Africa highlights: Wednesday 18 November 2015 as it happened

Summary

Mobile phone market in Nigeria's Kano city hit by female suicide bombers
Facebook activates safety check after Nigeria's Yola attack
Nigerian ex-official alleged to have stolen $2bn meant for Boko Haram fight
Senegal plans burka ban and cracks down on unregistered Sim cards
Somalia is re-opening its US embassy in Washington
Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Wednesday 18 November 2015

Live Reporting

Naziru Mikailu and Lucy Fleming

Mugabe walk watchpublished at 18:44 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
A video from the G20 Summit in Turkey earlier this week showing Zimbabwe's 91-year-old President Robert Mugabe has caught the attention of the media in South Africa today.
In an article entitled, Mugabe's slow Turkey walk sets tongues wagging, external, the Times Live website says "that after two 'stumbles' in public this year, all eyes are on the long-time Zimbabwean leader's feet every time he steps out in public".
"His less-than-speedy progression up a long blue carpet was filmed by New China TV, Xinhua news agency's official TV channel, and then posted on YouTube."
You can watch the video for yourself:
This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
Skip youtube video
Allow YouTube content?
This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
End of youtube video
Who is on BBC's 100 women list?published at 18:43 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
The BBC’s 100 Women series launches today. But who is on our 100 Women list this year?
Visit bbc.com/100women to find out. From Ethiopia to India, the UK to Egypt – women around the world are coming together.
Join the conversation, share your experiences and hear some remarkable stories:
This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Instagram
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip instagram post
Allow Instagram content?
This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of instagram post
UN chief condemns Nigeria attackpublished at 18:33 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 2
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 2
At least 15 people were also killed by female suicide bombers at mobile phone market today in the northern city of Kano.
No group has said it carried out the attacks but in the past militant group Boko Haram has targeted the two cities.
Deaf-blind lawyer on typing to Obamapublished at 18:22 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
Satirist on turning schools into shopping centres:published at 16:55 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
Satirist Ikenna Azuike has been to Uganda where the government is investigating the closure of 30 schools in alleged land grabs:
Media caption,
What's Up Africa: Should schools become shopping centres?
Explosion hits Nigeria's Kano citypublished at 15:42
Reports from the northern Nigerian city of Kano say there have been two blasts at a big mobile phone market.
Residents say one of the bombs went off inside the market, called Farm Centre, and the other outside. There are no details yet of casualties.
Some people are tweeting about the attack:
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 2
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 2
A happy Sierra Leone song to say 'Bye Bye Ebola'published at 12:34 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
A song - Bye Bye Ebola - wrote by Sierra Leonean rapper Block Jones, to celebrate the country's eradication of the deadly virus has become a YouTube hit.
It features twerking policemen and dancing health workers.
On Saturday 7 November the World Health Organization gave the country the all-clear after 42 days without a new case of the disease.
Watch the song below:
This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
Skip youtube video
Allow YouTube content?
This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
End of youtube video
Neighbouring Guinea will also be officially declared Ebola free if no new cases are reported in the next six weeks.
South Africa mourns Jonah Lomupublished at 12:21 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
Image source, AP
Rugby fans the world over have been mourning the death of New Zealand rugby union legend Jonah Lomu, who has died aged 40.
He stormed to the world's attention during the 1995 Rugby World Cup that was played in South Africa.
The country's sports minister has tweeted:
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
Lomu's name is trending in South Africa:
Image source, Trendsmap
Read New Zealand Herald rugby writer Wynne Gray's take on the World Cup that created a legend.
'Bomb threat at Johannesburg University'published at 09:27 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
CNN reporter in South Africa tweets
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post
Nigeria 'will be rid of terrorism'published at 09:10 Greenwich Mean Time 18 November 2015
Following the suicide attack on vegetable market on Yola last night, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted:
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post