Ghana has a reputation for staging some of the most eccentric funerals in the world – boasting extraordinary displays of colour, dancing, deep rooted history, and a strong association with Ghanaian royalty. Hannah Ajala takes the listener on a compelling aural journey as she uncovers the stories behind this unique and complex tradition.

In West Africa, end of life celebrations are a far cry from those in the Western world. Each funeral can take weeks or months to plan and they are often more lavish – and expensive - than weddings. Funerals are an essential part of paying respect to the departed.

Hannah travels to the cultural capital of the country, Kumasi, to witness a Ghanaian funeral first hand. She delves into the significance of these ancient traditions: the dancing, the dress code, the burial and final funeral rites as well as the role played by the ‘talking drums’.

In a huge blow to Ecowas, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are leaving to forge ahead with their own group.

Authorities say the plane carrying oil workers crashed three minutes after take-off.

The announcement comes as M23 rebels tightened their control over Goma city, seizing its airport.

The hotel chain says the majority of customers now book online.

Where are rebels causing havoc in eastern DR Congo getting their funding?

Reports the airport has fallen adds to the sense that the M23 has the upper hand in the eastern city of Goma.

Ed Butler travels to northern Ghana in search of one of the country’s growing exports.

Cashew nuts have become a feature of crop production, but there are problems.

How does Ghana best add value to cashews in a way that benefits the country and doesn’t just see it exploited overseas?

And could solving the cashew issue help Ghana's economy in other ways?

Produced and presented by Ed Butler

(Image: A worker at a cashew processing company sorting nuts in Ghana)

The 24-year-old was flown to the US accused of child exploitation, which he denies.

Why there is growing scepticism in Kenya over a plan to vaccinate the national herd.

Huge clashes are taking place in the DRC, with the Congolese army facing the rebel group M23. M23 claims to have taken over the city of Goma in the eastern part of the country.

UN aid agencies say there are hundreds wounded, bodies in the streets, and an increase in rape and gender-based violence. The UN has long said M23 is backed by Rwanda, but the Rwandan government has always denied this.

The DRC is not unfamiliar to violence. The conflict has roots stretching back at least three decades. The country has huge amount of natural resources, with many trying to take advantage of it, including armed groups. BBC Monitoring journalist, Sam Lando in Nairobi takes us through the background to what’s going on. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

For almost two years, two armies have fought a brutal civil war in Sudan, Africa’s third largest country. Over 150,000 have died, 11 million have been displaced and evidence of genocidal war crimes have emerged. So why has the war in Sudan been forgotten? The Times’ Special Correspondent Anthony Loyd has recently returned from a reporting trip on the frontline and tells The Story about the people he met.

This episode includes descriptions of war and rape.

Guest: Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: BBC.

This podcast has been acquired by the BBC. It is not complied by BBC Editorial Standards but covered by the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

The draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is made in Morocco where defending champions Ivory Coast will be in the same group as Cameroon

Videos shared online by residents appear to show M23 rebels patrolling the main streets of Goma.

Footage shows people believed to be escaped prisoners on the streets of Goma, as M23 rebels enter the Congolese city.

The Palestinian vehicles are being inspected for weapons before passing from south to north Gaza.

Tuface, also known as 2Baba, is seen as one of the pioneers of Nigeria's vibrant music scene.

Image source, AFP

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to pause its operations in Goma and the wider North Kivu region, the agency has said.

In a statement on social media platform X, the WFP said it had made the move due to the "escalation in violence".

It added that 800,000 people in North Kivu "rely on vital food and nutrition assistance".

The WFP will restart its operations when the situation is safe for its "communities" and staff, the statement said.

WFP operations in the rest of DR Congo will continue uninterrupted.

Image source, AFP

The M23 are led by ethnic Tutsis, who say they needed to take up arms to protect the rights of the minority group.

They say that several previous deals to end the fighting have not been respected - they take their name from a peace agreement that was signed on March 23 2009.

Shortly after its creation in 2012, the M23 rapidly gained territory and seized Goma – acts that were met with international opprobrium and accusations of war crimes and human rights violations.

It was forced to withdraw from Goma, and then suffered a series of heavy defeats at the hands of the Congolese army backed by a multinational force that saw it expelled from the country.

M23 fighters then agreed to be integrated into the army in return for promises that Tutsis would be protected.

But, in 2021, the group took up arms again, saying the promises had been broken.

The DR Congo is planning to build a massive dam delivering power to millions of people - but it is not easy.