Summary

  • A Sudanese asylum was "forcibly disappeared from Egypt", HRW says

  • US to cut Africa troops by 10%

  • Zimbabwe bus catches fire killing many passengers

  • DR Congo police shoot dead two student protesters

  • Fresh charges for SA pro-euthanasia activist

  • Kenyan Catholic priest killed in South Sudan

  • EU diplomat 'forced to leave Tanzania' over gay rights

  • World Bank not abandoning Tanzania - Magufuli

  • Cape Town mulls non-native tree cull

  • Zimbabwe MDC leader calls protesters 'stupid'

  • Warm Ghana welcome for ex-UBS fraudster

  • Stuck African migrants rescued from snow

Live Reporting

Lucy Fleming

  1. We're getting started in Nairobi...

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  2. What is 'fake news' and why the BBC cares?

    The BBC defines "fake news" as false information deliberately and intentionally published and shared- for profit or political gain.

    The spread of misinformation through social media and private messaging apps has especially had dramatic and even fatal consequences around the world.

    BBC research in Kenya, Nigeria and India found examples of the dangerous outcomes of sharing misleading news.

    BBC Director of News, Jamie Angus, says the threat caused by "fake news" needs to be dealt with by improving media literacy:

    Poor standards of global media literacy, the rise of state-backed disinformation, and the ease with which malicious content can spread unchecked on digital platforms mean there’s never been a greater need for an organisation like ours to take the lead."

    BBC Director General, Tony Hall, says the organisation wants to go beyond talking about "fake news":

    We won’t just talk about the challenges and distortions of fake news, this year we’ll take them on directly.We’re going to fight - publicly and globally - for news that people can trust and rely on."

    fake news banner

    Why does "fake news" matter?

    ·Erodes Trust

    ·Builds and feeds on community divisions

    ·Threat to a notion of truth.

    ·Toxic for mainstream media – all media the same equivalence

    ·Makes citizens less able to make decisions based on facts

    ·Toxic for public discourse

    ·Threats to health

    ·Worse case scenario – fuels hate speech, leads to violence and death

    ·Distorts democratic processes

    ·Weaponises information

  3. Good morning

    Welcome to the BBC Africa Live page where we'll be keeping you up to date about a special BBC conference:

    Beyond Fake News: a look at disinformation, truth and solutions in Africa which is being held in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

    Beyond Fake News

    We will also be keeping you updated on other news and developments on the continent.

    Stay with us.