Harare- Zimbabwe (PANA) -- Traditional leaders from several African countries beg an a meeting on Wednesday in Zimbabwe, focusing on how they can strengthen their authority and ensure local economic empowerment. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- The first batch of Ghanaian Muslims undertaking this year' s pilgrimage left Accra on Monday night for Saudi Arabia. Full text...

Niamey- Niger (PANA) -- Ten thousand Nigeriens will perform this year pilgrimage to the holy places of Islam in Saudi Arabia, PANA learned Tuesday from official sources. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- Overwhelmed by their scintillating display at the fi rst international cartoon and animation film festival, being held in Kinshasa si n ce 18 October, officials have classified the Congolese animation film as one of t he richest in content. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Guinea Bissau is to create more cultural sites under a p rogramme designed to establish more mangroves, parks, biosphere reserves and for e st patches in two years, according to a statement from the World Wildlife Fund ( W WF). Full text...

Montreux- Switzerland (PANA) -- The Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, on Satu rday confirmed that the World Festival of Negro Arts (FESMAN) would take place f r om 10 to 31 December in Dakar , the Senegalese capital. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday appointed the Archbishop of Kinshasa, Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, Cardinal of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the Vatican. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- The 185th session of UNESCO's Executive Board Thursday to ok decisions aimed at protecting five cultural heritage sites in occupied Palest i nian and Arab Territories. Full text...

Kampala- Uganda (PANA) -- Renowned Malian singer Salif Keita, better known around the world as the ''Golden Voice of Africa'', is to support the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) in its capacity development effo rts on the continent. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- The 2010 edition of 'Stars of African cultural integrati on (SICA)', an event aimed at promoting African integration, will take place 22-28 Nov. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Nigerian contestant Uti Nwachukwu Sunday emerged the win ner of the 'Big Brother Africa' reality show on South African pay television Mnet-Africa, smilin g away with the US$200,000 prize money. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- At its ninth European Geoparks Conference on the Island o f Lesvos in Greece, from 1 to 5 October, the Global Geoparks Network Bureau anno u nced the admission of 11 new members from nine countries. Full text...

Moscow- Russia (PANA) -- The coordinator of the National Aids Control Agency of B otswana, Richard Matlhare, on Wednesday presented his country's experience on th e management of HIV-infected young children at first global conference on early c h ildhood education in Moscow. Full text...

Moscow- Russia (PANA) -- The Chairperson of the Beninese NGO, Human Games, Mary Josephine Kora Thama here Wednesday urged African states to make traditional games a pillar of early childhood education and care. Full text...

Moscow- Russia (Moscow) -- Sharing his experience with fellow participants at fir st world conference on early childhood care and education in Moscow, Senegalese p aediatrician and nutritionist Guelaye Sall, said on Tuesday that his research fi n dings had established a formal link between education and health nutrition durin g early childhood in Africa. Full text...

Moscow- Russia (PANA) -- The Director of UNESCO's Regional Bureau for Education i n Africa (BREDA), Anne-Therese Ndong-Jatta, said Tuesday in Moscow, Russia, that the problem of financing early childhood care and education in Africa could be s e ttled through better allocation of budgetary resources. Full text...

Moscow- Russia (PANA) -- Congolese Minister of National Education, Maker Mwangu F amba, said here Tuesday that his country would soon adopt a national strategy fo r early childhood. Full text...

Moscow- Russia (PANA) -- A specialist in early childhood, Bonaventure Maiga of Ma li, Tuesday in Moscow, Russia, expressed optimism about the future of early chil d hood education and care in Africa. Full text...

By Abba Seidik- PANA special correspondent Moscow, Russia (PANA) -- An expert on child health and development, Prof. Full text...

Moscow- Russia (PANA) -- African governments have been called upon to show the political will and creativity to make up for the delay in early childhood education and care. Full text...

Moscow- Russia (PANA) -- A number of African ministers are taking part in the first world conference on early childhood education and care, which opened Monday in Moscow, PANA reported. Full text...

Lyon- France (PANA) - â" The cultural links between Brazil and Africa, especially in the domain of music and dance, were exhibited on Tuesday at a festival of da n ce in the French city of Lyon. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Ivorian First Lady, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, on Friday in D akar autographed her book â?Paroles d'honneurâ? (Words of honour) which, she sa ys, narrates the history of the complex stakes which her country is facing, espe c ially with Franأ§afrique, France's relationship with Africa. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Chadian film director Mahamat Saleh Haroun on Monday rec eived the Robert Bresson Prize at the 67th edition of the biennial International cinematographic festival called Mostra de Venise, Radio France Internationale (R F I) announced. Full text...

Brazzaville- Congo (PANA) -- Congolese Senators on Monday passed a bill authorising the ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguard of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Full text...

Lome- Togo (PANA) -- Miss Gertrude Armande Akumah, a 19-year-old, third-year Mana gement student, was Saturday night crowned Miss Togo 2010 at a magnificent grand finale in Lome, the capital of Togo. Full text...

Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) - – The novel, “Les nouvelles du désert”, written by Mauritanian journalist M'Bareck Ould Beyrouck, is among the five works selected for the 2010 edition of the Prize “Ivoire de la Littérature africaine d'expression francophone”. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- Libya will host a two-day African-Arab cultural conferen ce devoted to the role of the intellectual in the consolidation of identity and t he achievement of African-Arab cultural interaction from 24 October. Full text...

New York- US (PANA) -- The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) has selected the World Orchestra for Peace, an ensemble of musicians fro m more than 40 countries, to promote its message and programmes and raise public a wareness of its work on key issues. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- The World Heritage Committee, ending Tuesday in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital, has inscribed the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania as a cultural property on the World Heritage List. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- The World Heritage Committee, ending Tuesday in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital, has inscribed the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania as a cultural property on the World Heritage List. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania (PANA) -- The World Heritage Committee, ending Tuesday in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital, has inscribed the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania as a cultural property on the World Heritage List. Full text...

Luanda- Angola (PANA) -- Multi-Grammy-Award winning American musician George Bens on serenaded his fans in Luanda, Angola, Saturday at a music show, according to Angola's press agency, AN GOP. Full text...

Brasilia- Brazil (PANA) -- The World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia, Braz il, has inscribed the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania as a cultural pro p erty on the World Heritage List, according to a press release issued by UNICEF a n d made available to PANA here. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) -- The 7th edition of the Bamako Cinematographic Meeting (RCB) and the International Festival of Nyamina (FINA) will be held 20-30 Novemb er 2010, the Bamako-based Union of West African Cinema and Audiovisual Designers and Entrepreneurs (UCEOAO) said. Full text...

Brasilia- Brazil (PANA) -- The World Heritage Committee, holding its 34th session in Brasilia under the chairmanship of the Brazilian Minister of Culture of Brazil, Joao Luiz da Silva Ferreira, has inscribed the Everglades National Park in the US on the List of World Heritage in danger. Full text...

Brasilia- Brazil (PANA) -- The World Heritage Committee, holding its 34th session chaired by Joao Luiz da Silva Ferreira, the Minister of Culture of Brazil, has i nscribed the site of Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery (Georgia) on the Lis t of World Heritage in Danger. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- The six winners of the UNESCO International Literacy Priz es for 2010 were announced Wednesday by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bo k ova, following the recommendation of an international Jury, which met between 5 a nd 9 July. Full text...

Lome- Togo (PANA) -- The third edition of the international African music festiva l, dubbed "Africarythmes", will begin 5 August in the Togolese capital, Lome, wi t h several artists from the continent, including Lokoua Kanza from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), participating, sources close to organisers told PANA. Full text...

Brasilia- Brazil (PANA) -- Thirty-nine nominations from 33 countries will be cons idered for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List during the meeting of the World Heritage Committee underway in Brasilia, Brazil, PANA reported from here M o nday. Full text...

Luanda- Angola (PANA) -- Organisers of the reality show, Big Brother Africa All Star, whose latest season started Sunday, paid homage to former South African president, Nelson Mandela, on his 92nd birthday anniversary (18 July). Full text...

Port-Louis- Mauritius (PANA) -- Mauritian Arts and Culture Minister Mukeshwar Choonee, will introduce a bill to the National Parliament on Tuesday, seeking to promote four foreign languages -- Arabic, Bhojpuri, Mandarin and Sanskrit, a PANA correspondent reported from here. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has published a document entitled â?Why and how Africa must invest in African languages and multilingual educationâ?, the working group, Communication for Education and Development (COMED) of the Association for Education Development in Africa, said on Wednesday. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) â" The UN cultural organisat-ion (UNESCO) has identified t wo Kenyan and Malian â?intangible cultural heritageâ? sites that are in need of urgent safeguarding. Full text...

Mbanza Kongo- Angola (PANA) -- Experts of the UN cultural organisation (UNESCO) and Angolan Culture Ministry have identified the main sites for archaeological research under the "Mbanza Kongo, a city to unearth and preserve" project. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- Building institutional capacity, drawing up inventories and developing plans for safeguarding Haitian cultural heritage are some of the priority actions identified by the International Coordination Committee for the protection of Haitian cultural heritage (ICC) at its first meeting on 7 and 8 July in Paris, France. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- The International Coordination Committee for the protecti on of Haitian cultural heritage (ICC) will hold its first meeting at UNESCO Head q uarters in Paris on 7 and 8 July. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- A three-day meeting on development of craft industries and the sponsoring of traditional crafts in Arab countries began on Monday in Tripoli to examine the experiences in the various countries to promote the crafts industries and ways to improve the capacities of their craftsmen. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- The secretary of the Libyan general people's Committee f or Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Some 60 countries will be represented at the 3rd edition of the World Negro Arts Festival (FESMAN III), scheduled for Senegal 10-31 December 2010, the General Delegate of the said festival, Abdoul Aziz Sow, annou nced here. Full text...