Image source, National Elections Commission/Facebook

The Liberian electoral commission says it has begun investigating cases of underage voter registration and duplication of voter register, which violate the country’s electoral law.

The National Elections Commission (Nec) said it uncovered the cases during an examination of the voter register, following the completion of data synchronisation from two counties.

Liberian law allows only citizens aged 18 and above to vote.

Nec said all ineligible registrants will be removed from the poll register and prosecute any official found culpable of malpractices.

In a statement, external released on Sunday it promised to soon announce the preliminary figures for the number of voters registered.

Nec is introducing biometric voter registration for the first time for the October presidential and legislative elections.

The biometric voter registration was marred by technical glitches, including shortages of biometric cards that prevented some Liberians from registering.

Nigerian police have launched an operation in search of a catholic priest who was kidnapped by gunmen over the weekend, local media report.

Rev Fr Jude Maduka is the parish priest of a church in the Okigwe area of the south-eastern Imo state.

A colleague told the Punch newspaper that the priest was kidnapped while preparing for the Sunday mass.

The church has called for the “safe and sound” release of the priest.

The kidnapping is the latest in a series of abductions that have targeted clergy in the West African nation.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrested about 20 people following Saturday's opposition protests in the capital Kinshasa.

In its assessment of the demonstration, the Congolese National Police (PNC) said the 20 included individuals who allegedly vandalised the Kianza police station.

"Three police officers were arrested as a result of the brutality inflicted on the demonstrators and on a minor," Actualite CD website reported.

Police said at least 27 law enforcement forces were injured, three of whom were in serious condition.

A journalist was also beaten up "by a gang of overexcited protesters", Actualite CD said.

Earlier reports said that 23 police officers and 14 civilians were injured during the violence.

The demonstrations were organised by four opposition parties to protest against the high cost of living, widespread insecurity in the eastern part of the country and the lack of transparency in the preparations for elections scheduled for December.

The Newsroom
BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

Two ancient Egyptian sarcophagi have undergone CT scans at a hospital in Jerusalem as part of a study to find out how artists created the elaborate coffins for interring mummies.

The Israel Museum collaborated with the hospital to examine the 2,500-year-old sarcophagi.

The CT scans allowed curators to examine the layers of sycamore wood, plaster and other materials which made up the caskets decorated with hieroglyphics.

They said the research revealed the craftsmanship of the ancient artisans.

Full results will be available in a few weeks.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

The Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) has banned a TV station affiliated to the country's Orthodox church after accusing it of broadcasting inciteful content.

The media regulator said it temporarily banned the Mahibere Kidusan TV after it broadcast a message on Sunday that could trigger violence, state-owned Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported.

The Orthodox church faced a split in February after three archbishops announced the formation of a new synod and ordained over 20 bishops drawn from the Oromia Region and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' State.

The move triggered deadly clashes that only ended after the two rival leadership factions were reconciled through mediation involving Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The church's holy synod is currently holding its annual conference in the capital Addis Ababa.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

The main opposition party in South Africa says it is asking the anti-corruption watchdog to investigate what it says are inflated contracts for the upkeep of ministers' lavish homes.

This comes after the ANC government revealed that between 2019 and 2022 it had spent nearly $5m (£4m) maintaining dozens of properties occupied by public servants.

The controversy adds pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was elected on promises to root out corruption after his predecessor Jacob Zuma's term was marred by political and financial scandals.

Adding South African spice to an old joke, the opposition Democratic Alliance says "at least we finally can answer the question of how much money it takes for ANC cadres to replace a lightbulb".

Alleging brazen corruption, it says the bill for bulbs was almost a $1,000 at one ministerial mansion in Pretoria.

Then there was the $70,000 kitchen renovation and $2.5m spent on generators in ministers' homes - while most have been struggling with South Africa's worst power cuts.

It is already the most unequal country in the world. Corruption may be making the chasm between the "haves" and the "have nots" even wider.

Image source, NDLEA/Twitter

Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency has seized a 30kg consignment of methamphetamine valued at $1.2m (£960,000) that was to be shipped to the UK through the main airport in Lagos.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a statement on Sunday said the methamphetamine consignment was concealed in powdered custard containers as part of a consolidated cargo going to London.

Suspected drug baron Charles Chinedu Eze and two other people were arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NDLEA said.

Detectives have also seized Mr Eze’s property in the upmarket Lekki suburb after his personal identification documents were found during a search.

The main suspect reportedly fled the UK in December 2022 after an alleged involvement in a drug-related offence.

He has not yet responded to the allegations.

Image source, Gauteng Health Department/Twitter

An outbreak of cholera has killed at least 10 people in South Africa's most populous province of Gauteng, health authorities have said.

At least 95 people have since last Monday visited hospitals showing cholera symptoms in Hammanskraal, an area north of the capital, Pretoria.

Lab tests on Sunday confirmed at least 19 were cases of cholera, the Gauteng health department said in a statement.

It added that 37 people were admitted in critical condition.

The victims included a three-year-old child and nine adults.

Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the provincial head for health, has urged the public to take extra precautionary measures and maintain proper hand hygiene.

The city of Tshwane is warning residents of Hammanskraal and surrounding areas not to drink water from their taps, adding that water tankers were being supplied.

Peter Jegwa
BBC News, Lilongwe, Malawi

Image source, Malawi Government/Facebook

The Malawi government says it is investigating a mysterious fire in the capital Lilongwe that destroyed offices of key government departments holding sensitive information.

The fire gutted the last top two floors of a seven-storey government building destroying the government contracting unit, a department in the president and cabinet's office.

It also destroyed two departments in the lands ministry - the lands registry and deeds registry. An official described the offices as “holding very sensitive information”.

The community services department in the country’s judiciary was also gutted in the fire reported to have started at 23:00 local time on Saturday.

Information and Digitalisation Minister Moses Kunkuyu said a probe led by the police, supported by other security agencies, was under way to establish the cause of the fire.

Soon after news of the fire broke, social media was awash with insinuations the fire may have been the work of saboteurs and that critical information may have been lost.

But the information minister said the information had been backed up digitally, assuring people not to "worry about any alleged loss of information for nefarious reasons”.

He said the investigations would be conducted quickly and the outcome made available to the public.

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Paramilitaries are trying to cross the River Nile to reach the air strip, residents say.

About 200 Irish citizens and their dependents have been evacuated from Sudan.

Sami Hikmet, from Surrey, got a flight out of Khartoum on a French military plane.

The man, who's visiting his family in Sudan, says he will remain there despite violent clashes.

Ghana has moved a step closer to a treaty with Jersey to boost investment links, says Jersey's government.

A recruitment drive in Nairobi has enabled Kenyans to fill hospitality jobs in the Channel Islands.