Anthony Irungu
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, EPA

Kenya’s President William Ruto has praised the police for ensuring peace during recent opposition protests while a leading rights group has described their reaction as "an act of terrorism".

Over the past four months of demonstrations there have been several deaths, including 10 people being shot by police last week. Local media are reporting that six people died on Wednesday in clashes with the police.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), which is an NGO, said there was "a troubling pattern to show that [the] police’s actions and use of lethal force were premeditated".

But Mr Ruto characterised the response as the police protecting people and property.

"I congratulate the police for standing firm, for ensuring peace prevails and ensuring that all criminals are dealt with," Mr Ruto said.

There is no official death toll but Amnesty International says that police have killed at least 30 people since March, when the anti-government protests began.

A member of a civil society network monitoring the police response to protesters in the western counties of Kisumu and Migori said that security forces seem to be "enforcing a shoot-to-kill order".

The activist, who wanted to remain anonymous, said they have photographic evidence of people shot in the back with live ammunition.

"Last week on Wednesday, one police officer refused to follow the order to shoot at protesters and was beaten up by his colleagues and was hospitalised," the person added.

The opposition has called a series of rallies against the introduction of new taxes and the rising cost of living. Currently the country is experiencing the second day of a three-day protest.

Local and international groups and foreign diplomats have expressed deep concerns over the situation in Kenya and are urging both sides to seek a negotiated solution.

Image source, Metropolitan Police

After a more than decade-long process, steps by the British authorities to confiscate money stolen by a Nigerian former state governor, James Ibori, have nearly concluded, the Reuters news agency reports.

It quotes a British prosecutor as telling a court that it should retrieve $129m (£100m) from Ibori.

Previously, prosecutors have said that he stole an estimated $165m from the oil-rich Delta state in southern Nigeria.

Two years ago, the UK returned some $5.8m that Ibori had taken.

In 2012, after being extradited from Dubai to the UK, he was convicted on 10 counts of fraud. After serving some of his sentence in prison Ibori returned to Nigeria in 2017.

In a text message to Reuters he said that he would appeal against the confiscation order.

It is expected to be issued on Friday or soon after, Reuters says.

Yevgeny Prigozhin says "there will be no reduction in our programmes" in the continent.

The UK is sanctioning 13 individuals and businesses connected to Wagner Group activities in Mali, Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Wagner mercenaries have provided security services in several African countries.

Konstantin Aleksandrovitch Pikalov, sometimes referred to as the "right-hand man" of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, is among those named.

He is accused of human rights abuses.

Wagner fighters are also accused by the US of enriching themselves with illicit gold deals , externalon the continent.

Until an attempted mutiny last month, Wagner fighters played a key role in Russian's invasion of Ukraine.

"The Wagner Group is committing atrocities in Ukraine, as well as acting with impunity in countries like Mali, Central African Republic and Sudan," UK Development Minster Andrew Mitchell said.

"These sanctions expose despicable individuals who have commissioned violations of international humanitarian law, holding them to account for the severe harm they are inflicting on innocent civilians for financial gain."

Read more on this story:

• Wagner's network in Africa faces uncertain future

Image source, AFP

A million more people could be facing hunger in Burkina Faso in the next few months as the lack of security in parts of the country continues to have an impact, the NGO International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned.

Currently an estimated 2.2 million people - one in 10 of the population - are experiencing hunger, but the IRC says that that figure could reach 3.3 million by September.

As a result of a militant Islamist insurgency parts of the country are almost entirely cut off - food supplies rarely get through and health facilities are closing.

The IRC has highlighted the plight of people in the northern town of Djibo, which hosts more than 200,000 people forced from their homes elsewhere in the region. The food market, once thriving, is nearly empty and more than four in five of the local health clinics had shut, the IRC said.

Last year 11 soldiers died when a supply convoy escorted by the army on the way to Djibo was ambushed.

IRC has added its voice to the calls for more international attention to the plight of people in the country.

Burkina Faso is currently run by a military junta under the presidency of Captain Ibrahim Traoré. He took power last October promising to win back territory from the militants.

An unexplained blast in Johannesburg killed one person and injured 48 more, South African authorities say.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Leading Kenyan newspapers have called on President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga "to consider if they want any more blood on their individual hands" as the country experiences a second day of protests against recent tax increases.

Local media have reported that six people were killed on Wednesday in clashes between Kenyan police and protesters.

In a joint editorial, external today, The Standard, Daily Nation, The Star and People Daily said Kenya "stands on the precipice".

"Unless reason prevails, we could all very well tumble down into a dark and dangerous abyss from which it could be almost impossible to extricate ourselves," the editorial said.

It added that Mr Ruto and Mr Odinga have the "greatest responsibility to put out the fire before it spreads out of control".

The papers warned that Kenya was “not immune to civil wars” experienced in the past by neighbouring countries, saying the country could easily tip over into "full-scale genocide".

The press also urged protesters to demonstrate responsibly and called on police not to use excessive force against them.

This comes as a section of Kenyans on social media urged, external the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take note of alleged human rights violations committed by security forces against protesters.

Meanwhile, the Media Council of Kenya has condemned, external cases of police officers masquerading as journalists to arrest protesters. The media watchdog said the incidents endangered journalists in their line of work.

Read more on this story:

• Kenya Azimio demonstrations: 'I feel betrayed by William Ruto'

Priya Sippy
BBC News

Image source, Netflix

Netflix has debuted its first original African animation series, Supa Team 4.

The eight-part series is set in a futuristic version of Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, and tells the story of four female teenage superheroes who are on a mission to save their city.

Malenga Mulendema, Zambian writer and creator of the series, says that she hopes the series breaks ground for more African stories to be told on platforms like Netflix.

“The story is similar across the continent - the talent is there and the stories are there but the opportunities are few and far between.

“With partnerships with companies like Netflix, you have more chances to create and have the world see your stories.”

Image source, Netflix

Malenga Mulendema created the series after becoming one of the winners of a pan-Africa talent search by animation company Triggerfish and Disney.

Zambian rapper, singer and songwriter, Sampa the Great, has also lent her voice to the series, singing the show’s theme song.

“Animation series shaped our childhoods and to know young Zambians get to see what they’ve never seen on TV before is amazing!” she posted on Instagram, external.

The series will be available in English and Zulu.

The opposition call protests over tax hikes and rising prices, leading to clashes with police.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa

Authorities in the western Ethiopian region of Gambella have imposed a night-time curfew after scores were killed in fresh violence.

The curfew prohibits movement between 19:00 and 06:00.

The regional government has not specified casualty figures but vowed in a statement to hold to account “members of the leadership” that it said were involved in the “disturbance of peace”.

According to local media, the violence began earlier this week and has had ethnic dimensions with at least two areas witnessing clashes.

Sources in the regional capital, Gambella city, said businesses and offices were closed on Wednesday.

The region, which borders South Sudan, has seen recurring violence in recent months.

In May, at least seven were reportedly killed and more than a dozen wounded in clashes in Gambella city. Last year the city was raided by rebel fighters from neighbouring Oromia region with dozens killed.

Pumza Fihlani
BBC News, Johannesburg

Image source, Reuters

One person died and 48 were injured in an explosion which took place in the centre of the South African city of Johannesburg on Wednesday evening, the authorities say.

Addressing the media on Thursday, Panyaza Lesufi, the premier of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, said 12 casualties remain in hospital.

Emergency services are still on the scene assessing the damage and evacuating people where necessary.

Several streets have been closed to traffic in what is usually one of the busiest parts of South Africa's commercial hub.

Gauteng officials have said it is still unclear what led to the massive explosion but suspect it may have been cause by a rupture of some underground gas pipes.

On Wednesday evening, witnesses reported feeling the ground shake then hearing a loud bang moments before the earth opened, and a section of Breet street collapsed.

The blast overturned cars and minibus taxis. Video footage shows a stretch of the road which was split wide open from the incident.

Image source, AFP

Egypt's president has pardoned jailed rights activist Patrick Zaki and lawyer Mohammed al-Baqer, state media report.

The news comes a day after an emergency court found Mr Zaki guilty of "spreading false news" and sentenced him to three years in prison.

The judgement, based on an article he wrote about his life as a Coptic Christian, was widely condemned.

Mr Baqer represented pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah before they were jailed on the same charge in 2021.

Read more on this story from BBC News.

Mollie Perella
BBC World Service newsroom

A bodyguard of a opposition politician who was shot dead last week in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is being questioned by police.

The former transport minister, Cherubin Okende, was found dead in his car.

Attorney General Firmin Mvonde told a news conference that the fatal shot was fired from inside the vehicle, and the weapon was found next to Mr Okende.

He was a spokesman for the opposition party led by Moïse Katumbi, who is due to contest the presidential election scheduled for December.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Reuters

The founder of Russia's private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has told Afrique Media TV that his mercenaries will continue working in African countries where they are present.

"We continue to work in all the countries where we started or are now doing this work of co-operation and development," he said in an interview published, external on the pro-Kremlin TV’s Facebook page.

"If the assistance of the Wagner Group is needed anywhere to combat gangs and terrorists and to protect the interests of the people of these countries, we are ready to begin immediately to fulfil this task after agreeing on the conditions."

He added that “there was no, and there will be no reduction in our programmes in Africa".

His remarks followed rumours about the possible withdrawal of Wagner mercenaries from Mali and the Central African Republic. The rumours began circulating after Mr Prigozhin staged a short-lived mutiny in Russia on 24 June.

Rights groups have accused Wagner mercenaries of committing human rights abuses in Mali and CAR.

Our proverb of the day:

Image source, Getty Images

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

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

You can also get the latest updates at BBCAfrica.com and listen to the new Focus on Africa podcast for stories behind the news

A reminder of the day's wise words:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this photo of people cooling off by the River Nile in Egypt on a hot Wednesday:

Image source, AFP

Thomas Naadi
BBC News, Accra

An MP in Ghana is calling for the legislative body to investigate the activities of the US-based charity International Justice Mission (IJM), following a BBC Africa Eye expose of an anti-human trafficking scheme where children are wrongfully identified as victims.

The MP, Betty Krosbi, on Wednesday told her colleagues in parliament to reconsider the country’s anti-human trafficking laws which she says are often exploited by NGOs.

“International NGOs are taking advantage of our human trafficking law," to benefit their own organisations, she added.

"I would urge this house to reconsider the act on human trafficking and the children’s act once again to consider our cultural values and way of life as well to put proper systems in place to monitor and evaluate the activities of such organisations in Ghana," she said.

While condemning IJM's activities exposed by the BBC investigation, the lawmaker expressed concern about publications that suggest there is pervasive child trafficking in communities along Lake Volta.

BBC Africa Eye, in its latest investigative documentary, exposed how IJM was falsely identifying and separating children from their families, sometimes through violent means, while aiding local authorities to prosecute and jail their breadwinners.

The IJM told the BBC that it seeks to "provide the most effective support to authorities to stop child trafficking."

The group added that its "approach always has the welfare of the child at its core".

Read the investigation here.

Bassam Bounenni
BBC News, Tunis

Image source, AFP

In the middle of Tunisia's heatwave, I step out into the scorching heat.

Just a few minutes after venturing outside, my phone showed a warning of overheating before it shut down.

With an unprecedented 116.4F (46.9C) being recorded in the south-western city of Tozeur, doctors are advising people to stay hydrated and remain indoors in air conditioning.

As the North African country is experiencing a fifth consecutive year of drought, disturbances over water have been recorded in many areas, including the outskirts of the capital, Tunis.

In some other cities, power outages are making things even harder.

The heatwave is affecting all of North Africa.

In Morocco, the National Agency for Water and Forests has warned of a high risk of wildfires across the kingdom, while Algeria has recorded some of the hottest temperatures in the world, with 47.4C reported in the coastal region of Chlef.

During the last week of April, temperatures across the region were up to 15C higher than normal for the time of year.

The current heatwave is expected to persist until at least 28 July. Tunisia’s National Meteorological Institute suggests the peak has not yet been reached.

Image source, Getty Images

Sign language has become South Africa's 12th official language.

President Cyril Ramaphosa formally approved the Sign Language Bill into law during a ceremony in Pretoria.

Some of the country's other languages are Afrikaans, English, Xhosa and Zulu.

South Africa is the fourth country on the continent to recognise signing as an official language after Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

The South African National Deaf Association said the law was "long overdue". It's estimated that there are 600,000 deaf people in South Africa and 1.4 million with hearing loss.

Image source, AFP

A camel and several gazelles have been stolen and killed for food from the Sudan Animal Rescue sanctuary, the founder has told the BBC, blaming fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The RSF is one side of a civil war that is currently raging in Sudan.

Four gazelles were shot on two separate occasions as well as one camel on a third occasion, the rescue centre said.

The RSF fighters are also threatening to return to steal more animals, the sanctuary added.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify these incidents.

Speaking to the BBC Africa live page team, the founder and director of the centre condemned the acts as "savage".

"These acts of violence are putting our animals and our staff in danger. We have been working tirelessly for years protecting these wild animals and during this difficult time of war," Osman Salih said.

Mr Salih added that warring sides should not bomb the sanctuary because the wild animals pose a potential "risk" to the public if they break out.

The sanctuary also houses lions.