Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The threat by Oil giants Shell to shut down operations and the cash-for-job scam in federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) were the main stories this week in Nigeria.Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) - Ghana’s 56th independence anniversary which fell on 6 March and the 2013 budget were some of the major stories covered by the Ghanaian media this week. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The Accra-based sub-regional rights body, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Thursday urged Ghanaian authorities to intensify their efforts and bring to book the attackers of journalist Isaac Kofi Normanyo. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the release of a journalist who was detained by the Malian authorities on Wednesday. Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) – The Radio France International (RFI) correspondent in Burundi, Hassan Ruvakuki, was released Wednesday after one year in detention over charges of “involvement in terror activities”, judiciary sources told PANA here.Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The Accra-based sub-regional rights body, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Tuesday condemned the attack on four journalists by officers drawn from the Nigerien Police Service. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the shutdown of a radio station in Nigeria because it was linked to the recent killing of nine polio vaccinators in the northern city of Kano. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The Gambia Press Union (GPU), an umbrella body for journalists in the Gambia, Sunday called for the release of detained journalist, Alagie Jobe, while expressing serious concern over his fate. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Former US President Bill Clinton's advice on mounting challenges, President Jonathan's 2015 political ambition, nation-wide vaccination against yellow fever, and Pope Benedict XVI's last moments were the main stories in Nigeria this week. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) – Jolts in Ghana’s football following the “temporary” resignation of the Ayew brothers from the national football team, the Black Stars, the hospitalisation of the team’s defender John Paintsil after his arrest for assaulting his wife were some of the stories highlighted in the Ghanaian media this week.Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The sub-regional rights body, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Thursday urged the Togolese government to drop a newly-passed law with ''discretionary powers to impose sanctions on the media without recourse to judicial processes''.Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The Accra-based sub-regional rights body, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has raised concern over the ''recent spate of suspensions'' meted out to the Ivorian media by the country's statutory press regulatory body, the National Press Council (CNP). Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – Fears grew of a return to sectarian violence in parts of Tanzania this week as newspapers reported public shock and disgust over the murder of a Catholic priest in the predominantly Muslim Island of Zanzibar. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The new 5-million-square-metre Eko Atlantic City, dedicated in Lagos on Thursday, government's move to settle "disengaged" electricity workers and the death penalty for terrorists dominated front pages in Nigeria this week. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) – President John Dramani Mahama’s maiden State of the Nation address and the minority’s boycott of Parliament during the address dominated the Ghanaian media this week. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The sub-regional rights body, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), on Wednesday condemned the assault on journalist Elkass Sannoh, by some Sierra Leonean police officers. Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - Burundi anti-riot police Tuesday "violently" dispersed journalists demanding the release of their jailed colleague, Hassan Ruvakuki, the local correspondent of Radio France International (RFI, Swahili section).Full text...

Lomé, Togo (PANA) – Togo security forces Tuesday stopped journalists from a planned peaceful demonstration in front of the National parliament building where they were to protest against a vote on the bill amending laws of the High authority of audio-visual and communication (HAAC), Full text...

Lome, Togo (PANA) – The Togolese Journalists Unions have called out their members to a peaceful demonstration Tuesday in front of the the National Parliament building here as parliamentarians prepare to vote on the bill amending laws of the High authority of audio-visual and communication (HAAC), reliable sources told PANA here Monday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The elaborate reception for the new African football champions, the Super Eagles, discovery of ghost workers and rising population were the main stories in Nigeria this week. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) – The never-ending arguments over fuel subsidy, the sudden resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, post-mortem of Ghana’s disastrous Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign and a brief strike by doctors demanding higher salaries were some of the stories reported in the Ghanaian media this week. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The New York-based international press freedom watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Thursday released its latest report on the state of press freedom, saying ''attacks and censorship erode press freedom worldwide''. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The murder of nine female health workers deployed to an anti-polio campaign, Super Eagles' qualification for the final of the 2013 AFCON in South Africa, Opposition merger and the new import duty regime on rice and other commodities were the major stories in Nigeria this week. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) – The relocation of the seat of government from the Castle, Osu, to Flagstaff House on Thursday and the semi-final loss of the Black Stars to the Stallions of Burkina Faso in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition in South Africa were some of the stories highlighted in the Ghanaian media this week. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The sub regional press freedom watchdog, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Thursday welcomed the presidential pardon granted to Berthe Cakpossa, the director of a privately-owned television station, and Lionel Agbo, a former government official. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Prime Minister, Ali Zeidan, has appealed to the Lebanese government to free Libyan journalist, Walid Mabhoub, who was arrested in Beirut three days ago. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – The retaking of northern Mali from Islamist groups affiliated to Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) by French-led troops is one of the main stories highlighted by the media this week in Mauritania.Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) –Ghanaian newspapers were this week dominated by a mystery gold cargo that was seized in Turkey and the highly contentious issue of homosexuality when a human rights lawyer and activist, Nana Oye Lithur, appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee to be vetted as Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – A major row has broken out between the government-backed New Age newspaper, and the official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) which has called for a judicial commission of inquiry to look into the paper's funding.Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) - The boycott by Members of Parliament of Ghana's opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of the vetting of nominees for ministerial positions dominated the country's media this week. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The life jail slammed on Edmund Ebiware, found guilty of complicity in the 1 Oct., 2010 independence day twin-bombings in the capital city of Abuja, and the below-par performance of the Super Eagles at the ongoing 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa dominated front pages in Nigeria this week. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Mauritania's regulatory Supreme Media and Audiovisual Authority (HAPA) has accused two media organisations in the country of serving as propaganda tools to terrorists, after they carried messages from the terrorists who took hostages at a gas plant in Algeria. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – The French-initiated operation to flush out jihadists from northern Mali and the taking of hostages by suspected Al-Qaeda members in the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria were given wide coverage by Mauritanian newspapers this week. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The war in Mali, to which other West African Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) – The continuing court case on a petition filed by the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) against the results of the 7 December 2012 election and the death of the paramount chief of Accra were some of the major stories covered by the media in Ghana this week. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The sub-regional rights body, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Monday condemned the attack against four journalists in Togo by personnel of the country's police force.Full text...

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - Rwandan newspapers Monday widely reported the launch of the "French military operation" in Mali, called Serval, which is designed to assist the Malian armed forces in dislodging armed Islamists occupying the northern part of the West African country since March 2012. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – As schools in Tanzania started the new academic year this week, education was at the centre of attention in local newspapers which pinpointed shortfalls in the sector, including the government’s long-term failure to pay salaries and allowances of teachers. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) – The inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama, commencement of hearing of a petition against the results of the 7 December election filed by the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and announcement of names of the first cabinet ministers occupied the attention of the media this week. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The detained Gambian journalist, Abdoulie John, has been released on bail, family sources confirmed to PANA on Friday.Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The management of Jollofnews online newspaper on Thursday condemned the arrest and detention of its reporter, Abdoulie John, by Gambian authorities. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – Abdoulie John, one of Gambia's embattled journalists, has been rearrested and placed in custody by personnel of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in Banjul, family members confirmed to PANA on Wednesday. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - The global press freedom body, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), has condemned the continued harassment of a Gambian journalist, Abdoulie John, an IFJ statement received by PANA on Saturday has indicated. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – Every New Year brings hope and expectation to people and so does 2013, according to Tanzanian newspapers, some of which, this week, reflected on the past year as a bad period but at least one painted an optimistic outlook of the country’s economy. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) – The State of the Nation address and New Year message of President John Dramani Mahama and speculations about political appointments were some of the major stories covered by the newspapers in Ghana this week. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) - The 7 December election result challenge in court by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and concerns of Catholic Bishops over the commercialisation of Christmas were some of the stories played up by the Ghana media this week. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - Calls to the Tanzanian public to stay committed to the values of peace and religious tolerance highlighted the country’s media this week, as citizens engage in end-of-year family reunions and festivities. Full text...

New York, (PANA) - The New York-based media watchdog, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has condemned a series of censorship measures imposed this month by media regulators in Guinea against three popular current affairs talk shows stemming from news commentary critical of officials.Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The national budget, passed on Thursday by the National Assembly, and the mass failure in the secondary schools examinations, conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), were the major stories reported in Nigeria this week.Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) – A demonstration of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in its stronghold, Kumasi, in central Ghana, the hassles of Christmas and shooting of the Upper West Regional minister by armed robbers were some of the stories highlighted by the media in Ghana this week. Full text...