That's all from the BBC Africa Live page this week. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or checking the BBC News website.  

And here's a reminder of today's wide words:

Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs.

We leave you with picture, from our top shots this week, of Ethiopian railway stewardesses at the opening of the Ethiopia-Djibouti electric line in Addis Ababa:

Image source, Reuters

The Facebook page of the US Embassy in Addis Ababa has become something of a sounding board for opinions of the recent events in Ethiopia.

We mentioned a US post on yesterday's Africa Live page that called for constructive comments. But a lot of people leaving their thoughts were being critical of the US government.

Some were wondering why the US is not speaking out more against the Ethiopian government in light of the recent anti-government protests.

Well today it's made another effort, external to get people to engage:

Image source, US Embassy Addis Ababa

It says:

But the critics of the Ethiopian government and the lack of US response are still getting their say:

Image source, AFP

On our Facebook page, external lots of people have been denouncing Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s declaration that he wants to have the option of an assisted death.

Leroi Nanthambwe is one of many who have said they are not happy with this point of view:

It isn’t unanimous though. Alan Millar is a rare commentor on the page who supports the archbishop:

This tweet from the US singer Chris Brown has raised a few eyebrows:

People are angered that he hasn't been more specific:

Some have been having a bit of fun with this:

Chris Brown doesn't respond to the tweeters' pleas.

But, thanks to Kenya's Standard Newspaper, external, we're not left guessing where he is off to.

He is on his way to Mombasa in Kenya where he will perform tomorrow alongside Nigerian singer-songwriter Wizkid at the Mombasa Rocks Festival.

Zimbabwean musician Anna Mudeka uses the traditional Zimbabwean instrument mbira in all of her compositions. 

She's been speaking about why she thinks it's important to bring the music of her ancestors to new audiences around the world.

She told the BBC's Weekend programme: "You have to put your soul into it... you don't choose to play the mbira, the mbira chooses you."

Listen to more from Anna Mudeka:

Mohanad Hashim
BBC Africa

In Sudan, a nationwide doctors’ strike for better working conditions has entered its second day with media suggesting that it appears to be taking place across the country. 

According to the central committee behind the strike, medical staff in 56 public hospitals around the country have stopped work.  

The strike follows a recent spate of attacks against doctors and other medical staff. They are calling for a better working environment and more basic equipment.

On social media, some people are sharing pictures of medical equipment and medicines being distributed from government stores. 

Many are ridiculing the response suggesting that these things have always been available and yet the government has held them back.

This tweet says: "Oh my God, look at this. Suddenly the earth opens and things appear."

Image source, Getty images

Earlier today we were looking at how much time girls spend doing household chores. 

One Ghanaian 13-year-old girl, Sandra Agyeiwaa, has told the BBC that she wakes up at 01:00 in the morning to start cleaning. 

Here's her typical day:

Sandra doesn't go to school, instead she sells water sachets in Ghana's capital Accra.

Unicef has released a report saying girls spend 40% more time performing unpaid household chores than boys.

"Girls sacrifice important opportunities to learn, grow and just enjoy their childhood," Unicef's Anju Malhotra said.    

Three Eritreans have been allowed to have their case against the mining firm Nevsun Resources Ltd heard in a Canadian court.

The three are saying that they were forced to work in the Bisha mine in Eritrea, which Nevsun partly owns.

Nevsun, which is based in Vancouver, tried to get the case dismissed saying that it should be heard in Eritrea, the Reuters news agency reports.

Joe Fiorante, one of the lawyers representing the Eritreans, told the AP news agency that this was the first time a case would go to court in Canada over alleged human rights abuses in another country.

Reuters reports that Nevsun describes its mine as a model development and no-one is forced to work there.

It is considering an appeal against the Canadian court's decision.

Image source, AFP

Read more: Could pariah state Eritrea come in from the cold?

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has told a Dutch news site that, despite Beyonce getting her to a wider audience, she doesn't fully agree with the singer's version of feminism:

She added that she felt resentful about the media reaction to Beyonce's 2014 song ***Flawless that used some of a speech the author made about feminism.

"Another thing I hated was that I read everywhere: now people finally know her, thanks to Beyonce," she said.

So she refrained from talking about Beyonce until now.

It is the first time the writer has spoken out about Beyonce's use of her work, according to De Volkskrant, external.  

Here's the speech in its entirety:     

The Agriculture Show of Kenya is drawing to a close this weekend.

It's a chance for farmers to get hold of the newest products on agriculture.

Here are pictures of the latest innovations in tea leaves and a mechanical way of milking a cow:

But, as these photos from the BBC's Anthony Irungu suggest the show has proved quite a draw for children too.

The first match in the group stages of Africa's World Cup qualifiers will be kicking off in just under an hour's time.

And a Ugandan journalist who has travelled with the Cranes for their match against the Black Stars in Tamale, northern Ghana, has shared some pictures of the two teams.

Other matches in this round of games will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

A court in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, has dropped charges against the leader of Nigeria's senate, Bukola Saraki, relating to forging rules that enabled to get elected, the Reuters news agency reports.

He was charged in June along with his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, who is also no longer facing charges.

They both pleaded not guilty at the time.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been at loggerheads with Mr Saraki as his party did not want him as senate leader.  

Mr Saraki is still involved in another court case in which he is accused of false asset declaration, a charge he denies.

Image source, AFP

Ranked third in the world, Tanzania is Africa's largest exporter of sesame seeds. 

The traditional way of planting these seeds is slow and arduous work, but one man is changing that. 

Entrepreneur Martin Constantine has invented a hand-pushed planting machine, making the job much easier. 

The BBC's Sammy Awami has been to meet him for Africa Business Report. 

The UN's human rights high commissioner (OHCHR) has repeated a demand that the Ethiopian government allow his office access to the protest-hit areas of the country.

This comes after a week of protests sparked by the deaths at a religious festival in a town in Oromia on Sunday.

In a statement, external, the OHCHR says that "independent observers" should be allowed to go to "the Oromia and Amhara regions to speak to all sides and assess the facts".

It adds that "the protests have apparently been fuelled in part by a lack of trust in the authorities’ account of events", but it calls on all sides to remain calm.

The OHCHR says it is also concerned about the arrest of two bloggers, Seyoum Teshoume and Natnael Feleke, earlier this week.

"We urge the government to release those detained for exercising their rights to free expression and opinion. Silencing criticism will only deepen tensions," it says.

Nick Cavell
BBC Africa Sport

The group phase of African qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia starts this afternoon with Ghana playing host to Uganda in the northern town of Tamale in Group E.

There are five groups of four nations in this final round of qualification with only the pool winners advancing to the finals.

Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana have been Africa’s five qualifiers for the last two editions in 2010 and 2014, but that will change this time around as Nigeria, Cameroon and Algeria are all in the same group along with Zambia (who have never qualified for the World Cup finals).

The other fixtures will take place across the weekend, including Ivory Coast v Mali on Saturday and Zambia v Nigeria on Sunday. 

Image source, AFP

Ethiopia's English-language magazine Addis Standard is not pulling any punches on the front cover its latest edition out next week.

Last Sunday at least 55 people died when security forces intervened during the annual celebrations marking Ireecha - an Oromo festival.

The festival had in part turned into an anti-government protest. Activists from the Oromo ethnic group blame security forces for causing panic which led to a stampede and the deaths.

They have described what happened as a massacre - the term the Addis Standard is using.

But the government has blamed "anti-peace forces" among the protesters for being behind the panic.

Rights groups have criticised Ethiopia's government for its harassment and imprisonment of journalists.

Earlier this year the magazine had another stark cover on the protests and the government reaction to them.

Read more: Are Ethiopian protests a game changer?

Milton Nkosi
BBC Africa, Johannesburg

Image source, AFP

The news that Desmond Tutu supports “assisted death” will come as no surprise here in South Africa. 

The issue of euthanasia or assisted death has divided the nation for a period of time. 

Last year the High Court in the capital Pretoria ruled in favour of terminally ill cancer patient Robin Strasham-Ford who had applied for assisted death. 

He had only two weeks left and wanted the law to be amended so that he would have assisted death without the prospect of prosecution. 

The law used to be very clear - any doctors who help patients die could face prison time of up to 14 years.

The country has no legislation for euthanasia, while the constitution protects the right to life.

Read more on the BBC News website

The financial news sites have been analysing the extent of Chad's huge fine on an oil consortium led by Exxon Mobil. 

On Wednesday Chad's High Court ordered them to pay a record $74bn (£60bn) fine for underpaying royalties, reports Bloomberg, external.

Business Insider has put, external some of those numbers into context:

• The fine is 27 times the size of that government budget  
• It is 6.8 times the overall size of the country's overall economy.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times adds, external that the fine is far greater than the cost to BP after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. That reached about $62bn.

But, Bloomberg quotes an international law expert who predicts Chad is unlikely to collect most of this fine. 

And on Thursday, the oil company's spokesman told Reuters news agency that they disagree with the court ruling and "are evaluating next steps". 

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Monitoring
News from around the globe

Moroccans are going to the polls today to elect a new parliament, the second time they've voted since the 2011 constitutional reforms (see earlier entry).

Results are due on Sunday and the biggest party in the new parliament is expected to be either the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) or its main secular rival, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM). 

Image source, Reuters

Most executive power was vested in the king of Morocco until 2011, when Mohammed VI agreed to turn the country into a constitutional monarchy in a bid to fend off Arab Spring-style protests. 

Though the king relinquished some of his powers as part of the constitutional reform, he is still the most powerful person in the country. 

The PJD, led by Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, has led a broad coalition since emerging as the biggest party in the 2011 election. 

However, the government is kept on a tight leash by the king, who is clearly uneasy at having to share any authority with Islamists - even moderate ones.

Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto is suing the well-known political activist Boniface Mwangi over a message on Twitter suggesting that he was responsible for the murder earlier this year of businessman Jacob Juma, the Daily Nation reports, external.

The post is described as false and malicious and Mr Ruto wants the tweet removed and Mr Mwangi to apologise.

Earlier this week, Mr Mwangi defended the tweet and said the attempt to sue him amounted to harassment.