Our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

A selection of the best photos from across Africa and beyond this week.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live for now. There will be an automated news feed until we're back on Friday morning Nairobi time.

You can also get the latest news on the Kenyan election and other African events on the BBC News website, or by listening to the Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of our wise words of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this photo from Kenya's capital Nairobi, where there is an anxious wait as vote tallying continues:

Image source, AFP

Nomsa Maseko
BBC News, Johannesburg

A total of 14 suspects have now been charged for the gang rape of eight women who were assaulted while filming a music video at an abandoned mine in South Africa last month.

The youngest suspect is 16, prosecutors say, and has been taken to a juvenile facility to be tried separately from his adult co-accused.

The gang rape victims pointed out their alleged attackers during an identity parade earlier this week.

The accused were initially charged for contravening South Africa’s immigration laws, but are now facing additional charges including multiple counts of rape and robbery with aggregated circumstances.

The National Prosecuting Authority has said it has “established prospects of a successful prosecution against the fourteen suspects”.

The trial has been postponed to 28 August for further investigations.

News of the gang rape sent shock waves across the country and sparked violent protests, in which men suspected of being illegal miners were targeted in the west of Johannesburg.

Some of their homes were set alight.

Related stories:

• 'We want our bodies to be secure 24/7'
• The South Africans driving foreigners out of town

Thomas Naadi
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

About 130 people have been arrested after anti-government protests in Sierra Leone, police say.

Demonstrations against the rising cost of living and corruption that began on Wednesday turned into a violent confrontation between police and protesters.

It is not yet clear how many civilians were killed - though Reuters news agency puts the number at 21. Meanwhile the police force says four of its officers died.

President Julius Maada Bio who had travelled out of the country has returned, promising a full investigation into the incident.

The West African regional bloc Ecowas has condemned the violence and called for calm.

For now an eerie calm has returned to Freetown, but the sight of destroyed public and private property is a reminder of the violent scenes witnessed.

Vumani Mkhize
BBC Africa Business

Image source, Reuters

A South African firm says it will stop making coronavirus vaccines at the end of the month because it hasn't received a single order.

Aspen Pharmacare's announcement was followed by reassurance from the Africa Centres for Disease Control that it was "doing everything to ensure that those buying vaccines are buying them from Africa".

In March, Aspen signed a deal with Johnson & Johnson to produce 450 million doses per year of its own branded version of a Covid-19 vaccine called Aspenovax.

At the time Aspen’s deal with Johnson & Johnson was called "a game-changer" in providing equitable vaccines to the continent.

The African Union has a target for 60% of all vaccines administered on the continent to be produced locally by 2040. But with only a fifth of Africans vaccinated, that demand has not materialised.

Aspen says it will now be forced to re-purpose some of its production lines to make anaesthetics.

Some online users in Kenya have been sharing misleading claims about the results and the voting process.

The Dutch football community was shocked when DR Congo winger Jody Lukoki died in May, but more twists soon followed.

BBC World Service

The cabinet in Egypt has approved a plan to ration electricity in a bid to obtain hard currency by holding back some natural gas resources for export.

The draft bill would see shops having to cut their use of lighting and air conditioning, while government offices would also be made to reduce their electricity consumption.

The move is part of efforts by Egypt to deal with the negative economic consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has caused the country's wheat and fuel bills to soar.

BBC World Service

Somalia's worst drought in 40 years has now displaced one million people and brought the country to the brink of famine, according to the UN.

More than three quarters of that million are internally displaced refugees.

Four failed rainy seasons have destroyed crops and livestock; and an expected fifth such season will displace many more families.

Mohammed Abdi - Somalia director for the Norwegian Refugee Council - said the one million milestone served as a massive alarm bell for Somalia.

He said more families were being forced to leave everything behind, because there was literally no water or food left in their villages.

Mr Abdi also called for urgent aid funding before it was too late.

Read more on this story:

• Somalia drought: 'Act now or 350,000 children will die'

Authorities say four police officers and a number of protesters have been killed.

Popular musician and MP Laab Saalah flies from Somaliland to help show young Somalis their heritage.

Image source, Reuters

Police in Sierra Leone say dozens of civilians and six police officers have been killed in anti- government protests.

The Reuters news agency puts the number of dead civilians at 21, citing multiple sources.

It also says smoke clouds and tear gas can be seen in the capital Freetown where large crowds have been throwing rocks, burning tyres and armed officers are patrolling the streets.

Journalist Umaru Fofana says the unrest is highly unusual for Sierra Leone, especially in Freetown

Hundreds of people have been taking part in the demonstrations in Freetown - and in places such as Makeni and Kamakwie in the opposition's northern stronghold - because they are fed up the high cost of living, corruption and police brutality.

A night-time curfew enforced on Wednesday will remain in place, police say. According to the internet watchdog NetBlocks, there were intermittent cuts yesterday and overnight, external.

Morocco part company with national team coach Vahid Halilhodzic just three months before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Emmanuel Igunza & Robert Kiptoo
BBC News, Eldoret

Eldoret residents are angered by several media houses they accuse of broadcasting what they claim are "fake" presidential results.

While out filming in the town, an angry crowd approached us demanding to know which TV station we worked for. They however calmed down after we explained to them we were from the BBC.

"There are TV stations that we don’t want here, because of fake news," one of the men in the group told me.

Leading media houses have been broadcasting differing results following Tuesday’s general election, a move that’s seen the Media Council of Kenya express concern that differing tallies were "causing anxiety and uneasiness among Kenyans".

Caroline Sirma, a resident of Uasin Gishu, said the different figures were causing unnecessary tensions in the area, a stronghold of Deputy President William Ruto.

"We are of course ready to accept that our candidate can lose the elections. But it must be a free and fair process. I cannot even imagine Mr Ruto losing," she told me.

But the residents all agree that peace should prevail, whoever wins the elections. The area witnessed some of the worst violence after the disputed elections of 2007.

Many have stopped their activities to follow the race between their favoured candidate and veteran politician Raila Odinga.

Read more:

• Kenya Election 2022: Why the count is taking so long

Dickens Olewe
BBC News, Nairobi

I'm at the national tallying centre in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, the headquarters of the electoral commission's operations as the country awaits the results from Tuesday's vote.

There are groups of politicians huddled in small groups, party agents and increasingly a number of journalists are here too.

At the centre of this round building are electoral commission staff comparing and verifying the paper results with the electronic ones.

Security is tight.

I went through two checkpoints to enter the compound, and an extra one to access the main amphitheatre, in all three places my ID was checked.

The country is gripped by anticipation as the local media has increased its pace in the tallying of presidential election results, indicating a tight race between Raila Odinga, a former prime minister, and Deputy President William Ruto.

The UN Mission in South Sudan, Unmiss, has condemned the alleged execution of four rebel fighters captured by government soldiers in the northern oil-producing Unity state.

The killings on Saturday were reportedly in response to last month's attack by the rebels on army positions in Mayom county.

A video circulating on social media shows three blindfolded rebels from the South Sudan People's Movement/Army (SSPM/A) being executed by an army firing squad. A fourth rebel was pictured being burnt alive.

The government has condemned the executions, while South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) said it will investigate the two incidents.

“Unmiss joins the government in expressing grave concern over reports that four officers from the rebel SSPM/A have been summarily executed in Mayom county,” Nicholas Haysom, the head of Unmiss, said in a press release on Wednesday.

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

The Nigerian air force says 26 kidnap victims escaped after an air strike hit the militant camp where they were being held, in Kaduna in north-west Nigeria.

The leader of the armed group and his 17 members were killed, the force said.

Air force spokesman Edward Gabkwet identified the militia leader as Alhaji Shanono, who was said to be holding a meeting with his fighters.

"Overhead the location, terrorists were sighted under clusters of trees at the foot of Ukambo high ground and after ensuring the absence of civilian settlements within the location, the crew received the authorization to strike,” Mr Gabkwet said.

More than 30 rifles and 20 motorcycles were reportedly destroyed in the airstrike.

Meanwhile, another set of seven hostages abducted during an attack on a train on the Abuja-Kaduna train route have regained their freedom. They include six members of the same family and an elderly woman.

Marcus Erbe
BBC World Service News

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has expressed serious concerns about the human rights situation in Rwanda after talks with President Paul Kagame in the capital, Kigali.

Mr Blinken said he had raised US concerns about the detention of Paul Rusesabagina - a permanent resident of the United States - who is credited with saving hundreds of lives during the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of terrorism.

Mr Blinken said he had urged President Kagame to address concerns about legal protections afforded to Rusesabagina - particularly, the lack of a fair trial.

The recruitment follows a deal between the UK and Kenya governments to ease pressure on the NHS.