Shingai Nyoka
BBC Africa, Harare

Five NGO workers in Zimbabwe have been charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

They appeared before a Harare magistrate, where they were alleged to have received training in the Maldives in acts of terrorism and civil disobedience.

The state says they had attended a workshop there organised by a Serbian group.

The five were arrested at Harare airport on their return.

The state believes they were trained to operate firearms and to mobilise citizens to turn against the government and to evade arrest.

The police say others are still at large. The five deny the charges.

Their lawyers accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government of targeting human rights defenders and citizens.

Image source, Getty Images

Nigeria is improving its manufacturing industry, but delivering cargo in the country requires a lot of patience, as the safety of the goods and the ability for them to be delivered on time is uncertain.

Digital startup Kobo360 is revolutionising cargo delivery with an app inspired by Uber.

The Kobo360 links everyone in the delivery supply chain, from the cargo owners, to the drivers and the recipients.

Dear Jeanne
BBC News, Kampala

Intelligence chiefs from the Great Lakes region say the Islamic State (IS) group is taking advantage of insecurity in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo to set up a base in the country.

The intelligence chiefs are currently meeting in Uganda, where they are expected to draw up a strategy against the jihadist group and other militants in the region. The east of DR Congo is plagued by scores of militia groups, and lacks a strong government presence.

It is these conditions, according to the intelligence chiefs, that have made it easy for IS extremists to establish themselves.

IS said it carried out an attack in Kamango village in North Kivu province in April. Witnesses blamed an armed group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), that has ties to IS.

However, regional officials have said there was no evidence of IS involvement in the attack.

More than 26 people have been killed in an attack by an armed group on two villages in the Central African Republic (CAR), the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the country said.

The attack took place in the villages of Koundjili and Djoumjoum, the head of the mission, Mankeur Ndiaye, said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The massacre is the single bloodiest incident since the government of CAR agreed a peace deal with 14 militia groups in February.

CAR was plunged into turmoil in 2013 when Muslim rebels from the Seleka umbrella group seized power in the majority-Christian country.

A band of mostly Christian militias, called the anti-Balaka, rose up to counter the Seleka.

Thousands have been killed in the violence and more than one million internally displaced. An estimated 570,000 people have fled abroad.

• Central African Republic profile
• The country where teachers have disappeared

Cyril Ramaphosa has been elected president of South Africa by the new parliament.

The African National Congress (ANC) won the 8 May general election with 58% of the vote.

According to the constitution, whereas voters choose parties, the president is elected by MPs during the inaugural session of parliament.

Image source, Reuters

A former Somali foreign minister, Hussein Elabe Faahiye, is among five people killed by a car bomb in the capital, Mogadishu, the country’s information minister said.

Mr Faahiye had served under the former prime minister, Ali Mohammed Ghedi, in 2007.

The blast struck a convoy escorting officials and lawmakers to the presidential palace, the AFP news agency reports.

A tweet by a police official, quoted by the agency, said officers had stopped “a vehicle loaded with explosives, which was aiming to target a security forces base”.

Several vehicles were also destroyed in the blast. Images from Mogadishu showed a plume of white smoke above the scene of the attack.

Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab fighters regularly mount attacks in Mogadishu, as part of a decade-long insurgency against the government. They were expelled from the capital in 2011 but retain control of large areas of the country.

Image source, Library of Congress

Film director Amma Asante came across an old photograph taken in Nazi Germany of a black schoolgirl by chance.

Standing among her white classmates, who stare straight into the camera, she enigmatically glances to the side.

Curiosity about the photograph - who the girl was and what she was doing in Germany - set the award-winning film-maker off on a path that led to Where Hands Touch, a new movie starring Amandla Stenberg and George MacKay.

The historical background to the film concerns the way that black Germans were treated in the Nazi era - from 1933 to 1945.

One group that particularly raised the ire of the Nazis were about 600 mixed-race children derogatorily known as the "Rhineland bastards".

Many of them were forcibly sterilised because the idea that they could have children was anathema to the Nazi racist mindset.

Black Germans were never systematically targeted in the way Jewish people were, but there were all persecuted, stigmatised and isolated.

There are hints that they could have faced annihilation, historian Robbie Aitken says.

Read more on this story

Princess Abumere
BBC News, Lagos

Nigerian dancehall singer Patoranking hosted a party in the commercial capital, Lagos, offering fans a preview of his second album, Wilmer.

The new album comes three years after his debut, God Over Everything.

The event was attended by music industry executives, fans and Afrobeat artists including 2Face, Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Runtown, Yemi Alade, Phyno and Ycee.

Patoranking told the BBC the album was named after his daughter, whom he described as his "inspiration".

“Since she came she’s been a blessing to me, everything has been going smoothly, I’m happier than I used to be.

“I love that this album is out and I love where I’m headed to in life."

Patoranking, whose real name is Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, gained popularity in 2013 following the release of his song Alubarika, featuring Timaya.

Wilmer, which took two years to produce, features contributions from fellow Nigerian Davido, as well as Donae’O from the UK, South African singer Busiswa, French-Congolese singer Dadju and Kenyan R&B artist Nyashinski.

Wilmer will be released on Friday.

Nasidi Adamu Yahya
BBC Africa, Lagos

Image source, Getty Images

The war against the plastic bag in Africa continues, with Nigeria now mulling severe penalties for those who sell them.

On Tuesday, members of the country's lower house of parliament passed a bill banning their use and anyone found selling, manufacturing or carrying them could face fines of up to $13,000 (£10,000) or prison sentences of up to three years.

The bill, which has already been passed by the upper house, prohibits the use, manufacture and importation of plastic bags for commercial and household packaging.

It now needs to be sent to President Muhammadu Buhari to become law.

Several other African countries have outlawed plastic carrier bags, including Kenya, Rwanda, Mauritania and Eritrea.

Aklilu Tsegay
BBC Tigrinya

Image source, Facebook/Addis Ababa Police Commission

Police in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa are hunting for a house maid accused of attempting to murder a mother and her two children.

The crime took place on Tuesday after midnight, the Addis police commission spokesman said.

“The suspect tried to kill the mother by hitting her on the head using a metal stick and stabbed the two kids on the neck and face,” said Fassika Fenta.

The incident, which is rare in Ethiopia, has shocked many people and is trending on social media.

The maid is now on the run and the motive of the alleged attack still remains unclear.

Mr Fassika told BBC Tigrinya that the mother and her children are in hospital in a stable condition.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that Algeria and Argentina are now free of malaria.

This means that there has not been a single case of anyone catching the disease in either country over the past three years.

The WHO's declaration is good news in the face of concern that malaria may be making a resurgence as according to the most recent annual figures, global malaria cases are no longer falling.

Algeria is the second country Africa to be officially recognised as malaria-free, after Mauritius, which was certified in 1973, the WHO says.

It puts the success down to work "ensuring no-one was left behind in getting the services they needed to prevent, detect and cure the disease".

“Algeria and Argentina have eliminated malaria thanks to the unwavering commitment and perseverance of the people and leaders of both countries,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom, WHO Director-General, said.

“Their success serves as a model for other countries working to end this disease once and for all.”

Nasidi Adamu Yahya
BBC Africa, Lagos

Anyone who's driven through Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, will have come up against its notorious traffic jams.

Apapa, a district near some of the city main port, is arguably the worst place of all.

The roads are usually lined on both sides with container lorries parked up and waiting to get into the port.

This gives cars only a single lane to drive on.

But there could be some respite as President Muhammadu Buhari has told the police and other agencies to unblock the chaotic roads.

All lorries on the bridges and roads within Apapa and all adjoining streets should be cleared within two weeks, a statement from the presidency says.

Most of the goods being imported to the country come through Apapa, and delays caused by traffic basis seriously affects the economy, the statement adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Issa Ahmed
BBC Somali, Nairobi

An 18-year-old boy is the youngest sultan, or traditional ruler, in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

Sultan Mohamed Sultan Hure still goes to school, and is preparing to write his exams this week.

But when the BBC visited him at his palace, he said he has not led a normal life since he, as the eldest son, inherited the post of sultan at the age of 15 following the death of his father.

The post comes with its own strict rules and responsibilities. He misses playing football with children of his age, the sultan said.

Sultan Hure is heavily involved in spearheading peace meetings in Puntlland, and trying to improve relations between different communities.

The sultan is still influential in Somalia - and tends to have the final say in his community.

Grammy-award winning Swedish-Congolese singer-songwriter Mohombi Nzasi Moupondo has returned to his homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is helping to develop the music industry.

Moupondo, who grew up between DR Congo and Sweden, is also campaigning with the World Food Programme to tackle malnutrition in the country.

The musician spoke to BBC Newsday's Lawrence Pollard on how he has been using his influence to bring changes in the DR Congo:

Ghana's all-time leading goal-scorer Asamoah Gyan has changed his mind about retiring from international football after hearing from the president.

Pumza Fihlani
BBC News, Johannesburg

South Africa's 400 MPs are currently being sworn in to serve in the country's sixth democratic parliament.

This follows the 8 May general election which the African National Congress (ANC) won with 58% of the vote.

But the current Deputy President David Mabuza will not be sworn in until he clears his name within the ANC.

Mr Mabuza has been investigated by the ANC's integrity commission, which found that he had brought the party into disrepute.

The ANC has not given details about what happened but it said Mr Mabuza had asked to postpone his swearing in until he had addressed the commission.

Mr Mabuza has previously been accused of corruption and siphoning money from the state, allegations he denies.

With Mr Mabuza unavailable, President Cyril Ramaphosa will have to appoint another deputy president when he announces his cabinet in the next few days.

Many will be looking at Mr Ramaphosa’s new administration as an indication of whether he is serious about tackling corruption in his government.

You can following the MPs' swearing in here:

Ferdinand Omondi
BBC Africa, Nairobi

Image source, Getty Images

If life was a highway, Binyavanga Wainaina stayed on the fast lane.

And when he swerved, he barely stepped on the brakes.

Wainaina kept tongues wagging and people breathless practically all his life.

The Kenyan author, who has died aged 48, shot to global fame in 2002 when he won the Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story, Discovering Home.

He then set up a literary magazine, Kwani, as a platform for emerging writers.

Several contributors to the magazine would subsequently win the Caine Prize too.

In 2014, his personal life took centre stage when he declared he had known he was gay since he was five.

A year later, he suffered a stroke.

The next year in 2016, he declared he was HIV-positive on World Aids Day.

In 2018, against all odds, he declared he would marry his boyfriend in South Africa - but the ceremony never took place.

He leaves behind a bold LGBT Kenyan community in their thousands, many of whom were emboldened by his bravery.

And the literary world mourns one of Kenya’s most celebrated writers.

Nnedi Okorafor, a Nigerian-American author and professor, perhaps sums up his life best.

She wrote in a tweet: ‘’This writer, Binyavanga Wainaina, knows how to get you to sit down, shut up and think. One of the bravest most audacious people I know.’’

Favour Nunoo
BBC Pidgin, Accra

Image source, Getty

Ghana’s president has called on Black Stars striker Asamoah Gyan to rescind his decision to retire from the national football team.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, in a telephone conversation with Gyan on Tuesday, urged him to reverse his decision in the national interest and make himself available for selection by the team's coach Kwesi Appiah.

In a tweet on Wednesday morning, Gyan confirmed his talk with the head of state and announced that a decision would soon be communicated:

As Ghana's all-time leading goal-scorer, sports enthusiasts had hoped Gyan would play a key role in the country’s performance in next month's Africa Cup of Nations.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC Africa, Blantyre

Image source, AFP

Can Malawi succeed where other African countries have failed?

That’s the big question for the country’s electoral commission as it counts the votes following Tuesday’s presidential, parliamentary and council elections.

So far, the commission has given a good account of itself, conducting what seem like well-organised polls.

There have been no major incidents of violence or voting irregularities reported so far and the turnout has been quite impressive across the country.

But the real test is now, as results start trickling into the national tallying centre in Blantyre, where the numbers are being displayed on giant screens as they come in.

The immediate challenge will be for the infrastructure and technology put in place for the transmission of results from remote areas.

All the results are being scanned and sent to the national tallying centre using specially designed forms that have several security features.

Image source, AFP

The commission has also introduced auditors who will confirm figures before they are released.

This is to deal with basic arithmetic problems that the commission admits happened in the last elections in 2014 .

In Kenya that same system failed spectacularly in 2017 and led to the general election result being successfully challenged in the Supreme Court.

The second challenge will be ensuring that the results counted and announced at polling stations are the ones that eventually make it to the national centre.

Political parties had earlier raised issues with transparency and the commission has to do all it can to ensure they guard this vote’s credibility.

If the electoral commission pulls this off, it will etch its name in the annals of history for having succeeded where other more developed nations failed.

A famous Kenyan writer has paid tribute to author Binyavanga Wainaina who died on Tuesday night.

Newspaper columnist and blogger Oyunga Pala says he remembers the acclaimed author from "the early days", from South Africa to when Wainaina would hold the Kwani Literary Festival, in the capital Nairobi.

The biennial festival brought together lovers of literature.

Pala says Wainaina made a crucial contribution to literary work in Kenya.