Richard Kagoe
BBC News, Nairobi

At least four people have been killed and 10 others kidnapped near Beni city in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A shopping centre in Kabasha town in the troubled North Kivu province was attacked by what is suspected to be members of rebel group, the Alliance Democratic Forces (ADF).

The gunmen also torched the only health centre in this area of eastern DR Congo, looted properties and set fire to vehicles. This is the latest attack by suspected ADF rebels and has led to many residents fleeing, fearing more attacks.

Residents who spoke to the BBC have accused the Congolese government of failing to do enough to protect them.

This week the Congolese military launched an offensive against another group called M23 that had seized territory.

In recent months more than 90,000 people have been displaced following fighting between the army and M23 rebels.

Read more: Why Kenya is sending troops to DR Congo

Image source, Getty Images

Campaign group Transparency International has raised the alarm over the lychee trade in Madagascar, writing to authorities in France and the Indian Ocean island requesting "investigations into possible criminal actions by companies and individuals involved in the Malagasy lychee trade".

The global anti-corruption body alleges graft and fraud by French companies and citizens, and Malagasy organisations that export to the EU.

"Transparency International conducted research into this opaque trade and found evidence of numerous potential infractions, including foreign bribery, unlawful agreements, tax fraud, laundering and concealment of such offences," a statement said.

The group warns that the actions of some firms are impairing the growth of the lychee industry in Madagascar, which is a "key source of income" for the country.

"Most profits of the lucrative lychee trade between Madagascar and the EU are concentrated in the hands of a few powerful and politically-connected individuals – at the expense of tens of thousands of small-scale lychee producers and collectors who do not get their fair share," said Ketakandriana Rafitoson, executive director of Transparency International Madagascar.

The BBC has contacted the Madagascar government for comment but has not had a response.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, Getty Images

Lions, which are thought to have escaped from a farm in Mozambique, are causing panic in the villages of Moamba in Maputo province.

The lions have killed the livestock of villagers - something that hyenas have also been doing since the beginning of the year by killing goats and sheep in the dead of night.

In the last 15 days alone, more than 20 cattle have been killed and eaten by the lions.

Villagers are complaining that the authorities are not doing anything about it, and the lions could start attacking them.

Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech is named in Morocco's squad for the World Cup in Qatar, two months after ending his 15-month exile from the Atlas Lions.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News, Malawi

Image source, Getty Images

Opposition and activists groups in Malawi have called for fresh protests over a worsening fuel crisis and the rising cost of living.

Over the last few weeks hundreds of people have been spending hours and days at petrol stations as they look for supplies.

"I think it's getting a little bit out of hand. I sincerely hope that our government will find a way to resolve this because fuel is the kind of the driving force behind all the businesses that we're doing," Subira told the BBC as she waited in a petrol queue.

Taxi driver Joel Ngonga said he had been looking for fuel for 24 hours: "I’ve been searching for fuel maybe four times today. When I go to a fuel station, they say it’s finished."

Malawi’s energy regulator says a severe lack of foreign currency is to blame for the crisis. The country is facing one of its worst economic crises with rising inflation rates that have seen the cost of food skyrocket.

In May, the Malawian government devalued the local currency, the kwacha, by 25% to try and stabilise dwindling foreign currency reserves. But the move led to a sharp increase in inflation and the cost of food.

Anger about the economic situation in the country has boiled over into the streets with protesters demanding President Lazarus Chakwera resigns.

The government has asked for more time to resolve the crisis and says the president understands the frustration of people.

The southern African nation of 19 million has the fourth highest percentage of people living in extreme poverty in the world.

Image source, CBC

A clip from a Canadian television show is being widely shared on social media, showing Cameroonian entrepreneur Gilles Tchiana winning $60,000 (£39,000) in investment - 10 times the amount he originally bid for.

The food manufacturer, whose company is based in the Canadian city of Toronto, also won the hearts of the investors by sharing his personal story of perseverance that led him from Cameroon to Italy and eventually to Canada.

Tchiana won the investment on Dragon’s Den, a programme in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors called "Dragons" in order to win financial backing.

Tchiana's jollof rice recipe and business acumen led to an offer of $600,000 (£390,000) from businessman Wes Hall, prompting Tchiana to reply: "This is a great moment for me. Since I came to Canada, I have been dreaming of this," moving the panel to tears.

Social media users have been sharing how inspired they are by Tchiana’s success story and even joking that the disputes over which African nation makes the best jollof may now be over...

Holders RS Berkane suffer a shock exit from the Caf Confederation Cup after a 1-0 aggregate defeat by US Monastir in the play-off round.

Esther Akello Ogola
Women's affairs journalist, Kenya

Image source, Getty Images

A notice that asked Ugandan female students at Kampala International university to take pregnancy tests or be banned from taking exams has caused an online uproar.

The widely shared notice, which was later withdrawn, demanded that female students taking midwifery and nursing courses take pregnancy tests and if they failed to do so, they would be unable to sit their exams.

Catherine Kyobutungi, the executive director of African Population and Health Research Center, shared the notice on her Twitter page.

She told the BBC that she had threatened to sue the university over the notice.

Dr Kyobutungi described the move as colonial, with no justification in institutions of higher learning and an attempt to police women’s morality.

On Twitter, others condemned the notice as discriminatory and unacceptable.

UNAids director Winnie Byanyima said, external it was "totally unacceptable and just ridiculous".

Another Twitter user said, external it was "sad to see that institutions still front abusive policies".

The university has since shared another notice, external asking students to ignore the poster demanding pregnancy tests, asking them to instead concentrate on their exams.

The BBC got rare access to Mubende, one of the two districts at the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.

Image source, AFP

There is a risk Sudan could split because the current military junta in charge of the country are “not ready for peaceful settlement” and want to stay in power, the leader of a military movement in the country has said.

The leader of Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA-North), Abdelaziz al-Hilu, has told the BBC’s Newsday programme in a rare interview that his group will opt for independence if the government in Khartoum does not change.

The SPLA-North is in control of a large swathe of land in the Nuba mountains in the country’s south, as well as part of Blue Nile in the south-east.

Mr Al-Hilu says his group “prefers unity” but warned that if Khartoum wants to maintain the old Sudan of “segregations” and “oppression” then “we will opt for independence”.

The Nuba have been marginalised for decades. They have been killed, tortured, evicted from their land and forcibly converted to Islam.

In October 2021, Sudan’s military took over the government alleging that the army acted to prevent a civil war because political groups had been inciting civilians against the security forces.

The coup leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has previously said he remains committed to the transition to civilian rule.

Read more about Sudan's military government here.

Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo is named in Cameroon's squad for the World Cup, but experienced defender Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui is left out.

The Confederation of African Football supports global body Fifa's call for unity and inclusion ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.

Moroccan hosts AS FAR set up a Women's African Champions League final clash against defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Pumza Fihlani BBC News, Johannesburg

Image source, Getty Images

Hundreds of thousands of civil servants in South Africa have embarked on a nationwide strike over wages and working conditions.

Local media have described it as the first major strike by public servants in the decade.

It is expected to cause disruptions in some government departments and airports.

Members of the Public Servants' Association (PSA) had for weeks staged lunchtime pickets, but have now decided on a full-scale shutdown in major cities across South Africa.

It follows a breakdown in negotiations between the union and the government.

The union is holding firm on its demand for a 6% increase in wages, rejecting the government’s final offer of 3%.

Services such as the issuing of passports, death certificates and driver's licenses will be affected.

Meanwhile airport authorities have warned that the industrial action may cause delays at passport control and have warned travellers to arrive for their flights at least four hours before departure time.

Image source, Reuters

A Kenyan court has allowed prosecution’s request to withdraw a 7.4bn shilling ($60m; £53m) corruption case against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and nine others.

In a ruling, magistrate Victor Wakumile granted the application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) but warned the accused that they could be re-arrested should investigators find evidence incriminating them.

The DPP’s office had applied to drop the case citing lack of evidence, and blamed police investigators for not concluding investigations.

The public prosecutor has recently come under criticism for withdrawing corruption cases against high-profile individuals, including cabinet ministers.

The deputy president had previously denied the charges levelled against him when he was an MP as having been politically motivated.

Richard Kagoe
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, AFP

Two people have been killed and 10 others kidnapped by members of the Allied Democratic Forces in Kabasha area near the city of Beni in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

This comes in the wake of aerial assaults by Congolese forces targeting militia groups in Runyoni, Musangati, Chanzu and Bunagana in the troubled east.

There are reports that several villages seized by rebels in Rutshuru have been cut off leaving residents without access to food and emergency services.

More than 90,000 people have been displaced by renewed fighting in the region in the past few months, according to aid agencies.

The DR Congo government has accused neighbouring Rwanda of backing the M23 group by providing them with logistical and financial support. Rwanda has repeatedly denied those allegations.

President Félix Tshisekedi last week urged the youth to form vigilance groups and join the army to protect the country against external aggression by armed groups.

Read more:

• DR Congo conflict: Why Kenyan troops are joining the battle

Lalla Sy
BBC News, Abidjan

Image source, AFP

Burkina Faso's transitional prime minister has replaced two ministers, only two weeks after the formation of a new government.

The minister for industry and trade, as well as the one in charge of lands and housing, were replaced through a decree read out on national television on Wednesday.

Donatien Nagalo’s appointment as trade minister had faced opposition by traders’ associations, who accused him of malpractices as a former head of the country’s national union of traders.

He has now been replaced by Serge Gnaniodem Poda, an executive of BCEAO, the central bank of the common regional currency.

Mikailou Sidibé replaces Yacouba Dié, whose appointment as lands and housing minister had also been challenged by a wave of protests over alleged poor implementation of a past government housing project.

Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambéla formed the first transitional military government under Captain Ibrahim Traoré on 25 October.

Before replacing the two ministers, he had justified their appointment saying that a background check had found nothing incriminating against them.

Alfred Lasteck
BBC News, Dar es Salaam

Image source, AFP

The Bukoba airport in north-western Tanzania has reopened after being closed following a crash that left 19 people dead.

The passenger plane crashed into Lake Victoria as it attempted to land at the airport on Sunday.

A local administrator has told the BBC that the first passenger plane was expected to land at the airport on Thursday.

Technical advisers from aircraft manufacturer, ATR, have launched an investigation into the crash. French civil aviation safety investigation experts have also been deployed to the country.

The aircraft was operated by Precision Air, Tanzania's largest privately-owned passenger airline. It has been operating on the Dar es Salaam-Bukoba route since 1994.

A student speaks of the "terrifying" impact climate change is having on her home in the Seychelles.

Image source, Getty Images

Ghana's Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta will face a vote of censure on Thursday for his handling of the economy as annual inflation rate hit 40.4% for October.

The cost of essential commodities like staple food, fuel and utilities have all surged to push price increases to a record high.

Ghana's opposition MPs filed the censure motion against the minister for mismanagement of the economy among other reasons.

But the ruling New Patriotic Party has ordered its MPs to abstain from the vote and asked its chief whips to ensure the order is complied with.

In a statement, the party said the censure vote was "ill-intended and aimed at derailing government's efforts at resolving current socio-economic upheavals".