Lipika Pelham
BBC World Service Newsroom

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Drinking water supplies are being cut off at night in cities across Tunisia in a bid to maintain reserves in the country.

A severe drought is being blamed for the shortage, along with poor water management and faulty infrastructure.

In some areas, as much as much as 50% of water is lost before reaching the tap.

Correspondents say the decision to limit water supplies will add to existing public anger about inflation and inadequate public services.

Image source, AFP

US Vice-President Kamala Harris’ wish to visit the house where she once lived with her grandfather in the 1960s has led to a search for the property, the UK's Times newspaper reports.

Ms Harris, who is on a nine-day trip to three African countries, is due to visit Zambia over the weekend – the latest of 18 top American officials who have visited the continent since January this year.

She was in Zambia as a child visiting her grandfather VP Gopalan, an Indian civil servant who was posted there to help settle refugees after it gained independence.

The US embassy in Lusaka is quoted by The Times as having appealed to the public for help locating Mr Gopalan’s former home while seeking to retrace Ms Harris' “childhood connections with the country”.

The trip to Africa is expected to strengthen the US' partnerships throughout the continent on “security and economic prosperity”, according to a statement by her office.

Read more: Can US charm offensive woo continent from China?

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called the peace deal signed between his government and fighters from the northern Tigray region “a positive step” and said his government would also sit down with other armed groups.

Mr Abiy was addressing members of parliament on Tuesday in Addis Ababa. During the session, a number of lawmakers raised concerns about growing insecurity in other parts of the country, pervasive corruption and the cost-of-living crisis.

Several efforts have been made in recent months to reach out to the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) - an insurgent group operating in the country’s Oromia region - to make a peaceful resolution, he said.

There has not been any immediate reaction from the OLF regarding the prime minister’s claim.

The two-year civil war in Tigray and neighbouring regions is believed to have claimed more than half a million lives.

Rights violations, some of which, according to the UN, could amount to war crimes have repeatedly been reported.

Mr Abiy said “a lot more” had to be done to achieve total peace in the country’s north. “It takes time to heal” post-conflict scars, he added. “Peace, much like war, needs bravery.”

An opposition lawmaker asked if Mr Abiy would be ready to face accountability for serious crimes committed during conflicts, including ethnic cleansing, and whether he would resign in the footsteps of his predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn in the face of increasing public frustration. The prime minister dismissed the suggestion.

He added that his administration was working on ensuring transitional justice in the wake of brutal conflicts.

In his lengthy address, the prime minister criticised some media outlets - without naming them - which he said were “forces of destruction”.

Ethiopia's press freedom has deteriorated in recent years, according to rights watchdogs.

Police in Kenya have visited a farm owned by the family of former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta after it was partially burnt by invaders on Monday.

The looters felled trees and carried away sheep from the farm that is located on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi. Armed police officers present did not intervene, according to local reports.

On Tuesday police officers visited the farm and assessed the damage - but have been criticised on social media for acting too late.

Media footage from the farm showed workers demolishing iron-sheet structures that had been erected by the invaders.

Police have yet to issue a statement on the invasion.

More on this:

• Hundreds storm farm of ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta

"We are working on it," says the star, who sits on the awards' board of trustees.

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The African Union has appealed for calm and called for dialogue following opposition protests in Kenya that have turned violent and left three people dead since last week.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga called for demonstrations to protest against the high cost of living and what he calls electoral justice after last year's election.

In a statement, AU Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat urged "stakeholders to exercise calm and engage in dialogue to address any differences".

He said the conduct of elections last year was "successful" and the outcome confirmed by the Supreme Court.

"The Chairperson reiterates the total solidarity with and support to the government and the people of Kenya's efforts working towards national unity, peace and stability in the country," the statement said.

Kenyan religious leaders have also called for unconditional talks between President William Ruto and Mr Odinga.

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) says it is investigating two incidents on Monday where police failed to protect private property in the capital Nairobi.

It is also looking into the shooting allegedly by the police that caused death and injuries in the western city of Kisumu.

Crowds invaded the farm owned by former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s family on the outskirts of the city, stealing sheep and felling trees before setting the farm on fire.

There were no police on sight as the invasion went on during the day, apparently in retaliation for the second of opposition protests.

A gas cylinder factory linked to opposition leader Raila Odinga was also vandalised.

At least one person was shot dead during the protests in Kisumu where the police confronted demonstrators who burned tyres and barricaded roads.

Ipoa has called on the police "to abide by the law in exercising their constitutional function of protection of life and property in line with the [police act]".

Image source, Getty Images

US Vice-President Kamala Harris has shared a playlist of 25 songs by African musicians that she's listening during her current trip in the continent.

The playlist, titled “My Travels: Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia,” is live on Spotify, external and is dominated by Tanzanian musicians.

Tanzania is the vice-president's next stop before she heads to Zambia. The diplomatic tour will end on 2 April.

"A playlist to amplify the artists and sounds from my travels across Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia," she described it.

Some of the featured Tanzanian artistes include Zuchu, Alikiba, Jay Melody, Mbosso, Jux, Darassa, Marioo and Platform.

A collaboration between Kenya's Bien Aime Baraza of Sauti Sol and Tanzanian artiste Darassa is also on the list.

Ms Harris arrived in Ghana on Sunday and will visit Tanzania on Wednesday.

She met some Ghanaian artistes on Monday and expressed her intention to promote African artistes in international markets to help them reach a wider audience.

Image source, AFP

A security officer in Guinea has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of a 19-year-old.

Moriba Camara shot dead Thierno Mamadou Diallo during opposition coalition protests last June.

The prosecution had sought a longer sentence of 25 years in jail for Camara, and the victim's brother reportedly said the court's lesser sentence of 10 years was too light for such a crime.

Since 2021 Guinea has been governed by military leaders, who pushed out ex-President Alpha Condé in a coup.

In August last year the junta banned the influential FNDC opposition coalition which had led earlier protests against Mr Condé and also against the new military rulers.

More on Guinea:

• Who is coup leader Col Mamady Doumbouya?
• Are military takeovers on the rise in Africa?
• Guinea country profile

Jessica McCallin
BBC World Service Newsroom

Image source, AFP

The recipients of this year's Polar Music Prize, widely regarded as industry's equivalent of a Nobel prize, have just been announced.

The founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, who is credited with bringing Bob Marley to a global audience, has been awarded.

The other winners are the Beninoise singer, Angélique Kidjo, and the Estonian composer Arvo Part, who last year regained the title of the most performed living composer.

The award celebrates the three laureates for their achievements in music. It's the third time in the history of the award that three laureates have won.

Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Dizzy Gillespie have all won in the past.

The award was created by Abba’s manager, Stig Anderson.

Image source, Getty Images

One of eight cheetahs flown to India from Namibia in September last year died on Monday.

Namibia's environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the cheetah, aged five, died of kidney failure.

He said the cheetah, named Sasha, was under medical care for the past three months.

The female cheetah was not put into the wild but had been in quarantine for observation and treatment, he added.“The other cheetahs are doing very well. Currently four of them are out in the wild - they are hunting and being monitored,” he said.

The eight cheetahs - five females and three males - were flown from Namibia to India's Kuno National Park to reintroduce their population after 70 years of extinction.

They were relocated as part of "Project Cheetah", the world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.

Image source, AFP

Chadian President President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on Monday pardoned 259 people out of the 262 jailed in December during deadly confrontations between police and protesters in the capital, N'Djamena.

They had been convicted for offences including unauthorised assembly, destruction of property, arson, violence and assault during the clashes in which 73 people died.

It comes days after 380 rebels sentenced to life for the death of former ruler Idriss Deby Itno, the current president's father, were also pardoned in an apparent peace gesture.

The late Idriss Deby died during an operation against rebels in 2021. He had ruled the country for 30 years.

Image source, AFP

Humza Yousaf has been elected to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's next first minister.

The health secretary was endorsed by far more MSPs and MPs than his two rivals.

When the 37-year-old is confirmed as Scotland's first minister, he will make history as the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.

His father is originally from Pakistan and emigrated to Scotland with his family in the 1960s, while his mother was born into a south Asian family in Kenya. Mr Yousaf has often spoken about racist abuse he has faced.

Read the full profile here:

• Who is Humza Yousaf, the new SNP leader?

Catherine Byaruhanga
BBC News, Nairobi

Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga has condemned the invasion of the property of the former president Uhuru Kenyatta.

In an interview with the BBC, he said he believed the attack was carried out by "goons" hired by the government.

Mr Kenyatta is an ally of Odinga’s. Monday was the second day of anti-government protests called for by Mr Odinga over claims he was cheated at the last election as well as rising living costs in the country.

The looting of Mr Kenyatta’s large farm is seen as retaliation for his support for Mr Odinga.

More protests are planned, the next on Thursday. But the government has condemned the violence and disruption caused by the demonstrations.

Mr Odinga told the BBC he bears no responsibility for destruction of property by protestors, and defended the constitutional right to demonstrate.

He says it’s unfortunate that journalists were targeted by police and protesters during the course of Monday’s protests.

He criticised some of President William Ruto’s economic policies saying even though the cost of living is a universal problem, many countries have tried to cushion their citizens due to the global recession, but the Ruto administration has removed subsidies and citizens are now suffering more

Mr Odinga said he was willing to meet with President Ruto for talks but stated two preconditions needed to be met. Firstly, that the electronic election servers be opened to verify if last year’s vote was rigged and secondly that the selection of new commissioners of the election body should involve all parties.

Kenya’s Supreme Court dismissed Mr Odinga’s case challenging his election loss last August, but he still insists the ruling was influenced.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News

A prominent Ethiopian composer who was also a nun has died in Jerusalem where she had lived reclusively in an Ethiopian monastery for nearly 40 years.

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou was 99.

Often referred to as "the piano queen", she was ordained as a nun aged 21 and was among Ethiopia's first classical pianists.

Her first record was released in the mid 1960s when Ethiopia had a thriving jazz and classical music scene.

Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou achieved global fame in 2006 when her music featured in albums of Ethiopian music from previous decades.

The Homeless Wanderer and The Mad Man's Laughter are among her well known compositions.

Here's more about Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou from a BBC interview in 2017:

Image source, AFP

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday said an anti-gay bill being debated in parliament has been "modified" following his government's intervention.

Speaking during a joint news conference with the visiting US Vice-President Kamala Harris, Mr Akufo-Addo said the bill was not official government policy but rather had been put forward by a "handful" of private members.

He said the attorney general had submitted opinions to a parliamentary committee about “the constitutionality or otherwise of several of its provisions”.

“My understanding … is that substantial elements of the bill have already been modified as a result of the intervention of the attorney general,” he said without giving details.

President Akufo-Addo refused to say what he would do if the bill passed - and hoped the parliament would consider the sensitivity of the human rights aspect.

"We will see what the final outcome will be," he added.

Ms Harris said she had addressed the issue with President Akufo-Addo and said the US considered it a matter of human rights.

If it becomes law, the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Value Bill would imprison those that identify as LGBTQ and criminalise advocacy for gay rights,

Ghana's parliament held public hearings on the bill starting in 2021. It is unclear when it will be put to a vote.

Gay sex is already punishable with up to three years in jail in Ghana, where homophobic attitudes are widespread, but the draft law would impose longer sentences.

Mr Akufo-Addo has previously spoken out against same-sex marriage, saying it would never be legalised while he is president.

Image source, Reuters

Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda, has arrived in Qatar after being released from prison in his home country Rwanda.

A White House official said Mr Rusesabagina left Rwanda on Monday and had arrived in the Qatari capital, Doha.

"I can confirm that Paul Rusesabagina has left Rwanda and is currently in Doha," US National Security Council co-ordinator John Kirby is quoted as saying by reports.

"He will soon be making his way back to the United States. And his family is, as I'm sure no one is surprised, they're eager to welcome him back here, home."

Talks brokered by Qatar led to his release from prison on Friday - two years after he was sentenced to 25 years for terrorism. His supporters called the trial a sham.

The sentence was commuted by presidential order, according to a government spokesperson. It followed years of diplomatic pressure by the US, where Mr Rusesabagina had lived since 2009.

Mr Rusesabagina is credited with saving some 1,200 people during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

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Algerian journalist Maher Mezahi visits his family graveyard and reflects on its impact on his identity.

The attack on Uhuru Kenyatta's farm appears to be in retaliation for opposition protests.