That concludes our Africa Live coverage for today. Download the Africa Today podcast and visit BBCAfrica.com for the latest news on the continent.

And we leave you with this picture of Nigerians protesting outside the South African consulate in Lagos. They were worried about the xenophobic violence and the possible impact on Nigerians in South Africa.

Image source, Reuters

Tim Flack is the man trying to take Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini to court. He told BBC's Focus On Africa radio programme, external that recent comments made by the king are responsible for inciting the xenophobia in South Africa which has led to violent attacks in Durban and elsewhere in the country.

Milton Nkosi
BBC News, Johannesburg

Latest update from Benoni, east Johannesburg, where earlier police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd chanting anti-immigrant slogans:

"Foreign-owned shops were forced to bring down the shutters because of skirmishes earlier in the day. I met shop owner Sharif Danis, a Nigerian who has lived here for more than 15 years.

Mr Danis points out that the tavern next door, run by a South African businessman, is the only place open in the area. But he gets along with his neighbour and the South African insists that Sharif is his "brother from another mother" and should be operating and making money."

There's been a huge response on the BBC Africa Facebook, external page to the xenophobic attacks in South Africa:

Emeka finds fault with the country's leaders, saying: "Every ANC leader with a Twitter account is posting #No2Xenophobia . Yet none of them is saying a word about King Goodwill's alleged incitement".

The Zulu king has said his remarks have been distorted.

Ahamdu in Nigeria, blames a "broken system" for the troubles, saying: "this is an economic struggle shrouded in xenophobia".

Nick in Tanzania addresses the attackers directly: "You forget everything our countries offered during your fight against apartheid, the blood of our soldiers, even political asylum for your leaders. We offered them with love, despite being poor."

Alongside author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Time magazine's 100 most influential people is fellow Nigerian Obiageli Ezekwesili. She has been instrumental in the #BringBackOurGirlsCampaign which has highlighted the plight of the more than 200 girls kidnapped from Chibok by the militant group Boko Haram.

Image source, Time

Ironically the magazine has also named the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in the top 100. Nigeria's President-elect Muhammadu Buhari is also on the list.

Other Africans named include Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi and the Liberian Dr Jerry Brown who has been at the forefront of fight against Ebola in his country.

A former national athletics coach in Uganda has been charged for the rape of three teenage female national runners, aged between 15-17 years old. The case first came to light last year when Uganda's Commonwealth Games gold medallist Moses Kipsiro relayed complaints made against Peter Wemali from female team-mates to the authorities.

Wemali is accused of having told the girls to get pregnant and then abort so that they could run better. The girls then told Kipsiro they had been advised if their private parts were widened "their legs would move more easily". Wemali denies the charges.

Italian police say they have arrested 15 African migrants for religiously-motivated murder, after 12 Christian passengers were reportedly thrown overboard during a Mediterranean boat crossing on Tuesday.

According to a statement from Italian police, external, witnesses said a small group of Christian migrants from Nigeria and Ghana were outnumbered and threatened because of their faith by a group of Muslim migrants from Senegal, Mali and Ivory Coast. Survivors told police that many of them only survived by forming a human chain.

Image source, AFP

"In Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, there is a clear image of frantic construction taking place," says Lerato Mbele, the presenter of the BBC's Africa Business Report. But in her latest blog she wonders who the development is for as she says she "noticed that many of the buildings are empty".

The Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been named by Time magazine, external as one of the world's 100 most influential people. Also included on the list of what the magazine calls "titans, pioneers, artists, leaders and icons" are the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and performer Kanye West.

Image source, Time

Mozambique's President Jacinto Nyusi has been speaking about the recent outbreak of xenophobic violence in South Africa: "We note with great concern and anguish the suffering of our fellow citizens who are the victims of xenophobic acts in a brotherly country.

"I express my government's determination to do everything to mitigate the suffering of these brothers, giving them all the necessary assistance."

Image source, APTN

The first Nigerian to run the North Pole Marathon has told the BBC how proud she felt to plant her country's flag in the snow at the end of the race.

Image source, Tuedon Morgan

Tuedon Morgan, 42, spoke about how she managed to keep going despite the brutal conditions, with the temperature as low as -41C.

"I was just singing and praying and when I got to the bend where I could see where other people had planted their flags, I kept saying to myself: 'I have to plant the Nigerian flag there; your country's flag has to be there.'"

The Mbum people in northern Cameroon have welcomed their relatives from abroad to celebrate the traditional festival of Mgbor Yanga, says the BBC's Muhammad Babalala.

The festival was first celebrated in 933 and gives Mbum people a chance to meet their relatives from Libya and Chad to discuss how to develop their ancestral lands.

"The Mbum people have problems as we live in different countries, that is why we use this opportunity every year to get solutions to our problems," says King Belaka Salihu Saw Mbum.

Boat carrying migrants sinks off Sicily, with more than 40 people drowned, Italian media report. More details to come.

The BBC's Efrem Grebreab sent this picture from Sicily's eastern port of Augusta. As you can see it is all quiet at the moment, but he says nearly 600 migrants are expected to arrive later on, according to the Italian coast guard. A further 300 are expected at another port. They have been picked up while trying to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa.

More than 10,000 migrants have arrived in Italy in the last few days, according to the charity Save the Children.

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has just finished addressing the National Assembly by making this call to his people: "Let us work together to provide support to all foreign nationals who have been affected by this violence.

"We reaffirm our responsibility to contribute to a better Africa and a better world. Let us work together to make our country a better place for all who live in it."

You can see his speech here, external.

Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohammed has said that the government is keeping an eye on the xenophobic violence in South Africa. She told Kenyan radio that the government is "preparing an evacuation plan in case we need it" and she reassured Kenyans that "whoever wants to come back will be assisted".

She also said that some Kenyans in South Africa have voluntarily moved into a temporary shelter for their protection.

South African President Jacob Zuma is currently addressing the National Assembly about the recent xenophobic attacks. You can listen now via this livestream, external

Key quotes so far (from South African government News twitter feed, external):

"No amount of frustration or anger can ever justify the attacks and looting on foreign nationals. We condemn them."

"Refugees and asylum seekers will be provided support in line with international law and protocols."

"There are perceptions that foreign nationals are involved in criminal activities. This is an inaccurate perception."

Image source, SA parliament

Nigerian air traffic controllers have gone on strike over pay and conditions grounding domestic flights, the AFP news agency reports, external. International flights have not been affected.

Spokesman for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Yakubu Dati said the grievances are being looked into and says the disagreement will be resolved soon.

The BBC's Ahmed Adan in Nairobi was sent these photos of a bus which was swept away in a flash flood as it travelled from Mandera to Kenya's capital. Here, rescuers are trying to help one of the passengers out of the fast-flowing water.

The Kenyan Red Cross says so far two people have been confirmed dead, 16 are missing and 42 have been rescued.

James Copnall
BBC Africa, Khartoum

Sudan's presidential adviser Ibrahim Ghandour has made a spirited defence of the elections, which several Western countries and an internal African Union report have already criticised.

Mr Ghandour said the polls were a constitutional requirement. He dismissed widespread reports of low turnout, and criticised what he called a "distorted image" of Sudan on Western media like the BBC.