Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The police command in Nigeria's oil-rich state of Bayelsa Thursday confirmed the release of three Italians and another expatriate who were abducted from a service vessel of the Nigerian coast 23 Dec. 2012. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Mauritanians can only travel outside the country with new biometric passports, as the former passports are no longer valid, PANA reported Thursday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Press freedom advocacy group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the immediate release of Abdoulie John, a journalist who has been detained without charge in Banjul, the Gambian capital since Monday. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - A journalist was found murdered in northwestern Tanzania on Tuesday, three days after he went missing from his home, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which safeguards press freedom globally. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Striking and rioting workers have served notice that South Africa is likely to see a fresh wave of protest action in the New Year. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to bring to account soldiers involved in a raid on a radio station in the eastern town of Kabambare, and the arbitrary detention and beating of two of the station's journalists. 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...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - An influx of Sudanese and Somali refugees has been recorded in five camps in Ethiopia, with fresh arrivals expected due to the crisis in Sudan's Blue Nile state, aid agencies warned Wednesday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A fuel depot owned by independent oil marketing company, MRS, in Apapa, in the port area of Nigeria's commercial city of Lagos, was Wednesday rocked by an explosion that left four persons injured and caused damaged some parts of the company, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Full text...

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) - The Police in Lusaka Wednesday arrested Zambia’s former Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said Wednesday it killed 30 rebels in a clash with a Darfur rebel faction, and that 'mop-up' operations are still underway. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A man suspected to be a serving Nigerian Army soldier has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping for ransom of an Indian national in the African country's South-west city of Abeokuta. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - In a bid to ease the shortage of teachers in its primary and secondary schools, the Tanzanian government will recruit 28,746 graduate teachers from local universities and colleges starting this month, President Jakaya Kikwete has announced. Full text...

Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) – Tunisian Ali Harzi, who was held in connection with the deadly attack against the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, has been freed in Tunis, one of his lawyers, Mr Anouar Ouled Ali, said on Tuesday. Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - A Burundian Court of Appeal has reduced to three years the life sentence slammed on the local correspondent of Radio France International (RFI), Hassan Ruvakuki, over terrorist activities, PANA reported Tuesday. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Three senior Kenyan police officers, including a Provincial Police Officer (PPO), have been suspended by the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), as the country's authorities begin a probe into how a bogus cop found his way into the top echelons of the service. Full text...

Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - The US Embassy in Banjul has urged the Gambian government to release the Imam of Kanifing East Mosque, Baba Leigh, who was arrested 3 Dec. 2012 after denouncing last year's execution of nine death row inmates in the African country. Full text...

Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) - Botswana has arrested and detained a South African woman, Nomathemba Dhlamini, who is wanted in Argentina for alleged drug trafficking, the local media reported Tuesday. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has asked Malawian authorities to immediately investigate and file appropriate charges over the reported assault of a radio journalist, who said he was punched by a business leader angered by an interview question. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) have signed a two-year community stabilisation project to support Chadian migrants who have returned from Libya and are currently living in three northern regions bordering Libya, Niger and Sudan. Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - Four policemen were killed as a result of public violence in Tanzania's northwestern Kagera Region within three weeks, according to reports from the region that borders Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The 15-man Russian crew of a vessel that was arrested last year by the Nigerian Navy may be tried for illegal entry into the nation's waterways as well as non-declaration of arms and ammunition aboard the vessel, the private Punch newspaper reported Tuesday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Agents of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have clashed with suspected petrol thieves in Majidun on the outskirts the country's commercial city of Lagos, resulting in the death of one person and the arrest of 60. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - A man accused of killing his five children in the slum of Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has hanged himself in a police cell. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - At least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in an inter-ethnic fighting in Western Sudan Sunday, the local media reported Monday. Full text...

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) - Zambia’s former president Rupiah Banda will be among several high-profile dignitaries who will attend Monday’s inauguration of President John Mahama of Ghana. Full text...

Lagos, Lagos (PANA) - A veteran guitarist who played with one of Nigeria's top musicians for about 30 years has been arrested with 1.575kg of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in the commercial city of Lagos, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). 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...

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) – At least four policemen have died and four others were injured slightly on Friday in a road accident near the city of Nyanza, southern Rwanda, police sources told PANA in Kigali. Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - The UN Development Program (UNDP) has pledged a US$70 million contribution toward financing Burundi's three-year programme of Strategic Framework for Growth and Poverty Reduction (SFGPR). Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Gunmen have abducted a deputy manager at the area office of the state-run Pipelines Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in the oil-rich Rivers State, the police said Friday. Full text...

Douala, Cameroon (PANA) - Many Cameroonians have received New Year greetings via Short Message Service (SMS) from Cameroon’s President Paul Biya and the First Lady, Chantal. Full text...

Zinder, Niger (PANA) - Some 300 Nigeriens who fled Libya during the country's civil war last year have been trained since 26 Dec., in a bid to facilitate their integration into the society, the Nigerien Press Agency (ANP) reported Friday. Full text...

Niamey, Niger (PANA) - The President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, Friday sent a message of condolence to his Ivorian counterpart, Alassane Ouattara, following the death of 60 people in a stampede on New Year's Eve in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire's economic capital. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Tributes have been pouring in from around the world for South Africa’s top mountain biker Burry Stander, who was knocked down and killed by a minibus taxi while cycling on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Thursday night. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The four South Koreans who were kidnapped in Nigeria last month were released upon the payment of 30 million naira (US$188,700) in ransom by their Full text...

Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - The Gambia Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced it will conduct the elections of mayors for Banjul City Council (BCC) and Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) as well as Councillors for the 114 wards in the eight Local Government Councils 4 April. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigerian security agents who arrested two local journalists and detained them for eight days went away with 100,000 naira (US$633), mobile phone handsets, a laptop and an Ipad while making the arrest, according to the wife of one of the journalists.. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's highest authority, the General National Congress (CNG), has condemned Wednesday protest at its headquarters by some elements of the High Security Commission. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Nigeria's State Security Service (SSS) to return the laptops and mobile phones which it confiscated from two journalists who were illegally detained for over a week. Full text...

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso has pardoned 164 prisoners, the local press reported on Thursday. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan, (PANA) - Two Jordanian peacekeepers have been released after spending more than 130 days in captivity, the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said in a photo release on Wednesday. Full text...

Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - The Gambia News & Report Weekly Magazine has named Archbishop Tilewa Johnson as its Person of the Year 2012. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Nineteen passengers died Wednesday when the 30-seater minibus in which they were travelling veered off the road and landed in a roadside quarry at Keringet, Molo area of Nakuru County, in Kenya's Rift Valley Province. Full text...

Luanda, Angola (PANA) - At least 13 people were killed and 120 others injured in a crowd crush during a year-end mass of the Universal Church of God Kingdom in Luanda, the Angolan capital, on Monday night. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The suspects behind the deadly bombing of the UN building and the Nigeria police headquarters, both in the country's capital city of Abuja, as well as a Catholic Church in Madalla, northern Niger State, have been arrested and are now in custody, President Goodluck Jonathan has said. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The two Nigerian journalists who were arrested and detained by agents of the State Security Service (SSS) last week have been released, the local media reported on Tuesday. Full text...

Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - Gambian opposition leader Ousainou Darboe has painted a bleak political climate of the country in 2012 saying the year saw the "greatest setback for democracy" and free and equal participation of political parties in the electoral process. Full text...

Lome, Togo (PANA) - Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe has granted presidential pardon to 562 prisoners to usher in the new year, governmental sources told PANA here. Full text...

Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire (PANA) - Sixty persons in a crowd crush overnight Monday, during fireworks to ring in the New Year in the district of Plateau in Cote d'Ivoire's commercial city of Abidjan, the national television reported. Full text...