BBC News Africa

The political heads of state of Ukraine and Ethiopia have held talks on the telephone for the first time ever, a tweet from President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The conversation between Mr Zelensky and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took place in the wake of Russia's withdrawal from a deal that allowed for the safe exporting of Ukrainian grain.

There have been concerns over the impact of this decision on food security in poorer countries.

"I informed the interlocutor that Ukraine has supplied almost 300,000 tons of food to Ethiopia under the Black Sea Grain Initiative and another 90,000 tons of grain under a separate Grain From Ukraine initiative," the Ukrainian president said in his tweet.

"I emphasised that Ukraine is still ready to remain a guarantor of global food security."

Mr Abiy's tweet about the phone call was more terse.

He wrote: "I held a phone call with President Zelensky today to discuss bilateral and international matters of mutual interest as well as the means and ways of bringing peace between Ukraine and Russia."

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

A teachers' union in Nigeria has told the BBC that its members will only work two days a week, unless the government addresses the rising cost of living.

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union - the third largest in Nigeria - is demanding a 200% rise in salaries to meet the costs of transport and other expenses.

It follows a sharp increase in the price of petrol, after a government fuel subsidy was removed.

BBCCopyright: BBC

A magistrate's court in Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, has found Chinese national Lu Ke guilty of procuring children to take part in entertainment and racially exploiting them. It then said he should leave the country within seven days and never be allowed to return.

Lu Ke, also known as Susu in Malawi, was arrested in July last year after he had been exposed in a BBC Africa Eye investigation. The report revealed he was filming local children making personalised greeting videos, some of which included racist content.

The videos could be bought for up to $70 (£55) on Chinese social media and internet platforms.

When news of his offensive videos broke, Lu Ke fled to neighbouring Zambia when he found out that the Malawian authorities had issued a warrant for his arrest.

He was then detained in Zambia and convicted on entering the country illegally before later being extradited to Malawi.

The case in Malawi did not immediately start as authorities said they were still carrying out investigations.

Lu Ke was denied bail and remained in police custody until his sentencing on Thursday.

The court was told that Lu Ke had already paid 16m Malawi Kwacha ($16,000) to the government of Malawi.

The money is supposed to be used as compensation for his victims and for helping school children in the area of Njewa on the outskirts of Lilongwe, where Lu Ke made the videos.

The court handed him a 12-month prison sentence which it said he had already served since he has been held in police custody for the past year.

Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe also ordered Lu Ke “to leave the country within seven days and to never return to Malawi”.

Watch the original BBC Africa Eye documentary:

EPACopyright: 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.

AFPCopyright: 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 have 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.

BBCCopyright: BBC

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 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 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 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'

NetflixCopyright: 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.”

NetflixCopyright: 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.

The series will be available in English and Zulu.

BBCCopyright: BBC

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.

ReutersCopyright: 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.

A bodyguard of a Congolese opposition politician who was shot dead last week in Kinshasa 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.

ReutersCopyright: 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 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.