Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - American billionaire Bill Gates has cancelled his 27-28 March visit to Nigeria following the diplomatic row between the African nation and the US over the controversial pardon granted the former governor of oil-rich Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was convicted of corruption, Nigeria's online Premium Times newspaper reported exclusively Monday. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Ahead of the negotiations on the Arms Trade Treaty, scheduled for 18-28 March at the UN headquarters in New York, 18 Nobel Peace Laureates have written to US President Barack Obama calling on him to agree and support the adoption of a strong text. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria has assured it will work for the safe release of the French family of seven who were abducted in northern Cameroon and taken to Nigeria last month. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Mali’s neighboring countries are due to meet here on Sunday on the initiative of the African Union peace and security council, official sources told PANA on Saturday. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Raila Odinga, the Kenyan Prime Minister, presented his Supreme Court challenge Saturday, alleging stuffing of ballot boxes and the inflation of vote results to his opponent's favour. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Friday urged stakeholders to support a draft Act for the enhancement of the legislative powers of the institution to enable it serve the Community better and in accordance with international best practices, according to an ECOWAS press statement, received here by PANA. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The US Friday came down hard on Nigeria over the state pardon granted first Civilian Governor of the South South Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and seven others on Tuesday, according to local media reports which said that through its Diplomatic Mission in Abuja, Washington described the gesture by the National Council of State (NCS) as a setback to Nigeria’s anti-graft crusade. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - Former Malawi presidential legal adviser Allan Ntata has expressed surprise at his inclusion among the dozen people charged with treason over an alleged coup plot in the aftermath of the death of former president Bingu wa Mutharika. Full text...

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) - The Zambian parliament on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution to remove former president Rupiah Banda’s immunity, paving the way for the former head of state to be prosecuted. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - Malawi's much-respected Economic Planning and Economic Development Minister, Goodall Gondwe, arrested last Monday over coup plot allegations, has resigned. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said Friday that the Kenyan people deserve praise for a peaceful election, saying “there were few problems seen during the voting”. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Senate President David Mark will lead Nigeria's delegation to the 19 March formal installation of Pope Francis I at the Vatican, the Nigerian presidency announced Friday. Full text...

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) – Zambian former president Rupiah Banda’s lawyer has denounced plans by the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party to table a motion before parliament requesting the removal of the immunity of the former president. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) – Saying that the recent matrix implementation agreement concluded between Juba and Khartoum on their post-secession question was a positive step, Russia Thursday called for further cooperation between the two countries to cement confidence-building process. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region has decided to honour ECOWAS by naming the main hall of an International Conference Centre now under construction in the capital city of Uyo after ECOWAS, as a tribute to the organisation for promoting integration, peace and stability in the region. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - While Sierra Leone has made impressive progress since the end of its civil war, the international community still needs to help the country's transition efforts, according to the Chairman of the Sierra Leone Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Guillermo Rishchynski. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - African priests have welcomed the choice of Pope Francis saying he would bring new vibrancy to the evangelization of the Gospel and institute broad reforms within the church. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission Thursday began receiving nomination papers from candidates contesting in the West African nation's local government election, slated for April, PANA reported, citing a statement from the electoral body. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - Hundreds of supporters of the former senior Malawi government officials, arrested last Monday following the publication of a report of an inquiry into the death last April of former president Bingu wa Mutharika, broke into jubilation after Lilongwe High Court judge, Justice Ivy Kamanga, granted them bail. Full text...

Washington, DC, US (PANA) - US President Barack Obama has expressed his country's support for the ongoing democratic transition in Libya, according to a statement from the White House. Full text...

Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The United States, United Kingdom and Norway have hailed the Full text...

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) – Rwanda has turned down a request from Mali to join the international force involved in the liberation of the north of the West African country. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya's Media Council warned Wednesday it would crackdown on propaganda mongering on the social media after the government announced it intended to act against foreign reporters operating without government licenses. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Botswana, whose former President, Festus Mogae, observed the Kenyan elections, has become the first nation to signal possible travel ban against Uhuru Kenyatta, winner of the 4 March polls. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya's Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD), which featured outgoing Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, may have scored a first-round victory in its bid to challenge Uhuru Kenyatta's victory in the 4 March presidential polls in Kenya. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - The Chief Resident Magistrates Court in the Malawi capital, Lilongwe, has levelled treason charges against all the 12 suspects in an alleged coup plot to stop Vice President Joyce Banda from taking over the reigns of government after the sudden death of former Malawi president Bingu wa Mutharika last April. Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) – The Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh, has appointed Nana Grey-Johnson as his new Minister of Information and Communications Infrastructure, PANA confirmed from here Wednesday. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) – The Libyan Prime Minister, Ali Zeidan, is due in New York, US, at the start of a three-day working visit to the US during which he will discuss crucial issues with the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon and with the President and members of the UN Security Council. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A Nigerian Non-Governmental Organization Wednesday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to 'rescind without delay' the presidential pardon he granted a former governor of his oil-rich Bayelsa state, Mr. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and former head, Bank of the North, Shettima Bulama, both of whom were convicted of corruption charges. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Heads of ECOWAS National Units, Civil Society and Immigration officials have recommended the abolition of two key provisions of the regional Protocol on free movement of persons, according to an ECOWAS Commission press statement, obtained here by PANA Wednesday. Full text...

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) – France has officially requested for 30 more Belgian soldiers to help support the European Mission for the training of Malian army (EUTM), according to a press statement published by the Belgian government here Wednesday. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's federal government has set up a board of inquiry to investigate the recent attack on the country's Embassy in Dakar. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi, (PANA) - Malawi's President Joyce Banda has expressed gratitude to Britain for what she has described as the “encouragement and support” extended to her administration’s Economic Recovery Plan. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - A Select Committee of the ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff met in Bamako last Friday to consider procedures for the transformation of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) into a United Nations operation, according to a statement from the ECOWAS Commission here Tuesday. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - The 11 former senior Malawi government officials, arrested on Monday following the publication of a report into the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika, have been charged with various offences, including conspiracy to break the law, sedition and perjury. Full text...

Belle-Vue, Mauritius (PANA) – Mauritians from all walks of life gathered at the Anjalay stadium of Belle-Vue Tuesday to attend the official ceremony marking the 45th independence anniverssary of the Indian Ocean nation. Full text...

Niamey, Niger (PANA) - Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou Tuesday visited the eight Chadian soldiers who were wounded in the war against "jihadists" in northern Mali and currently admitted to the National Hospital in Niamey, according to Niger's news agency, ANP. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The increasing number of conflicts and wars on the African continent has been blamed on socio-economic imbalance, the privately-owned GUARDIAN Newspaper quoted a former Ghanaian leader, Mr. Jerry Rawlings, as saying. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Sudan and South Sudan on Tuesday signed a final accord on the full implementation of a series of agreements they signed in December last year, including the exportation of South Sudan oil via Sudanese facilities. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - There is widespread confusion in Nigerian government circles over the reported killing of seven foreigners who were abducted last month by the Islamic sect Ansaru in the northern state of Bauchi. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – The Mauritanian and Malian presidents have hailed the intervention of the French-African troops to restore Mali's sovereignty and territorial integrity, threatened by small terrorist groups who seized the north of the country. Full text...

Pailles, Mauritius (PANA) – Mauritian Prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, on Monday said his country would continue to back India's bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council. Full text...

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) – The European Union (EU) has lauded the decision by Malian authorities to set up a commission for national dialogue and reconciliation, describing the move as a key step to establishing an all-inclusive process toward the total reconciliation and political re-foundation in the West African country. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The US government has sent a message of congratulations to the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius, which celebrates 45 years of independence on 12 March, according to a press statement, received here by PANA Monday, from the office of the US Secretary of State, John Kerry. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - Dr. Necton Muhura, the deputy Chief Secretary to the Malawi Government, has been arrested, pushing to 11 the number of senior Malawian government officials arrested on Monday for allegedly plotting to prevent then Vice President Joyce Banda from assuming power following the death of former president Bingu wa Mutharika in April last year. Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) – Some opposition party leaders in exile are back home in Burundi to participate in a national political dialogue, organized by the United Nations Office in Burundi, PANA reported Monday. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The African Union Commission (AUC) has congratulated Kenya's President-elect, Uhuru Kenyatta, his Vice President-elect, William Ruto, and their Jubilee Coalition party for winning the hotly-contested maiden presidential polls under the country's new constitution. Full text...

Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - At least 10 former senior Malawian government officials, including ministers, were arrested on Monday for allegedly plotting a coup to prevent then Vice President Joyce Banda from assuming power following the death of former president Bingu wa Mutharika in April last year. Full text...

Plaisance, Mauritius (PANA) - Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Mauritius on Monday as the chief guest of honour at the country's national independence day to be celebrated on Tuesday, PANA reported. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ms. Fatou Bensouda, Monday withdrew the charges against Kenya’s former Cabinet Secretary Francis Muthaura, who was among those accused of instigating the 2007 post-election violence. Full text...