Africa

Only Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland has eclipsed Brentford‘s Brazilian striker Igor Thiago’s 11 goals in this season’s Premier League, while Ouattara has also played an important role by scoring three times and winning four penalties – the most of any player in the division. Burkina Faso international Ouattara is now …

There is growing anger in Malawi over a post-Christmas fortnight trip to the UK that one of the country’s vice-presidents is due to take. Jane Ansah’s visit will be in a private capacity but the reported size of both her entourage and overall cost of the trip has ignited fierce …

The nearly 90,000 refugees who fled to Burundi after the recent escalation of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo face dire conditions in cramped camps with limited access to food and water, aid agencies say Congolese M23 rebels recently captured the city of Uvira, near the Burundi border, and …

Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge has all the running accolades he needs but he is now focusing on new goals. He now wants to run a marathon on all seven continents, including Antarctica, he told the BBC. It will all be part of efforts to raise money in order to build …

The perpetrators are not known and the authorities have yet to comment. Kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become common across parts of northern and central Nigeria. Although the handing over of cash in order to release those being held is illegal, it is thought …

Police are investigating the circumstances of the death of 20-year-old Karen Lojore. BBC News

Detty December, a popular term for Ghana and Nigeria’s end-of-year party season, can have “negative connotations”, Ghana’s official for diaspora affairs has said, adding that he does not want the label linked with his country. “On a personal level I don’t want the word ‘detty’ to be associated with anything …

Zimbabwe have a new head coach in charge, with Romanian Mario Marinica having been appointed in November to replace Michael Nees, having previously been in charge of Malawi and Liberia. He has a number of England-based players in his squad, including Wolves midfielder Tawanda Chirewa, Sheffield Wednesday’s Sean Fusire, Andy …

Paul MellyWest Africa analyst AFP Faure Gnassingbé is cultivating a range of sometimes opposing alliances While some West African nations are choosing to cement old ties with France and others cultivate a new relationship with Russia, one country is trying to have the best of both worlds. As the 7 …

To get this far, Morocco has invested heavily, especially in football infrastructure, including two of Africa’s most advanced facilities – both of which bear the King’s name. Together, the Mohammed VI Football Academy and Mohammed VI Training Complex host youth and senior national teams – men and women – combining …

A Uganda prison officer has been sacked for criticising the government on TikTok, in a rare move authorities said amounted to “gross indiscipline”. Lawrence Ampe had been under investigation over social media posts accusing senior government officials of corruption, human rights abuses and mistreatment of lower-ranking prison officers. “The standing …

The fight in Lagos fits into Okolie’s plan to gain another world title, this time at heavyweight, in 2026. He has fought at that weight twice since making his decision to move up, with July’s unanimous points decision over Kevin Lerena in London his most recent victory. Earlier this month, …

After an intense debate on player availability and the timing of the tournament, the focus has begun to shift to the pitch as another mid-season edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) kicks off in Morocco on Sunday. On the face of it, the two main talking points ahead …

The rebel group which last week seized the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira say they have begun withdrawing, promising to complete the pullout on Thursday, following pressure from the US. The M23 group captured the strategic city near the border with Burundi, days after a “historic” US-brokered peace …

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has formally apologised to Burkina Faso for the unauthorised entry of a Nigerian military jet into Burkinabè airspace, an incident that led to the detention of 11 Nigerian servicemen. Tuggar’s spokesperson told the BBC that the detained personnel had been released and were due to …

Daniel O’DonoghueNorth West Investigations Facebook In February, Noah Ihiekwe (left) and Abdifatah Gulaid – both from the Toxteth area of Liverpool – paraded with troops in north-eastern Somalia Two drill rappers from Liverpool who were seen carrying guns and parading with troops in Somalia during a cross-border clan conflict could …

What hits you most in Cairo, after the noise, is the sheer number of people. Egypt has a population of about 120 million. Its capital city is home to 23 million. For context, the population of Liverpool is just under one million. Come to appreciate that and only then do …

South Africa has accused the US of using Kenyan nationals who did not have work permits at a facility processing applications by white South Africans for refugee status. Seven Kenyans were arrested after intelligence reports revealed that people “had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and had illegally taken …

A popular South African radio and club DJ has been shot dead in the country’s largest city, Johannesburg, sending shockwaves across the nation grappling with entrenched crime. Warrick Stock, popularly known as DJ Warras, was gunned down in the city centre on Tuesday afternoon. Police said the 40-year-old media personality …

Andre LombardBBC Focus on Africa, Ambohidava & Antananarivo BBC Neny Fara fears that the new road will destroy her rice and pineapple farm The red, wooden post hammered into the ground near the Malagasy village of Ambohidava heralds a change that will alter life here forever. Visiting on a gentle, …