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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…
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Ebola deaths top 1,700 in eastern Congo
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has become the fastest-growing on record, with the death toll passing 1,700 and new infections continuing to outpace health workers’ ability to trace and contain them. The crisis, centred on the town of Bunia in Ituri province, is especially alarming because officials have not yet identified…
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Mysterious elephant deaths in Kenya raise questions around pesticides
The deaths of 15 elephants near Kenya’s Amboseli National Park between late June and late July have prompted questions after officials suggested pesticides used on nearby tomato farms may be to blame. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the animals showed signs of “partial paralysis” consistent with cyanide poisoning, but conservationists and local farmers have…
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Shakira Says Her Days Spent With Uganda’s The Ghetto Kids for World Cup Halftime Show Were ‘Filled With Inexplicable Love’
Shakira has paid tribute to Uganda’s Ghetto Kids, the group of child dancers who performed alongside her and Burna Boy during the FIFA World Cup Final halftime show on 19 July 2026. In an emotional Instagram post shared on Monday, the Grammy-winning singer described the time she spent with the children as “filled with inexplicable…
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Le Clos’ home destroyed by fire after he sets Commonwealths record
South African swimmer Chad le Clos has revealed that his apartment in Cape Town was destroyed by a fire that also killed a neighbour, just a day after he became the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history. Le Clos, 34, said the blaze broke out in his Sea Point apartment block on the evening…