1. Twitter gaffe as Norway politicians listed as Nigerianpublished at 17:05 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    A screenshot of one of the accounts.Image source, @AHuitfeldt/Twitter

    Norway has complained after Twitter mislablled its foreign ministry as an organisation representing Nigeria, after the social media site seemed to mix-up the two countries' names.

    To be fair, they both begin with the letter 'N'. And they are linked by the mighty stockfish, which the Scandinavian nation exports en masse to West Africa.

    Like us and many others Norway saw the funny side too, with its foreign ministry writing:

    Quote Message

    Dear @TwitterSupport, as much as we enjoy our excellent bilateral relations and close alphabetical vicinity with Nigeria, we would much appreciate if you could label us as Norway."

    Not only had the Norwegian foreign ministry's Twitter account been mislabelled, but so had Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere's account and Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt's account.

    Screengrab showing the prime minister's Twitter detailsImage source, @jonasgahrstore/Twitter

    All now appear to have been corrected.

  2. At least 50 killed by Kinshasa floods - policepublished at 16:30 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Will Ross
    Africa editor, BBC World Service

    A map of the Democratic Republic of Congo showing Kinshasa.

    The police in the Democratic Republic of Congo say at least 50 people have died in the capital, Kinshasa, after heavy rains caused floods and landslides.

    There are reports of homes collapsing with major roads submerged in the city of 15 million people.

    Images circulating on social media show a landslide in the hilly Mont-Ngafula district.

    Many houses are built on flood-prone slopes and the city suffers from inadequate drainage and sewerage.

    In 2019 around 40 people died in floods and landslips.

  3. SA leader survives MP vote over cash-in-sofa scandalpublished at 16:14 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Nomsa Maseko
    BBC Southern Africa correspondent

    Mr Ramaphosa meeting supporters on SaturdayImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Cyril Ramaphosa was out meeting potential voters in Cape Town on Saturday

    MPs at a special sitting of South Africa's parliament voted to reject a move to begin impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

    The president was accused of covering up the theft of a large sum of foreign currency from his farm in 2020, some of which had been hidden in a sofa.

    The debate before the vote focussed on an independent report which concluded he may have violated the constitution.

    Mr Ramaphosa, who is up for re-election as ANC leader, denies any wrongdoing.

    The African National Congress had told its MPs to block a possible impeachment - although four members broke ranks and sided with opposition parties to accept the report and let impeachment proceedings start.

    Among them was past presidential hopeful Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

    Now that Mr Ramaphosa has survived the vote, he is thought likely to win re-election at his party's conference, which starts on Friday. He will then be in pole position to become the ANC's presidential candidate at the next election in 2024.

    Continue reading:

  4. Ramaphosa survives MP vote on farmgate reportpublished at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022
    Breaking

    South African MPs have voted not to accept a report that could have led to impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa, with almost all of the ruling ANC party choosing to back their leader in the ballot.

    The total number of votes cast in the motion was as follows:

    • Yes - 148
    • No - 214
    • Abstensions - 2
  5. Dancing mums and Moroccan Maldini - meet the history makerspublished at 15:31 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    A squad drawn from the diaspora who dance with their mums and demonstrate their Islamic faith - meet the Morocco players who have made World Cup history.

    Read More
  6. Rwanda gets Africa's first IMF climate payoutpublished at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Samba Cyuzuzo
    BBC Great Lakes

    A mango tree in Rwanda.Image source, Getty Images

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $319m (£260m) of funding for Rwanda from a new climate change programme, to support the country's "ambitious agenda to build resilience to climate change and help to catalyse further financing".

    It's the first African nation to benefit from the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) meant to help countries address climate change with longer-term, low-cost financing, according to the IMF.

    African countries have been criticising rich countries for not adequately funding climate change mitigation projects in Africa despite them being the main contributors to global warming.

    Rwanda will receive the funding in instalments.

  7. South Africa MPs vote on Ramaphosa reportpublished at 14:56 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Members of parliament in South Africa are voting whether to accept a report that could lead to impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa, who denies concealing the theft of a large sum of foreign currency from his farm.

    If Mr Ramaphosa survives, he's likely to be re-elected as ANC president at his party's conference which starts on Friday.

    You can watch the vote live here:

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  8. Dozens feared dead after heavy rain in Kinshasapublished at 14:25 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Emery Makumeno
    BBC News, Kinshasa

    Officials are still assessing the scale of deadly flooding in the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, following a night of heavy rain.

    Gentiny Ngobila, the governor of Kinshasa, is touring the city while the heads of various municipalities are declaring the extent of their losses to the media.

    More than 30 people died in the Mont-Ngafula municipality alone, its leader Alidor Tshibanda has told Top Congo FM.

    The UN-sponsored Radio Okapi reported at least 34 dead across the whole city as of midday. But it is feared that the number of casualties will rise in coming hours.

    National Road 1 which connects some 12 million Kinshasa residents to the closest port is partially submerged and eroded, and one-third of the capital is experiencing water outages according to a spokesman of the water utility.

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  9. Malema accuses Ramaphosa of undermining constitutionpublished at 14:03 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    The firebrand leader of South Africa's opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of rallying his party's MPs to frustrate the process set to hold him accountable for having possibly violated his oath of office.

    "Instead of using the process of impeachment inquiry to clear your name, you've mobilised your party to fight against an attempt to discover the truth, " Julius Malema said in his contribution to a debate about a damning panel report, that found Mr Ramphosa may have breached his oath of office for failing to report a theft at his private farm.

    Mr Malema accused the president of "peeing on the constitution of South Africa".

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    This scandal erupted in June, when a former South African spy boss, Arthur Fraser, filed a complaint with police accusing the president of hiding a theft of $4m (£3.25m) in cash from his Phala Phala game farm in 2020.

    Mr Ramaphosa admitted that some money, which had been hidden in a sofa, had been stolen, but said it was $580,000 not $4m.

    The president said the $580,000 had come from the sale of buffalo, but the panel, headed by a former chief justice, said it had "substantial doubt" about whether a sale took place.

    South Africa has strict rules on holding foreign currency, which say that it must be deposited with an authorised dealer such as a bank with 30 days. It appears as though the president may have broken those rules, according to the panel's report.

  10. Rowdy session as MPs debate Ramaphosa reportpublished at 13:29 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Members of parliament in South Africa are discussing a report that could lead to impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa, who denies concealing the theft of a large sum of foreign currency from his farm.

    During what has begun as a somewhat rowdy session of parliament, the speaker of the house has rejected a proposal for MPs to conduct a secret ballot.

    If Mr Ramaphosa survives, he's likely to be re-elected as ANC president at his party's conference which starts on Friday.

    You can watch proceedings live here:

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  11. Ghana set to get $3bn IMF bailoutpublished at 13:11 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Thomas Naadi
    BBC News, Accra

    Protesters in Ghana.Image source, AFP
    Image caption,

    People are fed up of soaring inflation and currency woes

    The IMF has reached an initial agreement with Ghana for a bailout programme worth about $3bn (£2.4bn).

    The Extended Credit Facility, as it's termed, is set to run for a period of three years. It was announced after a team from the IMF concluded its visit to the country.

    It is designed to help restore Ghana’s economic stability and ensure debt sustainability.

    Ghana is a major producer of gold and cocoa, but its once-booming economy has run into trouble with worryingly high levels of debt.

    The money from the IMF, along with the government's plans to restructure its debt, should help reassure creditors.

    Last week Ghana's currency, the cedi, rallied against the US dollar after losing half of its value earlier this year.

    In recent months, inflation has soared to over 40% and the country is in desperate need of money to turn the economy around.

    Read more about Ghana's economy:

  12. Morocco and Spain accused of migrant deaths cover-uppublished at 12:30 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Suzanne Vanhooymissen
    BBC Africa Eye

    Protesters in Melilla, Spain, hold photos appearing to show migrants being attacked.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Both nations have declined to comment on the new allegations

    Stalled and inadequate investigations into the deaths of 37 migrants on the Moroccan-Spanish border "smacks of a cover-up" by those two nations, says the rights group Amnesty International.

    Its report finds "evidence of crimes under international law at the Melilla border", external where at least 37 sub-Saharan African migrants died while attempting to cross from Morocco into Spain on 24 June.

    The BBC Africa Eye investigation, Death on the Border, also uncovered evidence contradicting the official version of events.

    A joint statement by UN special experts has since raised the official death count from 23 to 37 citing "excessive and lethal use of force by Moroccan and Spanish law enforcement authorities".

    The Amnesty International report marks six months since the tragedy.

    "The unlawful force used in Melilla has left an indelible stain not just on the hands of the Moroccan and Spanish security forces, but also on the hands of all those pushing racist migration policies, predicated on the likelihood of harm and violence against those seeking to cross borders," said Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard.

    "Instead of fortifying borders, authorities must open safe and legal routes for people seeking safety in Europe," she added.

    The Spanish and Moroccan authorities have declined to comment on the new allegations.

    Media caption,

    Africa Eye investigates one of the deadliest days at Europe's borders

  13. South Africa parliament opens debate on Ramaphosa reportpublished at 12:22 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    A special sitting of South Africa's parliament to discuss a report that said President Cyril Ramaphosa may have broken the law has just begun.

    Proceedings have kicked off with a discussion over whether a vote to accept or reject the report will be held by secret ballot.

    Mr Ramaphosa's ANC party has told its MPs to reject the report.

    The speaker had ruled that it would be a public vote, but some opposition parties are arguing that it should be in secret, which could enable some ANC MPs to defy the whip.

    You can watch proceedings here:

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  14. Somalia famine narrowly avoided this year - official reportpublished at 11:55 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Andrew Harding
    BBC News

    Somali mother Asiah Hussein Buule comforts three of her nine children in their makeshift hut in the Sebedow Camp, for Somalis displaced by drought and war, in November.Image source, AFP
    Image caption,

    But experts warn of famine early next year unless more aid is provided

    Somalia has narrowly avoided a full-scale famine this year, according to a key assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) body.

    The IPC has praised local and international organisations for their “commendable” response to Somalia’s devastating drought, which is the country's worst in four decades.

    But avoiding famine – a word carefully policed by the experts – does not mean avoiding misery, hunger, and many deaths.

    And the IPC concludes that the number of people living in catastrophic conditions, just shy of famine itself, is expected to triple in the coming months.

    That means over 700,000 Somalis will soon be going hungry, and many will die unless more assistance is provided urgently.

    Failing that, famine could be declared as early as next April.

    These humanitarian assessments can be slow and frustrating, and it’s hard to get reliable data in war-torn parts of Somalia.

    People tend to obsess about when and if the word famine is used. But critics point out that in 2011, tens of thousands of children died in Somalia, long before a famine was declared back then.

    Read Andrew's reports from Somalia:

  15. Nigeria ends compulsory Covid tests for travellerspublished at 11:05 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA)Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Nigeria has some of the busiest airports in West Africa

    The authorities in Nigeria say all passengers will no longer be required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test on arrival or departure, regardless of their vaccination status.

    In its latest guideline, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said the decision comes after the government said the virus “has been persistently rare in Nigeria and most of the rest of the world”.

    “Pre-departure and post-arrival Covid-19 PCR tests are no longer required for all passengers irrespective of vaccination status,” it said.

    Health declaration forms and permission to travel would no longer be required, the agency added.

  16. An atrocity that caused heartbreak around the worldpublished at 10:35 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    BBC Scotland's David Cowan recalls the trial 22 years ago of two men accused of the Lockerbie bombing.

    Read More
  17. Investigative journalist to sue Cameroon federationpublished at 10:16 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    A French journalist intends to sue Cameroon's football federation after the body accused him of attempted blackmail and extortion.

    Read More
  18. Thousands of free tickets for Morocco football fanspublished at 10:12 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Mike Thomson
    BBC World Service News

    A young Morocco fan watches them beat Portugal at the World Cup.Image source, AFP

    The Moroccan Football Federation says it's giving fans 13,000 free tickets for the country’s World Cup semi-final against France on Wednesday.

    The nation’s national airline, Royal Air Maroc is putting on 30 flights to Qatar at reduced rates.

    Huge excitement is building in the country after a series of victories against highly rated European sides, which led to celebrations across north Africa and the Middle East.

    Argentina play Croatia in the first semi-final on Tuesday.

    More on this topic:

  19. Tems stunned by Golden Globes nodpublished at 09:18 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Tems on stage.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    She has a songwriting credit on Rihanna's latest track

    Nigerian star Tems has been nominated for a Golden Globe award in the US, for her role in creating Rihanna's song Lift Me Up from the Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

    It's the latest accolade for the singer-songwriter, who was last year nominated for a Grammy for her performance with fellow Nigerian Wizkid on the song Essence.

    This time around it's her writing that's up for an award - along with Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson and Rihanna.

    "My God! This one is too much," Tems tweeted after hearing the news:

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  20. Mozambique burns 'cancer-causing' cosmeticspublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2022

    Jose Tembe
    BBC News, Maputo

    African woman applying creamImage source, Getty Images

    Mozambican authorities have burnt 10,000 cosmetic products that pose “potential risk" to health following an alert from the European Union.

    The products include shower gels, shampoos, creams and sprays.

    The authorities say they contain substances that can cause cancer, in addition to being harmful to reproductive health and potentially causing infertility.

    The EU had warned against the products in early September, said Sheila Mercis, an inspector at the country's medicines regulatory authority (Anarme).

    “By incinerating, we are guaranteeing that in the market, at least, there will no longer be any [harmful] products for sale,” said Paulo Aguiar, a director of Medis Moçambique, which is owned by the Portuguese pharmaceutical group Azevedos.

    The manufacturers have already submitted new formulas of the cosmetics in question to Anarme for approval so that they can be imported again “without the harmful substances”, according to Medis.

    “All manufacturers in Europe have already withdrawn the [harmful] substance. The next batches will not contain these substances,” Mr Aguiar said.