The Japanese government has stopped the use of floppy disks in all official capacities, in an ongoing effort to digitise its bureaucracy system. This takes place more than two decades since floppy disks were in their prime.

By the middle of last month, the Digital Agency had scrapped all 1,034 regulations governing their use, except for one environmental stricture related to vehicle recycling.

"We have won the war on floppy disks on June 28!" Digital Minister Taro Kono, who has been vocal about wiping out fax machines and other analogue technology in government, told Reuters in a statement on Wednesday.

The Digital Agency was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, when a scramble to roll out nationwide testing and vaccination revealed that the government still relied on paper filing and outdated technology.

A charismatic figure with 2.5 million followers on X, Kono formerly headed the defence and foreign ministries as well as the Covid vaccine deployment, taking up his current role in August 2022 after a failed bid to become prime minister.

Japan's digitisation effort has run into numerous snags, however. A contact-tracing app flopped during the pandemic and adoption of the government's My Number digital identification card has been slower than it hoped, amid repeated data mishaps.

Starting line-ups for the World Cup third place playoff between Belgium and England in Saint Petersburg on Saturday (1400 GMT kick-off):

Belgium (3-4-3)

Thibaut Courtois; Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen; Thomas Meunier, Axel Witsel, Youri Tielemans, Nacer Chadli; Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard (capt)

Coach: Roberto Martinez (ESP)

England (3-5-2)

Jordan Pickford; Phil Jones, John Stones, Harry Maguire; Kieran Trippier, Eric Dier, Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Danny Rose; Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane (capt)

Coach: Gareth Southgate (ENG)

Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRI)

Sadio Mane scored a hat-trick as Senegal overcame Benin 3-1 on Saturday in the first match of their Africa Cup of Nations title defence, and hinted that he will not be at Liverpool next season.

Speaking to the media before the Group L clash, Mane said: "I will do what they (the Senegalese people) want.

"Like everyone else, I am on social media and see the comments. Is it not between 60 and 70 percent of Senegalese want me to leave Liverpool?"

Mane, who forms a deadly strike partnership with two-time African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Salah from Egypt, has been linked to German giants Bayern Munich.

He had said he would reveal his future plans after Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final last weekend, but did not do so.

"We will see soon," he told the media conference in Senegal. "Do not be in hurry because we will see this together."

The 30-year-old reigning African Footballer of the Year converted a 12th-minute penalty at the national stadium in Diamniadio near Dakar.

Mane struck again on 23 minutes, bursting into the box and scoring at the second attempt after goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbe blocked his initial shot.

Benin had Sessi D'Almeida sent off early in the second half of the 2023 qualifier and Mane completed his hat-trick on the hour from another penalty before Junior Olaitan reduced arrears.

Next up for Senegal is a trip to Rwanda on Tuesday, and it is hard to imagine any result other than another victory for the Teranga Lions.

Rwanda drew 1-1 away to Mozambique and they share second place behind Senegal and ahead of Benin, who were guided by caretaker Moussa Latoundji after the departure of French coach Michel Dussuyer.

- Dream debut -
Eric Chelle, whose coaching experience has been limited to French lower-league clubs, made a dream debut as boss of Mali, who hammered Congo Brazzaville 4-0 in Bamako.

Mohamed Camara put the Malians ahead with just one minute on the clock and they were four goals ahead by half-time as El Bilal Toure netted twice and Kalifa Coulibaly once.

Mali top Group G on goal difference from the Gambia, who edged South Sudan 1-0 through a goal from Ablie Jallow at the end of the opening half.

Gambia debuted in the Cup of Nations this year and beat higher ranked sides Tunisia and Guinea and held Mali before bowing to hosts Cameroon in the quarter-finals.

Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi made sweeping squad changes after the then defending champions made a stunning first-round Cup of Nations exit, then lost a 2022 World Cup play-off against Cameroon.

Among those axed was West Ham United forward Said Benrahma, while Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, the Desert Foxes' captain, missed out due to an undisclosed injury.

Despite the introduction of young blood it was an old hand -- centre-back Aissa Mandi -- who set up a 2-0 Group F victory over Uganda in Algiers.

Islam Slimani nodded a free-kick against the crossbar and the rebound struck the Villarreal defender on the shoulder and fell into the net after 28 minutes.

The boost of a first-minute headed goal by George Mwaigomole was not enough to produce a win for Tanzania in the same group with Niger levelling through Daniel Sosah to force a 1-1 draw.

In other matches, Mauritania hammered Sudan 3-0, Namibia and Burundi drew 1-1 and the match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon started four hours late.

A jet carrying the Gabonese delegation from Paris to Kinshasa developed problems and had to make an emergency landing in Barcelona.

On Sunday, Salah-inspired Egypt host Guinea while Qatar World Cup qualifiers Ghana and Tunisia are away to the Central African Republic and Botswana respectively.

Didier Deschamps proclaimed France’s second World Cup triumph was “just as beautiful” as their first after leading them to glory again 20 years on, but Croatia defender Dejan Lovren said that Deschamps' team "did not play football."

"I'm disappointed because we lost the game, we played much, much better football than them, but on the other hand I'm proud of this team and what we have achieved," Lovren said.

"We played beautiful football again. France were one of the favourites to win the World Cup and they did it. I think we were better. They did it another way. They didn't play football, they waited for their chances and they scored. They had their own tactic and you need to respect that. They played the tournament like that, every game, but when you look at all the countries behind us, we're second.” he added.

"There's nothing to talk about now. It's difficult to describe. Maybe after a week or two, a couple of months... right now, it's difficult. Some moments I feel sad, some moments I'm happy. Overall, I'm proud."

Ivan Perisic conceded the first-half penalty after referee Nestor Pitana penalised him for handball following a VAR review.

"I was sure he would not give the pen," said the Liverpool centre-back. "From my point of view, he [Perisic] could not react.

"It was a critical moment, we came back at 1-1, and then this penalty and then 3-1, 4-1, but even then we didn't stop playing football, we still believed, we gave everything, and this is why people are proud now in Croatia."

Didier Deschamps' side had claimed a 1-0 over Belgium in the semifinals with a defensive masterclass which left Belgium star Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois deeply unimpressed with what he felt were overly cagey tactics by France in the semi-final, and now Lovren also felt the frustration of coming up against Deschamps's style. Not always the most entertaining, however, in the end, French squad just had too much talent at its disposal to get the job done.

Sadio Mane's Senegal are aiming to retain their title and Mohamed Salah is chasing a first trophy with Egypt at this year's Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in Ivory Coast on January 13.

A strong field also features 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and a Nigeria team spearheaded by African footballer of the year Victor Osimhen, as organisers hope the focus will remain solely on the football at this edition of the continental showpiece.

Ivory Coast is hosting the AFCON for the first time since 1984, when only eight teams participated with Roger Milla's Cameroon emerging as champions.

This time there are 24 teams at a tournament initially scheduled to be played in June and July last year in order to avoid a clash with Europe's top leagues.

However, fears over staging it during the rainy season eventually led the Confederation of African Football to push it back to the more traditional January and February slot.

Focus on security

The last AFCON, two years ago in Cameroon, was overshadowed by the tragedy at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, when eight people died in a crush and stampede.

Security is therefore at the forefront of organisers' thoughts this time, with 1.5 million fans expected to attend from outside the country.

Matches will be staged in six stadiums across five cities, with two venues in the economic capital, Abidjan.

These include the 60,000-capacity Ebimpe Olympic Stadium, constructed especially for the competition. It will be the venue for the opening game between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau, as well as the February 11 final.

Games will also be played in the capital Yamoussoukro and neighbouring Bouake, as well as in San Pedro on the coast and in Korhogo, in the north near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.

Organisers will also hope the quality of the football is better this time than in 2022, when an average of fewer than two goals were scored per game.

Morocco will be expected to go far, with Africa's top-ranked nation still riding high from their run to the last four in Qatar just over a year ago.

They have a squad full of players based at leading European sides, with Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi the headline name, but Morocco have not won the AFCON since 1976.

"With each competition that goes by we get further away from the date when we last won it, but that is not a reason for us to put extra pressure on ourselves," insisted coach Walid Regragui recently.

Can Senegal retain title?

Morocco are in Group F with DR Congo, Avram Grant's Zambia and Tanzania, who have never won a game at the AFCON.

Senegal are in a tougher-looking section with neighbours Gambia, the Guinea of Bundesliga hotshot Serhou Guirassy, and Cameroon.

Mane and his team are aiming to become the first nation to retain the title since Egypt's run of three in a row between 2006 and 2010.

"We have only ever won it once, so we are eager to go there and win, and keep winning," insisted Senegal coach Aliou Cisse.

Winners in 2019, Algeria are aiming to make up for their woeful showing two years ago, when they exited in the group stage.

Egypt, led by Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria, boast the biggest star of all in Salah as they target a record-extending eighth AFCON title to banish the memory of defeats in the finals of 2017 and 2022.

That is what Egyptians are dreaming of, although Salah's manager at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, is hoping for a different outcome given that his team are currently chasing the Premier League title.

"From a personal point of view, I would be happy if they go out in the group stage but that's probably not possible. They can go on and win it," Klopp admitted.

Then there is the host nation, no longer the force they were when they last won the title in 2015 with Yaya Toure as captain, but looking to make the most of home advantage.

Nigeria, with Bayer Leverkusen sensation Victor Boniface as well as Osimhen, have an almost unrivalled amount of depth in attack.

South Africa, meanwhile, are back after missing the last edition, and have a team that leans heavily on the country's leading club side, Mamelodi Sundowns.

The winners of the trophy will receive a record $7 million in prize money, 40 percent more than what champions Senegal pocketed in 2022.