Ousmane Sonko has a passionate following among many young Senegalese peopleImage caption: Ousmane Sonko has a passionate following among many young Senegalese people
The main opposition party in Senegal says its leader, Ousmane Sonko, has ended a hunger strike he began following his arrest in late July.
Mr Sonko, a fierce critic of President Macky Sall, had been charged with insurrection, undermining state security and terrorist activity.
He had already been banned from standing in next year's presidential election after a court sentenced him to two years in prison for morally corrupting a young woman.
Muslim leaders had urged him to end his hunger strike.
He was admitted to intensive care unit last month after his health deteriorated.
That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now until Monday morning.
There will be an automated news feed here until then, plus you can get the latest updates at BBCAfrica.com and find out about stories behind the news on the Focus on Africa podcast.
A reminder of Friday's wise words:
Quote Message: One falsehood spoils a thousand truths." from An Ashanti proverb sent by Rexford Kingsley in Tema, Ghana
Mozambican First Lady Isaura Nyusi (L) next to her Ghanaian counterpart Rebecca Akufo-Addo at Maputo's main fish market earlier on FridayImage caption: Mozambican First Lady Isaura Nyusi (L) next to her Ghanaian counterpart Rebecca Akufo-Addo at Maputo's main fish market earlier on Friday
Rebecca Akufo-Addo is in town accompanying her husband, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo, on a three-day state visit to Mozambique. She has been shown the sights by First Lady Isaura Nyusi (below right).
Local vendors sell a variety of fish, lobster, prawns, calamari, crabs and clamsImage caption: Local vendors sell a variety of fish, lobster, prawns, calamari, crabs and clams
Concern in Kenya over safety of Worldcoin orb scans
Nation Media GroupCopyright: Nation Media Group
Worldcoin gives people digital coins in exchange for a scan of their eyeballsImage caption: Worldcoin gives people digital coins in exchange for a scan of their eyeballs
A Kenyan MP has raised health concerns about the infra-red light
used by Worldcoin’s eye-scanning orbs during a parliamentary probe into the cryptocurrency
project.
Worldcoin has been giving people digital coins in exchange for a
scan of their eyeballs - though last month it was ordered to stop signing up
Kenyan users pending an investigation over data privacy concerns.
MP Shakeel Shabir brought up the complaints when Health Minister
Susan Nakhumicha appeared before the parliamentary
committee on Thursday.
“I have five cases who have written to me, who claim that after
this scan they felt great discomfort. Their eyes were paining,” he said.
Ms Nakhumicha said as the orb had not been brought into Kenya as a
health device, its infra-red light had not been tested. She urged Kenyans who
may have developed health issues to seek medical help.
But the Worldcoin Foundation told the BBC: “Biometrics
including iris and facial scanning are safely used and captured all over the
world by private companies, health organisations and governments. Worldcoin is
no different when it comes to safety.
“More than two million people around the world have
registered with Worldcoin. We have not received any reports of health issues
following the orb-enabled proof of humanness verification process.”
Tools For Humanity, which developed the orb that Worldcoin uses,
has also tweeted to say the device
"complies with international standard specifications".
Drama in battle for Kenya's big sugar factory
AFPCopyright: AFP
Human rights groups and opposition politicians want President Ruto to apologise for his threatening commentsImage caption: Human rights groups and opposition politicians want President Ruto to apologise for his threatening comments
The battle for control of Kenya’s main sugar-producing factory has taken a dramatic turn this week.
Mumias Sugar, partly owned by the government, has been in trouble since 2019 and has been seeking new investment.
It has become ugly with various tycoons, including some from Uganda, wanting to gain control of the company.
President William Ruto has now waded in with a warning to the warring parties.
During a visit to sugar-growing areas in the west earlier in the week, he accused them of exploiting farmers and consumers, using some stark words: “I have told these crooks, thieves and conmen that they have three options. Either they leave Kenya, go to jail or travel to heaven. There isn’t any other option.”
The remarks outraged human rights groups, but they seem to have prompted one of the businessmen to withdraw his interest in Mumias Sugar - as he dropped various court cases on Thursday.
This has all proved a sweetener for those enthralled by the drama of it all - nonetheless the fate of Mumias Sugar still hangs in the balance.
SA police in deadly shoot-out before gang heist
SABCCopyright: SABC
The police say the shoot-out lasted 90 minutesImage caption: The police say the shoot-out lasted 90 minutes
Eighteen people have been killed during a shoot-out with police in the South African province of Limpopo, security offficials have said.
The officers confronted a gang of so-called cash-in-transit robbers, national broadcaster SABC reports.
The criminals target security vehicles carrying money.
The police also found explosives at the scene that they say were going to be used in a crime.
UN crisis warning over Niger junta's war-zone ban
Richard Hamilton & Thomas Naadi
BBC News
AFPCopyright: AFP
Roughly 4.3 million people in the West African country rely on humanitarian aidImage caption: Roughly 4.3 million people in the West African country rely on humanitarian aid
The United Nations has warned of an impending humanitarian crisis in Niger, after the new military junta suspended the activities of UN agencies in war zones.
On Thursday, Niger's interior ministry announced it was stopping UN agencies and other international organisations from working in what it called military operation zones because of the current security situation.
It did not specify which regions were affected.
The country has for years experienced insurgencies from Islamist militants, but security has deteriorated further since the coup that toppled President Mohammed Bazoum's government last month.
Shortly after taking over, military leaders said they had done so in order to better tackle the insurgencies.
The coup leader's suspension of the UN Humanitarian Air Service comes as less than half of Niger's health facilities are operational.
On Wednesday, the UN said the move has impeded the delivery of essential medicines and nutritional supplies. Other UN agencies have also been affected.
The global body is particularly worried about the fate of more than 600,000
refugees and more than 20,000 internally displaced people living
in dangerous conditions in the West African nation.
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
Get involved
AFPCopyright: AFP Ousmane Sonko has a passionate following among many young Senegalese peopleImage caption: Ousmane Sonko has a passionate following among many young Senegalese people 
Mozambican presidencyCopyright: Mozambican presidency Mozambican First Lady Isaura Nyusi (L) next to her Ghanaian counterpart Rebecca Akufo-Addo at Maputo's main fish market earlier on FridayImage caption: Mozambican First Lady Isaura Nyusi (L) next to her Ghanaian counterpart Rebecca Akufo-Addo at Maputo's main fish market earlier on Friday 
Mozambican presidencyCopyright: Mozambican presidency Maputo is renowned for its delicious seafoodImage caption: Maputo is renowned for its delicious seafood 
Mozambican presidencyCopyright: Mozambican presidency Local vendors sell a variety of fish, lobster, prawns, calamari, crabs and clamsImage caption: Local vendors sell a variety of fish, lobster, prawns, calamari, crabs and clams 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
Nation Media GroupCopyright: Nation Media Group Worldcoin gives people digital coins in exchange for a scan of their eyeballsImage caption: Worldcoin gives people digital coins in exchange for a scan of their eyeballs 
AFPCopyright: AFP Human rights groups and opposition politicians want President Ruto to apologise for his threatening commentsImage caption: Human rights groups and opposition politicians want President Ruto to apologise for his threatening comments 
SABCCopyright: SABC The police say the shoot-out lasted 90 minutesImage caption: The police say the shoot-out lasted 90 minutes 
AFPCopyright: AFP Roughly 4.3 million people in the West African country rely on humanitarian aidImage caption: Roughly 4.3 million people in the West African country rely on humanitarian aid 
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The main opposition party in Senegal says its leader, Ousmane Sonko, has ended a hunger strike he began following his arrest in late July.
Mr Sonko, a fierce critic of President Macky Sall, had been charged with insurrection, undermining state security and terrorist activity.
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Muslim leaders had urged him to end his hunger strike.
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We'll be back on Monday morning
That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now until Monday morning.
There will be an automated news feed here until then, plus you can get the latest updates at BBCAfrica.com and find out about stories behind the news on the Focus on Africa podcast.
A reminder of Friday's wise words:
Click here to send us your African proverbs.
Before we go, some snaps of something fishy...
Rebecca Akufo-Addo is in town accompanying her husband, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo, on a three-day state visit to Mozambique. She has been shown the sights by First Lady Isaura Nyusi (below right).
And we leave you with this image of a model in Kenya posing as part of a collaborative project involving photography, sculpture and art - one of our favourites from this week's gallery of top shots from around Africa.
Concern in Kenya over safety of Worldcoin orb scans
A Kenyan MP has raised health concerns about the infra-red light used by Worldcoin’s eye-scanning orbs during a parliamentary probe into the cryptocurrency project.
Worldcoin has been giving people digital coins in exchange for a scan of their eyeballs - though last month it was ordered to stop signing up Kenyan users pending an investigation over data privacy concerns.
MP Shakeel Shabir brought up the complaints when Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha appeared before the parliamentary committee on Thursday.
“I have five cases who have written to me, who claim that after this scan they felt great discomfort. Their eyes were paining,” he said.
Ms Nakhumicha said as the orb had not been brought into Kenya as a health device, its infra-red light had not been tested. She urged Kenyans who may have developed health issues to seek medical help.
The results of Kenyan forensic analysis of Worldcoin’s orb are reportedly expected next week.
But the Worldcoin Foundation told the BBC: “Biometrics including iris and facial scanning are safely used and captured all over the world by private companies, health organisations and governments. Worldcoin is no different when it comes to safety.
“More than two million people around the world have registered with Worldcoin. We have not received any reports of health issues following the orb-enabled proof of humanness verification process.”
Tools For Humanity, which developed the orb that Worldcoin uses, has also tweeted to say the device "complies with international standard specifications".
Drama in battle for Kenya's big sugar factory
The battle for control of Kenya’s main sugar-producing factory has taken a dramatic turn this week.
Mumias Sugar, partly owned by the government, has been in trouble since 2019 and has been seeking new investment.
It has become ugly with various tycoons, including some from Uganda, wanting to gain control of the company.
President William Ruto has now waded in with a warning to the warring parties.
During a visit to sugar-growing areas in the west earlier in the week, he accused them of exploiting farmers and consumers, using some stark words: “I have told these crooks, thieves and conmen that they have three options. Either they leave Kenya, go to jail or travel to heaven. There isn’t any other option.”
The remarks outraged human rights groups, but they seem to have prompted one of the businessmen to withdraw his interest in Mumias Sugar - as he dropped various court cases on Thursday.
This has all proved a sweetener for those enthralled by the drama of it all - nonetheless the fate of Mumias Sugar still hangs in the balance.
SA police in deadly shoot-out before gang heist
Eighteen people have been killed during a shoot-out with police in the South African province of Limpopo, security offficials have said.
The officers confronted a gang of so-called cash-in-transit robbers, national broadcaster SABC reports.
The criminals target security vehicles carrying money.
Speaking after travelling to the scene National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said that a team of officers pounced on the gang as they were planning to carry out a heist.
The shoot-out lasted 90 minutes, during which the suspects - 16 men and two women - were killed and one police officer was seriously injured, he said.
The police also found explosives at the scene that they say were going to be used in a crime.
UN crisis warning over Niger junta's war-zone ban
Richard Hamilton & Thomas Naadi
BBC News
The United Nations has warned of an impending humanitarian crisis in Niger, after the new military junta suspended the activities of UN agencies in war zones.
On Thursday, Niger's interior ministry announced it was stopping UN agencies and other international organisations from working in what it called military operation zones because of the current security situation.
It did not specify which regions were affected.
The country has for years experienced insurgencies from Islamist militants, but security has deteriorated further since the coup that toppled President Mohammed Bazoum's government last month.
Shortly after taking over, military leaders said they had done so in order to better tackle the insurgencies.
The coup leader's suspension of the UN Humanitarian Air Service comes as less than half of Niger's health facilities are operational.
On Wednesday, the UN said the move has impeded the delivery of essential medicines and nutritional supplies. Other UN agencies have also been affected.
The global body is particularly worried about the fate of more than 600,000 refugees and more than 20,000 internally displaced people living in dangerous conditions in the West African nation.
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