Africa highlights: Trump splits Obama family, US demands Ethiopia frees female activist

AFPCopyright: AFP

Donald Trump's campaign CEO Steve Bannon has told CNN that the attendance of Malik Obama, the half-brother of Barack Obama, at tonight's much-anticipated debate with Hillary Clinton is "just an appetiser" of what to expect from the controversial billionaire businessman.

A mother of one of the people who died in the 2012 militant Islamist attack on the US embassy in Libya's Benghazi city is also a guest of Mr Trump. 

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Kenya’s efforts to deradicalise militant Islamists is deepening the problem, according to former militants.

The government has tried everything from brute force to amnesty programmes.

Watch the video by BBC Africa's Bukie Bakare.

Daily GraphicCopyright: Daily Graphic

Ghana's electoral commission is holding back on officially setting a date for the general election following multiple lawsuits brought against it by disqualified candidates. 

The poll is expected to be held on 7 December, but the commission said it would await the outcome of the court cases before making an announcement.  

Earlier this month, the commission  disqualified 12 presidential candidates for failing to fill in their registration forms correctly. 

 For now the presidential contest is between the incumbent John Mahama, who is the flag-bearer of the governing National Democratic Congress , Nana Akufo-Addo of the opposition New Patriotic Party and Jacob Osei Yeboah, an independent. 

Ghana's chief justice has nominated 17 high courts judges across the country to deal promptly with the electoral disputes. 

Many Ghanaians fear that the lawsuits could delay the elections. 

Prosecutors in Senegal have called for an imam to be sentenced to six months in prison after he was accused of insulting the country's most powerful Muslim sect, AFP news agency reports. 

The case arises from a video posted online in September in which Cheikh Mbacke Sakho alleged that elders of the Mouride sect "swindled" their followers, and took money from Muslims to advance their business interests, it reports.

Mr Sakho was not present at the hearing in the capital, Dakar, after Mouride members threatened to lynch him, AFP says. 

Prosecutors said that a six-month suspended jail sentence and a fine of about $1,670 was the minimum sentence possible, "taking into account the apologies" the imam had already offered in another online video, the agency adds.  

The Mourides are highly entrepreneurial and known outside Senegal for selling souvenirs and fake goods such as Ray-Bans and Rolex watches on the streets of Paris, New York and Rome.   

AFPCopyright: AFP

Read: Islam's mystical entrepreneurs

In our ongoing series of African Women You Should Know we feature Nigerian actor and film producer Mary Njoku. 

She says her ambition is to be "bigger and better" as she continues her career.

It has been her ambition since she was dismissed by a Nollywood star for not being "big enough".

Watch her tell her story so far and her big ambitions:

Nelson Mandela FoundationCopyright: Nelson Mandela Foundation

Renowned South African journalist Juda Ngwenya has died, 

He was known for his bravery in documenting atrocities committed by the former apartheid regime, especially when South Africa was in a state of emergency in the 1980s. 

The Nelson Mandela Foundation has paid tribute to him on its website: 

Bayo Omoboriowo - President's personal photographerCopyright: Bayo Omoboriowo - President's personal photographer

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has met the 21 Chibok girls who were released last week by militant Islamist group Boko Haram after more than two years of captivity. 

They were freed as a result of negotiations between the Nigerian government and the militants. 

In a statement on his Facebook page, Mr Buhari said:

Quote Message: Today I received 21 dear daughters. They have seen the worst that the world has to offer. It is now time for them to experience the best.

Today I received 21 dear daughters. They have seen the worst that the world has to offer. It is now time for them to experience the best.

Quote Message: They will be given adequate and comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care and support. The federal government will rehabilitate them, and ensure that their reintegration back to the society is done as quickly as possible.

They will be given adequate and comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care and support. The federal government will rehabilitate them, and ensure that their reintegration back to the society is done as quickly as possible.

Quote Message: Aside from rescuing them, we are assuming the responsibility for their personal, educational and professional goals and ambitions in life. Obviously, it is not late for the girls to go back to school and continue the pursuit of their studies. We will be with them every step of the way.

Aside from rescuing them, we are assuming the responsibility for their personal, educational and professional goals and ambitions in life. Obviously, it is not late for the girls to go back to school and continue the pursuit of their studies. We will be with them every step of the way.

Quote Message: While joining their parents to rejoice and praise the Almighty, we shall redouble efforts to ensure that we fulfill our pledge of bringing the remaining girls back home."

While joining their parents to rejoice and praise the Almighty, we shall redouble efforts to ensure that we fulfill our pledge of bringing the remaining girls back home."

A total of 197 are still missing. The abductions led to one of the biggest social media campaigns under the  #BringBackOurGirls hashtag on Twitter.

The girls were seized from a boarding school in Nigeria's north-eastern town of Chibok. 

All of Ghana's five boxing world champions come from the capital Accra's Bukom suburb.  

It's a poor area and young boxers here are fighting to survive. 

The BBC's Sule Lansah went to find out more.  

Emirates has announced that it will stop flying between Dubai and Nigeria’s capital Abuja. This follows an earlier announcement from the airline's president that it "would reduce the frequency of its flights to Africa".

The decision to end the four flights each week to Abuja will take effect from 30 October. 

This move could have an impact on Nigeria's economy which is already in recession. 

Dubai is one of the major destinations for Nigerian business people and leisure seekers. 

The airline said the decision was made to ensure that its fleet was available for more profitable routes. 

Airline operators have complained of a difficult operating environment in Nigeria, and persistent financial challenges. 

So far this year, Nigeria’s currency the naira has slumped in value against the US dollar thanks to continued low oil prices. 

The airline had already cut its flights to Nigeria's two major cities from twice daily to once.

An Emirates spokesman said the airline would now only serve Nigeria with a daily flight to and from the country’s commercial hub of Lagos.

BBCCopyright: BBC

AFPCopyright: AFP

President Barack Obama’s Kenyan family seems to be sharply divided over the US presidential election.

His uncle, Said Obama, has told me that he is supporting Democratic party nominee Hillary Clinton. He is however not a US citizen and will not be voting. 

His position is in contrast to that of Malik Obama, a half-brother of the outgoing president, who has said he will be voting for Mr Trump. 

Malik Obama will be attending tonight's debate between the two candidates as a guest of Mr Trump. 

Said Obama said that Mr Trump had made racist comments,which do not augur well for global peace. 

See earlier post for more details

You'd expect the International Criminal Court to be praised for catching the Democratic Republic of Congo's Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba bribing witnesses, but this tweeter takes a different view:  

The former Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba, was convicted with four of his aides for bribing witnesses in an attempt to influence the outcome of his war crimes trial. 

A journalist is tweeting from the International Criminal Court at The Hague:

Read: Bemba in profile

The International Criminal Court is giving its verdict in the trial of the Democratic Republic of Congo's former Vice-President Jean Pierre-Bemba, who was was charged along with his aides of bribing witnesses during his war crimes trial. 

Journalists are tweeting from court: 

A leading official of the National Union of Somali Journalists has called for the release of Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Mohamed and two of his colleagues by Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).  

The union's secretary-general tweeted: 

No official reason has been given for the arrests. 

See earlier post for more details

AFPCopyright: AFP

Many of our readers have been sharing their reaction on  BBC Africa's Facebook page to the news that US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has invited President Barack Obama’s half-brother as a guest to his third and final debate with Hillary Clinton in Las Vegas tonight.

Malik Obama has criticised the US president for not doing much for the American people or his extended family in Kenya. 

He told a US newspaper that he believes Mr Trump "can make America great again". 

Here's a sample of your reactions, almost all of which condemn Malik Obama: 

Quote Message: This guy is just a failed opportunist who thinks he can get something from Trump given that he hasn't gained anything from his half-brother as president." from Mugume Amooti Kalyegira

This guy is just a failed opportunist who thinks he can get something from Trump given that he hasn't gained anything from his half-brother as president."

Quote Message: I can only see envy in him. He wouldn't have made such unguarded comments if he is a direct brother of Barack Obama." from Okey Robert

I can only see envy in him. He wouldn't have made such unguarded comments if he is a direct brother of Barack Obama."

Quote Message: He thinks the United States is Africa where family members collectively join forces to embezzle government funds that is meant for the welfare of its citizens." from Sylvia Sia Kallon

He thinks the United States is Africa where family members collectively join forces to embezzle government funds that is meant for the welfare of its citizens."

Quote Message: I think Obama's half-brother has the right to support any of the candidates. It's not obligatory that he must be on his brother's side." from King Aabah

I think Obama's half-brother has the right to support any of the candidates. It's not obligatory that he must be on his brother's side."

AFPCopyright: AFP

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) will deliver their verdict shortly on the Democratic Republic of Congo's former Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba and four of his aides, who have been accused of bribing witnesses. 

Bemba has already been found guilty on five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his militia in neighbouring Central African Republic, and sentenced to 18 years in jail. 

In this separate case, Bemba and the four other men have been charged with corruptly influencing witnesses and presenting evidence that they knew to be false to the court.

He has denied the charges.  

It is the first such corruption trial in the ICC's history. So stay with us on the BBC Africa Live page. We'll bring you the verdict as soon it is announced. 

The US ambassador to the UN has called for the release of one of Ethiopia's most prominent female politicians, Blen Mesfin of the opposition Blue Party. 

In a tweet, she said:   

More than 1,000 people have been arrested in Ethiopia since the government declared a state of emergency on 9 October to end a wave of protests against its rule. 

 An Ethiopian magazine tweeted about her arrest:

Ms Mesfin was first arrested last year, leading to the US government including her in its #Freethe20 campaign which focused on female political prisoners around the world.

Read: Are protests a game changer?

AFPCopyright: AFP

A call by a British governing party MP for child migrants arriving in the UK from the French port city of Calais to have their teeth tested to verify their ages has been condemned by dentists.

A number of unaccompanied children from the "Jungle" camp have arrived to join relatives in the UK - amid suggestions they could be adults trying to get in.

David Davies, MP for Monmouth, said mandatory teeth checks would reassure people the UK was not being exploited.

But the British Dental Association said such checks would be unethical.

There are an estimated 9,000 migrants at the camp most of them from from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and North African states.

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