Africa highlights: Mugabe frees female prisoners, Ghana's spelling whizz-kid

AFPCopyright: AFP

Senegal's heavily forested southern region of Casamance will have no tree cover left by 2018 if illegal logging driven by Chinese demand is not addressed, the AFP news agency quotes a Senegalese ecologist as saying.

Haidar El Ali, a former environment minister and now head of the environmental group Oceanium, said at a conference in Dakar that the loggers' activities had "reached a point of no return".

APCopyright: AP

Ghanaian teenager Afua Ansah has qualified as one of 45 finalists for the 2016 Scripps National Spelling competition held in the US.

The 14-year-old had the second-highest score on the written test and went on to easily spell “hauberk” and “senescent“, reports Ghana’s Peace FM.

“It felt incredibly exciting, it was beyond my wildest dreams,” the website quoted her as saying.

“I feel like an ambassador of Ghana so I am proud to carry the flag of my country at the finals.”

The next round of the competition takes place this evening.

Her goal is to make the top 10, the Associated Press news agency reports.

It is one thing knowing how to spell the words, but do you know their meaning?

Definitions:

• Hauberk: a long defensive shirt, usually of mail, extending to the knee
• Senescent : growing old; aging.

Eritrean artist Dawit Petros explores the idea of migration in a new exhibition in London, but he tells BBC Africa’s Jenny Horrocks that his photographs, video and sound installations do not centre on the story so often peddled by the Western media of migrants travelling to Europe.

Rather, they reflect on the larger number of Africans migrating within the continent:

AFPCopyright: AFP

Government officials have reported an outbreak of bird flu which has been generating panic among poultry owners.

At least 15,000 birds have died of the virus in a single poultry complex in the capital, Yaounde, the country’s epidemic surveillance network says.

This is the second outbreak since 2006 when the poultry sector was devastated.

AFPCopyright: AFP

South Africans are wondering how serious President Jacob Zuma is about austerity after it emerged this week that the state had spent about 8.6m rand ($550,000; £374,000) on new cars for his wives over the past three years.

In response to a parliamentary question from the opposition this week, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said the police had spent close to $230,000 alone on luxury cars for Mr Zuma's four wives this year - despite a call for citizens to tighten their belts as South Africa's economy struggles to meet growth targets.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Mr Nhleko said a total 11 vehicles for Mr Zuma's wives had been purchased out of the police budget:

• Four Range Rovers bought in 2013 for $60,000 each
• Two Land Rover Discovery worth $40,000 each bought in 2014
• Two Audi Q7s bought in March this year for $40,000
• And three Audi A6s also bought in March this year for $50,000 each.

Can this expenditure be justified? Read my blog to find out

Omara Moctar aka "Bombino" is a Tuareg musician from Niger who calls his blend of traditional Tuareg and reggae rhythms "Tuareggae".

The Tuareg people were once declared by both Niger and Mali as enemies of the state.

The musician, who's on tour in the US, tells the BBC's Julian Keane his thoughts on Tuareg culture and nationhood:

Judge Alphonso Owiny-Dollo took seven hours to read his judgement at the Uganda World Cup bombings trial today - he took no break.

He found seven of the 13 suspects guilty of terrorism, murder and attempted murder.

Ugandan Isa Luyima was singled out as the mastermind of the twin blasts in the capital, Kampala.

He recruited some of the people who were convicted here today and that he planned the attacks, as far as securing a safe house in Kampala.

Five other people were found not guilty of various charges, including Kenyans Omar Awadh Omar and Suleiman Mbuthia.

In custody for six years, today they can walk free.

This is the first major trial in East Africa of people believed to be behind al-Shabab attacks outside Somalia.

And the big police presence today in Kampala is a reflection of how the region has had to tighten up security in the last few years because of the terror threats.

Zimbabwe has freed 139 women from its biggest female jail after President Robert Mugabe pardoned them, a prison spokeswoman has said, the Associated Press news agency reports

Only two women serving life sentences remained in the jail, Priscilla Mthembo is quoted as saying. 

All male minors were also being released, she added.

Mr Mugabe issued the pardons to end over-crowding in Zimbabwe's prisons (see our 08:53 post).

AFPCopyright: AFP

Our Facebook readers are sharply divided over the decision by South African entertainment company MultiChoice to axe reality TV show I am Cait in Africa (see our 14:04 post). 

Mwela Chibula Mudenda says: 

Quote Message: Just as well, the show is boring, maybe the slot can be taken by something more relevant and interesting."

Just as well, the show is boring, maybe the slot can be taken by something more relevant and interesting."

Michael Malama Snr supports the axing, but for a different reason: 

Quote Message: About time. We can't be dumping our morals in the name of entertainment... [Zimbabwe's President Robert] Mugabe should be dancing, right about now."

About time. We can't be dumping our morals in the name of entertainment... [Zimbabwe's President Robert] Mugabe should be dancing, right about now."

Walker E Chikuta

Walker E Chituka has the opposite view:

Quote Message: I've watched the show two or three times and found it harmless... I don't believe it has any direct impact on Africa's problems, such as bad governance, corruption or poverty."

I've watched the show two or three times and found it harmless... I don't believe it has any direct impact on Africa's problems, such as bad governance, corruption or poverty."

 And Sibusio Mjamisto Jama sarcastically comments:

Quote Message: It will be nice if the Nigerian government can also censor Drug Cartel movies because the impact of such movies to Nigerians is well known all over the world."

It will be nice if the Nigerian government can also censor Drug Cartel movies because the impact of such movies to Nigerians is well known all over the world."

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Former Fulham and Ghana international footballer John Paintsil was due to appear in court today in Ghana's capital, Accra, on charges of assault, but the case could not be heard because of an ongoing strike by court workers.

He is accused of assaulting two police officers and stealing his wife’s car.

The trouble began when police tried to quiz the former Black Stars player after his wife filed a complaint about her stolen vehicle.

He has denied stealing it, saying he bought her the car.

Paintsil is alleged to have lost his temper during the interrogation and assaulted two police officers.

He was detained on Tuesday and later granted bail, Accra police spokesmperson Effia Tenge said.

In 2013, the footballer was arrested for allegedly stabbing his wife and assaulting a neighbour who attempted to rescue her.

However, he faced no charges as his wife denied she had been assaulted and said it had been a misunderstanding.

A Kenyan protester who police said died of a head injury after falling in the western city of Kisumu on Monday died of a gun shot wound, with the bullet penetrating his heart, a post-mortem has revealed. 

This backs up the view of fellow opposition protesters and a local journalist who said the man was shot by police.

At least three people died in Kisumu and the town of Siyaya on Monday after police tried to break up protests called by the opposition to demand the appointment of a new electoral commission ahead of next year's poll.

AFPCopyright: AFP

A UN court says it will hear in September a maritime border dispute between Somalia and Kenya which could decide which of them owns potentially lucrative oil and gas reserves.

Somalia took the case to the International Court of Justice, saying negotiations had failed to resolve differences with Kenya. 

The disputed ocean territory stretches for more than 100,000 sq km (38,610 sq miles).

Kenya's parliament has unanimously approved changes to anti-doping legislation in a bid to end cheating in athletics. 

Parliament was in recess, but was recalled for a special session today to ratify the changes in order to regain the confidence of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). 

Earlier this month, Wada's compliance committee said that Kenya was "non-compliant" with global anti-doping rules, raising fears that its world famous athletes could miss August's Olympic Games in Rio . 

As of January 2016, 18 Kenyan athletes were suspended for doping. The best known is Rita Jeptoo, who has won the Boston and Chicago marathons. 

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

In case you are in the dark about who Caitlyn Jenner is, here are some key facts about the American TV personality: 

• She is being followed in the reality TV series I am Cait through her journey to becoming transgender
• Before becoming a woman, she was Bruce Jenner, the step dad to Kim Kardashian - also reality TV personality
• As Bruce she featured in the reality TV series Keeping Up With The Kardashians
• Kim Kardashian became famous when a sex tape emerged of her having sex with Ray J, a singer who is the brother to the more famous US singer Brandy
• Previous to this, Bruce won gold at the Olympics for the decathlon.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Thousands of university and college students in Tanzania are in danger of being expelled after the authorities discovered a major scam involving the enrolment of unqualified students.

Education Minister Joyce Ndalikacho has announced the dissolution of the board of the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and suspended other senior officials.

The country's Guardian and Citizen newspapers say the government has already expelled 489 students who had been admitted to St Joseph University and given government loans even though they did not "even qualify to pursue a certificate in teaching".

The government has since closed the university's campuses in northern and southern Tanzania.

A police officer and a protester have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Goma, a UN official has said, Reuters news agency reports. 

The policeman was killed by stone-throwing protesters while the demonstrator was shot dead, said Jose Maria Aranaz, director of the UN's DR Congo-based Joint Human Rights Office, Reuters reports. 

Two others were injured by gunfire, he added. 

A Human Rights Watch researcher has been tweeting from Goma, saying the security forces opened fire on protesters:

The BBC's Patience Athuhaire in court in Kampala says there have been two more acquittals - Dr Ismail Kalule and Abubakari Batematyo.

The judge is now moving on to the murder charges, having dealt with those of terrorism, says journalist Michael O'Hagan who tweeted these photos of the two men:

Terrorism verdicts so far:

• Seven guilty
• Five not guilty.

Twelve of the suspects were charged with terrorism, belonging to a terrorist group and 76 counts of murder (including that of the two bombers) and attempted murder.

Earlier, the judge cleared them all of belonging to a terrorist group as al-Shabab was not listed as one in 2010.

A thirteenth man is accused of aiding and abetting terrorism.

APCopyright: AP

Leading South African-based entertainment company MultiChoice says it will no longer broadcast I am Cait, a reality TV show about the transgender journey of Caitlyn Jenner, previously known as Bruce Jenner, in order to abide by "regulatory environments" in Africa, and because of "concerns" raised by some of its customers. 

The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) ordered that the show be pulled, effectively censoring it for African viewers, South Africa's Channel 24 entertainment site reports. 

Condemning the decision as  "shocking censorship", its columnist Thinus Ferreira wrote: 

Quote Message: While I Am Cait contains no violence, nudity or sex on a pay-TV channel that viewers can block with a parental control function, the show about the transgender journey of Caitlyn Jenner contains ideas that Nigerian authorities don’t want people to be exposed to.

While I Am Cait contains no violence, nudity or sex on a pay-TV channel that viewers can block with a parental control function, the show about the transgender journey of Caitlyn Jenner contains ideas that Nigerian authorities don’t want people to be exposed to.

Quote Message: Nigeria's broadcasting censorship board has now effectively started a precedent where the one country's programming banning decisions directly impacts what viewers in other countries, including South Africa, can and can't see."

Nigeria's broadcasting censorship board has now effectively started a precedent where the one country's programming banning decisions directly impacts what viewers in other countries, including South Africa, can and can't see."

Nigeria's officials have not yet commented. 

In a statement, MultiChoice said:   

Quote Message: MultiChoice recognises the importance of respecting the views of a number of its customers and all regulatory environments within which its service operates.

MultiChoice recognises the importance of respecting the views of a number of its customers and all regulatory environments within which its service operates.

Quote Message: After careful consideration, MultiChoice would like to inform its valued subscribers that the show will no longer air on the channel across our platforms."

After careful consideration, MultiChoice would like to inform its valued subscribers that the show will no longer air on the channel across our platforms."

I am Cait was was shown on E! Entertainment Television on DStv channel 124 and GOtv channel 26.