Image source, AFP

A son of Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe is being held by police in the capital, Harare, on allegations of being involved in the destruction of cars during a party over the weekend, the government-owned Herald newspaper reports.

Robert Mugabe Junior is likely to be charged with malicious damage to property, the newspaper adds.

He and his lawyers have not yet commented and there is no independent confirmation of the report.

He is the late Mr Mugabe's second child with his surviving widow, Grace.

Three of Nigeria's biggest music artists performed on Sunday during halftime at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, which is one of the biggest sporting events in the US.

Burna Boy, Rema and Tems took turns to give an Afrobeats-themed performance at the halftime show.

Burna Boy began by giving an energetic performance of some of his hits including Anybody, It’s Plenty, Last Last and Alone.

Image source, AFP

Rema followed with renditions of his songs Calm Down and Holiday.

Image source, AFP

Tems, who won her first Grammy for the Best Melodic Rap Performance in collaboration with Future and Drake, performed a number of her own songs backed by dancers

Image source, Getty Images

A BBC investigation reveals the shameful secrets behind some of the world's biggest tea companies.

Fights and public transport in Mauritius have been disrupted amid warnings of an intense tropical cyclone.

The Mauritius Meteorological Services said , externalat 07:00 local time, a “very intense tropical Cyclone Freddy was centred at about 275km to the north-east of Mauritius”, moving west at a speed of 30km/h.

It estimated that wind gusts near its centre was about 300 km/h.

The weather agency urged the public to follow all precautions and stay in safe places.

The country’s national carrier, Air Mauritius, issued a schedule of flights, external that it had cancelled.

BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

More than 70 women working on two British-owned tea plantations in Kenya have told the BBC they were forced to have sex by their managers to retain their jobs.

Undercover filming by the BBC caught local bosses pressuring a female worker for sex.

The two firms, Unilever and James Finlay and Co, say these managers have now been suspended.

Unilever sold its tea operation in Kenya while the BBC was filming.

The new owner said it had launched a full, independent investigation.

One of Britain’s biggest supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s, called the allegations "horrific" and said they had no place in its supply chain.

Read the full story:

• True price of a cup of tea: Sexual abuse on Kenyan tea farms revealed

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

The African Union is organising a national reconciliation conference for Libya in the latest effort to restore stability in the country.

The chair of the AU commission Moussa Faki Mahamat made the announcement at the end of a two-day summit in Addis Ababa.

He said the AU was working with all sides to decide on a date and place for the meeting.

The United Nations said recently that Libya's rival administrations had agreed on a mechanism to clear foreign troops and mercenaries from the country.

But they have failed to come up with a timetable for their departure.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, EPA

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has cut short his visit to the African Union summit in Ethiopia in order to monitor his country's response to heavy rains and the approaching Cyclone Freddy.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall on Monday in neighbouring Madagascar and could affect as many as two million people, according to the UN.

Rhoda Odhiambo
BBC Africa health reporter, Nairobi

Image source, Getty Images

Kenyan researchers have detected a mosquito native to South Asia that is resistant to insecticides used in Africa.

Experts from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) identified the mosquito, Anopheles stephensi, during a routine surveillance in the northern Marsabit county.

Data from hospitals there also showed an increase in malaria cases - even though it was not the normal season for the disease as local mosquitoes don’t do well in dry areas.

This invasive mosquito can thrive in both dry and rainy seasons and can breed anywhere. In other countries, its larvae have been found in water containers in urban centres.

Experts are concerned that malaria transmission will now continue all year round instead of being seasonal.

“Unfortunately, this detection in Kenya may translate to higher malaria transmission in urban and peri-urban settings in the country and could reverse gains made in the fight against malaria,” said Kemri's director-general, Dr Samuel Kariuki.

It will also make it difficult to eradicate malaria, which is one of the top killers of children below five years.

The researchers are urging Kenyans to use available malaria control tools such as sleeping under treated mosquito bed nets, use of repellents and wearing long-sleeved clothing to prevent mosquito bites.

In Africa, the mosquito was first detected in Djibouti 10 years ago and has now been spotted in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria.

BBC World Service

The South African-born filmmaker, Christopher Nupen, who pioneered classical music documentaries, has died at the age of 88.

After moving to Britain in his 20s and working for the BBC, he exploited the then-new silent 16mm cameras to be the first to film musicians at close quarters on stage and backstage.

Portraits of such greats as the cellist Jacqueline du Pre and pianist Daniel Barenboim introduced many to classical music for the first time.

The BBC said Christopher Nupen devoted his life to bringing the world’s greatest music to audiences.

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

The African Union has reiterated its zero-tolerance approach to undemocratic changes of power on the continent.

On the final day of a summit in Addis Ababa, the AU said it would maintain the suspension of Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Sudan - which are all ruled by military leaders following coups.

The commissioner for political affairs, Bankole Adeoye, said the AU was ready to help those countries return to constitutional order and help democracy take root.

Leaders at the summit also agreed to press ahead with plans for a free trade deal including almost every country in Africa.

Mark Pivac
BBC World Service Newsroom

Image source, AFP

The deputy head of Sudan's ruling council, Mohamed Daglo, has called the 2021 military coup a "mistake".

In a televised address, Mr Daglo said it had become a "gateway" for the remnants of the former regime of Omar al-Bashir, who was deposed two years earlier.

He said he had made mistakes and that lending support to the latest coup was one of them.

Hailing December’s deal to transition Sudan to civilian rule, Mr Daglo promised to pursue security reforms, including integrating his RSF paramilitary group into the national army.

Sudan has been in economic and political turmoil since 2021 when Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan-led junta overthrew and took over power from the civilian-led transitional government, derailing the transition to civilian rule following Bashir's 2019 ouster.

Pro-democracy activists have been organising protests against the military authorities since then.

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A military coup in 1989 brought Omar al-Bashir to power, until being overthrown by the military in the face of mass protests in 2019. During this time, war has raged in Darfur, South Sudan has gained independence and the Sudanese people demanded a return to civil government.

BBC journalist Mohanad Hashim grew up in Khartoum and has reported extensively on the Middle East and Africa. He speaks to Claire Graham about Sudan’s journey from independence to revolution.

Producer: Owen McFadden Presenter: Claire Graham

Ahead of the upcoming general election in Nigeria, Alan Kasujja hosts a special conversation from the commercial capital of Lagos. He sat down with around 20 young people to debate and talk about their lives in what many refer to as the “giant of Africa”. Writers, security guards, teachers, web designers and entrepreneurs are among those who join Alan to talk about issues including education, money, safety, corruption and the lack of women in the political landscape.

A different kind of faith: Navigating life as a non-believer in a highly religious society can be deeply lonely. Leo and Balm both found community and belonging in Humanism - a form of atheism which strives for a life of meaning and purpose anchored in the strength of humankind. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

Produced by Mary Goodhart

Ethiopians on social media have been dealing with a wave of violent and graphic content in recent years. Multiple conflicts have seen violent pictures and videos regularly shared online, often alongside threats, hate speech, or disinformation. For Moti, this hit close to home in a devastating way when his father was the target of a political killing, and pictures of his dead body were posted on social media. Rehobot also shares her experience of combating this online hate through fact-checking, but how exposing herself to so much violent content eventually impacted her mental health.

Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #TheComb Get in touch: thecomb@bbc.com

Produced by Rob Wilson

What is happening with API’s, more commonly known as bots, on Twitter? The platform is set to eliminate free access to its APIs this Thursday, although there appears to have been some backtracking following announcements that bots providing “good content” will have access to the Twitter API for free. Tech writer, broadcaster and bot user and creator Kate Bevan will be on the show with the latest. The right to disconnect Kenya is the latest country to propose a new law that will block employers from interrupting their staff during their time off. The Employment Amendment Bill aims to give Kenyans “the right to disconnect in the digital age” and protect them from working out of hours, at weekends and public holidays – often for no additional pay. Nairobi based tech reporter Wairimu Gitahi is on the show.

Tech that tells you when fruit is ripe Harvesting a crop at the correct time is vital to ensure higher profits for the farmer and also to reduce food waste. Reporter Rani Singh has met two entrepreneurs in India who have developed a device that checks 19 vegetable and fruits for ripeness, texture and taste – just by scanning their skin. The handheld device checks the chemical composition e.g. sugar levels of fruits and veg and can tell if there has been damage from insects or disease.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Bill Thompson. Studio Manager: Michael Millham Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz

(Image: Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, California Credit: David Odisho/Stringer/Getty Images)

A tweet from a mum accusing her daughter’s school of having a racist hair policy has gone viral on social media. But what is hair discrimination? How do you prove it and do you know your rights? Lawyer Laith Dilaimi pays the pod a visit to answer these questions. Jackie Killeen from the Equality and Human Rights Commission also drops in to explain the guidelines.

We’re also talking about dyslexia. Uni student Zoe Littlewood and Marcia Brissett-Bailey - who has written a book called Black, Brilliant and Dyslexic - open up about their own experiences.

And we’re keeping things light and fluffy as we get into a debate on jollof rice. Unesco recognises it as originating in Senegal, as does Khadim Mbamba, a Senegalese chef. De-Graft, who happens to be Ghanaian, has a few questions…

Drop us a line and let us know what you want to hear on the podcast, even if it’s just to say hello. Our WhatsApp number is +44 0330 123 9480. Remember to start your message with IYDK, to make sure we see it.

Presenter: De-Graft Mensah Producer: Kamilah McInnis Researchers: Paige Neal-Holder, Khadra Salad and Star McFarlane Sound: Kamilah McInnis and Dave O’Neill Editor: Alison Gee