Pretoria wants the power to decide whether to detain leaders wanted by the International Criminal Court.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now, we will be back on Wednesday morning.

You can also follow the latest news at BBCAfrica.com and listen to the Africa Today podcast for more.

A reminder of our wise words of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave with this photo of young people playing football in Wad Madani, a city about 200km (124 miles) south-east of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, where many have sought refuge following the outbreak of civil war six weeks ago:

Image source, AFP

Peter Jegwa
Lilongwe, Malawi

Image source, AFP

A Malawi magistrate's court has failed to start hearing witness testimony at the extradition case of well-known Christian preacher Shepherd Bushiri.

He and his wife Mary are facing extradition to South Africa to face money-laundering and fraud charges.

The Malawian couple were arrested in South Africa in 2019 but jumped bail. They were arrested in Malawi in 2020 at the request of South Africa.

The pair deny any wrongdoing and are challenging moves to extradite them.

When the case resumed in the capital, Lilongwe, on Tuesday defence lawyer Wapona Kita objected to a witness from South Africa testifying on procedural grounds.

Magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza gave each side 14 days to resolve the issue - 28 days in total. The case has been adjourned to 10 July.

More on this topic:

• Shepherd Bushiri: Meeting the man who ‘walks on air’

Elettra Neysmith
BBC World Service newsroom

The United Nations' human rights commissioner has urged judges in Uganda to review new legislation which can mandate a death penalty for gay sex.

Volker Turk described the new law as "devastating".

He said a judicial review would find it contravened Uganda's own constitution as well as international law.

Homosexual acts were already illegal in Uganda but the new bill has been condemned as one of the harshest in the world.

Anyone convicted of having gay sex faces life imprisonment. 'Aggravated homosexuality' - or gay sex with someone under 18, or HIV positive - can lead to execution.

Uganda's Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi said homosexual acts were not a constitutional right.

Read more:

• Uganda's President Museveni approves tough new anti-gay law

Favour Nunoo
BBC News, Accra

AngloGold Ashanti has closed off unauthorised entry points to a gold mine shaft in Ghana, meaning illegal miners working there will face arrest when they exit through the main mining area.

Ghana’s disaster management organisation has given an assurance that there is a safe authorised exit point from the shaft in Anwiam in the Ashanti region.

“AngloGold discovered that the illegal miners had an entrance that leads to their pit, so they covered it,” disaster management official George Ayisi told the BBC.

The mining giant has also issued a press statement, saying the illegal miners can leave the shaft on foot via an existing ramp to the main mining area.

Seven illegal miners had already left this way and been arrested and handed over to the police for prosecution, AngloGold Ashanti said.

It is not clear how many miners are in the shaft - some reports suggested that 300 people could still be underground.

The former Cameroon and Arsenal defender urges Spanish authorities to do more to tackle racism in football, saying the current system "allows it to happen".

Image source, AFP

South Africa is going to change its law so that it has the power to decide whether or not to arrest a leader wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a deputy minister has told the BBC.

Earlier this year, Russia’s leader was invited to a summit in South Africa, but a subsequent arrest warrant issued by the ICC means South Africa would be expected to arrest Vladimir Putin if he attends the gathering of the Brics group of nations in August.

“In June we'll be submitting the law in parliament,” Obed Bapela, a deputy minister in the South African presidency, told the BBC’s Newshour programme.

Through the law South Africa "will give itself exemptions of who to arrest and who not to arrest", Mr Bapela said.

Mr Putin has been accused by the ICC of crimes against humanity committed during the war in Ukraine. South Africa has refused to condemn Russia's invasion, insisting it wants to remain neutral.

Mr Bapela said that South Africa was also writing to the ICC about a waiver.

This refers to article 98 of the Rome Statue, the treaty which established the court in 2002.

While article 27 says no-one is immune from prosecution by the ICC, article 98 appears to suggest that the ICC could not ask South Africa to arrest the Russian leader unless Russia agreed to waive Mr Putin’s immunity from prosecution.

The deputy minister also lashed out at the ICC for its “double standards”, saying the late Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president, would have been disappointed by the war crimes court.

“We never thought that the ICC that we have today will be what it is. They never indicted Tony Blair, they never indicted [George W] Bush for their killings of Iraq people,” he said, referring to former UK and US leaders and their invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“Mandela would have said [that] the inequality, the inconsistency by the ICC, is a problem.”

Mr Bapela also pointed to past examples of exemptions of international justice, like the UK’s decision not to extradite General Augusto Pinochet in 1998.

The former Chilean dictator was arrested in London at the request of a Spanish judge seeking to put him on trial for human rights abuses during his 17-year rule, but the UK government freed him after 16 months on the advice of medical experts who said he was unfit to stand trial. He died back home in 2006.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has launched a court application in the Gauteng High Court , externalto compel the authorities to arrest Mr Putin should he arrive in August.

Mike Thomson
BBC World Service newsroom

Egypt and Turkey have agreed to restore full diplomatic relations.

The move follows a phone call from Egypt’s Presiden Atbdul Fattah al-Sisi to congratulate the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on his election victory on Sunday.

The two agreed to arrange the exchange of ambassadors immediately.

Egypt and Turkey fell out in 2013 after Mr Erdogan described Mr Sisi’s overthrow of Egypt's then-President Mohammed Morsi an “unacceptable coup”.

In later years the two countries backed opposing factions in Libya and were at odds over maritime borders in the gas-rich eastern Mediterranean.

Egypt is also mending fences with Iran. The two countries are expected to exchange ambassadors later this year.

Image source, AFP

The office of Nigeria’s new President Bola Tinubu has told the public to stop panic-buying as the fuel subsidy will not end until the end of June.

The statement seeks to stem the chaos sparked by comments at his inauguration on Monday when he said the subsidy was “gone”, but he gave no timeframe or other details.

The statement says his remarks are “neither a new development nor an action of his new administration”, explaining that the decades-long subsidy was only funded until the end of June.

“He was merely communicating the status quo, considering that the previous administration’s budget for fuel subsidy was planned and approved to last for only the first half of the year,” it said.

“Effectively, this means that by the end of June, the federal government will be without funds to continue the subsidy regime, translating to its termination.

“The panic-buying that has ensued as a result of the communication is needless; it will not take immediate effect.”

Some people have posted videos online of filling stations already increasing prices, in some cases by more than 200%.

The statement from the presidency added that Mr Tinubu’s plan was to channel the money previously spent on the subsidy “into better investments that will cushion the effects of the removal on the general public, especially the poor of the poor”.

“This includes but is not limited to investments in public infrastructure, education, healthcare and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions of Nigerians and increase their earning potential.”

Read more:

• Nigeria fuel subsidy: Tinubu's plan to scrap measure sparks rush to stock up

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, @hawelti

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has landed in Moscow for a four-day official visit to Russia, at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.

The foreign and culture ministers are also on the trip, Information Minister Yemane Meskel says on Twitter, external.

Eritrea and Russia enjoy cordial relations - and Eritrea is one of the few countries that has voted against UN resolutions condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Isaias, who recently returned from an official visit to China, has ruled Eritrea since it won independence from neighbouring Ethiopia in 1993.

The country, a one-party state and a highly militarised society, occupies a strategically important area in the Horn of Africa - and has never held a national election.

Mr Isaias was greeted at the airport on his arrival by Russia's deputy foreign minister, Mr Yemane tweeted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is currently on African tour that started in Kenya on Monday, visited Eritrea in January.

Image source, Bernice Kariuki/Facebook

Kenyan-born Bernice Kariuki has resigned as Arsenal's private chef after two years at the English Premier League club.

She announced her departure as Arsenal recorded a thumping victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, winning 5-0 to end the season in second place.

"A final day flourish. Finished the season with a bang! Simply the best!!! Arsenal… Arsenal… Arsenal. 2020/2023, the best special season ever. I hang my gloves as a very proud chef, it’s been an honour working for the best club in the whole world. I was truly humbled," she posted on Facebook.

Ms Kariuki was picked by the club in 2021 and became involved in the preparation of meals for the first team players at the London Colney training ground.

She managed the daily well-being and nutrition of the team before and after matches, as well as menus for the travelling team.

Before joining Arsenal, Ms Kariuki worked at several high-end hotels in London.

She did not reveal her next move but thanked Kenyans for their support over the years.

People are trying to stockpile petrol as fears grow of big price rises due to high inflation.

Image source, AFP

Questioned on whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin will attend the Brics summit in South Africa in August, a Kremlin spokesman has said Russia will take part “at the proper level”.

The Russian president was invited to the gathering earlier this year, but a warrant subsequently issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) means South Africa would be expected to arrest him if he attends.

The Brics alliance represents some of the world's leading emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa.

"Russia attaches enormous importance to the development of this format of integration. And Russia will take part in this summit at the proper level," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing.

According to Russia's Tass news agency, Mr Peskov promised to give "all the details" later.

When pressed further about the arrest warrant, Reuters quoted him as saying: "Of course we count as a bare minimum on partner countries in such an important format not being guided by such illegal decisions."

South Africa has granted diplomatic immunity to officials attending the summit, but a foreign affairs spokesman added that such immunities were standard for international gatherings and did not override warrants issued by international tribunals.

Mr Putin has been accused by the ICC of crimes against humanity committed during the war in Ukraine. South Africa has refused to condemn Russia's invasion, insisting it wants to remain neutral.

Nkechi Ogbonna
West Africa business journalist, BBC News

Image source, AFP

Winding queues have returned to filling stations in cities across Nigeria following the remarks by President Bola Tinubu at his inauguration on Monday that fuel subsidies were to be removed.

He gave no timeframe or any more details of this major policy move, but it has sparked panic-buying.

“It only favours the rich and not the poor and has become increasingly expensive to maintain,” Mr Tinubu told the crowd in Abuja, the country’s capital.

Given the uncertainty about whether the subsidy removal was effective immediately, people have rushed out to stock up.

Residents in Lagos and Abuja are paying as high as 600 naira ($1.30; £1) a litre, a jump from the 185 naira it was selling at on Monday.

Nigeria's state-owned oil company, the sole importer of petroleum products, assured the public that it had enough supplies.

Economists say the removal of subsidies will lead to the higher cost of transportation, an increase in production costs and commodity prices.

Nigeria is Africa’s second-largest producer of oil, behind Angola, but imports more than 90% of its fuel needs owing to its inability to refine enough locally.

Read more:

• The five tests awaiting Nigeria's new president

Favour Nunoo
BBC News, Accra

Image source, Getty Images

Ghana's judicial workers' association has called off its indefinite nationwide strike after meeting government officials.

The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (Jusag) says the strike is on hold for two weeks to allow for engagement and fast-track approval of their salary increase demands.

Court activities came to a halt last week on Thursday, with all judicial service staff directed not to report to work until President Nana Akufo-Addo approved their demand for new salaries and payment of arrears since January.

Ghana’s government faces a tough choice as salary increases go against their promise to reduce spending - a condition of the recent International Monetary Fund bailout.

More on Ghana's financial crunch:

• Ghana IMF loan: Will $3bn solve the economic crisis?

The Ghana National Association of Authors and Publishers (GNAAP) has apologised to those unhappy about a history textbook for primary schools that gives a controversial explanation about the activities of Christian missionaries.

History of Ghana for Basic Schools, Learners Book 4, states that the existence of religion, particularly Christianity, was the cause of doctrinal conflicts and increased poverty in the country.

One radio station tweeted a photo of the offending page from the book, which shows the heading: "Negative effects of Christian missionary activities":

Some parents and others have condemned the content of the book, saying it denigrates Christianity.

Ntim Fordjou, the country's deputy education minister, described the book, external as “obnoxious”, saying its content was appalling and misconceived.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (Nacca) has since demanded its the immediate recall.

GNAAP apologised for the error and said it would set up a committee to assess all other books in schools published by its members.

"We are here to render apologies in our bid to protect the image and professionalism of writing and book development in Ghana," the association's president John Akwasi Amponsah said.

Image source, Getty Images

South Africa’s foreign minister has granted diplomatic immunity, external to foreign officials attending the Brics summit in August and a meeting for Brics foreign ministers this coming week.

The Brics alliance represents some of the world's leading emerging economies, including Russia, China, Brazil and India.

Local media has said this could potentially open the door for Vladimir Putin to attend the August gathering in South Africa.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in March for the Russian president for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

As a signatory to the ICC's Rome Statute, South Africa is expected to enforce the warrant and arrest Mr Putin.

But Clayson Monyela, South Africa's spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, tweeted that such immunities were standard when a country hosted an international conference or summit.

“The immunities DO NOT override any warrant issued by any international tribunal (like the ICC) against any attendee,” he said, external.

South Africa previously failed to act on its legal obligation to the ICC when in 2015 Sudan’s then-leader Omar al-Bashir visited during Jacob Zuma’s presidency, but was not arrested.

On Monday, the South Africa military said it would not arrest Mr Putin if he attended the Brics summit, as it did not have the power to enforce the arrest.

South African National Defence Force chief Rudzani Maphwanywa, while acknowledging the ICC’s warrant, said that the army operates within the framework of international law and respects diplomatic immunities.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

The leader of Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) party, Debretsion Gebremichael, has called for immediate elections in the northern region of Tigray.

The TPLF agreed a peace deal with government last November, signed in South Africa, to end a brutal two-year civil war.

That pact set up an interim administration in Tigray, which could only govern for between six months and a year, Mr Debretsion said in a post on Facebook.

"On the basis of self-rule, we have to go to elections immediately," Mr Debretsion said, adding that the interim administration had "to complete its task within that time and transfer whatever remained".

He stressed that the people of Tigray had to be led by leaders of their own choice.

"What has been there [presumably the TPLF leadership structure] has been destroyed for the sake of peace.

"The people of Tigray have to be led by people of their own choice. Even TPLF should not govern."

There has been no comment yet from the interim administration on the comments by the TPLF chairman.

Image source, AFP

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has called for a new way to tackle war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Karim Khan, who is on a fact-finding mission in DR Congo, said there was a need for a “stronger partnership" among the people, local authorities, civil society and global players to show a common will to put an end to crimes.

He said there had been cases and convictions “but there is a truth staring at us in the face... the rapes have not stopped, the crimes have not stopped.

"The message is: we need to find a new way of working in my view, not in the same way that we've been doing since 2004," he said on Monday.

The ICC opened its first investigation in DR Congo in 2004, following a referral by the Congolese government.

During his visit, Mr Khan met Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege, who has been helping sexual abuse victims amid the conflict in the country eastern region.

Eastern DR Congo has been plagued by violence for decades, with dozens of armed groups operating there.

Grant Ferrett
BBC World Service newsroom

Image source, AFP

The United States and Saudi Arabia have welcomed the extension of a ceasefire deal between Sudan's warring military factions for another five days.

Washington and Riyadh announced the latest deal, as well as brokering the previous week-long truce.

In a joint statement, they acknowledged that the ceasefire had not been fully observed, but said it had allowed the delivery of aid to two million people in Sudan.

The UN World Food Programme said the relative lull in fighting had allowed it to send supplies to residents trapped in the capital, Khartoum, for the first time since fighting erupted six weeks ago.

The Sudanese army and its rivals from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have accused each other of repeated violations, particularly in the Darfur region.