Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service is set to stop operating in South Africa, local media report.

The company has notified its South African users that they will not be able to access the internet from the end of the month as Starlink is not registered there, privately owned News 24 website reported, external.

The announcement comes days after Starlink notified its users in Zimbabwe that it would disable services, external there following a directive by the communications regulator, as it was not authorised to operate in the country.

Starlink also reportedly cut off services in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month at the prompting of the country's regulators.

It has also been banned in Botswana, after local authorities rejected its application for a licence.

Although costly, some Africans have opted to install Starlink as it provides a more reliable internet connection compared to many local alternatives, especially in remote rural areas.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Little more than a week after Mozambique's worst sea disaster in recent memory, another boating accident has claimed lives.

A family of 12 were travelling by canoe in the central district of Caia when their vessel sank. Eight of them died and two remain missing. Most of those who died were children, reports the AFP agency.

They had all been heading a nearby island for family farming activities. Two of the passengers survived.

Rescue efforts were paused for bad weather but have carried on since Tuesday morning, says Caia district official Nobre dos Santos.

The accident happened on Monday on one of the tributaries of the mighty Zambezi River, says state broadcaster Radio Mozambique.

Last week Mozambique's government launched an inquiry into a ferry disaster that killed dozens of passengers.

Related stories:

• 'I survived the ferry disaster - but lost 17 of my family'
• A quick guide to Mozambique

Image source, Getty Images

Everybody who is allowed to fly a non-commercial aircraft in Nigeria is now having their licence re-assessed, says a top official.

Capt Chris Najomo, the acting head of Nigeria's civil aviation authority, says three private jets have already had their licences suspended following weeks of increased surveillance, external.

He said there was "zero tolerance for [the] violation of regulations" in Nigeria's airspace.

According to Capt Najomo, all holders of such private flying permits - known as PNCFs - now have three days to submit their paperwork before the deadline.

Image source, AFP

Several traders in Uganda's capital, Kampala, have closed their businesses on Tuesday in protest at the enforcement of a controversial tax invoicing system, local media reports.

Many businesspeople believe the new system will complicate their operations and result in them paying more taxes. They also say the software is too expensive.

The Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing System (EFRIS) was launched by the tax agency in January 2021 to track sales and taxes in real-time. It has only recently been enforced among small-scale traders, sparking protests.

Last week, traders in Kampala and other major cities held two-day demonstrations against the enforcement of the system.

Uganda's Revenue Authority has pushed ahead with the system despite traders' concerns, arguing that its adoption will curb tax evasion and make it easier for businesses to file tax returns.

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya is hosting a regional conference on boosting girls' education in East Africa.

Their goal is to challenge societal norms that exclude some girls from mainstream education, by using culturally sensitive approaches.

More than 100 stakeholders from Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya are to take part in the three-day meeting, which kicks off in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Another key focus is boosting support systems for vulnerable girls - including pregnant girls, teenage mothers and girls with disabilities.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa

Fighting has flared up in one of the disputed areas between Ethiopia’s Tigray and Amhara regions in a rare episode of violence after a peace accord signed in late 2022 ended one of Africa’s deadliest wars.

Raya Alamata district - claimed by both regions - had been under southern Tigray before war broke out but has since been seized by Amhara forces.

Residents told the BBC that fighting began over the weekend and continued for days.

Amhara officials accused fighters aligned with the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) of launching offensives, while the head of Southern Tigray said Amhara militiamen opened fire.

The opposition National Movement of the Amhara (NaMA) in a statement blamed the TPLF which it said was launching “an invasion.”

Getachew Reda, the head of Tigray’s interim administration, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), blamed “diehard enemies” of the peace deal “from near or far” for the recent incidents without giving further details.

He said the reported violence did not entail conflicts between Tigrayan forces and the federal government or between the neighbouring regions Tigray and Amhara.

It is not clear if there are any casualties but pro-Amhara media outlets reported that Tigrayan forces advanced into some of the district on Monday.

The Ethiopian federal government has recently said the army would control disputed areas until a resolution is made.

There are concerns that this could further complicate the conflict that has been raging since August last year in Amhara - Ethiopia’s second most populous region - between local militias and the army.

Image source, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights/X

Nine women who had been arrested in Zimbabwe for allegedly booing the first lady have had the charges dropped, local media report.

They were withdrawn on the instructions of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, the reports said, citing presidential spokesperson George Charamba.

"Both the first lady and police commissioner general agreed the officers on the ground overreacted," Mr Charamba was quoted as saying.

The women, who ranged in age between 19 and 49, were said to have allegedly booed Mrs Mnangagwa after missing out on food and clothing handouts that she was distributing at a charity event in the eastern Manicaland province last Wednesday.

"Prosecutors charged that the women, who were seated on the ground stood up and started booing the first lady while she was making her closing remarks during her address intending to disrupt her speech and show disgruntlement that they had not received anything from her," the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR), who represented the women in court, said.

They had been accused of “unlawful, abusive and insulting” behaviour towards the first lady and were subsequently charged with disorderly conduct, ZHLR added.

The organisation said the women denied the charges, arguing that they had been arrested for leaving the event while the first lady was still speaking.

Image source, NAFDAC

A batch of the children's cough syrup manufactured by Johnson & Johnson in 2021 has now been recalled by drug authorities in six African countries.

This is after Nigeria's drug agency warned that it contained high levels of a toxic and potentially fatal substance.

Drug regulators in Tanzania and Zimbabwe are the latest to recall the syrup as a precautionary measure, although Zimbabwe's Medicines Control Authority said there was no record of the syrup being imported into the country.

Last week, Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (Nafdac) recalled a batch of the Benylin Pediatric syrup after detecting the toxic substance Diethylene glycol in it.

A few days later, Kenya's pharmacy board ordered a halt in the sale of the syrup, acting on Nafdac's advice.

They were then followed by drug authorities in South Africa and Rwanda, who recalled the syrup during the weekend.

Diethylene glycol has been linked to the recent deaths of dozens of children in Cameroon and The Gambia.

Human consumption of the substance causes multiple adverse effects, including acute kidney injury, which may lead to death.

The recalled Benylin Paediatric syrup, batch no 329304 was manufactured in South Africa in May 2021 and was marked with an expiry date of April 2024.

South Africa's drug regulator said batch 329303 was also affected, and that the batches had been sold in South Africa, Eswatini, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria.

Kenvue, which now owns the Benylin Paediatric syrup brand, said it is collaborating with authorities and conducting its own tests, Reuters news agency reported.

Electricity has been restored in Nigeria after the grid collapsed earlier on Monday for the sixth time this year.

The state-owned power distribution company said the outage was caused by a fire outbreak at the power station in Afam town in the southern Rivers state.

The system was restored later on Monday afternoon, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said, adding that it would continue to strengthen the grid infrastructure to prevent future disruptions.

It is not clear how many people were affected, but there were angry comments across social media.

Grid power supplies are often erratic in Nigeria, despite being one of the biggest crude oil producers on the continent.

More than one tonne of cocaine has been intercepted by customs authorities in Senegal, the biggest inland haul of the drug ever made in the country.

A lorry carrying 1,137kg (2,506 pounds) of cocaine was intercepted in the eastern town of Kidira, which is near the border with Mali.

The drug had been concealed in packets and placed in bags at the bottom of the lorry, which had arrived from a neighbouring country that authorities failed to name.

They said the consignment was valued at 90bn CFA francs ($146m; £117m).

Large drug hauls have become more common in Senegal.

Last November, the navy seized three tonnes of cocaine from a ship off the country's coast, marking one of the navy's largest drug hauls.

The region is a transit point for Latin American cartels trafficking drugs to Europe and elsewhere.

Image source, Getty Images

Police in Namibia have launched a massive manhunt for 11 prisoners who escaped from a police cell in north-eastern Zambezi region, state media reported.

The trial-awaiting escapees cut through the roof of the Katima Mulilo police station before escaping on Monday, Kisco Sitali, the police spokesperson in the region, told NBC news website.

Pieces of blades and ropes made out of blankets, the items suspected to have been used in the jailbreak, were found in the cell, police said.

Locals have been warned to be vigilant as the escapees are awaiting trial for serious crimes, while one of them is a notorious repeat offender.

"They are very dangerous," Mr Sitali said, adding that one of them was a murder ex-convict.

Police said three of the escapees have already been re-arrested.

More than 100 prisoners who are awaiting trial were housed in the cell, which only has the capacity for 16 people, the state media said.

The cell is said to be under renovations.

Residents have been urged to report any suspicious activities or groups of people to the police.

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Patients have been left without access to crucial services at state hospitals for a month.

The UK is reported to have held talks with other countries to replicate the scheme if it is successful.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team until Tuesday morning. To keep up with news from the continent, visit the BBC Africa webpage.

And if audio is your thing, have a listen to the BBC's Focus on Africa and Africa Daily podcasts.

A reminder of Monday's wise words:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

We leave you with this joyful image of Kenya's Hellen Obiri, moments after she claimed her second women's title at the Boston Marathon.

Image source, Reuters

Nkechi Ogbonna
West Africa business journalist, BBC News

Nigeria's annual inflation rate has reached its highest level in nearly three decades.

The rate jumped to 33.2% in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS).

This is up 1.5% from February.

Food remains the main driver of inflation, owing to the rising cost of commodities including bread, grains, dairy, eggs, meat and vegetable oil.

Rising energy costs also contributed, with many manufacturers paying a premium to power their production lines and transport goods within the country.

The naira, Nigeria's local currency, had strengthened, but this improvement is yet to be reflected in the prices of goods and services.

The naira significantly gained against the US dollar after falling to a record low of 1,825 naira to $1(£0.80) over a month ago, a depreciation of almost 70%.

The Central Bank had increased borrowing rates twice in the last two months to shrink access to capital and curb inflation, but these gains are also yet to be felt.

Africa's largest economy is facing an intense economic slump that has forced people into poverty.

Two weeks ago, in a bid to reduce electricity subsidy payments and increase government savings, the ministers increased electricity tariffs by over 300% for consumers who use relatively large amonuts of energy, like businesses and households in high-end neighbourhoods.

However, some Nigerians who don't fall into these categories have complained that their bills have also gone up.

Many Nigerians are struggling to manage shrinking purchasing power and eroded savings, but the government has said its economic measures and policies will help stabilise the economy eventually.

The naira now exchanges at 1,140 to $1.

Related stories:

• Nigerians turn to 'throw-away' rice amid steep cost of living, external
• Why Nigeria's economy is in such a mess

Earlier we reported that France, Germany and the EU were co-hosting a summit aimed at raising awareness and desperately needed humanitarian funds for victims of Sudan's civil war.

French President Emmanuel Macron has now revealed that donors have pledged more than €2bn ($2.1bn; £1.7bn) in aid for the war-torn nation.

It has been a year since Sudan's military and the RSF, a powerful paramilitary group, began fighting.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since and 8.5 million more have been forced to flee their homes.

BBC Africa Daily podcast

Image source, Yusuf Ageeb

In August last year, the BBC's Africa Daily podcast spoke to Yusuf, who had left Sudan to find work and was supporting his elderly mother and brother who remained in the war-torn country.

Now, he tells Africa Daily he’s just been reunited with his family after they made the dangerous journey across the desert to Egypt.

"I was overwhelmed. The sensation of seeing your family again and they're safe and sound, I actually had some tears in my eyes," he said.

Yusuf had initially moved to South Sudan when the international school he taught at closed due to the risks posed by the civil war.

The nation's armed forces and a powerful paramiltiary group had turned their guns on each other this time last year, sparking ongoing violence, hunger and displacement.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since and 8.5 million more have been forced to flee their homes.

Aftern leaving Sudan for neighbouring South Sudan, Yusuf moved to Egypt - a common destination for those fleeing the war. And just over a week ago Yusuf finally got his mother and brother out of Sudan to safety in Egypt.

However, the four-day trip, across the desert on the back of a pick up truck, was dangerous, Yusuf says.

"Anything could happen in the desert - they could get robbed, they could get killed, they could get lost and run out of food and water," he said.

• LISTEN: What’s life like for the Sudanese one year after war broke out?

Image source, Cannes

A documentary about a group of young, disenfranchised Coptic Christians in Egypt who form an all-female theatre troupe is among the selection for Critics' Week, a competition for new directors at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Critics week focuses on directors making their first or second films and helped filmmakers like Britain's Ken Loach and France's Julia Ducournau gain international renown.

Rafaat Einy ll Sama (On the Brink of Dreams) is among the 11 films that made this year's selection.

The coming-of-age documentary was directed by Egyptian duo Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir. It was filmed over four years.

Coptic Christians are a significant minority in Egypt, with between six and 11 million members of the Church. They said they face discrimination and play a lesser part in Egyptian public life than their numbers justify.

The 77th Cannes Film Festival began on Sunday in France and will run until 25 May.

• WATCH: All you need to know about Coptic Christians - in one minute

The driver is due to appear in court on a charge of reckless driving, police say.