IJR News

South Africa summons US ambassador for third time over criticism — Sep 29, 2026South Africa summoned U.S. Ambassador Brent Bozell for the third time in nine months over what it called undiplomatic conduct, following his public criticism of the government. The dispute reflects broader tensions over President Donald Trump’s claims about persecution of white Afrikaners, South Africa’s land and racial-equity policies, and U.S. measures against the country, though Pretoria says both sides remain committed to resolving their differences.

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South Africa mass shootings kill 27, wound 26 — Sep 26, 2026Two mass shootings at entertainment venues in South Africa killed 27 people and wounded 26: 17 were killed at a bar west of Johannesburg and 10 at a venue in Cape Town. Police are searching for suspects; the motive for the Johannesburg attack is unknown.

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South Africa Open to US Talks Despite Curbs — Sep 26, 2026South Africa remains open to talks with the United States despite new visa restrictions, with Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola saying Pretoria wants to avoid retaliation and preserve an important economic relationship. The discussions had included mining investment and Black ownership and employment rules, amid wider disputes over land reform, racial-equity policies and South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

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South Africa Inflation Rises to 4.4%, Below Forecast — Sep 23, 2026Stats SA set South Africa August inflation at 4.4% on 23 September 2026, up from 4.3%, with CPI flat month to month and fuel 20% dearer year on year.

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Dana Whitfield Housing and transport costs are still adding pressure though, even if food inflation stays modest and monthly figures are flat.

Study links home vaping, smoking to kids’ asthma — 4dStudies link household tobacco-smoke exposure with higher prevalence of childhood stunting in sub-Saharan Africa, while research on children with asthma found that household vaping was associated with more flare-ups and symptoms. Exposure to both vaping and combustible tobacco showed the strongest links to poor asthma control, challenging the idea that secondhand vapor is harmless to children.

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Priya Raman Both habits together causing the worst flare ups shows secondhand vapor is not harmless after all.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Ethiopian Airlines signs deal for 10 Boeing freightersBusiness — Sep 30, 2026Ethiopian Airlines has agreed to buy eight Boeing 777-8F and two 777F freighters to expand and modernize its cargo fleet amid rising air-freight demand. It will be the first African carrier to order the new 777-8F, strengthening its cargo network linking Africa with global markets.

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South Africa Offers 150% Tax Break to Secure EV Production — Sep 24, 2026South Africa’s auto industry risks losing future vehicle production to Asian rivals as automakers choose sites for electric-vehicle manufacturing. A new 150% tax deduction may attract investment, but executives say reliable electricity, charging infrastructure, policy certainty, consumer demand and export competitiveness will also determine whether the country remains in global supply chains.

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Maya Lindstrom Export markets matter most here, since local demand alone probably won't sustain new EV lines.

Chinese Electric Bike Imports Across Africa Rise 60% — Sep 10, 2026Africa’s shift to renewables and electric mobility is increasingly powered by Chinese equipment, with South Africa importing the majority of its solar, battery, and wind gear and North Africa driving a surge in Chinese electric scooters and mopeds. The continent shows a clear divide: consumer-focused North Africa leads in fully built EV imports, while East and West Africa emphasize commercial use, local assembly, and battery-swapping networks to support ride-hailing and delivery services.

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US DFC Plans $155M WIOCC Investment Across Africa — Sep 16, 2026DFC will put up to $155 million into WIOCC—its largest-ever equity stake—as CEO Ben Black ties the Africa infrastructure push to winning the AI race for America.

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Derek Foss This kind of direct investment in African fiber and data centers could give US tech firms a real edge over Chinese suppliers.

China Expands Surveillance Capabilities Near Key US Base in Africa — Sep 21, 2026China has expanded communications and surveillance capabilities at its military base in Djibouti, placing new infrastructure within roughly six miles of a major U.S. installation,… — by Andrew Powell

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Jared Kim China is simply securing its supply routes, but six miles away still feels far too close for comfort.

Nine Women’s Deaths Spur South Africa Protests — Sep 17, 2026Memorials and silent protests across South Africa followed the discovery of eight to nine deaths of women in the Ekurhuleni and Kempton Park areas, renewing public anger over femicide and calls for stronger policing and action against gender-based violence. Authorities and activists cite a national crisis in GBV, with President Ramaphosa pledging intensified investigations and police operations like a broader crackdown to protect women.

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Toy Story vs ShrekYourlist — VS BattleThe toy box vs the swamp: two animation revolutions, one inevitable playground argument.

US Plans $100 Million Africell Loan to Counter Huawei — Sep 11, 2026The Trump administration plans to lend nearly $100 million to Africell, Africa's only American-owned telecom, to invest in US- and allied-supplied network technology in order to counter Huawei's dominance in Africa. The financing aligns with a broader push to promote non-Huawei telecoms abroad and follows Africell's prior US-backed financing, underscoring Huawei's sizable share of Africa's 5G infrastructure and the administration's 2025 executive-order directive on promoting American technology overseas.

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Nicole Hardy This loan should help Africell expand with trusted equipment and slow Huawei's grip on African networks.

Senegal Welcomes Flame for Africa's First Youth Games — Sep 13, 2026Senegal welcomed the Olympic flame for Dakar 2026, marking Africa's first Youth Olympic Games, with a 100-women procession and IOC President Kirsty Coventry in attendance. The flame, lit in Athens, will launch a 3,600-kilometre tour through all 14 regions ahead of the October 31 opening, hosting about 2,700 athletes across 35 sports in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.

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Sickle Cell Gene Therapies Approved as Senegal Makes Local Generic Drug — Sep 17, 2026Senegal's Teranga Pharma launched local generic sickle cell drug Drepaf in November 2025 at up to one-third import prices; Africa holds nearly 80% of global cases.

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Marcus Bell This local generic should finally let more African families afford treatment without relying on expensive imports.

Argentina Corn Exports Surge as Ukraine FaltersBusiness — Sep 9, 2026Argentina’s corn exports to North Africa surged in early 2026 as buyers shift away from war-disrupted Ukraine, with Morocco, Egypt and Algeria driving a sharp rise that could push total exports toward a record 10 million tonnes in August–September amid a bumper harvest. The larger crop and weaker competition from Brazil bolster Argentina’s position as a top global exporter while ongoing Black Sea disruption keeps North Africa as a key export outlet.

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The Big FiveQuizie — QuizThe personality model scientists actually use — five traits, twenty questions, your real percentages, and an AI read of what your mix means.

Uganda, DRC Communities Strengthen Gorilla Conservation — Sep 23, 2026Community-led conservation is helping protect gorillas across Central Africa: near Uganda’s Bwindi forest, residents are planting useful trees outside the park to reduce pressure on mountain-gorilla habitat, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a new legal designation expands community-managed forest protections for threatened Grauer’s gorillas. Health and tourism initiatives also support mountain-gorilla conservation, whose population has nearly doubled since the 1990s.

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All Blacks captain Savea plans shoulder surgery — Sep 21, 2026All Blacks captain Ardie Savea will undergo shoulder surgery after dislocating his shoulder in the South Africa series, ruling him out of next month’s Bledisloe Cup tests and making a return in 2026 unlikely for the Nations Championship, with recovery expected to be around six months. He joins a casualty list that includes Luke Jacobson and Caleb Clarke, while several other teammates are anticipated back within weeks, highlighting a tumultuous period for New Zealand Rugby ahead of the Wallabies clashes and year-end fixtures.

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Chris Dalton Savea's shoulder injury is a real setback with the Bledisloe tests so close and the team already short on key players.

TotalEnergies Partners With GIP on $1.8 Billion African Infrastructure Deal — Sep 18, 2026TotalEnergies and Global Infrastructure Partners, a BlackRock affiliate, have agreed to a US$1.8 billion investment into TotalEnergies’ African oil and gas midstream assets in exchange for a throughput-based tariff lasting up to 15 years, allowing monetization while preserving operational control. The deal signals a broader strategy to unlock value from midstream infrastructure and attract major investors to Africa’s energy sector.

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Priya Raman BlackRock's affiliate backing African oil infrastructure at this level should draw more serious money into the sector.

Death Toll Passes 100 in Mali AttackWorld — Sep 18, 2026The Mali Dioura attack by JNIM on Sept. 10, 2026 killed more than 100 Malian soldiers and several Russian Africa Corps personnel, with tallies ranging from 50 to over 100 reported by security sources, the army, and JNIM, and none independently verified. The assault, one of the deadliest on Mali’s army in years, prompted large-scale air-ground operations and underscored Bamako’s growing reliance on external military backing, including Russia, amid a widening casualty toll and disputes over numbers.

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UN Resolution Endorses Equal Earth Map — Sep 17, 2026A global debate over map projections and colonial legacies is intensifying as the UN considers replacing Mercator with equal-area models like Equal Earth to correct distortions that skew Africa and other regions, drawing support from many nations while major powers and some allies abstain or object on sovereignty grounds. Separate tensions over Ceuta and Melilla illustrate how historical borders and colonial legacies continue to shape contemporary disputes even as cartographic debates seek more equitable representations of the world.

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El Niño Could Cause 451,000 Excess DeathsEnvironment — Sep 19, 2026El Niño is intensifying across regions, pushing millions toward hunger in Africa while threatening food security and prompting calls for early action, even as Zambia urges a substantial boost to school meals funding to protect children, and health systems in the Americas brace for drought, fires, floods and disease risks. In Peru, extreme heat and widespread risk zones expose over 3 million children to disaster risk, with UNICEF highlighting the scale of affected educational facilities and health infrastructure as the region faces broad El Niño disruptions.

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England’s 39-Game Winning Run Ends in Draw — Sep 17, 2026England’s 39-match women’s rugby winning streak ended as Canada held them to a 26-26 draw in Exeter, with Canada’s early pressure and late resistance highlighting a potential shift as both sides prepare for further tests in North America. Wales snapped a nine-game Test losing streak by routing South Africa 50-5 in Cardiff to kick off the WXV Global Series, signaling a strong start for Wales with a dominant first half and a red-card incident shaping the match.

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Powerball Results Span Texas, UK; SA Draw Pending — Sep 13, 2026A quartet of lottery updates covers Texas Lotto and Powerball draw results, ahead-of-draw notices, and prize rules across the UK and South Africa. The reports detail Sept. 14, 2026 results for Texas Powerball, XTRA and Plus pre‑draw pages, the upcoming U.K. National Lottery Powerball jackpot and the strict claim procedures, and general South African lottery draw guidelines.

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Russia Begins First Duma Election Since Invasion — Sep 12, 2026The Russian State Duma elections, slated for September 18-20, are expected to again favor United Russia under tight Kremlin control and serve as a barometer of public support for the war in Ukraine, with limited real opposition on the ballot. Russians abroad—from Kerala in India to South Africa and other consulates—are voting at dedicated polling sites, reflecting efforts to mobilize turnout while observers flag concerns about legitimacy and potential manipulation of participation.

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