Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- The worsening political crisis in Zimbabwe dominated the South African media this week with reports of escalating violence and looming food shortages. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Newspapers this week concentrated on the meeting of Cote d'Ivoire four major political leaders in Yamoussoukro, the African Cup of Nations tournament in Mali and the Nyiragongo volcano eruption in Goma, DR Congo. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Senegalese newspapers this week expressed cautious optimism following the national football team's 1-0 win over Egypt in their opening Group D match of the 23rd African Cup of Nations being hosted by Mali. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- The local press this week picked on Tanzania's absence in international football, as the country once again stands by to watch the 2002 Cup of Nations finals currently underway in Mali. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- Ongoing games of CAN 2002 dominated Ghanaian newspapers during the week, with several of them commenting on the trouble in the camp of the national team, Black Stars, that led to the expulsion of Samuel Osei Kuffuor. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Rosine Soglo's re-election as chairperson of the opposition Benin Renaissance party and the failure to adopt the 2002 national budget were major topics in the country's newspapers this week. Full text...

Gaborone- Botswana (PANA) -- The kidnapping last week and subsequent demand of a 200,000-dollar ransom for the release of the grandson of MP and millionaire Satar Dada, continued to dominate press reports in Botswana this week. Full text...

Lome- Togo (PANA) -- Media organs in Lome this week directed their attention on the recent mission by facilitators of the inter- Togolese talks and the 35th anniversary of President Gnassingbe Eyadema rule. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Reports about the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) suspending a nation-wide workers' strike dominated Friday's news accounts across the country, capping a week in which the local press devoted plenty of space to the union's grouse with the government over a recent hike in fuel prices. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- This week's decision by the South African Reserve Bank to increase its repo rate by one percent prompted leading banks to do the same, triggering the ringing of alarm bells across the local press. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- Ghanaian newspapers have wished their national soccer team, the Black Stars, good luck in the African Cup of Nations finals which start Saturday in Bamako, Mali. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe this week made headlines in the Tanzanian media as leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met in Malawi for a special summit. Full text...

Harare- Zimbabwe (PANA) -- Two private newspapers in Zimbabwe Thursday launched scathing attacks on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and South African President Thabo Mbeki for going soft on President Robert Mugabe's government. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- Third World countries, including Kenya, who are regular recipients of Western tutorials on corruption are watching with keen interest the ongoing scandal in Enron, the Texas-based energy company that has gone bankrupt. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- Kenya's privately owned Nation newspaper has appealed to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to mend his ways to avoid plunging his country into more difficult times. Full text...

ACCRA- Ghana (PANA) -- Ghana's biggest newspaper, the state-owned Daily Graphic, has expressed the hope that 2002 would see more positive results in the country. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- Reports on crime have dominated the media this week, with The Guardian reporting about clashes in two areas of the Arusha Region of northern Tanzania. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- The inexplicable depreciation of the rand against major world currencies and the subsequent announcement that President Thabo Mbeki was launching an inquiry into the matter, received wide media attention in South Africa. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- South Africa has expressed public dismay at comments by the Zimbabwe defence forces chief that he would not support a presidential candidate who did not fight in the war of liberation. Full text...

Freetown- Sierra Leone (PANA) -- Press reports in Sierra Leone this week focused on a UN mission currently in the country to discuss modalities for a special court to try war criminals. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- Zambian daily and weekly newspapers were on Friday carried numerous stories on how the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) is negotiating its way through a hostile political landscape after the controversial elections of 27 December 2001. Full text...

Johannesburg - South Africa (PANA) -- South Africa has expressed public dismay at comments by the Zimbabwe defence forces chief that he would not support a presidential candidate who did not fight in the war of liberation. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Nigerian newspapers are "celebrating the life" of slain justice minister Bola, whose burial takes place at Esa-Oke, 120 km from the south-western city of Ibadan. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- Libyan papers Tuesday carried editorials on the peace agreement signed Monday evening in Tripoli between the Chadian government and the armed Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT), led by Youssef Togoimi, former Defence minister under the then government of Idris Deby. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- Cameroon's private daily, Le Messager Friday said President Paul Biya failed to address national expectations of the Cameroonian people in his New Year's message. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- For the second week running, the murder of Nigerian Justice Minister Bola Ige has continued to dominate local newspapers. Full text...

Brazzaville- Congo (PANA) -- Congolese newspapers this week focused coverage on the High Court's sentencing to hard labour in prison of former President Pascal Lissouba and four of his prime ministers and ministers in absentia. Full text...

Johannesburg - South Africa (PANA) -- Road accidents came under the spotlight in South African newspapers this week with reports that more than 750 people were killed in crashes since the beginning of December. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- In editorials drawing from last year's milestones, the press in Tanzania this week advanced what it considered priorities for the country's social and political agenda during 2002. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- Zambia's three daily newspapers Thursday focused on the inauguration of Levy Mwanawasa as the country's new president following the controversial elections of 27 December. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- The local press this week resonated with disbelief after Benin candidate Pr Albert Tevoedjre failed to be elected new executive secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), at the 25th summit of the sub regional concert, held 20-21 December in Dakar, Senegal. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- Algerian papers widely comment this week on the 10th anniversary of the abortive parliamentary elections of 26 December 1991 which the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) was poised to win. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- Former Senegalese president Leopold Sedar Senghor's death and the trial of strength opposing Air France and CAMAIR were the focus of Cameroonian papers this week. Full text...

Brazzaville- Congo (PANA) -- Congolese papers this week widely commented on the recent 'declarations of war' made 22 December by former president Pascal Lissouba on a foreign radio station. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- A week on, the death of Senegal's first president continues to occupy the front pages of local newspapers. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- For the fifth day running, the assassination of Nigerian Justice Minister and Federal Attorney-General Bola Ige dominated local press headlines Friday. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- The death of the former Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor, Christmas and the murder of the Nigerian Justice minister Bola Ige were the main events featured by newspapers in Cote d'Ivoire this week. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- Tanzanian newspapers turned preachers of love and peace this week as Christians celebrated Christmas. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- The Libyan independent daily, Al-Chams on Thursday claimed that "enemy forces" were bent on transforming "the love existing between Muslims and Christians into antagonism. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- Two days to polling day in Zambia, several papers directed their Christmas message on the country's elections by urging voters to vote wisely on Thursday. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Reflecting the overall mood of the nation, Sunday night's assassination of Nigeria's Justice Minister and Attorney-General Bola Ige dominates local newspapers Tuesday. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- Algiers-based newspapers on Friday amply concentrated on the association agreement which President Abdelaziz Bouteflika signed Wednesday with the European Union in Brussels. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- All newspapers in Senegal on Friday focussed on the former President of Senegal, Leopold Sedar Senghor, who died in France on Thursday at the age of 95. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- A UN report inculpating Tanzania in the civil conflict in DR Congo and in the plunder of that country's natural resources called the shots across local newspapers this week. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Thursday's death of former Senegalese President Leopold Sedar Senghor dominated Nigerian newspapers Friday, with most of them making Senghor's demise front-page news. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- A local paper has urged the Kenya government against allowing the use of its military bases and territory by the US and UK to attack neighbouring Somalia in the fight against terrorism. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- The Kenya Times Friday commended African countries for supporting land reforms in Zimbabwe and urged regional bodies on the continent to always defend the interests of their constituent states on crucial issues. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- Certain local media organs were of the view that there was nothing to celebrate as Tanzania Mainland marked its 40th anniversary of independence on 9 December. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- A gathering momentum of child rape in South Africa has captured the attention of the media and of a horrified public. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- Ghanaian newspapers have lauded UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Nobel Peace Prize, saying he deserved it as he had devoted virtually all his working life to achieve the goals of the UN. Full text...