1. Scroll down for Monday's storiespublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    We'll be back on Tuesday morning

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

    In the meantime, you can get the latest updates on the BBC News website and listen to the Focus on Africa podcast.

    A reminder of Monday's wise words:

    Quote Message

    The snake was denied lime because of his ruthlessness

    An Oromo proverb from Ethiopia sent by Abrish Osman in Ethiopia

    And we leave you with this photo of a woman enjoying the snow in Johannesburg on Monday.

    Woman in the snowImage source, AFP
  2. Why Kenyan education needs to 'shift'published at 17:48 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    The Kenyan education system needs to "shift" so that young people are equipped with the skills necessary to work in the informal sector, the head of Mesh, an organisation that’s helping young people doing informal jobs in Kenya, told the BBC's Focus on Africa podcast.

    Anuj Tanna described these informal jobs as the likes of motorcycle delivery drivers, small kiosk operators and micro-entrepreneurs selling goods on Instagram.

    “One million young people in Kenya alone are entering the job market every single year. Less than 70,000 jobs are created," he added, pointing out that many of the opportunities are in the informal sector.

    Once these young people are equipped with the right skills, they have "massive potential" Mr Tanna said, pointing out that they would save more money and hire more people.

    Listen to Focus on Africa here.

  3. Rights group condemns East Africa oil projectpublished at 17:26 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Will Ross
    Africa editor, BBC World Service

    Human Rights Watch says a major oil project in East Africa will have dire consequences for the environment and local communities.

    The French oil company Total and a Chinese state-owned oil firm signed a $10bn (£8bn) deal last year to develop Ugandan oil fields and build a 1,400km (870 mile) pipeline to the Tanzanian port of Tanga.

    The New York-based rights group says the project will harm fragile ecosystems.

    It says some of the tens of thousands of people being displaced have been poorly treated.

    The European parliament has also denounced the project for similar reasons. Total has denied the allegations.

    Despite the criticism, President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to go ahead with the project.

  4. East Africa bloc suggests military deployment to Sudanpublished at 17:05 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Will Ross
    Africa editor, BBC World Service

    RubbleImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Millions have fled their homes in Sudan after violence erupted

    Senior officials from east African countries have suggested a military deployment to Sudan where a three-month war is escalating.

    Meeting in Ethiopia, the regional body Igad said sending in an East African stand-by force could help protect civilians and guarantee humanitarian access.

    Given how intense the fighting is right now and the general lawlessness, it seems doubtful that any troops would be sent in soon.

    An international presence is also likely to be opposed by the two sides fighting the war.

    The meeting was meant to see face to face talks between the Sudanese army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

    However an Igad statement said it was regrettable that the army delegation chose not to attend.

    The Sudanese military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has accused Kenya - the regional body's chair - of failing to be neutral and supporting the RSF.

    Read more about the war in Sudan:

  5. Tunisia halts paying the salaries of 17,000 teacherspublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    BBC World Service

    Empty classroomImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Almost a third of the country's primary school teachers are affected

    Tunisian authorities have suspended the salary payments of 17,000 teachers and sacked 350 school principals.

    The move affects nearly a third of the country’s primary school teachers, and follows widespread recent protests by education staff across the country.

    These protests have included refusing to hand in the school grades of pupils.

    The Tunisian government has insisted that the country’s dire economic problems mean that the teachers’ pay demands are unaffordable.

    Tunisia is facing high inflation, rising unemployment and severe shortages of some staple foods.

  6. 'Tuna bond' scandal minister to be handed to FBIpublished at 16:02 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Mozambique's ex-finance minister is to be tried in the US after five years in a South African jail.

    Read More
  7. Kenya court frustrates government plans to raise taxespublished at 15:45 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Will Ross
    Africa editor, BBC World Service

    RutoImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    President Ruto wants to implement the controversial hikes to pay off debts and fund projects

    In a blow to the Kenyan government, a court has dismissed a request by the state to lift the suspension of a new finance law which would lead to significant tax increases.

    President William Ruto's government plans to double a fuel tax and other levies in order to increase its revenue to pay debts and fund projects.

    Ten days ago the government said it was facing a budgetary crisis after a high court in Nairobi effectively halted the tax hikes.

    The opposition called for nationwide protests against the taxes.

    On Friday three people died and dozens were arrested when the police broke up demonstrations around the country.

  8. Dozens of al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia - reportspublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Abdi Dahir
    BBC Monitoring, Nairobi

    Somalia security guardsImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Somalia's government launched a major offensive against al-Shabab last year

    Joint Somali special forces, backed by foreign troops, are reported to have killed at least 40 members of the al-Qaeda-allied al-Shabab militant group in recent operations involving ground and air strikes in Somalia’s Lower Jubba region.

    Somali state media say the operations took place in Welmarow village near Afmadow town.

    The state-run Somali National News Agency said the army seized Welmarow village and Hagar town after destroying al-Shabab hideouts and a weapons depot.

    However, pro al-Shabab media report the group has regained control of Hagar town.

    According to Kenya’s Star newspaper, Kenyan forces that are part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis) took part in the operations.

    Al-Shabab controls swathes of Lower Jubba and the entire Middle Jubba region in southern Somalia.

    In August 2022, the Somali federal government announced that it had launched a major offensive to recapture territory from al-Shabab.

  9. Rare snow stuns South Africans during cold snappublished at 14:34 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    For the first time in over a decade, snow and sleet have fallen in the city of Johannesburg.

    Read More
  10. Gabon's president announces third-term bidpublished at 14:17 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    President Ali Bongo OndimbaImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    President Ali Bongo Ondimba last won elections in 2016

    Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba has announced that he will seek a third term in office in presidential elections planned for August.

    The Bongo family has already ruled Gabon for 55 years.

    Ali Bongo took over in 2009 from his father Omar Bongo, who had himself been in power for more than 40 years.

    The last elections held in 2016 were marred by claims of fraud. Mr Bongo defeated opposition candidate Jean Ping by less than 6,000 votes.

    Mr Ping declared himself the winner and contested those results.

    His passport was later confiscated and he was only allowed to leave the country this year after a five-year travel ban.

  11. Spain searches for missing boat carrying 200 Africanspublished at 13:28 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    BBC World Service

    Spanish coastguard vesselImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    The Spanish coastguard has been attempting to save migrants from the seas off its border for several years

    The Spanish authorities are searching the ocean off the Canary Islands for a boat that went missing more than a week ago carrying at least 200 African migrants.

    A search plane is scouring the waters south of the Spanish islands and other ships in the area have been asked to look out for the missing vessel.

    The boat sailed from Kafountine, a coastal town in southern Senegal 1,700km (around 1,000 miles) from the Canaries.

    Aid workers say many children are on board.

    Two smaller boats from the same area - carrying dozens of people - are also said to be missing.

  12. Children wrongly taken in raids backed by US charitypublished at 12:38 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Ghanaian children wrongly labelled as trafficked are being taken from their homes, BBC Africa Eye finds.

    Read More
  13. Johannesburg sees first snowfall since 2012published at 12:31 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Pumza Fihlani
    BBC News, Johannesburg

    People in Johannesburg suburb playing in the snowImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Snow is a rare occurrence in Johannesburg

    Johannesburg has seen its first snowfall since 2012, as cold weather is sweeping across much of the country. Residents are being advised to take extra precautions to stay warm and farmers to provide shelter for livestock.

    South Africa’s weather service said snow has also been reported in Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

    "The public is advised to keep warm during these conditions," said the South African Weather Service (Saws) in a statement.

    Weather experts have also advised initiation schools in the Eastern Cape to be extra vigilant over the next week as they keep watch over hundreds of teenage boys undergoing traditional circumcision rites on isolated mountainsides across the province - a practice seen as a rite of passage into manhood amongst the Xhosa ethnic group.

    The cold conditions are expected to continue throughout the week.

    "No major disruptions have been caused by the snowfall at this stage," Saws spokesperson Hannelee Doubell told the BBC.

  14. Regional summit for Sudan peace under waypublished at 11:59 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Will Ross
    Africa editor, BBC World Service

    A regional summit aimed at mediating an end to the war in Sudan is under way in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

    Under the leadership of the East African regional body Igad, the meeting is supposed to bring together representatives of the Sudanese army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

    However the Sudanese foreign ministry has accused Kenya, the current Igad chair, of not being neutral - something the Nairobi government denies.

    Correspondents say this allegation dampens any real hope that the talks can lead to a ceasefire.

    The three month-long conflict has displaced around three million people and is threatening the stability of the entire region.

    There are widespread reports of atrocities committed against the civilian population - especially by militias allied to the RSF in the Darfur region.

  15. SA archbishop surprised after Pope promotes him to cardinalpublished at 11:23 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Cardinal with rosaryImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    After the Pope, cardinals occupy the most important rank in the Catholic church

    A South African archbishop who has just been promoted to a cardinal by Pope Francis has expressed bewilderment and confusion about his upcoming ascension to one of the top ranks of the Catholic Church.

    "I have been taken by surprise and to be honest - I feel quite confused and bewildered at the moment,” Archbishop Stephen Brislin from Cape Town said.

    He added that he hoped he could follow the good example of previous cardinals.

    His comments come after the pope appointed 21 new cardinals, three of whom are African.

    The others are Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla of Juba, South Sudan and Archbishop Protase Rugambwa of Tabora Archdiocese in Tanzania.

    There've been calls for greater African representation in the Catholic church.

    It was highlighted in January that none of the continent's cardinals hold major offices within the institution.

    The ceremony to install the new cardinals is set to take place at the end of September.

  16. Nigeria's President Tinubu becomes new Ecowas chairpublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Chris Ewokor
    BBC News, Abuja

    TinubuImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Tinubu, who won the election in February, has already promised sweeping changes in Nigeria

    Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has become the new chair of the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, taking over from Guinea Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and is expected to lead the group for the next year.

    It was announced at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Ecowas leadership, at his first engagement within the African continent since he assumed office in May.

    President Tinubu pledged to bear the responsibility of the office and run the regional organisation as an inclusive administration

    “We will take democracy seriously. Democracy is very tough but it is the best form of government," he said.

    He added that the region was threatened by insecurity following activities of Islamist extremists groups as well as political crisis following military coups in some countries.

    "The threat has reached an alarming level, and needs urgent actions in addressing the challenges. Indeed, without a peaceful environment, progress and development in the region will continue to remain elusive," he said

    "In this regard, we must remain committed to the utilisation of all regional frameworks at our disposal to address the menace of insecurity,” he added.

    His Ecowas chairmanship comes while an ongoing legal challenge to the legitimacy of his Nigerian election victory remains in play.

  17. East African officials arrive in Ethiopia for Sudan talkspublished at 10:09 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Will Ross
    Africa editor, BBC World Service

    William RutoImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Kenya has pledged neutrality on the conflict, local media says

    Officials from across East Africa have started arriving in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in the latest effort to mediate between the warring sides in Sudan.

    The three month-long conflict has displaced around three million people and is threatening the stability of the entire region.

    The Sudanese army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are expected to send representatives to the summit.

    There are widespread reports of atrocities committed against the civilian population - especially by militias allied to the RSF in the Darfur region.

    Several previous attempts at securing a ceasefire had limited success and the UN is now warning of a wider civil war.

    Sudan's military leader Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had said that he would not attend the summit after rejecting Kenya's leadership of the peace efforts for allegedly lacking impartiality.

    Kenya has previously pledged neutrality on the conflict, local media reports., external

  18. Cholera warning as South African death toll nears 50published at 09:15 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Cat Wiener
    BBC World Service Newsroom

    A man filling a water bottle in South Africa.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Safe drinking water and sanitation are crucial in preventing cholera

    The health authorities in South Africa are urging residents of the province of Gauteng to be vigilant about the liquids they consume as the death toll from a winter outbreak of cholera rises to nearly 50.

    Unions and community groups have demanded more government intervention to improve water quality.

    Most of the deaths over the last six weeks have occurred in the Hammanskraal area, where residents say they have battled for weeks for access to clean water, but there have been cases across the country.

    In many areas, tap water is unsafe and people are forced to rely on government tankers.

    Cholera, which is mainly spread by contaminated food and water, causes acute diarrhoea and vomiting and can kill within hours if untreated.

  19. Wise words for Monday 10 July 2023published at 09:15 British Summer Time 10 July 2023

    Our proverb of the day:

    Quote Message

    The snake was denied lime because of his ruthlessness.

    An Oromo proverb from Ethiopia sent by Abrish Osman in Ethiopia

    An Eastern Green Mamba.Image source, Getty Images

    Click here to send us your African proverbs.

  20. Richard Fordpublished at 01:00 British Summer Time 9 July 2023

    Richard Ford talks to Alex Clark about his latest novel Be Mine. Ford has written about American life through his character Frank Bascombe for nearly forty years though The Sportswriter to Independence Day and Lay of the Land. This time Frank undertakes a road trip across the country with his son who is dying of ALS - a form of motor neurone disease – and their journey is both tender and tough, filled with wit. Ford discusses his writing, passion for observation and unerring faith in the US political institutions.

    Richard T Kelly, author of Crusaders and The Knives, takes his keen political eye in his new novel to the early days of North Sea oil exploration. Alex talks to Richard Kelly about The Black Eden, the story of his five young men whose lives are shaped by the black gold that lies beneath the sea.

    And, as the fighting in Sudan continues, writer Fatin Abbas tells us about three novels which help to shed light on the country's complex history.

    Book List – Sunday 9 July and Thursday 13 July

    Be Mine by Richard Ford The Sportswriter by Richard Ford Independence Day by Richard Ford The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford Guests of the Nation by Frank O'Connor Black Eden by Richard T Kelly Crusaders by Richard T Kelly The Knives by Richard T Kelly What Maisie Knew by Henry James Oil! By Upton Sinclair Cities of Salt by Abdul Rahman Munif: Translated by Peter Theroux Oil on Water by Helon Habila Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas River Spirit by Leila Aboulela Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih: Translated by Denys Johnson-Davies Edo’s Souls by Stella Gaitano: Translated by Sawad Hussain