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Scientists in Egypt say they have found the remains of a new type of large predatory dinosaur, with a face like a bulldog and tiny arms.

Fossils of the new species - which belongs to the abelisaurid dinosaur family - were discovered at the Bahariya Oasis in the Western Desert.

The Egyptian scientific team say the dinosaur - which has yet to be named - was around six metres (19.6ft) tall and similar to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

They say the fossils date back around 98 million years.

The Bahariya Oasis is one of the richest deposits in the world for dinosaur fossils.

Belgium's King Philippe, who is on his first visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, has reiterated his "profound regrets" for his country’s colonial past.

He made the remarks during a speech on the first full day of his historic visit to Belgian’s former colony.

DR Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi, who came to power in 2019, had extended the invite to the royal couple several years ago.

In front of the People’s Palace in the capital, Kinshasa, the 62-year-old monarch said the colonial regime was based on exploitation and domination.

“This regime was that of an unequal relationship, in itself unjustifiable, marked by paternalism, discrimination and racism,” he said, external.

“On the occasion of my first trip to Congo, here, in front of the Congolese people and those who still suffer from it today, I wish to reaffirm my deepest regrets for these wounds of the past.

“Sincere regrets that I expressed in the letter that I sent to you, Mr President, two years ago now, for the 60th anniversary of independence."

Belgium controlled the central African country from the 19th Century until it won its independence in 1960.

Millions of people died during Belgium's bloody colonial rule.

King Philippe called for the two countries to write a “new chapter together” - without forgetting the past.

Earlier in the day, he and President Tshisekedi unveiled a famous mask at Kinshasa's National Museum of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is one of more than 80,000 artefacts that were looted during colonial rule that are being returned by Belgium.

The king ended the speech with the words: “Long live the Congo, long live the Belgian-Congolese friendship!”

South African lightweight boxer Simiso Buthelezi dies after suffering bleeding on the brain following a bout in Durban that ended with him appearing to shadow box an 'invisible opponent'.

South African authorities line up ethics classes after four clubs receive life bans for fixing 59-1 and 33-1 scorelines.

BBC World Service
Newsroom

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Protesters in Tunisia have gathered outside the Palace of Justice in the capital, Tunis, to denounce the defamation of sacked female judges.

They are among 57 judges dismissed by President Kais Saied last week after he accused them of corruption and protecting terrorists.

Those dismissed have since faced online attacks by supporters of Mr Saied - one of the female judges has been accused of adultery.

The Judges' Association began a week-long protest on Monday against the move by the Tunisian president.

He has ordered their salaries to be deducted for the days they remain on strike.

The president has become more authoritarian since coming to power in 2019 in a landslide victory. Last year, he dismissed the elected parliament and has set aside the constitution.

Patience Atuhaire
BBC News

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More than half a million people in Uganda’s north-eastern region of Karamoja are facing a high risk of hunger and starvation, according to a study by several UN agencies.

Those affected are about 40% of the population in the region.

In Moroto district alone, more than half of the population goes without any meal for a full day and night at least three times a month, the study found.

The region has also witnessed high levels of malnutrition, especially among children under the age of five.

In some cases, mothers were forced to feed their babies on a local brew made from sorghum.

The semi-arid region normally has one rainy season a year and has had historical food security challenges.

But an escalation of cattle-raiding related violence and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have worsened the situation.

In recent months, the Ugandan government has relaunched a programme to seize guns from the community and bring peace back to the region.

But it has been tainted by accusations of human rights abuses and resistance from the Karamojong people.

The former two-time Lagos governor secures a landslide win to contest next year's election.

Nomsa Maseko
BBC News, Johannesburg

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South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been given permission to privately prosecute Billy Downer, the lead prosecutor in his arms deal corruption trial.

Zuma laid a criminal complaint against the lawyer for allegedly leaking his medical records to the press. The former president wants him to be removed from the arms deal case, accusing him of lacking independence and impartiality.

The director of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal province says there is not have enough evidence to pursue the case against Mr Downer, though Zuma can do so privately.

The latest development is seen as yet another delaying tactic by Zuma’s legal team to avoid the trial, which is expected to resume in August.

The former president is facing charges of racketeering, corruption, money laundering and fraud for allegedly accepting bribes from French arms company Thales to secure lucrative defence contacts from the South African government.

Mr Zuma has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

If he goes ahead with the private prosecution, it needs to be instituted within three months.

Last September, Zuma was released on medical parole nearly two months into his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court in a separate case.

More on this topic:

• What you need to know and the multi-billion dollar arms deal

Emery Makumeno
BBC News, Kinshasa

Image source, AFP

In a historic gesture, King Philippe of Belgium has handed over the first of more than 80,000 artefacts taken from the Democratic Republic of Congo during the colonial era.

It was unveiled by the king and DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi at The National Museum of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Belgian Royal Palace tweeted the moment:

The Kakuungu mask was bought by an art dealer 70 years ago and had been exhibited at the Africa Museum on the outskirts of Brussels.

It was used in healing ceremonies by the indigenous Suku community during Belgian rule.

At a ceremony in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, the two countries also signed an agreement relating to the return of more artefacts.

Image source, AFP

King Philippe is on a week long visit to the DR Congo - his first since ascending to the throne in 2013.

More on this topic:

• Belgium 'wakes up' to its bloody colonial past

The next generation of NFL stars could be discovered in Ghana after the NFL announced that it is to host its first events in Africa later this month.

Patience Atuhaire
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Getty Images

TikTok users in Kenya are being shown videos that are abusive, incite violence or are outright fake news ahead of the country's August general elections, according to a new research.

The findings have found that the social network failed to flag and moderate content on the election.

The study, external was conducted by Odanga Madung, a researcher at the Mozilla Foundation.

It identified more than 130 videos linked to 33 accounts that contained hate speech, manipulated images and sound as well as political disinformation.

They include a fake television news bulletin and a fake documentary.

The videos have been viewed more than four million times collectively and were still not flagged as inappropriate content on the app at the time the study was being conducted.

The research further points out that TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company called Bytedance, is currently the most downloaded app in Kenya.

Mr Madung said political disinformation on TikTok - in violation of the platform’s own policies - was stirring up a highly volatile political landscape.

Following disputed elections in late 2007, some 1,200 people were killed and more than 500,000 fled their homes.

In their official response, TikTok told the researcher that the organisation prohibits election disinformation.

Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, the head of public policy and government relations at TikTok in Africa, added that the platform was working with accredited fact-checkers and had partners globally who helped assess content for accuracy in more than 30 languages, including Swahili.

He said the social network had removed some of the highlighted content and suspended some accounts.

More on social media in Kenya:

• Kenyan influencers paid to take 'guerrilla warfare’ online

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa

Image source, AFP

The US says it welcomes "progress" in aid reaching Ethiopia’s northern regions, including Tigray where millions have been in dire need of essential emergency supplies for months.

Relief agencies have long accused the Ethiopian government of implementing a "de facto blockade" and hindering access to Tigray.

More than 1,100 trucks with food, medical and other supplies have arrived in Tigray in a week, according to a statement by the US Department of State.

War broke out between the government and Tigrayan forces 19 months ago, unleashing a massive humanitarian crisis in which millions were uprooted from their homes.

Following an agreement of a humanitarian truce in March, there has been a lull in fighting and aid reaching the region has increased.

But humanitarian workers still say much more effort and aid are required to meet the needs.

The US has called on the warring parties to “continue to build on this momentum" and work to find an end to the brutal civil war.

It has also urged services to be immediately restored in conflict-affected areas.

Much of Tigray remains without services like banking, electricity and the internet.

Image source, Getty Images

The West African regional bloc Ecowas says it regrets the Mali junta's decision to fix the length of the transition to civilian rule to two years, given negotiations are ongoing.

It said its mediator would continue talks with the Malian authorities "with a view of reaching a mutually acceptable transitional agreement that will ensure Ecowas' support".

On Monday, Mali’s junta leader, Colonel Assimi Goïta, signed a decree fixing the length of the transition period to 24 months starting from March this year.

The army initially seized power in 2020 and has been under international pressure to hold elections sooner - the junta had initially agreed to hold them in February this year.

When Mali missed this deadline, Ecowas imposed stiff sanctions.

Over the weekend, an Ecowas meeting decided to keep the measures in place but is due to meet by next month to review the progress.

Not only is Ferdinand Omanyala Africa’s fastest man, he is also the inspiration for a new wave sprinters in Kenya.

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A high court in Kenya has stopped the tax authority from demanding tax on tithes, donations and offerings given to churches, the Daily Nation newspaper reports.

The Kenya Revenue Authority *KRA) had demanded 5.5m Kenyan shillings ($47,000; £37,000) from Thika Road Baptist Church in unpaid taxes, arguing that it failed to produce a tax exemption certificate.

Churches in Kenya are exempted from paying taxes on tithes, but the KRA had insisted they must get the exemption, the newspaper reports.

“I, therefore, find and hold that since tithes, offering and freewill donations are not income chargeable with income tax, it was not necessary for the church to seek an exemption," Justice David Majanja is quoted as saying.

Last year, the tax authority said it would be be viewing the social media profiles of targeted individuals to reconcile their lifestyle with their tax compliance.

Read more on this topic:

• Why Kenya's taxman is eyeing social media

Martin Hibbert, left paralysed after the 2017 Manchester attack, says he's ready to "smash" Kilimanjaro.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, AFP

A South African court has rejected the Mozambican government's request to appeal against a decision to extradite former Finance Minister Manuel Chang to the US.

Last November, a Johannesburg court ordered Mr Chang's extradition to the US, where he is accused of corruption, fraud and money laundering.

But the Mozambique government petitioned the South Africa's constitutional court for authorisation to appeal against the sentence.

On Tuesday, the court dismissed the request.

The government in Mozambique had wanted him to be extradited to Maputo, where 19 suspects are on trial on similar charges.

The crimes against Mr Chang relate to loans taken by Mozambique during his tenure as finance minister.

Mr Chang signed off more than $2.7bn (£2.1bn) in loans to set up a sophisticated tuna industry - to buy trawlers and military patrol boats, but much of it was allegedly diverted to corrupt officials.

He denies accepting $7m in bribes. He was arrested in December 2018 at the request of the US, where investors were affected by the scandal.

The former finance minister has been in a South African prison since his arrest following an indictment in a New York district court.

He was arrested while he was on transit to the United Arab Emirates, according to court documents.

More on this topic:

• Mozambique's tuna corruption scandal puts justice on trial

BBC World Service

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The World Bank has slashed its annual forecast for global economic growth, warning that some countries are facing a major recession because of Russia's war in Ukraine and coronavirus.

The bank said eastern Africa and some parts of Europe were particularly affected.

It said there was a real risk that stagflation - a combination of high inflation and low growth - could return for the first time since the 1970s, spurred by increases in food and fuel prices.

Speaking to the BBC, the bank's head, David Malpass, said it was difficult to see the other side of the crisis.

He said some developing countries were facing ballooning debt, with governments unable to purchase goods.

The bank's new global growth forecast - 2.9% - represents the sharpest deceleration in 80 years.

Nada Tawfik
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

The UN has warned that Somalia is heading towards a famine as the country faces its worst drought in at least four decades.

Currently, close to half of the population is facing crisis-level food insecurity.

The UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator for the country, Adam Abdelmoula, has said the international community must act now or more people will die.

He said the country was on the brink of devastating and widespread hunger and mass starvation that could claim hundreds of thousands of lives.

Four consecutive rainy seasons have failed and the UN estimates the ensuing severe drought has affected seven million people and displaced more than 800,000.

At the same time, food prices are soaring in part because of the war in Ukraine - and humanitarian assistance is out of reach for many because of insecurity and conflict.

Three million heads of livestock, a major source of livelihood, have died as a result of the drought.

Mr Abdelmoula said the response from the international community so far had not been sufficient. The UN’s humanitarian response plan is just 18% funded.

In 2011, severe drought resulted in a famine that killed a quarter of a million people.

Read more:

• Somalia drought: 'Act now or 350,000 children will die'

BBC World Service
Newsroom

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The King of Belgium is in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a historic visit.

He will initiate the return of artefacts looted during the rule of his ancestor - King Leopold II - during which millions died and the country was plundered.

King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and members of the Belgian government are on a week-long visit to the country - his first since becoming king in 2013.

Two years ago, he expressed what he called his deepest regrets for the wounds of colonisation, under King Leopold.

King Philippe is expected to hand over the first of more than 80,000 artefacts looted during the colonial period and visit the regional cities of Lubumbashi and Bukavu.