The Gambian Supreme Court will not be able to hear a petition before May from President Yahya Jammeh, who's refusing to accept defeat in December's election and wants the poll to be rerun, the BBC's Claude Foly reports.

The Nigerian judge, Onogeme Uduma, who was to act as president of the court is currently unavailable. 

Our correspondent says the plaintiffs have agreed with the new date and will maintain their petition. 

Regional bloc Ecowas is among those demanding that Mr Jammeh steps down. It is sending a delegation to The Gambia on Wednesday.

Gambian journalist and blogger Sanna Camara tweeted these pictures from outside the courtroom.

See earlier post for more details

Image source, AFP

A Ugandan man was buried with $5,700 (£4,700) which he wanted to offer God as an "offertory" to forgive his sins and save him from hell fire, the privately owned Daily Monitor newspaper has reported, external. 

Charles Obong, a former government employee who died at the age of 52, made the request in his will, his family was quoted as saying. 

However, the grave was dug up and the money removed from his coffin after community elders and clerics became aware of it, the Daily Monitor reported. 

It quoted the Anglican Church's Rev Joel Agel Awio as saying that no amount of money could buy eternal life, and God would not accept such a "golden handshake".

Reuters has an interview with the Youth League President of South Africa's governing ANC, Collen Maine. He says his party's next leader - to be chosen at a party conference in December - should launch a "second revolution", redistributing wealth.

He says his organisation will endorse a candidate who will send "shock waves" through the ANC, suggesting it will not support either of the presumed frontrunners, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the head of the African Union and President Jacob Zuma's ex-wife, and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

A diplomat from Sudan was arrested in the US for allegedly "grinding on a woman" in a subway train in Manhattan, but he was released and the charges were dropped because he had diplomatic immunity, US media quote police sources as saying. 

The 49-year-old diplomat, named in reports as Mohammad Abdalla Ali, allegedly rubbed a 38-year-old woman from behind on a commuter train, police sources said. 

He was charged with sexual assault and forcible touching, but was released after proving he was a diplomat, the unnamed sources were quoted by New York's Daily News as saying. 

The New York Police Department had contacted the State Department, and it was up to officials there to lodge an official protest with Sudan's government, the Daily News reports on its website, external. 

There has been no comment by the diplomat or the Sudanese government.  

Journalist and football writer Osasu Obayiuwana has tweeted this picture of the enthusiastic send-off for Guinea-Bissau's footballers heading to the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. The team are making their maiden appearance in the competition. 

Coach Baciro Cande has picked a squad entirely made up of players based in Europe. They will play in the tournament's opening match against the hosts in Libreville on 14 January.  

Image source, AFP

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara has appointed his former prime minister, Daniel Kablan Duncan, to be the country's first vice-president. 

Mr Duncan resigned as PM on Monday following the parliamentary elections won by the governing RHDP coalition. 

The position of vice-president was created under the new constitution adopted through a referendum last October. 

Mr Duncan is an economist who previously served at the West African central bank and as Ivory Coast's finance minister. 

Image source, Getty Images

Up to half of Tunisia's bumper orange harvest may have to be destroyed if enough buyers cannot be found, AFP news agency has quoted experts as saying, external. 

This year's crop stands at 550,000 tonnes so far, compared with a previous high of 400,000 tonnes in recent years. 

Experts attributed the record harvest to dry weather and "physiological conditions" which meant the orange blossoms and the fruit held on to the trees.

Tunisian sellers are expected to find international buyers for only about 10% of the harvest, with marketing efforts focusing on France and Russia. 

However, analysts said Tunisia would face heavy competition from Egyptian and Turkish oranges in those markets. 

Strong agricultural exports have previously helped the Tunisian economy "avoid the worst" after jihadist attacks damaged the country's tourism industry, the finance ministry has said.

The governing body of world football, Fifa, has decided to expand its flagship tournament, the World Cup finals, into a 48-team competition from its current 32.

The announcement was made on Twitter: 

Image source, Getty Images

It is understood that expanding the World Cup was one of the promises of Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, when he took over from Sepp Blatter last February. 

The decision means that more African teams than the current number of five will start in the tournament at the group stage. 

Image source, AFP

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has appointed his eldest son - a major-general in the army - as his special adviser, renewing speculation that he is grooming him as his successor. 

Maj-Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba rose rapidly through the ranks of the military, and was the commander of the Special Forces, with responsibility over his father's security. 

Last year, the president appointed his wife Janet as Minister of Education and Sports. 

Her appointment came after Mr Museveni won a fifth term in elections rejected by the opposition as rigged.

Meanwhile, Mr Museveni has also promoted Brigadier Peter Elwelu, who commanded the forces which mounted an attack on King Charles Mumbere's palace in the Rwenzururu region in November, to the post of chief of land forces. 

The brigadier's promotion is seen as reward for the operation, which led to the deaths of some 60 people. 

The king is accused of leading a secessionist movement, and is in detention.

Defence Force chief Gen Katumba Wamala has lost his post and been given a junior ministerial post in the government. 

He held the highest military office in Uganda, and the new appointment is seen as a demotion. 

The army spokesman said the changes were normal and good for institutional growth.

Image source, AFP

The former rebel leader and ex-prime minister of Ivory Coast, Guillaume Soro, has been re-elected speaker of the National Assembly with a majority of 95%, BBC Afrique reports. 

Mr Soro was confirmed in his position shortly after President Alassane Ouattara sacked the heads of security in the country following the mutiny that rocked barracks late last week.

He stood for election as an independent MP against Evariste Meambly, a contender from the ruling RHDP coalition. 

Mr Soro then announced that the first parliamentary session he will preside over today will see the attendance of President Ouattara, who is expected to announce his pick for the vice-presidency under the new constitution. 

The speaker is seen as a potential successor of President Ouattara when he steps down in 2020 at the end of his second and last term.

Image source, Getty Images

Actor Tom Hiddleston has apologised for his speech at the Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood in which he referred to humanitarian workers in South Sudan watching him on screen, and dedicated his award to those "fixing the world in the places where it is broken". Some interpreted the actor's words as being self-centred or self-indulgent, although others praised them.

Hiddleston won best performance by an actor in a mini-series or TV movie for his role in The Night Manager.

The Gambia's Information Minister Sheriff Bojang has fled to neighbouring Senegal, in a sign that President Yahya Jammeh is facing resistance from within his cabinet over his refusal to hand over power when his term expires on 19 January. 

In a statement, Mr Bojang said Mr Jammeh's decision to challenge his defeat in the 1 December election was "an attempt to subvert the express will of the Gambian electorate". 

He called on others to join him in resigning from the long-serving ruler's government. 

Mr Bojang confirmed the authenticity of the statement via telephone from Senegal, Reuters news agency reports.

The pro-opposition Freedom newspaper reports that he arrived in Senegal's capital, Dakar, a few days ago and had no intention of returning to The Gambia. 

Mr Bojang was seen as Mr Jammeh's chief propagandist, often appearing on state media to read out controversial government statements. 

Foreign Minister Neneh Macdouall Gaye resigned last month, though her decision attracted little publicity.

Image source, AFP

Opposition leader Adama Barrow, who defeated Mr Jammeh in the poll, said he would inaugurate himself as president on 19 January. 

The Supreme Court is due to hear today a petition by Mr Jammeh's party challenging the result. 

However, it is unclear whether the case will go ahead as judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone have not arrived in The Gambia. 

The tiny West African state often appoints foreign judges because of a shortage of local judges.

Zimbabwe has been hit by an outbreak of army worms which has destroyed maize crops in a country suffering from a food shortage because of drought. 

The state-owned Herald newspaper reports that the government has sent pesticides, external to the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces in an effort to curb the outbreak. 

"If not controlled properly, there can be re-infestation and the fall army worms may go on to attack the cob. The pest should be sprayed when it is young," entomologist Godfrey Chikwenhere is quoted as saying. 

"Farmers should not irrigate immediately after spraying and also should not spray when they expect rains as the chemical will be washed away," he added.

Last month, Zambia used military planes to fly pesticides to farming areas hit by army worms.

The pests are called army worms because they eat most vegetation in their way and can destroy entire fields.

They were devouring crops in six of the southern African state's 10 provinces.  

Maize is a staple diet in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

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