The UK has changed its travel advice to British citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo following the fire overnight in the capital, Kinshasa.

It now advises against "all but essential travel" to any part of the country.

It has also urged non-essential diplomatic staff in DR Congo to leave the country by 17 December:

Photos showing the aftermath of Wednesday night's fire at an electoral commission depot in the Democratic Republic of Congo show burnt out vehicles close to the building, as well as black clouds of smoke rising from the site in the capital, Kinshasa:

Image source, CENI

Image source, AFP

Image source, AFP

Louise Dewast
BBC Africa, Kinshasa

Image source, AFP

Ten days ahead of long-awaited presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a fire broke out in an electoral commission building in the capital, Kinshasa.

It was unclear whether any electoral material was damaged.

The electoral commission says they are working to determine the cause and extent of the fire, adding however that the electoral process will continue for now.

The smell of fire has engulfed the city.

The run-up to the vote has seen a wave of violence.

In the past few days, there have been clashes with police at campaign meetings - a number have been injured and some reportedly killed.

Several opposition candidates have called for an investigation into the blaze, expressing concerns about further delays if electoral material was damaged.

A spokesperson for disqualified presidential challenger Moïse Katumbi tweeted this footage of the fire, asking whether it was simply "a stroke of bad luck" or a dark force working against the elections:

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

BBC Africa Live
Farouk Chothia

That's all from BBC Africa Live for now. You can keep up to date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or checking the BBC News website.

A reminder of Wednesday's wise words:

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And we leave you with this photo of a model being groomed for a fashion show in a slum in Kenya's capital, Nairobi:

That's a tweet by a senior police officer in Nigeria, responding to a question about whether sex in a car was illegal - an issue that has provoked quite a bit of debate on social media in the West African state.

BBC Focus on Africa's Hassan Arouni called up the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Yomi Shogunle, to discuss the issue with him.

Image source, Getty Images

Controversial South African artist Ayanda Mabulu has been arrested outside the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for displaying a painting of disgraced Afrikaner businessman Marius Jooste being given oral sex by a black woman, local media reports.

The painting also depicts a naked Eugene Terreblanche, an Afrikaner supremacist who was killed in 2010, superimposed on Nazi swastikas.

The artwork was hung outside the JSE, with heads of pigs placed at the bottom, News24 reported.

Money was stuffed in the mouths of the pigs, and was also strewn on the floor, it added.

Police have not given a reason for the arrest.

Earlier, Mabuyu's spokesperson said the JSE would be "a perfect new home" for the sexually explicit artwork.

"His painting has been inspired by the hold white monopoly capitalism has had on South Africa namely the Steinhoff saga," the spokesperson added.

Mr Jooste resigned as chief executive of global retail group Steinhoff about a year ago after it was accused of accounting irregularities. He denied any wrongdoing.

BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Senegal international Amath Diedhiou Ndiaye is facing a race to be fit for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations after undergoing surgery on a knee ligament injury which, according to his club Getafe, could keep him out for six months.

The 22-year-old forward suffered the injury during Getafe's Spanish La Liga game away to Leganés last Friday.

He left the pitch in pain in the 22nd minute of the match which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Getate said on their website , externalthat Ndiaye had been "successfully operated on for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee", and added:

Read the full BBC Sport story here

The authorities in Burundi have dismissed a BBC report accusing the country's security services of running secret torture and detention sites to silence dissent.

Prosecutor general Nyandwi Sylvestre told reporters in the capital, Bujumbura, that investigations carried out by his office found that the blood coming from what the BBC Africa Eye report described as a torture chamber was in fact the blood of goats slaughtered at a nearby house to commemorate the Muslim festival of Eid.

He also said that the house has been guarded by the police and not the security services since November 2015 after an arms cache was discovered there and no human rights abuses were committed in an around it.

Watch: Inside the Secret Killing House

BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has confirmed that the 2018 African Super Cup will be played in Qatar, moving away from Africa for the first time.

The fixture pits the African Champions League winners - Esperance of Tunisia - against the African Confederation Cup champions - Raja Casablanca of Morocco.

The match is traditionally played at the home of the Champions League winners, although it has previously been played elsewhere in Africa.

Caf confirmed that its executive committee had decided , externalthat the 2018 Super Cup would be played in Qatar - with the "date and time announced later".

Read the full BBC Sport story here

Image source, Getty Images

French authorities have arrested a senior football official on suspicion of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona is due to be extradited to The Hague to face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC). He denies any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors say he was a senior leader of a militia known as anti-Balaka which carried out systematic attacks against Muslims between 2013 and 2014.

Earlier this year, Mr Ngaissona was elected to the executive committee of African football's governing body, the Confederation of African Football.

Last month, another former militia leader from CAR, Alfred Yekatom, was flown to the ICC to stand trial for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Image source, AFP

Kenya's former President Daniel arap Moi, 94, has been admitted to a private hospital in the capital, Nairobi, for a routine medical check-up, his office says.

Mr Moi was one of the "big men" of African politics, having ruled Kenya from 1978 until his retirement in 2002.

In March, he had his knee checked at a hospital in Israel and was discharged with a "clean bill of health", his office said at the time.

He underwent a knee operation in Nairobi in January 2017.

Mr Moi's knee is said to have troubled him since he was involved in a car accident in 2006.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Human Rights activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo say two people have been killed and more than 40 injured, some with gunshot wounds, after police clashed with opposition supporters in the city of Lubumbashi.

Police deny anyone was killed and say two people were injured.

Martin Fayulu, one of the candidates in this month's presidential election was campaigning in Lubumbashi - in the south-east of the country - on Tuesday when the police used water cannon and opened fire.

On Monday, he called off a rally in Kindu in eastern Congo after clashes broke out between his supporters and those of the ruling coalition candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary.

Somali's government has granted 31 fishing licenses to China. This is the first time that President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's government has given fishing rights to foreigners since taking office last year.

The China Overseas Fisheries Association, which represents 150 companies, will be allowed to fish for tuna in Somali waters.

The move has raised concern that fishing stocks could be depleted, and the livelihoods of local fishermen threatened.

However, Somali fisheries ministry adviser Abdirahman Ahmed told BBC Focus on Africa that up to 24 nautical miles (44km) off the coast are reserved for local fishermen.

Mr Ahmed also said that under the license agreement, the ministry can call the ships to the port at anytime for inspections.

Favour Nunoo
BBC Pidgin

Image source, Getty Images

A 20-year-old man has drowned while being baptised by a pastor in a river south of Ghana's capital, Accra.

In a video circulating on social media, Yaw Kyeremeh is seen stationed at the banks of River Densu together with a pastor who immersed him in the water.

Then after brief prayers he was immersed a second time but he did not emerge from the waters.

Accra Regional Police Command spokeswoman Afia Tenge told the BBC a junior pastor had been arrested at the scene while police were still searching for the head pastor of the church involved in the baptism.

The drowning, which happened on Sunday, has led many people to question why a life should be lost during a religious ritual.

The man's family is quoted by local media as saying that it does not blame anyone for the drowning.

Police said the 20-year-old's body was in a mortuary, and an autopsy still needed to be done before it was given to the family for burial.

BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Sierra Leone international Kei Kamara says he is excited about playing for Major League Soccer (MLS) club Colorado Rapids following his move on Tuesday.

The former Norwich and Middlesbrough forward was picked by FC Cincinnati in the 2018 MLS expansion draft and was immediately traded to Colorado Rapids on a two-year deal.

The 24-year-old told BBC Sport:

Read the full BBC Sport story here

Image source, AFP

Nigeria's main opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has signed an accord aimed at ensuring that next year's elections in the troubled nation proceed peacefully.

Mr Abubakar had failed to join his main rival, President Muhammadu Buhari, in signing the accord on Tuesday, with his aides saying he had not been officially invited to the ceremony.

The accord was brokered by ex-President Abdulsalami Abubakar and Catholic Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah amid fears that the elections could be marred by violence and vote-rigging.

Another opposition candidate, Oby Ezekwesili, also signed the accord after failing to do so on Tuesday.

Ms Ezekwesili is well known for leading the #BringBackOurGirls campaign to help free the 276 girls kidnapped from Chibok, northern Nigeria, in 2014.

Russell Padmore
Business correspondent, BBC News

Image source, AFP

The world's airlines are expected to carry more passengers next year, helping the industry boost profits, even though aviation is facing increased taxes.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata), which represents most global carriers, forecasts airlines will generate total profits of $35.5bn (£28.3bn), compared to $32.3bn for 2018.

Iata says airlines in North America are performing the best, but Africa remains the weakest region for aviation.

Net profits for airlines across Africa are expected to fall 0.3% next year, a drop for the fourth consecutive year.

Losses for carriers across Africa have widened as fuel costs have increased.

Iata says few African airlines are achieving the target of selling roughly six in 10 seats on an aircraft, the number needed in that region to break even.

Jet fuel is priced in US dollars, but as African currencies have weakened against the American currency fuel prices have risen for airlines, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

A row has broken out in Ghana over the government's decision to send blood and essential medical supplies to hospitals and clinics in remote rural areas via unmanned drones owned by a US company.

Deputy Minister of Information Pius Enam Hadzide said he was "taken aback" by the reservations expressed by the Ghana Medical Association as the plan seeks to improve health services, and there had been extensive consultations over it.

The association said the use of drones failed to "conform to the primary healthcare policy" , and would not benefit Ghanaians if more doctors and nurses were not employed to administer the drugs that would be flown to medical centres.

However, the plan looks set to be implemented next year after it was approved by parliament by a majority of 102 to 58. The opposition voted against it.

Opposition MP Cassiel Ato Forson said the government had negotiated an "extremely bad" deal with US-based Zipline International Inc.

He believed the contract had been inflated and proper tendering procedures had not been followed, Ghana's Joy Online news site reported, external.

The government denied any wrongdoing.

Watch drones deliver blood and medical supplies in Rwanda: