Many people are paying tribute to Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan on Twitter, following his announcement that he is retiring from international football.

Gyan said he took the decision because coach Kwesi Appiah planned to deny him the opportunity to lead the Black Stars at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt next month.

He are some of the views on Twitter:

Others disagreed with his decision to retire:

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

UK International Development Secretary Rory Stewart has called for the response to the Ebola outbreak in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo to be stepped up considerably and fast.

Describing the outbreak as potentially devastating for the region, he said more money was needed as well as British expert staff on the ground, where more than 1,200 have died since August.

Mr Stewart said the stakes were very high and that other international donors also needed to contribute more.

Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has urged rival Congolese political factions to unite in the fight against Ebola.

Efforts to stop the virus spreading have been undermined by insecurity, attacks on health facilities and mistrust - with some people still not believing the virus is real.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Malawians are going to the polls to elect a new president in what has been described as one of the country's most unpredictable elections.

The 78-year-old incumbent, Peter Mutharika, is running for a second term, but he is being challenged by his own younger vice-president, Saulos Chilima, and the opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera.

With high levels of poverty, the economy, and in particular the state of agriculture, has been a big issue.

More than half of those who have registered to vote are under the age of 34 and the youth vote may be a significant factor.

Malawi was ruled for 30 years after independence by a single ruler, Hastings Banda, before establishing multi-party elections in 1994.

South Africa's former President Thabo Mbeki is leading a Commonwealth delegation to observe the election, a BBC reporter tweets from the main city, Blantyre:

• Read the full BBC story here

Two rival music stars in Ghana, who were involved in a brawl at an awards ceremony on Saturday night, have been released on bail, police said.

Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale would be arraigned in court at a later date, police added, without specifying the charges they were likely to face.

A third person accused of using pepper spray during the brawl had also been released on bail, police said.

The on-stage fight broke out after Stonebwoy went to collect a prize at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards ceremony in the capital, Accra, on Saturday.

"The police in no uncertain terms condemn the disturbance and assure the public and fans that it will handle the case with the needed attention it deserves," the police statement added.

Video footage of the brawl appeared to show Stonebwoy holding a gun, but police made no reference to in their statement.

Stonebwoy has apologised for getting involved in the brawl.

Image source, SPL

South African Labour Court Judge Anton Steenkamp, 57, has died after being bitten by a black mamba - one of the most venomous snakes - while on holiday in Zambia.

"We are devastated. No words. What an incredible man. His wife, Catherine, is still on her own in Zambia. They were touring Africa. We as a family were very, very proud of him," relative Ruby Steenkamp told South Africa's News24 site., external

South African newspaper columnist Max du Preez paid tribute to Judge Steenkamp, describing him as a "clever, kind, progressive man of great integrity".

Our proverb of the day:

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Welcome back to BBC Africa Live for the latest news and trends from around the continent.

BBC Africa Live
Ashley Lime & Dickens Olewe

That's all from BBC Africa Live until Tuesday morning. 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 our wise words:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this image of a woman in a market in Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has named a prime minister - nearly four months after his own inauguration.

The veteran politician and current director general of the national railway company, Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba, was nominated by former President Joseph Kabila, who has retained significant power after his coalition won the vast majority of the parliamentary seats.

President Tshisekedi and Mr Kabila agreed to work together following a controversial election which many observers believe was won by another opposition candidate, Martin Fayulu.

Earlier on Monday thousands of people welcomed home the opposition politician, Moise Katumbi, who had been in exile for three years.

Force Ngwira is fighting the use of mosquito nets for fishing, which depletes stocks in Lake Malawi.

He works for conservation group Ripple Africa, which has been working to change that.

The lake is a key resource for food, fresh water and employment in the southern African nation but fish stocks have become severely depleted in recent years.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC Amharic, Addis Ababa

Image source, Ethiopia's PM office

Two diners, among 200 guests who paid to attend a dinner described as "Ethiopia's most expensive", have told the BBC what they made of the event.

Businessmen Ali Hussen and Solome Taddese forked out $173,000 (£136,000) each for the fundraiser held at the palace of a former emperor of the country, Menelik.

The money is to be used in a regeneration project of the capital, Addis Ababa.

Ali Hussein:

Solome Taddese:

Ferdinand Omondi
BBC Africa, Nairobi

The Kenyan government has threatened to deport foreigners found to be running illegal betting businesses.

Interior Minister Fred Matiangi said on Monday that some foreigners had applied for different business permits, only to change course when they got their licences.

He instructed the immigration department to review foreign work permits, and said anyone found to have flouted the rules would be deported.

Mr Matiangi also said betting companies owed the government some $260m (£204m) in taxes.

Meanwhile, a court in the capital, Nairobi, has temporarily lifted state orders which banned celebrities from endorsing gambling businesses as well as all outdoor advertising.

An artist filed for the injunction, arguing the order deprived him of a source of income.

The court also suspended the government's orders banning betting adverts pending the outcome of a case challenging the directive.

The Kenyan government has become increasingly worried about gambling addiction in the East African nation.

There are widespread concerns that the multi million-dollar industry has left many gambling youths hooked, broke and even suicidal.

A 2017 poll found that Kenya has the highest number of gamblers in Africa aged below 35.

More than 500,000 Kenyans have been blacklisted by creditors, and the state believes many defaulters borrowed the money for gambling.

Watch: The gambling habit 'swallowing' Kenya's youth

The US embassy in Uganda has said it is aware of reports that an American pastor was distributing an "extremely dangerous" substance said to be a “miracle cure” to Ugandans.

It said that the substance dubbed “miracle mineral solution” had no health benefits:

The UK Guardian reported over the weekend that a pastor had been giving out a solution made from industrial bleach, claiming that drinking the toxic fluid eradicated cancer, HIV/Aids, malaria and most other diseases.

The solution was being given to poor Ugandans, including infants as young as 14 months old.

At least 50,000 people had been reached, the report says.

Health authorities in Uganda told the Guardian they were alarmed by the reports and that they were going to investigate.

Andrew Gift
BBC Pidgin, Lagos

A two-week traffic safety operation that began in Lagos, Nigeria's most populous state, on Monday to weed out drivers without licences has been disrupted by heavy rain that flooded roads and caused a traffic gridlock.

Despite the morning downpour the operation had so far been a success, Florence Ediong, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) spokesperson, told the BBC.

However, a BBC reporter who monitored the operation said that road safety officers were only seen controlling traffic and not verifying drivers' licences.

The FRSC said last week that more than 60,000 drivers using the state's roads had no valid licences.

The operation "show your driver's licence" will resume on Tuesday.

Read more: Nigeria police publish tips on how to survive their checkpoints

Kennedy Gondwe
BBC News, Lusaka

Image source, AFP

A stand-off has developed between Zambian football legend Kalusha Bwalya and Andrew Kamanga, the president of the Football Association of Zambia (Faz).

Bwalya has announced his intention to run again for the Confederation of African Football (Caf) executive member position.

But Kamanga has also but forward his candidacy - though only one candidate can be entered from the same country for the position that covers the southern African region.

In order for Bwalya to defend his current post, which he has held since 2011, he will need to get a nomination letter from Faz.

He has challenged Faz to allow him and Kamanga to present their manifestos to the Faz executive committee, after which members can vote for their preferred candidate.

“If we have to follow the statutes of Caf and Fifa about transparency, then the easiest would be for Faz to call a meeting. When one is aspiring for a position then we should call an executive committee meeting,” Mr Bwalya told journalists at the weekend in Lusaka.

“Afterwards the seven members can vote for their preferred candidate and the winner from that simple democratic process can be backed by the executive committee.”

Faz general secretary Adrian Kashala has said the association had no problem with Bwalya’s suggestion.

However, he stressed whoever wanted to stand from Zambia would be subjected to an integrity test - something that Caf has not asked member associations to do.

There are fears that the integrity test by Faz is targeted at disqualifying Bwalya who was banned from "all football-related activities" by Fifa for violating the federation's ethics.

It followed an investigation into his links to banned Qatari official Mohammed Bin Hammam.

The ban "focused principally on benefits that Mr Bwalya had received from Mr Bin Hammam", Fifa said.

Bwalya has always denied any wrongdoing.

Zambia’s Sports Minister Moses Mawere has said he will meet both Bwalya and Kamanga to find a solution.

The deadline for the nominations is at the end of this month. The election takes place in July.

Relatives of people missing after a boat capsized in western Uganda on Sunday have gathered at the shore of Lake Albert as search operations continue.

Seven people have so far been confirmed dead and dozens more are missing after the accident.

The boat was carrying more than 50 football players and fans from the western Uganda district of Hoima.

Witnesses say overloading and bad weather are probably to blame for the accident.

Police and eyewitnesses say the boat was overloaded and then hit by strong winds.

Survivors say most people on the boat were not wearing life jackets.

The BBC has received these pictures showing anxious people gathered at the shore as police conduct search operations.

Image source, Francis Mugerwa

Image source, Francis Mugerwa

Image source, Francis Mugerwa

Read more on the BBC website

Kennedy Gondwe
BBC News, Lusaka

Image source, AFP

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu has ratcheted up his pressure on foreign mining companies to comply with a recently introduced sales tax or stop their operations.

He said he was unhappy that some mining companies in the northern Copperbelt region were downsizing operations and firing workers, partly because of the new tax.

He singled out Mopani, the local unit of mining giant Glencore and Konkola Copper Mines KCM, owned by Vedanta Resources Limited.

The government has a stake in both local companies but Mr Lungu said that the government had started the process of disengaging its investment in KCM, reports the state-owned Zambia Daily Mail.

Mr Lungu said KCM and others had told him “lies” that they would increase their investments.

“Like I said, it is a process. It starts with the desire, the will and the heart. There is no question about our resolve to divorce KCM,” Mr Lungu said as he addressed journalists and ruling party supporters after winding up his tour of the Copperbelt region over the weekend.

“And we have filed that notification. So as I go back to Lusaka, we will have a cabinet meeting tomorrow [Monday]. I will brief my colleagues about my trip and ensure that the other processes start.”

KCM said in a statement that it was aware of the president's comments but had not received an official communication about his plans.

It said that it had sought to an "urgent meeting with the president or the minister of mines".

The company said that it had invested $3bn ($2bn) in Zambia and employed 13,000 people and that it also operates other corporate social programmes like hospitals and schools.

It added that it was yet to make a profit on its investment since its acquisition in 2004.

"The company is yet to receive a positive return on this investment while, on the other hand, taxes, duties, fuel and other power costs have risen exponentially," the statement said.

Glencore has not yet commented.

Mr Lungu asked miners at KCM to protect assets from being stripped.

Vendata, the largest mining company in India, is being sued by people living in the Copperbelt for pollution in what has become a high-profile case at the High Court in the UK.

The company denies any wrongdoing.

Image source, William Chani

Congolese politician Moise Katumbi has returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo three years after he went into self-imposed exile.

The former governor of the mineral-rich Katanga province had planned to return in the country last year, to run for president, but he was stopped by soldiers loyal to former President Joseph Kabila.

Thousands of his supporters have thronged Lubumbashi International Airport to welcome him.

(See our earlier post)

Thomas Naadi
BBC Africa, Accra

Police in Ghana have now arrested two famous musicians after a brawl broke out during the Ghana Music Awards ceremony on Saturday night.

Stonebwoy had just been announced as the winner of the reggae and dancehall artist of the year when his rival, Shatta Wale, and his fans, stormed the stage and a fight broke out.

Some said Stonebwoy was seen holding a gun to defend himself.

The two musicians haven't been charged yet.

See our earlier story

Ahmed Adan
BBC Africa, Nairobi

BBC Somali is launching its young female poet of the year award.

The competition is open to women aged between 16 and 35.

Previous awards have attracted hundreds of entries, and many female talents have been unveiled as a result.

BBC Somali editor Abdullahi Abdi said: "Since we established this award, we have seen many Somali women showcasing their creativity and talent in poetry. I therefore hope this continues and the women become famous among Somali-speakers in the Horn of Africa and diaspora.”

BBC East Africa head of languages Rachael Akidi Okwir says the award is a sign of the BBC's commitment to young female audiences.

“This award has previously helped us discover unique voices of young Somali female poets. The BBC continues to be committed to reaching out to young female audiences, and I have to say BBC News Somali has been at the forefront of these efforts," she said.