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Aymar Esse, Director of Locarno Open Doors World Premiere ‘My Father’s Kora,’ Discusses Challenges of Queer Cinema in Senegal
Aymar Esse, a Beninese director, will premiere his film “My Father’s Kora” at the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors section on 9 August 2026. The film explores queer identity within traditional Senegalese Muslim culture through the story of Souleymane Everston Adowo Freudenreich, an Afro-German trans man who travels to Dakar to repair his father’s kora,…
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Does Africa still back Infantino as Fifa president?
Fifa president Gianni Infantino continues to enjoy significant backing from African football administrators, even as his position faces wider scrutiny following the collapse of his controversial plan to sell stakes in Fifa’s global competitions to private investors. Late on Thursday, the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) unanimously reaffirmed its support for…
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Nigerian security forces rescue more than 300 abductees
Nigerian security forces have rescued 308 people who had been abducted in separate attacks in Niger and Kwara states, in what the presidency described as the largest single-day rescue operation the country has carried out. The joint operation, involving the military, police, intelligence services and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, freed the victims from the Kainji…
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Gianni Infantino scrambling for his future in Morocco with Colombia next
Fifa president Gianni Infantino is touring key allied confederations to shore up support for his re-election bid, amid growing opposition to Fifa’s proposal to sell off a 21% stake in the World Cup. After a week in Morocco, where he held crisis talks with senior officials in Rabat, Infantino is due to fly to Colombia…
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Tyla Talks World Cup Collab With Future But Shoots Down Romance Rumors: ‘Calm Down!’
South African singer Tyla appeared on Quen Blackwell’s YouTube series “Feeding Starving Celebrities”, where she discussed her FIFA World Cup collaboration “Game Time” with rapper Future while denying rumours of a romance between the pair. The interview also touched on her new album “A*Pop”, the lasting impact of her breakout hit “Water”, her views on…
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Real Madrid seal record fee for Yan Diomandé from Leipzig
Real Madrid have agreed a club-record fee of €135m (£115.7m) with RB Leipzig for 19-year-old forward Yan Diomandé, sealing the transfer on Wednesday after weeks of negotiations in which Paris Saint-Germain withdrew from the race. The move makes Diomandé the most expensive African player in history, surpassing the £72m Arsenal paid for Nicolas Pépé in…
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South Africa plans new rules on ex-leaders’ foreign trips after Zuma’s visit to India
South Africa’s foreign minister has proposed new rules requiring greater transparency around foreign trips by former heads of state, after ex-President Jacob Zuma sparked controversy by meeting businessman Ajay Gupta during a visit to India last month. The Gupta brothers were at the centre of the “state capture” corruption scandal that contributed to Zuma’s downfall,…
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Nigeria’s president orders a 80% salary increase for junior soldiers
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered a further pay rise for soldiers, with the most junior ranks receiving increases of up to 80%, in what he described as recognition of the armed forces’ role in tackling the country’s severe security threats. It is the second pay boost for troops in a month and forms part…
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Locarno 2026 opens with French premiere and Rossellini tribute
The 79th Locarno Film Festival has taken place in Switzerland, opening with the world premiere of “The Green Eyes”, a French co-directed feature, screened to an audience of around 8,000 at the festival’s lakeside Piazza Grande venue. The opening ceremony also saw actor Isabella Rossellini presented with the festival’s Excellence Award, setting the tone for…
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Locarno Open Doors 2026: Next Gen African Tales of Miraculous Snowfalls, Lost Dreams, an African Keyboard Prodigy and New Heroes
Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors programme returns for its second year focused on African cinema, running on-site from 5-10 August 2026 and showcasing emerging directors and producers alongside recent festival hits. The initiative, curated by Suzsi Bankuti, offers a snapshot of the continent’s upscale film scene, with organisers highlighting a strong presence of female film-makers…