•Michele Bullock, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), during a news conference at the central bank’s head office in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Photographer: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg via Getty Image.

Australia’s central bank Tuesday raised its key interest rate to a 18-year high , citing the prolonged war in the Middle East and persistent inflationary pressures.

In a statement, the Reserve Bank of Australia said it would lift its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.85 percent.

“Inflation remains elevated,” it said. “This partly reflects higher fuel and other commodity prices affected by the conflict in the Middle East.”

“AI-related investment is driving rapid growth in prices for technology-related goods, and inflation in many goods and services remains high.”

The hike is the fifth this year, adding to cost-of-living pressures felt by households by increasing home mortgage payments, a politically potent topic in Australia.

It brings rates to their level seen since late 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis.

•President Bola Tinubu

The Federal Government has secured a $30 million grant from China to finance grassroots development projects aimed at reducing poverty and improving living conditions.

The grant is worth about ₦43 billion, or RMB200 million.The agreement was signed on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Abuja.

A ministry statement released on Sunday said the funding will support community-based projects under the Nigeria-China Development Cooperation framework.

The money will finance projects under China’s Small but Beautiful initiative.

The scheme focuses on affordable, community-driven interventions that deliver direct benefits to residents. It is expected to address development needs in underserved communities, including access to essential infrastructure and economic opportunities.

Specific projects and beneficiary communities have not been announced.

Aliko Dangote is in talks with Egyptian authorities over an investment of between $10 billion and $15 billion in oil refining and petrochemicals.

The discussions gained momentum after Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid Saleh, visited Dangote Industries Limited’s headquarters in Lagos, with senior government and industry officials.

Dangote described the meeting as an opportunity to strengthen industrial cooperation and economic ties between African countries.

The final scale and structure of the proposed investment are still under discussion.