African news : breaking news, features, analysis

Gridlock is a challenge for fast-growing urban Africa, where the middle class is acquiring more cars. In Rwanda, the German car maker Volkswagen is trying out an alternative transport system.

Gambling is a multi-million dollar business in Kenya, but there are more losers than winners - with an increasing number of young people chancing their luck, writes Anthony Wanjiru.

Four Nigerians and two Ghana citizens, were, yesterday, ordered to be remanded in prison custody, by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, over the alleged theft of 250 metric tonnes of petroleum products.

A Ugandan inventor has won a major prize for a device which tests for malaria without drawing blood.

When Monica Osagie got low marks in a course for her master's degree, she says the professor gave her two options: Sleep with him, or fail the class.

When the younger brother of the BBC's Ruona Meyer became addicted to cough syrup, she began to investigate the men who make and sell opioid-based medicine on the streets of Lagos.

Africa Eye – a new documentary strand from the BBC launches today with an in-depth investigation into the plague of addiction to cough mixture across Nigeria.

More than 250 judges have been sacked in the Democratic Republic of Congo for not having a law degree, and corruption allegations.

South African anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie Mandela has died aged 81, her personal assistant says.

On Saturday, March 10, just a day after Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga shook hands on the steps of Harambee House, Nairobi, and vowed to bury the hatchet, deported lawyer Miguna Miguna, who commissioned Mr Odinga’s ‘oath’ as the ‘people’s president’ on January 30, flew to Dallas, Texas, USA, to deliver a talk about his resistance movement’s ideals.

Nigeria Customs Service operatives on Wednesday stormed the home of Sir Olu Okeowo in Ikoyi, Lagos.

President Buhari has ordered Nigeria's police chief to relocate from the capital Abuja to Benue State, to deal with an upsurge in violence there.

More than 90 people have been killed in Benue and neighbouring Taraba State in the past week.

Switzerland will return to Nigeria about $321m (£239m) of government money looted by former military ruler Sani Abacha, following a memorandum of understanding signed by the two governments .

In a statement, the Swiss government said:

Zimbabwe's ousted finance minister Ignatius Chombo, charged with three counts of corruption, has been refused bail by a magistrate.

Mr Chombo is the first minister from the former Mugabe regime to be charged.

The magistrate ruled his life could be in danger if he is released on bail, as he could be attacked by the public.

A South African court has increased Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius's jail sentence for killing his girlfriend to 13 years and five months.

Prosecutors had argued that the six-year term for murdering Reeva Steenkamp was "shockingly light".

A spokesman for Ms Steenkamp's family said the ruling "verified there was justice".

Four suicide bombers have killed at least 10 people and wounded many others in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri.

The attackers, who included women, detonated their explosives in the Muna district, police said.

Cameroon's President Paul Biya is marking 35 years in office today - making him one of Africa's longest-serving leaders.

Mr Biya first took office in 1982, when the country had a one party system.

President Robert Mugabe's wife on Sunday said she is ready to succeed her husband as tensions rise in Zimbabwe's ruling party over who will take over from the country's ageing leader.

"I say to Mr Mugabe you should ... leave me to take over your post," she said in an address to thousands of indigenous church followers at a stadium in Harare.