Author: WAJ Reporter

Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has imposed a prior approval requirement on the export of 47 products in response to South Africa’s repeated downgrading and renaming of Taiwan’s representative offices in the country. These products include integrated circuits (IC), chips, and memory. The move is seen as a reaction to Beijing’s political pressure, which Taipei believes aims to undermine Taiwan’s international standing. In its statement, the ministry said South Africa’s actions “posed dangers to the protection of national security and public safety, and have caused or may cause adverse effects on the normal development of Taiwan’s economic and trade…

Sunderland’s young Senegalese midfielder Habib Diarra will be out of action until December. Sunderland signed Diarra for a club-record fee of €31.5 million. The player, who was transferred from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, had the opportunity to showcase his potential in the top flight. Diarra got injured ahead of the Aston Villa match, forcing him to miss several weeks of action. So far, he has played in four Premier League games and also appeared in two matches for the Senegal national team during this period. Senegal has two remaining matches in the World Cup qualifiers’ group stage and currently leads…

For the 35th edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which will take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, Morocco has introduced a simplified e-authorisation system for African countries. According to this new measure, Morocco will implement a simplified Electronic Travel Authorisation (Autorisation Électronique de Voyage au Maroc – AEVM) for citizens of selected African nations ahead of the tournament. This will allow African fans traveling from across the continent to enter the country more easily to support their teams during the competition. Citizens of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gabon, Niger, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisia —…

In the 2025 Ballon d’Or, the award for the best player of the season, Mohamed Salah ranked 4th. After an outstanding performance, Salah finished last season as both the top scorer and top assist provider in the Premier League, and according to some, he deserved to win the award. However, Paris Saint-Germain’s striker Ousmane Dembele, who led his team to the Champions League title, claimed the top spot and was named the best player of the year. His teammate, Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi, ranked 6th on the list. Luis Enrique won the Johan Cruyff Award for Best Coach of the…

South African national team player Quinton de Kock had retired after the T20 World Cup final in June 2024. Although he had not officially retired from the T20 format, he was also no longer playing in Test matches. However, ahead of the T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka, and the 50-over World Cup in 2027, for which South Africa will be a co-host, the South African national team plans to recall their player to the squad. De Kock, considered one of the team’s best players, would provide a significant boost if he accepts this offer.…

Airtel Africa launched an AI-powered spam alert service six months ago. During this period, more than 205 million spam alert messages were sent to customers, helping them stay protected from potential scammers. Airtel Africa offers this service to all users at no additional cost. SMS messages identified as spam are marked with a “SPAM Alert” label, allowing users to recognize spam messages without needing to download extra applications. The service has been rolled out in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, Malawi, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad, and Niger. Soon, users in Seychelles will also be…

Kenyan athletes delivered a world-class performance at the Berlin Marathon. In the men’s race, Sabastian Sawe claimed victory, while in the women’s race, Rosemary Wanjiru secured the gold medal. Sawe clocked a time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 16 seconds, marking his third consecutive marathon win. Japanese runner Akasaki Akira finished second behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele took the bronze medal. After the race, Sawe shared his thoughts: “I gave my best performance and I’m happy with it. I felt good this year. Next year, I will be even better in the races.” In the women’s race, Wanjiru…

The excitement of the CAF Champions League, Africa’s most prestigious club competition, has begun. Last year, Egyptian side FC Pyramids won the tournament, and the teams set to participate this season will be confirmed in the coming days. The tournament will feature 16 teams divided into 4 groups, with clubs currently competing in the qualifying rounds to secure their spots. Once the group stage is determined, the knockout rounds will follow, with the final scheduled for May next year. The preliminary round matches will continue until October 24. After the two-round qualifiers, the 16 participating teams will be finalized. In…

One of the biggest problems in Ghana in recent times, youth unemployment, is being addressed through the launch of the Digital Innovation and Vocational Employability (DIVE) Training Programme. The programme is expected to host 80 participants. Around 14.7% of the population faces unemployment, with the majority being young people. With the DIVE Programme, which will be held in Accra, the aim is to contribute to the workforce and create quality employment opportunities in areas such as digital marketing, coding, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), problem-solving, and design thinking. The training is planned to combine theoretical content with practical learning opportunities. THE…

At the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi became the world champion in the 400 meters final with a time of 43.53 seconds. Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards won the silver medal with a time of 43.72 seconds, while another Botswanan athlete, Bayapo Ndori, finished third in 44.20 seconds. Following his achievement, 21-year-old Collen Kebinatshipi said: “This is my first title, and it feels amazing. I am proud of the progress we have made as a nation and as a continent.” This year, emerging talents found more opportunities to showcase themselves. Botswana has once again proven that it…

South African boxer Siyakholwa Kuse will face WBC Strawweight world champion Melvin Jerusalem. The match is set to take place on October 24, 2025, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines. Melvin ‘Gringo’ Jerusalem (24-3, 12 KO) is a boxer who has previously defended his title twice and will aim to succeed against Siyakholwa Kuse this time. The experienced champion is expected to challenge his opponent with his ring expertise. Siyakholwa ‘One Way’ Kuse (9-2-1, 4 KO) is a boxer who has won multiple national championships and currently holds the WBC Silver title. After delivering an impressive performance against…

Digital commerce company Network International and National Union Bank (NUB) have announced that they will collaborate to modernize payments in Libya. According to this partnership, Network International will provide NUB with a comprehensive digital payment processing package, including end-to-end prepaid card services and various value-added solutions. This will accelerate the bank’s digital transformation, improve customer satisfaction, and support the country’s financial inclusion goals. Additionally, NUB will benefit from advanced fraud prevention tools through the new platform. Network International sees this partnership as part of its strategy to expand operations in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and collaborate with…

Cleanergy Solutions has announced the opening of Africa’s first integrated green hydrogen plant in Walvis Bay, Namibia. The facility, powered by solar energy, handles both the production and distribution of hydrogen. The hydrogen produced at the plant is already being used in trucks and tractors, and it is also utilized in mono-fuel hydrogen generators for off-grid power generation. The project is being carried out in partnership with Belgium’s CMB.Tech and the Ohlthaver & List Group. It also receives support from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space. This initiative will later expand into rail and maritime applications. For example,…

The first week of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League has been completed, with African footballers delivering standout performances. Nigeria’s Promis David scored for Union Saint-Gilloise, helping his side to a 3-1 victory. Moroccan-origin midfielder Anouar Ait El Hadj netted the team’s second goal. Senegalese forward Mamadou Diakhon, just 19 years old, scored the final goal for Club Brugge in their emphatic 4-1 win over Monaco. In the same match, Monaco’s only goal came from former Barcelona player Ansu Fati. Another star of the night was Nigeria’s Raphael Onyedika, who capped his impressive display with a goal. One of the week’s…

FIFA has decided to launch disciplinary proceedings against the South African Football Association (SAFA) and Teboho Mokoena. Mokoena featured in the World Cup qualifier against Lesotho in March, despite being “suspended” at the time. This incident sparked major criticism, with opponents demanding that South Africa face a points deduction in the World Cup qualifying group. South Africa currently sit at the top of the table with 17 points. However, any sanction could change the entire picture. SAFA and Mokoena are expected to submit their defense within six days. After this process, FIFA will announce its final decision. Along with a…

The FIFA world rankings have been updated. Morocco climbed one place to 11th globally and remains the top-ranked country in Africa. Senegal retained its 18th place, making it the second-highest ranked African nation. Egypt, led by Mohammed Salah, has gained some momentum in recent matches but slipped from 34th to 35th place. Among other African teams in the top 50, Algeria sits in 38th, last year’s AFCON champion Ivory Coast is in 44th, and Nigeria, which has lost momentum in the World Cup, is in 45th place. Tunisia also moved up three spots in the rankings. Countries such as South…