Africa's week in pictures: 23-29 May 2025
A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond:
From the BBC in Africa this week:
Tears and heartbreak over tragic story of South African girl sold by her motherRemembering Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o - a giant of African literatureCould Nigeria's careful ethnic balancing act be under threat?Namibia marks colonial genocide for first time with memorial day'Nowhere is safe' - Cameroonians trapped between separatists and soldiers
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
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BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Sharks beat Munster in dramatic URC kicking shootout
United Rugby Championship quarter-final, after extra-timeSharks (0) 24Tries: Hooker, Fassi, Mbatha Cons: Ja Hendrikse 3 Pens: Ja HendrikseMunster (7) 24Tries: Nash, Wycherley, Kilgallen Cons: Crowley 3 Pens: MurraySharks win kick placing competition 6-4 The Sharks defeated Munster 6-4 in a place kicking competition after their hugely dramatic United Rugby Championship quarter-final in Durban ended 24-24 after Scannell's missed kick in the shootout proved decisive as Sharks trio Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse and Bradley Davids all converted their two shots at the Crowley and Conor Murray also were successful with their couple of kicks thrilling victory sees the Sharks reach the last four of the competition for the first time, having twice previously made the face an away trip to the Bulls next weekend, with Leinster hosting Glasgow in the other a fiercely contested tie, a converted Calvin Nash try helped the Irish province to a 7-0 lead at the interval at Kings Park but an Ethan Hooker score and Jaden Hendriksen's penalty moved the hosts ahead 10-7 early in the second touchdowns from Josh Wycherley and Diarmuid Kilgallen had Munster seemingly in control but Aphelele Fassi and Fez Mbatha went over to help the Sharks into a three-point Murray's monster penalty with three minutes remaining took the game into extra-time and with neither side able to add to their score in the additional 20 minutes, it was the South African side who emerged victors and progressed. Thrilling contest in Durban Munster began the game in the ascendancy and within 10 minutes they were seven points to the good as Kilgallen weaved his way past three defenders to make it into the Sharks 22 and the ball found its way to Crowley, who sent a cross-field kick bouncing into the Mapimpi looked to be the favourite to get it but it evaded him and fell perfectly for Nash, who applied the added the extras but was guilty of a bad miss off the tee after the Sharks had been penalised at the breakdown, pulling his effort Hendrikse missed with a penalty attempt from 45 metres and although his side battled their way back into the match with wave after wave of attacks, they were unable to turn their pressure into a score in the first half because of a combination of regular handling errors and some stubborn defence by six minutes of the resumption John Plumtree's side were level however when wing Hooker cut inside and weaved his way past three defenders to score close to the Hendrikse's penalty edged his team in front but their advantage proved shortlived as replacement prop Wycherley dived over with his first touch after accepting a flat pass from Craig Casey on the line when Nash had been stopped just after the hour mark Ian Costello's charges extended their lead to 14 points when replacement Mike Haley kicked through, Makazole Mapimpi slipped and Kilgallen won the race to the ball to touch down just before the dead ball Munster scrum came under pressure and Sharks went over for the score which would reduce their arrears to visitors collapsed the scrum and were fortunate not to concede a penalty try but their opponents subsequently moved the ball quickly to full-back Fassi, who minutes from the end of regulation time the Sharks were ahead as their pressure told. They gained quick ball off the line-out and it came to replacement hooker Mbatha, who barged his way weren't finished however and Murray forced extra-time by successfully landing an enormous kick from just inside the Sharks half to level the match at 24-24 Sharks dominated extra-time but were unable to add to their score as the Munster defence held fast and the game went to a place kicking competition, from which the South African side emerged triumphant. Team line-ups Sharks: Fassi; Hooker, Am, Esterhuizen, Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse; Nche, Mbonambi, Koch; Etzebeth (capt), Jenkins; Venter, Tshituka, Mbatha, Mchunu, Jacobs, Van Heerden, Buthelezi, Davids, Venter, Abrahams; Nash, Farrell, Nankivell, Kilgallen; Crowley, Craig Casey; Milne, Niall Scannell, Archer; Kleyn, Beirne (capt); O'Mahony, Hodnett, Barron, Wycherley, Ryan, Ahern, Kendellen, Murray, Scannell, Haley.
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Billie Piper announced as new Doctor Who as she replaces Ncuti Gatwa in BBC series
DOCTOR Who has delivered a massive shock to fans with a familiar face returning – with Billie Piper making her comeback, only this time as the Doctor themselves. Billie is a fan favourite on the long-running BBC series, helping reboot the show as companion Rose Tyler to Christopher Ecclestone's Ninth Doctor back in 2005. 5 5 5 Her character remained with the character as he regenerated into David Tennant's Tenth Doctor, before being trapped in a parallel world. However, Billie, and Rose, have made several appearances throughout the show since. In a massive shock on tonight's finale, The Reality War, Ncuti Gatwa - the 15th Doctor said goodbye to the role after two series and regenerated. The Doctor faced off against enemy the Rani in the latest bid to save the world. However, the ultimate sacrifice came in a bid to save the life of a little girl. As yellow particles eclipsed him, he transformed into a very familiar face – Rose – marking her turn as the 16th Doctor. She then mumbled a quick "Oh Hello!" before the series ended. Speaking of her return, Billie said: "It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that TARDIS one more time was just something I couldn't refuse, but who, how, why and when, you'll just have to wait and see." Speaking of his decision to leave, Ncuti said: 'You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it. "This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever. "There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe." Doctor Who's wokest ever lead star Ncuti Gatwa axed after just two series with show set to be paused after ratings nosedive "The fans are truly the final character and beating heart of this show and I can't thank the Whoniverse, and the Whovians, enough for welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience," Ncuti continued. "I've loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have. "I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.' Speaking of the surprise twist, Russell T Davies adds: "Billie once changed the whole of television, back in 2005, and now she's done it again! "It's an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the TARDIS, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told. After 62 years, the Doctor's adventures are only just beginning!" 5 5
The Guardian
37 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Doctor Who finale sees Ncuti Gatwa depart in surprise regeneration
Ncuti Gatwa is leaving Doctor Who, with the character regenerating as Billie Piper during the finale of the science-fiction series. The Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies, said: 'What a Doctor! Thank you, Ncuti! As his final words say, this has been an absolute joy, and the team in Cardiff and everyone who has worked on this show for the past few years, are so lucky to have been part of Ncuti's great adventure as he shoots off to stratospheric new heights.' In a statement released by the BBC, Ncuti Gatwa said: 'You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it. 'This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever.' Piper said of her shock return: 'It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse, but who, how, why and when, you'll just have to wait and see.' The final episode of this year's series, The Reality War, was simultaneously broadcast on BBC One and shown in cinemas around the UK, as well as receiving a streaming release on iPlayer and Disney+ internationally. The BBC had not allowed previews for reviewers in an attempt to preserve secrecy around the ending. Ncuti Gatwa was the 15th main lead of the show, which originally ran from 1963 to 1989, and was then revived by Davies in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston in the role. Since then David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker have been the Doctor, with Jo Martin and John Hurt also guest starring as mysterious versions from the Doctors past. Billie Piper, Catherine Tate, Karen Gillan, Jenna Coleman, Bernard Cribbins and Bradley Walsh have been among the Doctor's companions during the modern era. In September 2021 the BBC announced that Davies, the Queer as Folk and It's a Sin creator, would return as showrunner for a second time. Since 2023 the show has been co-produced by Bad Wolf and BBC Studios, and has been distributed internationally by Disney+, in a deal which dramatically enhanced the budget for a series that during the 1970s had a reputation for wobbly sets, primitive VFX and monsters made with bubble wrap. The current era of the show has endured historically low ratings for the series, with the most watched episode this year – The Interstellar Song Contest, which aired just before the Eurovision song contest it was modelled on – being watched by 3.75 million people in the UK during its first seven days on iPlayer. The casting of the first woman to play the role, and the first Black actors to pilot the Tardis, have dragged the show into online culture wars about diversity, which the cast and crew have pushed back on. Varada Sethu, who plays the Doctor's companion Belinda and who also recently appeared in the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor, said of people calling it 'Doctor Woke' that 'Woke just means inclusive, progressive and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.' A Doctor Who spin-off series, called The War Between the Land and the Sea, starring Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jemma Redgrave, is expected to air later in 2025.
