An official report finds 100m runner Nasra Abubakar Ali is "not a sports person, nor a runner".

Morocco has qualified for the next round of the Women's World Cup after defeating Colombia 1-0.

The victory sealed second place in the group.

Morocco's progress in the World Cup is at the expense of Germany - one of the tournament's favourites. Germany could only manage a 1-1 draw against South Korea and ended up taking the third spot in the group.

Morocco will play France next Tuesday in the round-of-16.

From the African teams, the Atlas Lionesses join Nigeria and South Africa in the knock-out stages.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa

Fighting continues to be reported in several areas of Ethiopia’s Amhara region between local militias and government troops.

Clashes are taking place on the outskirts of Gondar, one of the biggest cities in the region. Residents have told the BBC that transport services have stopped, with intense fighting around the city’s airport.

People in Amhara have confirmed to the BBC that mobile data services have been cut in some of the major cities and towns within the region - including the capital, Bahir Dar.

In Lalibela, home to famous rock-hewn churches, militias were in control of the airport on Wednesday, disrupting flights.

Images on social media show protesters supporting local militias, known as the Fano, continuing to block roads with rocks and trees to disrupt movements of the army.

Media outlets and activists linked to the group claim say they have gained control of several towns and small villages. The BBC has not independently confirmed the claims.

There are also reports of prisons and police stations being broken into in some towns.

In a statement posted on social media, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen called the recent developments “alarming”.

The region has seen simmering tensions and sporadic clashes since authorities announced the disbandment of a state-backed paramilitary group with opponents of the move saying it would expose the region to attacks.

Image source, Getty Images

The leaders of Nigeria's main trade union federations have suspended a nationwide strike over the rising cost of living and agreed to further talks with the government.

President Bola Tinubu's removal of the subsidy on the petrol price is at the heart of the issue.

The unions had given the government until Wednesday to reverse the decision on the subsidy.

As the authorities refused to budge, the unions called their members out and organised marches in cities across the country on Wednesday.

But a statement from the Nigerian presidency said that the unions had now agreed to further talks.

"Consequent upon the fruitful and frank discussion with President Tinubu and their confidence in his ability to encourage open and honest consideration of all the issues put forward by the labour movement, the labour leaders resolved to stop further protest," it said.

The Reuters news agency is quoting the Nigeria Labour Congress as saying that it had "decided for a return to a new and reinvigorated dialogue process".

Mr Tinubu has embarked on a series of economic reforms since becoming president in May.

He said the removal of the petrol subsidy, which cost the government $10bn (£8bn) last year, would enable the authorities to spend more money on targeted programmes to help the less well off.

The government says 14 Britons were on the French flight, with "a very small number" remaining in Niger.

Mike Thomson
BBC World Service News

Image source, AFP

A Tunisian singer who was hailed as the voice of the country's uprising in 2011 has had a forthcoming show cancelled after performing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Last month Emel Mathlouthi performed in Bethlehem, Ramallah and East Jerusalem to Palestinian audiences.

Following the tour she was accused by pro-Palestinian campaigners of promoting “normalisation” with Israel – and her performance at next week’s Hammamet International Festival in Tunisia has been cancelled.

Ms Mathlouthi said she had been the victim of a “big misinformation campaign” – and the move was “unjustified” because she didn’t perform in Israel.

Hundreds of foreign nationals have already been evacuated from the country since a coup last week.

The authorities say they have data privacy concerns over Sam Altman's new cryptocurrency project.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

People have been gathering at a square in central Niamey, the capital of Niger, to show their support for last week's military coup.

On the anniversary of the country's independence a coalition of civil society organisations called for people to turn up to denounce the sanctions imposed by the West African regional bloc, Ecowas.

It says if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated it could use force.

A sizeable crowd of mostly young men has shown up at independence square.

There are anti French slogans and a few Russian flags.

Despite this show of support for the men who overthrew the president, many in Niger are against the coup.

There is a view that it was a move by senior soldiers who were at risk of being replaced and losing their power.

But now as they seek to justify the power grab, anti-French sentiment is being whipped up.

It's a carbon copy of events in Mali and Burkina Faso where the coup leaders then strengthened ties with Russia.

Journalist Amaury Hauchard has been sharing stills and video, external from the demonstration in Niamey:

Image source, X

Nigeria's army has said it has not received an order "to commence military action against the military junta in Niger".

In a statement reacting to a report that Nigerian soldiers were mobilising in preparation, a spokesperson said that the armed forces could not begin a mission on behalf of the regional group, Ecowas, without the mandate from the heads of state.

Brig Gen Tukur Gusau said that the "military option was the last option to be taken in case every other option fails to reverse the situation" in Niger.

Military chiefs are currently meeting in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to "submit their plans" to the region's leaders.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

The Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, has expressed concern over the "worrying" security situation in the Amhara region.

Since April the security situation in Amhara has been deteriorating following the decision to disband the region’s state-backed paramilitary group.

The military has been engaged in an offensive against armed groups in the region.

"We seem to be on the brink of finishing one another and perishing together, with no elders, wise people and religious leaders to advise," he posted on his Facebook page.

"There could be grievances that have not been addressed, but the best way to solve them is dialogue as any other means will only hinder efforts to address the same grievances, make us lose what we have and complicate issues that we want solved permanently," he added.

Local militias are reported to have taken control of major towns in the region, including the historical town of Lalibela.

Professional Fighters League star Frans Mlambo and boss Peter Murray on the plan for PFL Africa, led by Cameroon's Francis Ngannou.

Cat Wiener
BBC World Service Newsroom

Image source, AFP

The lawyer for a Moroccan man accused of criticising the country's king on social media has told journalists his client has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Said Boukioud was charged with "undermining the monarchy" for comments he posted on Facebook in 2020 criticising Morocco's normalisation of ties with Israel.

He was living in Qatar at the time.

The Moroccan constitution stipulates that foreign affairs are the responsibility of King Mohammed VI and any comments that appear to question his authority are severely penalised.

Mr Boukioud's lawyer, El Hassan Essouni, described the sentence as "harsh and incomprehensible" and said his client would appeal.

Nkechi Ogbonna
West Africa Business Journalist, BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

The leader of last week's military coup in Niger has condemned sanctions imposed on the country by the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, as "illegal, unjust and inhumane".

Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani insisted his government would not give in to regional or international pressure to reinstate Niger's elected President, Mohammed Bazoum.

In a televised speech, Gen Tchiani also insisted French nationals had nothing to fear.

Paris has confirmed it has evacuated nearly 1,000 people, including 560 French citizens, after its embassy in Niamey came under attack from demonstrators on Sunday.

The US State Department late on Wednesday announced a partial evacuation of its embassy in Niger, with non-essential staff and their families urged to leave.

An Ecowas delegation led by Nigeria’s former military head of state, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar is in Niamey, Niger’s capital, to mediate with the coup leaders.

West African military chiefs have also been meeting in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.

Nigeria’s military defence spokesperson, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, told the BBC: “the military solution will be the last option”.

Their military plan is to be presented on Friday to Ecowas heads of state, who will then decide the bloc’s next course of action on Niger.

Cat Wiener
BBC World Service Newsroom

Image source, AFP

The French foreign ministry has called on Niger's coup leaders to fully guarantee the safety of its embassy in Niamey.

The appeal comes ahead of more demonstrations planned in the capital on Thursday.

Last Sunday, demonstrators attacked the diplomatic mission, prompting France to organise a mass evacuation of its citizens from Niger.

Pro-coup activists in the West African country - including groups sympathetic to the Russian mercenary Wagner Group - have been demanding French and US military units leave their country.

Earlier, the US ordered all non-emergency staff at its embassy in Niamey to leave and advised its nationals not to travel to the country.

Image source, AFP

At least 20 people have died after a boat capsized in Ugandan waters on Lake Victoria.

The overloaded boat was believed to have had 34 people on board when the accident happened on Wednesday, the police said.

Nine people were rescued, they said.

The boat had also been “carrying bags of charcoal, fresh foods, silver fish among others" according to a police statement posted on social media., external

They attributed the cause of the accident to overloading and bad weather.

Rescue efforts by joint police, military and local community teams were under way on Wednesday trying to locate the missing people.

“We appeal to members of the public who travel on waters to always wear life jackets and not to over load [sic] their vessels,” the police statement added.

Boat accidents are not uncommon in Uganda.

In 2020, at least 26 people died on Lake Albert on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Two years earlier, dozens of people died after a boat carrying about 100 party revellers capsized in Lake Victoria near the capital Kampala.

Read more on the boat accident in 2018:

• From revelry to tragedy on Uganda's party boat

Our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

A South African puppet play, based on a novel by JM Coetzee, is featuring at the Edinburgh Fringe.

That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team - we'll be back on Thursday morning.

Until then you can find the latest updates at BBCAfrica.com and listen to the Focus on Africa podcast for stories behind the news.

A reminder of our wise words of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave with this photo of Rwandan basketballer Sifa Ineza, who has scored 19 points in a match against Uganda to usher her team into their first ever semi-finals at the Women's AfroBasket competition in Kigali - taken by the BBC's Samba Cyuzuzo:

South Africa's dramatic progress to the Women's World Cup last 16 is dedicated to the entire country, says Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis.