Mary Harper
Africa editor, BBC World Service

The head of the World Health Organisation has set a six-month target to end the outbreak of the Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of new cases per week was now half of what it was at the beginning of this year.

He warned that the areas of Butembo and Katwa remained Ebola hotspots, and that insecurity posed a constant threat to efforts to contain the disease.

More than 580 people have died in the current outbreak, the tenth in Congo's history.

A tropical cyclone expected to hit Mozambique on Thursday evening could be the worst to hit the country in two decades, AFP reports.

The news agency says domestic flights to several destinations have been cancelled as a safety precaution. Officials have warned people to stay inside and keep clear of electrical cables, household electrical goods and trees.

Tropical cyclone Idai "is expected to make landfall near Beira city in central Mozambique", the UN has said. Local media reports suggest this could happen around 19:00 local time (17:00GMT).

The storm is part of the same weather cycle that has caused fatal floods in recent days, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people in Mozambique and Malawi and the destruction of thousands of homes.

The son of a Highland aristocrat has been acquitted of trafficking nearly 100kg (220lbs) of cocaine into Kenya.

Jack Alexander Wolf Marrian, the son of Lady Emma Clare Campbell of Cawdor, was charged three years ago but denied the charge at court in Nairobi.

He was charged after drugs said to be worth about $5.3 (£4m) were found in a container at the port of Mombasa.

The haul was discovered in containers at the seaport in 2016 by Kenyan and authorities.

Read the full story from BBC Scotland.

Rape and fraud scandals involving fake pastors have prompted calls for regulation of churches in South Africa.

There have been a number of high-profile cases in recent months involving disgraced pastors.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has even got involved, urging South Africans to come together to curb bogus pastors.

Victims of alleged sexual abuse have detailed their experiences to the BBC and criticised the invulnerability of so-called men of God who use their position of authority as a cover for abuse.

Reporter: Mbulelo Mtshilibe; Video journalist: Christian Parkinson.

When we look at the news cycle - conflict, oppressive regimes, natural disasters resulting from climate change - it's easy to wonder: Is the world in a crisis?

Ugandan musician Tshila thinks so, and she says it is about time ordinary people stopped waiting for politicians to sort things out and take matters into their own hands to create change.

World in Crisis is the title of Tshila’s new album, but the real message is about empowerment and a call to action.

BBC Newsday's Alan Kasujja spoke to Tshila about the message behind the music:

Image source, Reuters

Rescue efforts have been called off after a day of trying to free children from the rubble of a school that collapsed in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos.

At least 11 people have died so far.

The building was condemned as unsafe in 2017 and marked for demolition.

Given this, a key question being asked about the tragedy is: Why were the children in the building?

Engineer Felicia Nnenna Agubata explained to BBC Newsday that the reason why people stay in buildings marked for demolition is because building inspectors are not backed up by security officers who can enforce evacuations.

She also argued that, at the moment, the only people held to account are engineers.

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

The new Algerian prime minister, Noueddine Bedoui, has been setting out his objectives in response to mass protests that forced President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to withdraw from seeking a fifth term.

In his first news conference since being appointed, Mr Bedoui said that he would form a technocratic government that would include young Algerians who led the demonstrations.

He said the government would only be in charge for a short time and he urged the opposition to engage in a positive dialogue.

But activists have said they are not ready to compromise or negotiate for now.

Image source, Reuters

Emergency services in Nigeria's main city of Lagos say they have called off the search for survivors of a building collapse that killed 11 people.

Fifty people have been rescued at the site which had structural defects and was marked for demolition. It houses a school of more than 100 pupils, as well as apartments housing families and shops.

It is not known how many people were inside the multi-purpose building when it collapsed.

The BBC's Aliyu Tanko says the use of sub-standard building materials is common in Nigeria and government does not always enforce adherence to regulations.

The local government in Lagos says an investigation will be carried out after rescue operations are concluded and that those found guilty will be prosecuted.

Image source, Getty Images

The World Bank says it will spend $22.5bn (£17bn) over five years from 2021 to help Africa tackle the dangers posed by climate change.

Bank interim president Kristalina Georgieva told BBC Africa TV's Money Daily programme that Africa remains vulnerable to the effects of climate change through prolonged drought, floods and destructive storms.

"Unless we make Africa more resilient, we will see by 2030, 100 million people more falling into poverty rather than being pulled out of poverty," she said.

Ms Georgieva said the World Bank had also stepped up its efforts to mobilise investments in renewable energy such as solar, which contributes just 1.5% of the continent’s electricity needs.

The World Bank’s commitment comes ahead of the One Planet Summit that opens in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, today.

It is co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and brings governments, private sector and civil society groups together to address environmental challenges.

Africa contributes only 4% to global CO2 emissions but bears some of the most severe consequences of global warming.

Confederation of African Football (Caf) President Ahmad Ahmad has been refused a visa for travel to the US, where he was due to take part in a meeting of Fifa officials.

It is not clear why he was denied the travel document.

Confirming the news, a Caf spokesperson told the BBC that Mr Ahmad would be in Cairo on Thursday.

Pumza Fihlani
BBC News, Johannesburg

South Africa television and radio presenter Samora Mangesi was allegedly beaten in a racially motivated attack after stopping to help a group of young white men whose car has overturned a few nights ago in Johannesburg's West Rand neighbourhood.

"They called my friends & I 'monkeys'. When we engaged them on why we were being called such, they beat me up until I was unconscious," Mr Mangesi wrote in a thread on Twitter.

Mr Mangesi, who works for the public broadcaster SABC, claims he was assaulted until he became unconscious. His injuries include cuts to his face, mouth and bruising along the left side of his body.

"Even whilst I was being put in the ambulance, one of these guys tried to run my friend over with his bakkie [pick-up truck] and the paramedics had to intervene," he added.

The news has sparked anger on local social media and calls for a police investigation.

Ferdinand Omondi
BBC Africa, Nairobi

Lawmakers in Kenya are outraged that the government has spent about $35m (£26m) on building a 10km (about six miles) wire fence along the border with Somalia to block militant Islamists from crossing over.

The lawmakers believe that people within Kenya’s security ministries have taken advantage of the threat posed by the Somalia-headquartered al-Shabab group to steal public money.

Details of the spending came out in an official report tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The $35m translates to a staggering $3m per kilometre for a fence made of chain link, barbed wire and concrete poles.

That is more than double the money the Kenyan government has set aside for its strategic food reserve programme for the 2018-2019 financial year.

It is also nearly $1m more than the amount the country is spending to roll out universal healthcare countrywide, and triple the money set aside this financial year to build affordable housing.

If they built four more kilometres at the same cost, it would come to $43m, which would equal the total amount Kenya is spending on providing free maternal healthcare this year.

The government initially announced that it would build a 700km wall along the porous border to limit incursions by al-Shabab fighters. But when construction began in 2015, there was a fence instead.

The government has not yet responded to the latest concerns of lawmakers, some of whom have also questioned the wisdom of building a fence to fight terrorism.

Peter Mwai
BBC Africa, Nairobi

To welcome French President Emmanuel Macron on his state visit to Kenya, a message in French was posted on President Uhuru Kenyatta's official Twitter handle.

The rest of his tweet talks about Kenya and France's "cordial relationship" that has "stimulated growth across multiple sectors" to the benefit of both countries.

Kenyans on social media have however been making fun of the message, joking that it discusses corruption and foreign debt. The country has been rocked by major corruption scandals involving millions of dollars in the recent past.

In the latest scandal, Members of the National Assembly want investigators to look into how about $35m (£26m) was used to construct a 10km-long barrier along the border with Somalia.

Twitter user Kipchumba Mnyolmo says, external: "Those who understand French, kindly help us. Let it not be that he is borrowing money."

Nkaulo asked, external: "What do we say corruption in French language?”

Keyser Soze wrote, external: "This loan you are borrowing from France you will pay yourself. Even if you change the language, we know you are borrowing."

Bonaventure King’oo joked, external: "I love the part where you say you will borrow money and then we all leave Kenya."

Some wanted the president to be patriotic, and felt he should have used Swahili instead. Others said it should have been reciprocal.

John Miano tweeted, external: "Now if he goes to France, will Emmanuel Macron tweet in Swahili?"

Swahili is Kenya's most widely spoken language. It is also an official language together with English.

Last year, then Swiss President Alain Berset posted a message in Swahili , externalon his Twitter page when he was visiting Kenya.

Kenya is an Anglophone country, but French is taught in some schools and colleges.

Read more: Are Kenyans still scandalised by scandals?

Ashley Lime
BBC News, Nairobi

Uhuru Park is trending on Twitter in Kenya, following a report in a newspaper that a homeless woman has given birth at the famous public park in the capital, Nairobi.

Local newspaper The Standard , externalreported that 20-year-old Rebecca Atieno had gone to Uhuru Park to find solace after losing her job and accommodation on Tuesday.

The paper added Ms Atieno went into labour while at the park, and gave birth to a baby named Hope.

Kenyans on Twitter have reacted to the report, which comes barely a week after a marathon aimed at promoting free maternal health in the East African country.

Aid workers say they helped Ms Atieno deliver safely at Uhuru Park before taking her to the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH):

The Democratic Republic of Congo's newly elected President Félix Tshisekedi has pardoned 700 political prisoners, in what is seen as a major gesture of reconciliation since he took office in the troubled nation in January.

The 700 were imprisoned during the rule of his predecessor, Joseph Kabila, who refused to release them despite a deal struck with the opposition in 2015.

The president's chief of staff, Vital Kamerhe, broke the news of the pardons to the nation.

Our DR Congo reporter, Gaius Kowene, has been giving the details to BBC Newsday radio presenter Bola Mosuro:

Thursday's African proverb:

Image source, AFP

Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs.

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

That's all from BBC Africa Live for now. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or check the BBC News website.

A reminder of today's wise words:

Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this picture from Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous archipelago off the coast of Tanzania:

An Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi crashed on Sunday, killing 157 people.

Among them were passengers from 30 countries and 21 United Nations staff members.

Some of the victims relatives have spoken of their grief and shock.

A further two people are confirmed dead after a primary school collapsed in Nigeria's Lagos Island, our reporter on the scene has confirmed.

That makes the death toll 10 so far.

Forty more people have been rescued from the rubble but more than 100 pupils attended the school.

Image source, Getty Images