews

Nigeria Has Highest Number Of IDPs- UN

Nigeria has the highest number of displaced persons in the world, the United Nations has said.

According to the UN, the continued rise in the number of displaced persons in Nigeria was largely due to the destructive activities perpetuated by the terrorists, Boko Haram, in the north-eastern part of the country. It described the insurgency as persistent.

The UN Resident Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Daouda Toure, revealed that over 1.5 million people were displaced in Nigeria, adding that there was an urgent need to realise the great extent of the responsibility that was associated with this development.

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Queen Bey Dethroned As Forbes Highest Paid Celebrity, Who is Number 1?

Forbes has released their annual list of the highest paid celebrities – and Beyonce has been dethroned!

Replacing her as the top earning celebrity for this fiscal year is Floyd Mayweather.

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. laughs during a press conference Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Las Vegas. Mayweather will face Manny Pacquiao in a welterweight title fight fight on Saturday. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The boxer, nicknamed ‘Money’, earned $300 million (£190m) over the last year. It shatters the record for athlete earnings, which was previously held by Tiger Woods who banked $115 million in 2008.

Mayweather’s May 2 fight against Manny Pacquiao crushed multiple boxing financial records. Not surprisingly, Pacquiao is in second place having earned $160m.

Katy Perry comes in at number three with a whopping $135m. The pop star is the highest-earning non-boxer on this year’s Celebrity 100 list, thanks mostly to her Prismatic World Tour.

Hot on her heels are One Direction with a combined $130m. US shock jock DJ Howard Stern earned $95m, just ahead of country music star Garth Brooks on $90m.

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