Operations at Malawi's privately-owned media business, The Times Group, have been stopped after officials from the revenue authority, accompanied by police, stormed the offices in the city of Blantyre and seized its property and closed the premises. 

The Times Group Editor-in-Chief George Kasakula described the incident as politically-motivated and an “act of impunity”, The Times reported, external. 

The heavily-armed police officers stood guard at all entry and exit points, while others escorted tax collectors as they took records and seized vehicles, the report says. 

All production work on radio and TV and its print edition Malawi News have been stopped. 

Journalists have also not been able to access the building. 

Mr Kasakula said that the tax authorities had not given the media business any notice: 

Mr Kasakula said he suspected that the raid was linked to a scandal about a state agency, Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc), purchasing maize from Zambia at inflated prices and vowed to continue reporting the story:   

Nigeria's President Muhammad Buhari has arrived in The Gambia's capital, Banjul, in a bid to mediate an end to the crisis over President Yahya Jammeh's refusal to step down when his term expires next week, his spokesman Femi Adesina has told BBC Focus on Africa radio. 

Image source, AFP

Image source, Reuters

A Somali town has banned lavish weddings to encourage young people to marry and stop them migrating.

Receptions in hotels would no longer be allowed and only three goats could be slaughtered to feed guests, Beled Hawa's district commissioner told the BBC.

Spending limits of $600 (£500) on furnishings for a couple's new home and up to $150 on a bride price had also been set, Mohamud Hayd Osman said.

It is not unusual for a groom's family to spend about $5,000 on a wedding.

Image source, AFP

Police in Zimbabwe have issued an arrest warrant for a Lebanese businessman locked in a dispute with  First Lady Grace Mugabe over a $1.35m (£1m) diamond ring deal, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports. 

Global police agency Interpol had been informed that Jamal Ahmed was wanted over a spate of allegations, including money-laundering, theft and purchase of minerals, police are quoted as saying in affidavits presented to a court. 

Police are backing an appeal by Mrs Mugabe to overturn a High Court ruling ordering her to return three properties she seized from Mr Ahmed after diamond ring deal went sour, the Herald reported.  

Police said the properties were under her "guard" and had not been "grabbed" by Mrs Mugabe, the report added. 

Supt Nyambo Viera is quoted as saying:   

 Mr Ahmed, who is out of Zimbabwe, has not yet commented on the latest allegations. 

In a previous affidavit,  Mr Ahmed said he had suffered a "reign of terror and harassment" and was "verbally threatened, harassed, insulted" and told that he could not do anything about it "as the parties involved [Mrs Mugabe and her son] were in fact 'Zimbabwe'", media reports said last month 

According to the affidavit, she demanded a refund after the diamond ring, purchased in Dubai, was delivered to her after it had been polished by a third party.

When Mr Ahmed failed to repay the money to an account in Dubai, even though he says it was remitted through a Zimbabwe bank, the first lady forcibly took over his three houses last October, his testimony said.

 The ring was meant to be President Robert Mugabe’s present to his wife for their 20th wedding anniversary, South Africa's News24 reported.  

Image source, AF

Uganda's state broadcaster UBC says  it has not acquired the rights to broadcast the Africa Cup on Nations live on television because of a shortage of money, despite the fact that the national football team, The Cranes, will be making a debut in the 50-year-old continental championship. 

UBC said it could not raise $600,00 ( £485, 000) to secure the rights and will only show highlights of the game: 

The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga says it is likely that the government will step in to resolve the situation, like it has done in the past.

Opposition leader Kizza-Besiye has lamented UBC's failure to secure the rights: 

Dortmund striker Aubameyang may command a multi-million pound price tag, but he is not Gabon's most lucrative export.

Here are 10 things you might not know about the nation hosting this year's Africa Cup of Nations.

Image source, AFP

The Obama administration will outline a new strategy on Sudan later today, making it possible for the East African state to trade extensively with the US for the first time since the 1990s The New York Times reports., external

It will buy goods like tractors and spare parts from the US and attract much-needed investment in its floundering economy, it adds.

In return, Sudan will give greater access to aid groups, stop bombing rebel territory and end it alleged support for rebels in neighbouring South Sudan, the newspaper reports. 

Outgoing President Barack Obama will sign an executive order later today, lifting the trade sanctions imposed in the 1990s. 

But it will include  a six-month review period, giving the next administration, led by Donald Trump, to renstate sanctions if it feels Sudan has failed to live up to its commitments, the report says. 

A song by South African rapper Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye, who was jailed for killing four children during a drag racing event in 2010 and released on parole last week, has been riding high on You Tube, The Times reports, external.

The song has registered 400,000 views so far. 

Titled Ke Kopa Tshwarelo (Please forgive me), it was uploaded after Maarohanye was released.  

It speaks about being misled by the "good life" and pressure from friends:

Maarohanye and his co-accused Themba Tshabalala were initially given 20 years for murder in 2012 but their convictions were later changed to culpable homicide and their sentences reduced to 10 years, two of which were suspended, eNCA reports. , external

His release has dvided opinion of South Africans - some say he should still be in jail, others point to the example of paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, whose sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp has been criticised as being too lenient.

Image source, AFP

Kenya's Communication Authority (CA), the body which regulates the communication sector, has warned that it could shut down the internet during the 8 August general elections to prevent violence, the private Standard newspaper reports, external. 

Director General Francis Wangusi said the state agency had acquired surveillance systems to monitor social media and mobile phones:

CA says that the surveillance is meant to prevent the repeat of the 2007/2008 post election violence in which 1.500 people were killed and 600,000 displaced.   

An internet shutdown will only be used in the "worst-case scenario", the report says. 

Several African governments have resorted to blocking the internet during elections, arguing that that they want to stop the spread of misinformation. 

Read: How African governments block social media

Image source, Reuters/AFP

The winner of December's presidential election in The Gambia says there is no need for President Yahya Jammeh to seek asylum and he is confident direct talks can solve the crisis.

Adama Barrow told the BBC he was confident he would be sworn in next week despite his rival's refusal to give up power.

Nigeria's leader is due in Banjul to try and broker an end to the deadlock.

His MPs have voted to offer Mr Jammeh asylum to help negotiations.

In a tweet, African Union commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said:

Read: How Gambians have lost their fear

Image source, AFP

Zimbabwe's government has ordered the immediate immediate suspension of the sharp increase in the price of mobile phone data following a public outcry, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports, external. 

The "shockingly high" increase showed insensitivity towards Zimbaweans and reflected "gluttonous corporate greed",  Informatin Communication Technology Minister Supa Mandiwanzira was quoted as saying. 

The telecom regulator came under fire from the public yesterday for putting up the price of mobile data by more than 100%, the country’s DailyNews reported, external.

According to the NewsDay website before the increase 250MB of data cost $1 (£0.80) and now 300MB costs $10.

The hikes has “in one sweeping move, all, but sounded the death knell for Zimbabwe’s flourishing social media use”, it said. 

Mr Mandiwanzira said the new prices were proposed to the regulator by mobile phone companies 

Image source, AFP

The US will ease some trade and financial sanctions on Sudan later today in recognition of is efforts to to fight "terrorism", a White House official has said.

The move comes nearly 20 years after sanctions were imposed is the latest sign that President Barack Obama is trying to improve US relations with countries traditionally seen as hostile before he hands power to Republican Donald Trump next week. 

Of late, US Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Sudanese counterpart twice, while the US envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Donald Booth, visited Khartoum several times, AFP news agency reports.

However, Sudan would remain on the US "state sponsor of terror" list, the officials added.   

Sudan has been under a US trade embargo since 1997 for its alleged support for militant Islamist groups. 

Killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was based in Khartoum from 1992 to 1996. 

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide related to the conflict in Darfur. He denies the charges.

The US refused Mr Bashir a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in 2015 because of the ICC warrant. 

Click here to send us your African proverbs

Welcome to BBC Africa Live where we will bring you the latest news from around the continent.