Britain takes accusations of corruption seriously, PM Johnson says

The US says Ethiopian forces are committing ethnic cleansing in the country's northern Tigray region, prompting a furious response from the government. The UN says it has evidence of serious human rights violations.

Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday led Britain in a one-minute's silence in memory of her late husband, Prince Philip, as she bid him a final farewell at a funeral restricted by coronavirus rules but reflecting his long life of military and public service.

In tonight's edition: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa admits that the country's ruling party could have done more to halt state graft under his predecessor Jacob Zuma as he testifies before an anti-corruption inquiry. In Somalia, the president tries to diffuse tensions over a proposed two-year extension of his mandate by inviting parliament to debate the move over the weekend. And hospitals in Madagascar are overwhelmed with an intensified wave of coronavirus cases in the country.

In Ivory Coast, corruption has infected most of the public sector – from procurement contracts, to customs services, to recruitment. The country is ranked 106th out of 180 countries, according to the NGO Transparency International. Re-elected in October of last year, President Alassane Ouattara has promised to make the fight against corruption one of the priorities of his new term. But so far, no concrete measures have been put in place to tackle the problem. Our correspondents report.

Former President Jacob Zuma is being tried for graft, fraud, racketeering and money laundering. The plea marks a turning point in the decadelong trial.

The military regime alleges the detained former leader accepted illegal payments. Suu Kyi is expected to go on trial next week.

Australia and the UK have signed a free trade deal as Britain seeks to find alternative markets in the wake of Brexit. The deal was hailed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as "a new dawn" in relations.

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The state accuses Zuma of bribery, fraud and money laundering in a $2 billion weapons contract with French company Thales in the late 1990s. He denies all the charges.

Beach huts are a peculiarly British passion. Designed to shield holidaymakers from fair weather or foul, as well as offering the perfect spot to make a cup of tea, the cabins have shot up in popularity during the Coronavirus pandemic, with most overseas travel curtailed, and at Walton on the Naze a beach hut in which overnight stays are not allowed can fetch up to 40,000 pounds (46,000 euros). Two beach hut lovers explain their allure.

In rare public criticism of the UK'S NATO ally, the British government has called the US move to withdraw from Afghanistan "a mistake" because the country "is heading towards civil war."

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, testifying at a graft inquiry on Wednesday (August 11), said he chose to "remain but resist" rather than resign as deputy president when allegations of widespread corruption surfaced under his predecessor Jacob Zuma.