Image source, Getty Images

South Sudan's government and the main rebel group have provisionally approved a power-sharing deal at talks in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Rebel leader and former Vice-President Riek Machar, who is expected to resume his government role, was at the signing ceremony. Smaller opposition groups have not signed the agreement.

In June, the warring sides agreed on a permanent ceasefire, ending five years of civil war.

That agreement called for a transitional government to be created within four months that would govern for three years.

The war broke out in 2013, when the country divided largely along ethnic lines. Tens of thousands have been killed.

Zimbabweans are going to the polls on 30 July - and it will be the first time in 38 years without Robert Mugabe in power.

The cash-strapped and impoverished country, which has known decades of repressive rule, faces severe challenges.

BBC Monitoring looks at what makes this general election so unique.

Produced by Beverly Ochieng and Alexi Peristianis

Two mountain gorillas have been born in the Democratic Republic of Congo's famous Virunga National Park, bringing to nine the number of babies born this year, the park has said in a tweet:

A 19-year-old mountain gorilla named Kayenga gave birth to her third child, a boy, while eight-year-old Anangana gave birth to her first baby, a girl, the park said in a statement.

The mountain gorilla is one of the world's most endangered animals.

"Over the last decade, Virunga National Park’s mountain gorilla families have played a major role in increasing the worldwide population, which now stands at over 1,000," the park said.

"This is a significant jump from the 790 individuals recorded in 2010 and it is fantastic to see this magnificent, yet highly endangered species, continue to thrive," it added.

Image source, Reuters

China's President Xi Jinping has opened a summit of emerging economies in South Africa's main city, Johannesburg, with a warning that the world is facing a choice between cooperation or confrontation.

In a speech aimed largely at the Trump administration in the US, Mr Xi said there could be no winner in any trade war.

He believed the countries taking part in the summit - China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa - should be resolute against closed-door protectionism.

The Chinese leader said:

The Brics group - as it is known - comprises more than 40% of the global population.

Analysts say its members have struggled to find a unified voice, but their common opposition to US trade policy could help to galvanise them.

Shingai Nyoka
BBC Africa, Harare

Image source, AFP

Few had expected Zimbabwe's main opposition group, the MDC Alliance, to pull out of Monday's general election, despite speculation to the contrary.

There is so much at stake - the first opportunity for its presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, to test his strength.

He emerged as the main opposition candidate following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai in February.

At the press conference Mr Chamisa held in the capital, Harare, he hinted at differences within the seven-party opposition alliance.

Mr Chamisa told journalists that if the decision had been his alone, he would have opted to boycott the elections.

“Who am I to say no to the will of the people,” he added.

The opposition is in a deadlock with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission over the administration of the elections.

They have a raft of concerns - the printing and storage of the ballot papers, the ink that will used to confirm voting, the number of polling stations, the inconsistencies in the voter’s roll and the vetting of personnel.

They are also concerned about intimidation in the rural areas, and the alleged use of food aid to get people to vote for President Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF party.

The election commission says it is working within the law, and is confident of delivering a credible election.

The MDC Alliance is now pinning its hopes on the intervention of the regional body, the Southern African Development Community.

But though most observers have raised concerns they seem reluctant to pass outright judgement until after the elections.

See earlier post

BBC Weather

While a lot of places around the world have been experiencing heatwave conditions in the past few weeks, Kenya has been hit by unusually cold weather.

Cloud cover has been a factor in Kenya's colder than normal weather in July, which is usually the coolest month of the year in the East African country.

The cool conditions follow an abnormally wet and rainy season up to late June, impacting crops and livestock.

Kenya is not the only country seeing cooler than average temperatures.

Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Namibia, and eastern Zimbabwe have also seen a cooler month, with more than 2C below the average.

In the 16th Century, ruthless warrior Queen Amina commanded an army of 20,000 men in what is now Nigeria.

She is the third story in a new eight-part series, African Women who Changed the World, which aims to shed light on great African women whose stories deserve to be heard.

This BBC Africa series has been produced using historical and iconographic research, but includes artistic interpretation.

Producer and editor: Kat Hawkins

Illustrations: Manuella Bonomi

Image source, Getty Images

The Egypt Football Association (EFA) has named a shortlist of four coaches to replace Argentine Hector Cuper.

Cuper's contract was not renewed after the Pharaoh's failed to get past the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.

The four names on the list are Colombian Jorge Luis Pinto, Spaniard Quique Sanchez Flores, Mexican Javier Aguirre and Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic.

The EFA hope to have a new coach in place for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger on 8 September.

Read the full BBC Sport story here

Hundreds of people have been left homeless after heavy floods swept through north-eastern Nigeria's Damaturu city on Tuesday.

The floods were the worst to hit the city in 20 years, said Musa Jidawa, a senior official with the government's emergency management agency after visiting the affected areas.

Local media report that between 100 and 200 homes were destroyed. Shops were also swept away.

"We have gone round for first-hand information to determine areas of immediate needs and intervention,” Mr Jidawa was quoted by the Nigeria News Agency as saying.

Image source, Getty Images

Youth from Mali's Arab community have brought the ancient city of Timbuktu to a standstill in a protest against the worsening security situation in the region, Reuters news agency reports.

The protesters - many of whom were traders - fired shots in the air, burnt tyres and torched vehicles, it reports.

Mali is due to hold presidential elections on Sunday, but the north of the country is unstable.

UN and government forces have been battling to end an insurgency by militant Islamists.

Tuareg separatists - who were once in an alliance with the militants - are also demanding greater autonomy for the north.

Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebre Meskel has said that he was surprised by the speed at which relations with Ethiopia have improved.

He told the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza that he was not expecting the level of goodwill that has been witnessed.

Just a few weeks ago the idea that the leaders of the two countries would meet face-to-face was unthinkable. But following the declaration by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki that the "state of war" is over things have changed rapidly.

Some activists are now asking whether the situation within Eritrea will change.

President Isaias has been in power since independence in 1993 and has never been elected.

His government has been accused of a raft of human rights violations. Amnesty International says freedom of expression is restricted and "arbitrary detention without charge or trial continue to be the norm for thousands of prisoners of conscience".

But Mr Yemane dismissed these accusations.

"Yes, Eritrea may have... shortcomings here and there," he admitted, "but to portray Eritrea as the worst violator has no basis in fact".

He said that the "so-called human rights agenda" has been pedalled for political purposes and that Eritrea has been stigmatised and demonised.

Of particular concern to rights groups is the indefinite national service. But Mr Yemane said this was a misnomer as it was never intended to be indefinite.

He said the 1994 national service law was about reducing the size of the standing army but the state of tension with Ethiopia meant that people had to serve longer than planned.

He would not say whether this would now change.

You may also like:

• Eritreans hope for democracy after peace deal with Ethiopia
• Eritrea President Isaias Afwerki 'both charismatic and brutal'

Zimbabwe's main opposition presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa has said he was confident of victory, despite the "machinations and shenanigans" of the electoral commission to help President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu-PF party to stay in power.

Zimbabwe's electoral commission was biased, and it had "thrown away the whistle" to join Mr Mnangagwa's team, Mr Chamisa added.

"We will defeat the referee and player. We will not allow them to get away with murder, literally and metaphorically," he said at a press conference.

The electoral commission was "stubborn and "arrogant" and had violated the law in its preparations for Monday's poll.

The commission had, for instance, failed to disclose how many ballot papers had been printed, and what measures had been taken to ensure they were secure, Mr Chamisa said.

The opposition would not accept a "fake" result, but was confident of winning even with "our hands tied at the back", Mr Chamisa said.

Image source, G

Zimbabwe's main opposition presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa has announced he will contest Monday's landmark election, ending speculation that he intends to boycott the poll.

Speaking at a press coference in the capital, Harare, Mr Chamisa said: "We can't boycott our victory. Winners don't quit."

He urged Zimbabweans to come out in large numbers to vote, and defeat President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF party.

"Come Tuesday there will be a new president in the country. It is inevitable. It is unstoppable," he added.

Read: Chamisa - Zimbabwe's young political crusader

Read: Mnangagwa: The 'crocodile' who snapped back

Zimbabwe's main opposition party will announce in the next few minutes whether it will contest or boycott Monday's landmark elections.

The debate over whether the party should contest or boycott the poll comes after it accused that electoral commission of failing to meet its demands to guarantee free and fair elections.

See earlier post

Image source, Getty Images

India plans to open 18 new embassies in Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, in the latest sign that the Asian state is seeking to strengthen its presence on the continent.

Mr Modi made the announcement during a speech in the Ugandan parliament - the first by a serving Indian prime minister.

India currently has 29 full diplomatic missions in Africa, AFP news agency quotes officials as saying.

Mr Modi welcomed President Yoweri Museveni's policy of encouraging Ugandan Asians to return following the expulsion of many of them during the rule of Idi Amin in the 1970s.

"Our people are among the many threads that connect Uganda and India together," Mr Modi said.

"Your visionary leadership has enabled Ugandan people of Indian origin to return to their cherished home, regain their lives and help rebuild the nation that they deeply love," he told Mr Museveni.

India will boost its investments in Africa, and will keep its markets open to African states to "make it easier and more attractive to trade with India", Mr Modi said.

He added that more than 6,000 Indians serve in UN peacekeeping missions in Africa. More than 160 of them have died in the line of duty, the highest number for any country, Mr Modi said.

"India will work for you and with you; we will stand with you in your endeavours. We will speak for you and with you," Mr Modi added.

He said two-thirds of Indians and Ugandans was under the age of 35, and "if the future belongs to the youth then this is the time to build".

Mr Modi also unveiled plans to build a culture centre, named after India's anti-colonial campaigner Mahatma Gandhi, in Uganda's eastern town of Jinga, at the source of the River Nile.

Uganda's parliament tweeted details of the speech, including the scene as the special session drew to a close:

A fire broke out early this morning at a mosque in a residential area in South Africa's coastal city of Durban, in a suspected arson attack, local media report.

The fire has been extinguished and the police explosives unit has arrived at the Masjid-e-Mukhtar mosque in Croftdene, declaring it a crime scene.

Saleem Adam‚ a local Muslim leader‚ told South Africa's Times Live news site that those first at the scene had spotted three men jumping over a wall and fleeing.

In May, at least one man was killed in a knife attack at the mosque in Verulam, a town about 30km (18.6 miles) north of Durban.

In June, two men were killed, also in a knife attack, at a mosque near Cape Town.

The motive for the attacks are unclear.

A journalist with Times Live has tweeted a video from the scene of the latest attack:

BBC World Service

The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will be addressing the Ugandan parliament shortly as part of his official visit to the country.

This is the first time a serving Indian prime minister will be addressing the Ugandan parliament, as these tweets show:

On Tuesday, thousands of members of Uganda's Asian community turned out to welcome Mr Modi, who is seeking to improve business ties between the two countries.

People of Indian origin are key to the Ugandan economy, contributing more than half of its tax revenues despite making up less that 1% of its population.

Mr Modi has been tweeting about his meeting with them:

Later today, Mr Modi will join the leaders of China, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and several African countries at the Brics summit of emerging economies in Johannesburg.

Image source, Reuters

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned that he will not tolerate anarchy, as tensions mount ahead of Monday's elections - the first since long-serving ruler Robert Mugabe was forced to resign.

His comments came as police banned an opposition demonstration due to take place on Wednesday against the electoral commission in the capital, Harare.

Police said they were too busy making final preparations for the elections to provide security at the march.

The main opposition MDC Alliance had called the protest to demand greater transparency in the handling of ballot papers, saying this was vital to guarantee a free and fair poll.

Speaking at an election rally on Tuesday, Mr Mnangagwa said:

Mr Mnangagwa's comments were seen as directed at his main challenger, Nelson Chamisa, who has said that the opposition will “shut down the country” if its demands for electoral reform were not met.

Read more: 10 numbers that tell the story of Zimbabwe

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