And today's top image was snapped by the BBC's John Nene on a recent trip to the Kenyan city of Mombasa. Here's another photo of his showing fun and games on the city's Pirates Beach:
BBCCopyright: BBC
Facebook founder came to Nigeria 'to learn'
The BBC's Nigeria correspondent has been tweeting about his interview today with Mark Zuckerberg:
Nigerians have been using the Facebook founder's visit as an opportunity to express their views on how they think the social network could improve. I asked some people here in the northern city of Bauchi what advice they'd give Mark Zuckerberg:
Quote Message: My problem with Facebook is that accounts are easily hacked into - someone gets control of your account and posts things that do not belong to you. I also urge Facebook to regulate pornographic posts and to set an age limit for users and come up with a means of detecting the actual age of users to prevent those underage from using the medium."
My problem with Facebook is that accounts are easily hacked into - someone gets control of your account and posts things that do not belong to you. I also urge Facebook to regulate pornographic posts and to set an age limit for users and come up with a means of detecting the actual age of users to prevent those underage from using the medium."
Quote Message: Identity theft is a big issue that Facebook should look into. Some people use multiple Facebook accounts using different names and profile pictures. In this manner, they commit crimes such as fraud and posting hate comments. I advise Facebook to use a fingerprint capture device when people intend to create new Facebook account. This will check the problem of one person using multiple accounts and address identity theft."
Identity theft is a big issue that Facebook should look into. Some people use multiple Facebook accounts using different names and profile pictures. In this manner, they commit crimes such as fraud and posting hate comments. I advise Facebook to use a fingerprint capture device when people intend to create new Facebook account. This will check the problem of one person using multiple accounts and address identity theft."
Quote Message: I enjoy using Facebook for connecting with friends but my problem with it is that it sends me unsolicited emails. Sometimes these emails make it difficult to scroll down to find important messages in my inbox and they make my inbox full so quickly."
I enjoy using Facebook for connecting with friends but my problem with it is that it sends me unsolicited emails. Sometimes these emails make it difficult to scroll down to find important messages in my inbox and they make my inbox full so quickly."
But one person couldn't think of anything bad to say:
Quote Message: I really benefit from Facebook. I use it to connect with friends and loved ones. I also get the latest news through Facebook. As far as I am concerned, Facebook is OK. I welcome Mr Zuckerberg to Nigeria."
I really benefit from Facebook. I use it to connect with friends and loved ones. I also get the latest news through Facebook. As far as I am concerned, Facebook is OK. I welcome Mr Zuckerberg to Nigeria."
Traders close up shop in Kenya's 'Little Mogadishu'
Abdinoor Aden
BBC Africa, Nairobi
The usually bustling district of Eastleigh in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, shut up shop today:
BBCCopyright: BBC
Shopkeepers complain that hawkers are affecting their business by blocking entrances and are able to undercut them because they don't pay tax.
BBCCopyright: BBC
BBCCopyright: BBC
Eastleigh – known as Little Mogadishu because of its large Somali community – is one of the biggest trading centres in East Africa and has more than 50 shopping malls.
Traders say the malls will remain closed for three days and a crisis meeting has been ongoing on between hawker representatives, those from Eastleigh’s business community and Nairobi county leaders.
Tear gas fired in Gabon's capital
A supporter of opposition candidate Jean Ping has told BBC Focus on Africa radio that the military has fired tear gas to disperse a peaceful march on headquarters of the national electoral commission in Libreville.
The military stopped supporters of Mr Ping, who lost the presidential poll by fewer than 6,000 votes, from marching forward about an hour ago and they'd been negotiating to be granted passage.
She says there are thousands of protesters, including many young people, and that black smoke can be seen rising into the skies from people in the suburbs burning tyres.
The BBC cannot independently verify her statement.
Somali law graduate makes history
BBCCopyright: BBC
Sixty-year-old Safiyo Jama Gayre has graduated from Puntland State University in Somalia – making history as the institution’s oldest female graduate.
She told the BBC Somali Service she went to study law – and Sharia – in order to help victims of rape and other issues affecting women.
In divorce settlements, it is usually the man who gets everything - but she says her studies showed that this was wrong:
Quote Message: I found no place in our religion to hurt or harm women - therefore this culture must end."
I found no place in our religion to hurt or harm women - therefore this culture must end."
She said that at first she was the butt of friendly jokes from her younger classmates during her four-year course, who fondly called her “grandma”.
Quote Message: But, guess what, I was the first student to submit my thesis."
But, guess what, I was the first student to submit my thesis."
Footage 'shows Gabon protests'
France 24's citizen journalism platform Les Observateurs has posted video on Twitter that it says it has received from the Gabonese capital, Libreville, where opposition protesters are reportedly clashing with security forces.
At the end of the clip, the camera zooms in on one protester lying on the ground near to the security forces' frontline. The person taking footage asks whether the man is dead or injured.
The BBC's Christian Parkinson has been doing some number-crunching, looking at the methods and findings of the first pan-African survey of savannah elephants:
Nigeria’s second-largest commercial airline, Aero Contractors, has announced it will suspend “schedule services” from tomorrow.
It is the third airline to suspend operations in Nigeria: Iberia suspended its route to Africa’s second biggest economy in May, followed by United Airlines the following month.
According to Aero Contractors, the operating environment in Nigeria has hindered any possible progress especially in the last six months when the local currency, the naira, depreciated against the US dollar.
The announcement effectively means the company, which has more than 1,000 staff including engineers and pilots, is closing up shop.
Five years ago Aero Contractors had about 18 aircraft and multiple helicopters, but as of July this year, the fleet comprised only two aircraft.
It mainly flies from Lagos to the capital, Abuja, and to coastal states.
The news comes on the day figures showed Nigeria’s economy had officially slipped into recession.
Gabon opposition refused to validate poll results
AFPCopyright: AFP
Delegates representing the opposition in Gabon's national electoral commission (Cenap) walked out of the vote count and refused to sign papers validating President Ali Bongo's victory, according to the BBC Afrique reporter in Libreville Charles .
There has been no independent statement from the Cenap, with official results announced by the country's interior minister.
Should Africa's police recruits be put through the lie detector?
Quote Message: Whenever I see a policeman, I run away because he sees me as an ATM."
Whenever I see a policeman, I run away because he sees me as an ATM."
That's a quote from Tendai Biti, Zimbabwe's finance minister, in an article about whether police recruits in Africa should take lie-detector tests.
Columnist Farai Sevenzo suggests this very proposal by Nigeria's police chief could be expanded across the continent to ensure "acceptable standards", as he says "force is the default setting for African police".
But Farai wonders whether a polygraph test would seek to find out recruits' sympathy for beaten citizens or their loyalty to police chiefs.
There have been clashes between security forces and protesters shouting "Ali must go" in Gabon's capital Libreville, soon after the announcement of President Ali Bongo's election victory, AFP news agency reports, whose reporter is at the scene.
Security forces fired tear gas and smoke grenades to push back protesters who were trying to get close to the headquarters of the national electoral commission, AFP adds.
Africa's first-ever aerial elephant census
Alastair Leithead
BBC Africa correspondent
The first-ever aerial survey of Africa’s savannah elephants has shown a dramatic reduction in their numbers.
The Great Elephant Census discovered nearly a third of the continent’s elephants – some 144,000 animals – have been killed, mostly by poachers in just a seven-year period.
For two years small planes have been buzzing across 18 African countries, and the scientists on board have been counting elephants.
The figures are dramatic: Tanzania lost 60% of its elephants and Mozambique half their elephants in just seven years.
Poachers have struck in Angola and Zambia and are starting to encroach on Botswana, which is seen as their last sanctuary where 40% now live – aware of the dangers elsewhere.
The census comes to a depressing conclusion: if this continues, half of Africa’s remaining elephants will be gone in just nine years.
Gabon president wins disputed poll by '5,000 votes'
According to Gabon's official election results, announced in the past half-hour by Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet-Boubeya, incumbent leader Ali Bongo gained 49,80 % of the vote, defeating his main rival Jean Ping, who had 48.23%.
President Bongo received 177,722 versus 172,128 for Mr Ping, making the margin just more than 5,000 votes.
It said he was a former recruiter for the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab group and pledged his allegiance to IS in October.
He has set up his cell in the north-eastern Somali region of Puntland and has expanded it by “kidnapping young boys aged 10 to 15, indoctrinating them, and forcing them to take up militant activity”, the statement said.
Quote Message: Today’s action notifies the US public and the international community that Abdiqadir Mumin is actively engaged in terrorism." from US State Department
Today’s action notifies the US public and the international community that Abdiqadir Mumin is actively engaged in terrorism."
BreakingGabon interior minister declares Ali Bongo election victory
Gabon's Presdient Ali Bongo has been declared winner of the presidential election by the country's interior minister, according to the BBC Afrique correspondent in the capital, Libreville.
More to follow.
Sunderland sign Gabonese footballer Ndong
Twenty-two-year old Gabonese player Didier Ndong has signed for Premier League club Sunderland, moving from French side Lorient for a fee of 16m euros (£13.5m, $17m).
Ndong, who joins the Black Cats on a five-year deal, said it was a "beautiful day":
Quote Message: I am very proud and happy to sign for Sunderland. This is a new adventure for me and to play in the Premier League is a dream come true.
I am very proud and happy to sign for Sunderland. This is a new adventure for me and to play in the Premier League is a dream come true.
Quote Message: Maybe the Sunderland fans don’t know me yet, but I promise that they will quickly discover that I will give everything for them and the club. It will be an honour to wear the Sunderland shirt and I will wear it with a true understanding of what it means."
Maybe the Sunderland fans don’t know me yet, but I promise that they will quickly discover that I will give everything for them and the club. It will be an honour to wear the Sunderland shirt and I will wear it with a true understanding of what it means."
Nigeria blames oil sector as country slips into recession
The Nigerian government says that it remains "hopeful" about the trajectory of the country's economy, despite the "temporary decline" in GDP growth, which has pushed Nigeria into recession for the first time in more than a decade.
Poor growth was "mostly due to a sharp contraction in the oil sector due to huge losses of crude oil production as a result of vandalisation and sabotage", according to a statement from the vice-president's office.
Crude oil sales account for 70% of government income.
The government also pointed to "growth recorded in the agriculture and solid mineral sectors" as a cause for optimism.
It added that the forecast for an annual GDP contraction of 1.2% was not as bad as the International Monetary Fund prediction of 1.8%.
Live Reporting
Hugo Williams and Lucy Fleming
All times stated are UK
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We'll be back tomorrow
That's all from the BBC Africa Livepage this today. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or checking the BBC News website.
A reminder of today's wise words:
Click here to send us your African proverbs.
And today's top image was snapped by the BBC's John Nene on a recent trip to the Kenyan city of Mombasa. Here's another photo of his showing fun and games on the city's Pirates Beach:
Facebook founder came to Nigeria 'to learn'
The BBC's Nigeria correspondent has been tweeting about his interview today with Mark Zuckerberg:
Nigerians' advice to Mark Zuckerberg
Ishaq Khalid
BBC Africa, Bauchi
Nigerians have been using the Facebook founder's visit as an opportunity to express their views on how they think the social network could improve. I asked some people here in the northern city of Bauchi what advice they'd give Mark Zuckerberg:
But one person couldn't think of anything bad to say:
Traders close up shop in Kenya's 'Little Mogadishu'
Abdinoor Aden
BBC Africa, Nairobi
The usually bustling district of Eastleigh in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, shut up shop today:
Shopkeepers complain that hawkers are affecting their business by blocking entrances and are able to undercut them because they don't pay tax.
Eastleigh – known as Little Mogadishu because of its large Somali community – is one of the biggest trading centres in East Africa and has more than 50 shopping malls.
Traders say the malls will remain closed for three days and a crisis meeting has been ongoing on between hawker representatives, those from Eastleigh’s business community and Nairobi county leaders.
Tear gas fired in Gabon's capital
A supporter of opposition candidate Jean Ping has told BBC Focus on Africa radio that the military has fired tear gas to disperse a peaceful march on headquarters of the national electoral commission in Libreville.
The military stopped supporters of Mr Ping, who lost the presidential poll by fewer than 6,000 votes, from marching forward about an hour ago and they'd been negotiating to be granted passage.
She says there are thousands of protesters, including many young people, and that black smoke can be seen rising into the skies from people in the suburbs burning tyres.
The BBC cannot independently verify her statement.
Somali law graduate makes history
Sixty-year-old Safiyo Jama Gayre has graduated from Puntland State University in Somalia – making history as the institution’s oldest female graduate.
She told the BBC Somali Service she went to study law – and Sharia – in order to help victims of rape and other issues affecting women.
In divorce settlements, it is usually the man who gets everything - but she says her studies showed that this was wrong:
She said that at first she was the butt of friendly jokes from her younger classmates during her four-year course, who fondly called her “grandma”.
Footage 'shows Gabon protests'
France 24's citizen journalism platform Les Observateurs has posted video on Twitter that it says it has received from the Gabonese capital, Libreville, where opposition protesters are reportedly clashing with security forces.
At the end of the clip, the camera zooms in on one protester lying on the ground near to the security forces' frontline. The person taking footage asks whether the man is dead or injured.
Read more about Gabon
How do you count Africa's elephants?
The BBC's Christian Parkinson has been doing some number-crunching, looking at the methods and findings of the first pan-African survey of savannah elephants:
Nigeria airline Aero Contractors suspends operations
Chris Ewokor
BBC Africa, Abuja
Nigeria’s second-largest commercial airline, Aero Contractors, has announced it will suspend “schedule services” from tomorrow.
It is the third airline to suspend operations in Nigeria: Iberia suspended its route to Africa’s second biggest economy in May, followed by United Airlines the following month.
According to Aero Contractors, the operating environment in Nigeria has hindered any possible progress especially in the last six months when the local currency, the naira, depreciated against the US dollar.
The announcement effectively means the company, which has more than 1,000 staff including engineers and pilots, is closing up shop.
Five years ago Aero Contractors had about 18 aircraft and multiple helicopters, but as of July this year, the fleet comprised only two aircraft.
It mainly flies from Lagos to the capital, Abuja, and to coastal states.
The news comes on the day figures showed Nigeria’s economy had officially slipped into recession.
Gabon opposition refused to validate poll results
Delegates representing the opposition in Gabon's national electoral commission (Cenap) walked out of the vote count and refused to sign papers validating President Ali Bongo's victory, according to the BBC Afrique reporter in Libreville Charles .
There has been no independent statement from the Cenap, with official results announced by the country's interior minister.
Read more about the Gabon elections
Algeria's Slimani heading for Leicester medical
John Bennett
BBC World Service
The Algeria Football Federation's Instagram page confirms that they have given Islam Slimani permission to go and have a medical at Leicester City:
Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor 'remains a free agent'
BBC Sport reporter tweets
Should Africa's police recruits be put through the lie detector?
That's a quote from Tendai Biti, Zimbabwe's finance minister, in an article about whether police recruits in Africa should take lie-detector tests.
Columnist Farai Sevenzo suggests this very proposal by Nigeria's police chief could be expanded across the continent to ensure "acceptable standards", as he says "force is the default setting for African police".
But Farai wonders whether a polygraph test would seek to find out recruits' sympathy for beaten citizens or their loyalty to police chiefs.
For more read his Letter from Africa: Truth tests
'Clashes in Gabon' after disputed poll results
There have been clashes between security forces and protesters shouting "Ali must go" in Gabon's capital Libreville, soon after the announcement of President Ali Bongo's election victory, AFP news agency reports, whose reporter is at the scene.
Security forces fired tear gas and smoke grenades to push back protesters who were trying to get close to the headquarters of the national electoral commission, AFP adds.
Africa's first-ever aerial elephant census
Alastair Leithead
BBC Africa correspondent
The first-ever aerial survey of Africa’s savannah elephants has shown a dramatic reduction in their numbers.
The Great Elephant Census discovered nearly a third of the continent’s elephants – some 144,000 animals – have been killed, mostly by poachers in just a seven-year period.
For two years small planes have been buzzing across 18 African countries, and the scientists on board have been counting elephants.
The figures are dramatic: Tanzania lost 60% of its elephants and Mozambique half their elephants in just seven years.
Poachers have struck in Angola and Zambia and are starting to encroach on Botswana, which is seen as their last sanctuary where 40% now live – aware of the dangers elsewhere.
The census comes to a depressing conclusion: if this continues, half of Africa’s remaining elephants will be gone in just nine years.
Gabon president wins disputed poll by '5,000 votes'
According to Gabon's official election results, announced in the past half-hour by Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet-Boubeya, incumbent leader Ali Bongo gained 49,80 % of the vote, defeating his main rival Jean Ping, who had 48.23%.
President Bongo received 177,722 versus 172,128 for Mr Ping, making the margin just more than 5,000 votes.
US imposes sanctions on East Africa's IS chief
The US has imposed sanctions on Abdiqadir Mumin who heads so-called Islamic State (IS) in East Africa, according to a US State Department statement.
It said he was a former recruiter for the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab group and pledged his allegiance to IS in October.
He has set up his cell in the north-eastern Somali region of Puntland and has expanded it by “kidnapping young boys aged 10 to 15, indoctrinating them, and forcing them to take up militant activity”, the statement said.
BreakingGabon interior minister declares Ali Bongo election victory
Gabon's Presdient Ali Bongo has been declared winner of the presidential election by the country's interior minister, according to the BBC Afrique correspondent in the capital, Libreville.
More to follow.
Sunderland sign Gabonese footballer Ndong
Twenty-two-year old Gabonese player Didier Ndong has signed for Premier League club Sunderland, moving from French side Lorient for a fee of 16m euros (£13.5m, $17m).
Ndong, who joins the Black Cats on a five-year deal, said it was a "beautiful day":
Nigeria blames oil sector as country slips into recession
The Nigerian government says that it remains "hopeful" about the trajectory of the country's economy, despite the "temporary decline" in GDP growth, which has pushed Nigeria into recession for the first time in more than a decade.
Poor growth was "mostly due to a sharp contraction in the oil sector due to huge losses of crude oil production as a result of vandalisation and sabotage", according to a statement from the vice-president's office.
Crude oil sales account for 70% of government income.
The government also pointed to "growth recorded in the agriculture and solid mineral sectors" as a cause for optimism.
It added that the forecast for an annual GDP contraction of 1.2% was not as bad as the International Monetary Fund prediction of 1.8%.
Read more: Why Nigeria's 'Avengers' are crippling the oil sector