World stocks pulled back further on Friday on grim U.S. economic data, mixed company results and President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on China over the coronavirus crisis.

MSCI’s index of global stocks fell 0.5% after a tumble late Thursday broke a six-day winning streak for the index.

London-listed stocks fell as data showed the UK housing market was grinding to a halt, with the FTSE 100 down 2.2%, wiping out much of the strong gains earlier in the week.

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The U.S. manufacturing slump intensified in April, but not by as much as economists feared.

The ISM Manufacturing Index fell to 41.5, better than Wall Street estimates of 35 but down sharply from March’s 49.1. The measure is a diffusion gauge, measuring the percentage of firms seeing expansion, so a reading below 50 indicates contraction.

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Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, has told its MPs to self-isolate for at least a fortnight and stay away from parliamentary buildings in the capital Dodoma and main commercial city of Dar es Salaam. Chadema has also been urging the Speaker to suspend sessions as a safety precaution during the pandemic. The call from Chadema comes after three MPs died in less than a fortnight, though their deaths have not been linked to coronavirus. However the government has been criticised for downplaying the virus and not imposing strict measures to curb its spread.

There are now 480 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Tanzania, 16 of whom have died.

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South Africa's Treasury has warned that the economic cost of the coronavirus pandemic, saying between three and seven million people in the country could lose their jobs. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni disclosed this during a joint ministerial briefing with Treasury Director General, Dondo Mogajane. According to Mboweni, the lockdown has brought economic activity in the country to a standstill. Speaking to parliament, Mr Mboweni also said some "poorly functioning" state-owned firms would be sold, but did not give further details.

He has in the past called for troubled national carrier South Africa Airways to be shut down completely, saying it would probably fail to attract any investors.

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The Rwandan government will allow limited movement of people and allow restricted openings of businesses including restaurants and hotels from next Monday as it starts to ease its coronavirus lockdown. A government statement said movement between provinces in the central African country will still not be allowed, while schools will also remain shut until September.

The statement says all resumed services must adhere to health guidelines such as mask wearing and social distancing.

Under the loosened lockdown restaurants will be allowed to open up to 7 p.m. Hotels will also be allowed to open, but only guests will be allowed on the premises in the evenings. Bars, and churches will remained shuttered.

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Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has responded to criticism after the country sent flowers to the UK's National Health Service workers. The president said the move was strategic as the UK is a huge market for Kenya's flowers. President Kenyatta said there was life after coronavirus and when a British health worker goes to buy flowers, they will want those from Kenya as it was the country that recognised their efforts during pandemic.

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The Bank of Ghana has authorized its first Dedicated Electronic Money Issuer license to a local Financial Technology company, Zeepay Ghana Ltd. The authorization is in accordance with the Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987).

According to the BoG, the license allows Zeepay Ghana Ltd to operate as a Dedicated Electronic Money Issuer.

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The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has commended shipping companies for their cooperation in complying with the suspension of demurrage on cargo that landed at terminals between March 30 and May 3. The NSC made the commendation in a statement signed by its Head of Public Relations, Rakiya Zubairu. According to the statement issued on Friday, Zubairu said the compliance is a testament to the goodwill of the shipping companies toward Nigeria and its economy.

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The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria says its members will not accept pay cut from the management of any maritime company. President-General of the Union, Adewale Adeyanju, made this known in his May Day speech in Lagos on Friday. According to him, workers cannot be made to pay for a problem they did not create. Adeyanju said the Union will resist any move to deduct the salaries, wages, and allowances as well as moves to downsize Nigerian workers at this time.

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The African Development Bank, AfDB, has approved additional funding of 12.33 million euro for the Abidjan-Lagos Highway corridor project.

The bank, in a statement, said the funds would be used to cover “part of the costs related to the study of the Abidjan-Lagos Motorway corridor development project.

The road corridor links cities across five West African countries namely Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

The road also joins other corridors along the north-south axis and connects landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad.

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