Two children, aged five and seven, have died in the South African city of Johannesburg after a fire broke out in a residential building where they had been left unattended and locked inside an apartment.

The blaze, in the inner city area of Hillbrow, began on Wednesday afternoon.

A reporter from South Africa's Times Live has recently tweeted a video from the scene filmed after firefighters arrived:

Squatters often move into old and abandoned buildings in the area - which colloquially are said to have been "hijacked".

Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda visited the scene later in the evening, commending firefighters for their efforts and saying Hillbrow's old buildings did not meet health and safety standards.

"This particular property has been at the centre of the City [of Johannesburg's] efforts to reclaim hijacked buildings from illegal occupants and crime syndicates," New24 quoted him as saying.

The city's emergency services say the children appear to have died from smoke inhalation and their bodies were later found "burnt beyond recognition".

The cause of the fire is not yet known and the police are conducting investigations.

More on inner city Johannesburg:

• South Africa danger zone: Living in a 'hijacked' building

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Getty Images

Kenyan President William Ruto has backed his trade minister for threatening a media house over its exposé of a cooking oil scandal.

Moses Kuria had warned government departments not to advertise with the Nation Media Group (NMG) after the report which alleged that certain private firms were allowed by his ministry to import cooking oil tax-free.

The report noted that the specific exemption under Kenyan law could only be made for emergency relief goods - with the entire deal potentially leading to the loss of more than $100m (£78m).

On Twitter, Mr Kuria also called journalists working at NMG “whores”.

His comments caused outrage in the media sector, even earning him a rebuke from the industry regulator.

Mr Kuria vowed never to apologise for his remarks, accusing the media of being biased.

By Wednesday, a high court had issued an order barring Mr Kuria from uttering any demeaning or insulting words against journalists, pending a case filed by a human rights activist that the minister’s outburst made him unsuitable to serve as a public officer.

But President Ruto said that people should be allowed to call out the media: "We must also defend the rights of those who hold the media to account when the media goes rogue.

“We must defend the rights of people like Moses Kuria to speak their mind the same way we are defending the media to say all the things they want including the wrong ones.”

Charles Haviland
BBC World Service newsroom

Migration charities fear that more than 30 people may have drowned after their dinghy sank while trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands in the north-east Atlantic.

The two charities said there had originally been 59 people on board but on Wednesday morning one warned the boat was taking on water.

Morocco, which administers Western Sahara, the nearest part of the African mainland, has reportedly rescued 24 people.

But the Spanish coastguard said two bodies, including a child, had been found.

Refugees and migrants often attempt the sea route to the Canaries but local sea currents are hazardous.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, EPA

Attacks and looting of foreign diplomatic missions in Sudan continue, with Algeria being the latest country to protest.

On Wednesday, the Algerian foreign ministry said its ambassador's residence in the capital, Khartoum, was “stormed and ransacked” the day before.

It said the attack constituted a violation of international law, and called on Sudanese authorities to prosecute those responsible.

Zimbabwe on the same day condemned attacks on its embassy and on its ambassador’s residence in Khartoum, with the foreign ministry spokesperson accusing paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters of being responsible .

"We have reports that most of the countries' properties were also targeted. It's sheer criminality, to take advantage of the war to loot properties of our diplomats and our embassy there," Livit Mugejo said.

On Tuesday, Mauritania said its embassy in Khartoum was similarly stormed and looted by armed men.

Mauritanian media reported that at least three vehicles used by the ambassador and staff were stolen.

The Sudanese army has repeatedly blamed the attacks on diplomatic missions on the RSF, which denies involvement.

Image source, AFP

Kenyan MPs have voted in favour of doubling of the value added tax (VAT) levied on fuel to 16%, which is expected to add to the rising cost of living.

On Wednesday, ruling party coalition MPs pushed through the proposal with 184 approving the clause within new finance bill, while 88 lawmakers opposed it.

The government, which is looking to raise about 50bn Kenyan shillings ($356m; £279m) from the additional tax, has defended the move as necessary amid a rising debt burden.

But the leader of the opposition MPs in parliament said it was punitive, terming the decision to push ahead with the fuel tax clause as "the saddest day in the history of this country”.

This week, Kenya's parliament has been combing through clauses within the unpopular finance bill and considering and voting on amendments.

Besides the fuel tax, some of the controversial proposals include a housing fund levy to be paid by all salaried workers and an increase in taxes for social media influencers.

Image source, Getty Images

The South African presidency has warned people against scammers, external using President Cyril Ramaphosa’s name to defraud the public.

It said messages purporting to be sent by the president have been circulating.

"The president does not request any funds or endorse any payments or contracts between third parties, whether through websites, adverts, social media, emails, letters, texts or phone conversations," the alert said.

Anyone who has received communications of this nature from the president or the presidency should terminate all future contact with the scammers, it added.

The presidency has not revealed any further details about the nature of the scams or how long they have been running, but said anyone who had already sent money to the scammers should report to law enforcement authorities.

Cybercrime and cases of impersonation have been on the rise in the country, according to local media reports.

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That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. There will be an automated news feed here until Thursday morning.

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And we leave you with this photo on International Yoga Day of people at their practice earlier in the South African city of Johannesburg:

Image source, EPA

Priya Sippy
BBC News

South African comedian and author Trevor Noah has announced he will be launching a weekly podcast on Spotify later this year - one of the world’s most popular podcasting platforms.

Noah said that the format of the podcast will include "meaningful conversations with some of the world’s most fascinating people”.

The news was revealed during a conversation between Noah and Spotify boss Daniel Ek at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in France.

He also tweeted the news:

It comes six months after Noah filmed his final episode of The Daily Show, where he rose to fame in the US.

Since then, he has been involved in several projects, including hosting Amazon’s first South African original LOL: Last One Laughing, a game show featuring 10 famous South African comedians.

He will also be doing a live tour in South Africa between August and September.

A new national contactless payment system will revolutionise business in Somalia, the central bank governor has told the BBC.

Abdirahman Abdullahi was talking after the launch in Mogadishu on Tuesday of what is called SOMQR, which brings digital payments into one system that can easily be used by customers, businesses and banks.

“We have a vibrant and large payment system in Somalia… [but] this has not been connected to banks,” Mr Abdullahi told BBC Newsday.

Contactless payments can be made via a QR code, which means all one needs is access to the internet for secure payment services via banking and other apps.

“It will be beneficial to businesses as well as individuals,” the bank governor said.

Yūsuf Akínpẹ̀lú
BBC News

Cameroon's foreign minister has said the government disapproves of the planned visit by France’s LGBTQ rights ambassador.

Lejeune Mbella Mbella said this was because homosexuality “qualified as a crime of common law” in Cameroon.

Ambassador Jean-Marc Berthon was due to visit Cameroon from 27 June until 1 July to discuss gender rights.

Recently Cameroon's National Communication Council warned the media against promoting homosexual content.

Amadou Bamba one of five coaches and officials sanctioned after an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse.

Shingai Nyoka
BBC News, Harare

Image source, AFP

The deadline for those wishing to register as candidates for Zimbabwe’s August general elections has now passed - with numbers expected to be lower as smaller opposition parties struggled to raise the money required.

The registration fee for presidential candidates was $20,000 (£16,000), 20 times higher than it was in 2018, while those wishing to run for parliament had to stump up $1,000.

To put forward candidates for all positions, a party must now have $230,000 at its disposal.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his main rival Nelson Chamisa were among the handful of presidential candidates putting in their nomination papers at the High Court in the capital, Harare.

Others trickled in over the course of the day, a marked contrast to five years ago when 23 candidates were on the ballot.

Near closing time, one female presidential candidate was still canvassing for overseas donations to pay for her nomination.

Another party leader reduced the number of candidates being put forward to leave enough money for campaigns.

Opposition parties say the fees are blow for democracy.

A ruling Zanu-PF party representative defended the hike, saying a presidential candidate who failed to raise $20,000 was not fit to lead.

The electoral commission is expected to confirm the successful candidates by the end of the month.

Read more:

• Zimbabwe elections 2023: What you need to know

Thomas Naadi
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

The Gambia is enforcing mandatory inspections and testing of all drugs being imported from India. The tests will be done in India.

The new measures come after at least 70 children in the small West African nation died last year after taking Indian-made cough syrups.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said they had been contaminated with toxic chemicals commonly used in car brake fluid and other industrial products.

India later said that the medicines complied with specifications when tested at home, but the WHO responded that it stood by alerts issued for four of the cough syrups.

Other batches were later linked to the death of 19 children in Uzbekistan.

India, whose pharmaceutical industry makes a third of the world's medicine, has also made it compulsory since 1 June for cough-syrup makers to get samples tested before exporting their products.

The Gambia is considering possible legal action over the deaths.

More on the cough-syrup scandal:

• Mothers demand justice

Marcus Erbe
BBC World Service newsroom

Somalia's al-Shabab militant group says it has carried out two suicide attacks on military facilities.

Some reports say several people were killed in the explosions outside a military base in the south-western town of Bardere where Somali and Ethiopian soldiers are stationed.

The attack comes just hours after the African Union said it would reduce the number of troops it deploys in Somalia.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, Getty Images

Cholera is caused by dirty water, not mosquito nets, a senior official in Mozambique has said on a visit to a region where such misinformation has led to deadly violence in recent weeks.

Several health centres have been the target of attacks in Zambezia province, leaving one person dead, as angry communities blame them for an outbreak of cholera.

Eating food or drinking water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae causes severe diarrhoea that can kill someone within hours if left untreated.

Cristina Mafumo, the head of Mozambique’s Zambezia province, urged people to be vigilant about stopping misinformation over its cause.

She said health workers were there to help not hinder – and they should not become targets.

“Do you think the government will deliberately distribute the mosquito net to spread cholera?” she asked.

“That's not possible. So, we have to be attentive. There are people who come to distract us, starting to demonstrate and destroy our health units. This must stop.”

Mozambique has been battling cholera for several months with many areas suffering from poor water sanitation - a situation worsened by flooding caused by recent cyclones.

During her visit to the district of Namarroi, community leaders urged Ms Mafumo to get the government to do more to provide clean water.

More on this topic:

• Mozambique cholera: Why outbreaks have sparked unrest

Africa's top scorer at World Cups calls time on his career after a record 51 goals in 109 games for Ghana.

Dorcas Wangira
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Getty Images

One of 30 suspects being held in police custody for his alleged role in Kenya’s doomsday starvation cult has died.

Joseph Juma Buyuka - along with some of the other suspects - had gone on hunger strike at the beginning of the month in protest at his detention.

He was then moved to a hospital in the south-eastern town of Malindi, where he died.

“We suspect that the deceased died from complications associated with a hunger strike. We can only await for a post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death,” a senior prosecutor informed a court in Mombasa, Kenya’s main coastal town.

None of the suspects, including cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, have yet been charged as police continue their investigations.

The self-proclaimed pastor and the other suspects are believed to have encouraged members of the Good News International Church to starve themselves to death.

Since April, 336 bodies have been exhumed from shallow graves in a remote forest. More than 600 other people are missing.

Two other detained suspects who have been on hunger strike have been admitted to hospital in critical condition.

The court is to decide next Tuesday whether Mr Mackenzie will remain in police custody for another 60 days.

More on the starvation cult:

• 'My wife and six children followed Pastor Mackenzie'

BBC World Service
Newsroom

Image source, AFP

A prominent Tunisian journalist has been arrested on charges of insulting President Kais Said.

A judge ordered the detention of Zied el-Heni ahead of a trial in which he could be sentenced to five years in prison.

Tunisian activists have expressed concern over his health as he reportedly suffered a stroke some time ago.

In recent months, Tunisian judges have detained or opened investigations into more than 20 political, judicial, media and business figures associated with opposition to President Said.

The main opposition parties have condemned the arrests as politically motivated.

Image source, Getty Images

South African police are investigating the death of Tina Joemat-Pettersson, an MP for the governing African National Congress (ANC) who was recently involved in a bribery scandal.

There are suspicions that her death two weeks ago at the age of 59 might not have been due to natural causes.

Before she died, Ms Joemat-Pettersson was one of three MPs accused of trying to extort a bribe of around $33,000 (£26,000) from the husband of suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to make her impeachment inquiry “go away”.

All three denied the allegations.

Last week, Ms Mkhwebane released some recordings of conversations in which she alleges Ms Joemat-Pettersson is heard asking for the money.

Ms Joemat-Pettersson was a close ally of former President Jacob Zuma and served as a minister in his cabinet from 2009 until 2017.