Africa

Matt Dempsey Artwork: the dinosaur had long spikes sticking out from the side of its head Scientists have discovered a bizarre armoured dinosaur which had metre-long spikes sticking out from its neck. The species, called Spicomellus afer, lived 165 million years ago, and is the oldest example of a group …

South African opposition politician Julius Malema has been convicted of hate speech by the country’s equality court, following remarks he made at a rally in 2022. Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, often sparks controversy in a nation where, 31 years after apartheid ended, racial tensions still …

Mauritania’s security forces have been systematically abusing migrants from other African countries, a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) says. The violations have been exacerbated by a deal with the European Union (EU) and Spain, which aims to curb dangerous sea crossings to the Canary Islands, the rights group alleges. …

Mauritania’s security forces have been systematically abusing migrants from other African countries, a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) says. The violations have been exacerbated by a deal with the European Union (EU) and Spain, which aims to curb dangerous sea crossings to the Canary Islands, the rights group alleges. …

A South African influencer linked to a controversial job scheme in Russia has apologised for her role in promoting it in a country where many young people are desperate to find jobs. Cyan Boujee, whose real name is Honour Zuma, came under scrutiny after one of the videos she posted …

Nigeria has announced a six-month ban on the export of raw shea nuts from which many beauty creams are made. The move is aimed at making the trade more lucrative as Nigeria is losing out by not producing much shea butter locally. The country produces nearly 40% of the world’s …

Paul Melly West Africa analyst EPA Russia has dangled the possibility of building a nuclear power plant in uranium-rich Niger – a vast, arid state on the edge of the Sahara desert that has to import most of its electricity. It may be deemed impractical and may never happen, but …

Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor and Ethiopia’s Mizan Alem claimed comfortable wins in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon men’s and women’s events on Sunday. With Uganda’s Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei having withdrawn from the men’s race because of illness earlier this week, Kamworor crossed the line in 59 minutes 51 seconds. Three-time …

The head of a Malagasy king killed by French troops during a colonial-era war has been formally returned to Madagascar. The handover of King Toera’s skull – and those of two other members of his court – took place at a ceremony at the culture ministry in Paris. The skulls …

Botswana has declared a public health emergency as it faces a shortage of essential medicines and medical equipment. President Duma Boko made the announcement in a televised address on Monday, setting out a multimillion-pound plan to rectify the supply chain involving military oversight. Managing the shortages would be “highly price …

The South African government is warning young women not to fall for social media recruitment drives promoting job opportunities abroad. This comes as a number of online videos by South African social media influencers advertising jobs for young women in Russia have gone viral. The authorities are investigating one promotional …

Danai Nesta Kupemba BBC News Peacock via Getty Images Identity became a heated issue for fans of the show this year Committed Nigerian fans of the reality dating show Love Island USA are all primed to watch the coming reunion of the couples six weeks after the Fiji finale. “Nigerians …

Nigeria’s military has killed 35 jihadists in a series of air strikes near its north-eastern border with Cameroon, it said in a statement. The strikes were carried out in four areas to thwart an attempt by the jihadists to attack ground troops, the military added. Nigeria has been battling jihadist …

Chiamaka Enendu BBC News in Lagos AmunRa Eyeconic Vision Laniyah Belcarist, from St Louis in Missouri, ordered her dress from Nigeria for this year’s prom “I felt like a princess,” says US teenager Brianna LeDoux about her prom gown which she specially commissioned from Nigeria. “I wanted my dress to …

A selection of the week’s best photos from across the African continent and beyond: Daniel Irungu/Shutterstock/EPA A model in Kenya is photographed on Saturday in a boxing ring ahead of a tournament to mark International Youth Day in Mathare slum in the capital, Nairobi. Brenton Geach/Gallo Images/Getty Images There are …

South Africans have been expressing their gratitude to the agriculture minister for stepping in to stop a guide dog from being euthanised after it was saved from a yacht abandoned in rough seas. “We are overly grateful,” Craig Lambinon – from the volunteer team that rescued a Swiss man, his …

Nine bodies have been exhumed from fresh graves suspected to be linked to Kenya’s notorious starvation cult. In one of the worst ever cases of cult-related mass deaths, more than 400 bodies were found in 2023 in the remote Shakahola Forest, inland from the coastal town of Malindi. It is …

Nigeria has deported dozens of foreigners, including 50 Chinese nationals, in a major crackdown over the last week on one of the “largest foreign-led cybercrime syndicates”, the country’s anti-graft agency has said. “This brings the total repatriated convicted foreign nationals to 102 in the ongoing exercise,” it said, adding they …

Georgina Rannard Climate and science correspondent Michael Brown Giraffes in Uganda’s Kidepo Valley Giraffes are one of the world’s most distinct and well-loved creatures, always thought to be one species. But now scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature say we can welcome three more species of the …

Popular Ghanaian musician Shatta Wale has been detained in a tax investigation linked to his purchase of a luxury car, his management has said. Wale’s yellow Lamborghini was seized earlier this month at the request of the US, which alleged that the vehicle was tied to the proceeds of a …