Maputo- Mozambique (PANA) -- The Mozambican financial landscape is set to change with the opening on Friday of a new private bank, the BDC (Development and Commerce Bank) in Maputo. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- Egyptian diplomatic missions in countries comprising the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa will, beginning this month, be required to endorse trade certificates of origin to facilitate the exporting of goods to Egypt. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) made history in the country's capital market as its All-Share Index crossed the 10,000 mark. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Nigeria's state-owned telecommunications giant NITEL has signed new interconnectivity agreement with the eight Private Telecommunications Operators (PTOs) in the country to ease their operation, even as the company grapples with a near-collapse of its own system. Full text...

Harare- Zimbabwe (PANA) -- Can you imagine your bank sending you on an all expenses paid trip overseas to scout for export markets? Or sponsoring your business to take part at a trade fair? Welcome to Zimbabwe's competition-inspired banking dynamism, which is sending clients into frenzy. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Following is the daily equities trading at the Nigeria Stock Exchange for Friday when a total of 52. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- Authorities in Lusaka have expressed dismay over the leakage of an incomplete draft audit report of the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) Cobalt sales for 1998/1999, prepared by Mauritian chartered accountants, De Cazal Du Mee (DCDM). Full text...

Brussels- Belgium (PANA) -- Three African presidents will attend the third international meeting on Least Developed Countries due to open Monday in Brussels, it has been officially announced. Full text...

Blantyre- Malawi (PANA) -- There were running battles in the Malawi capital Lilongwe Friday as armed police officers in riot gear chased striking workers of the Lilongwe Water Board out of their premises. Full text...

Gaborone- Botswana (PANA) -- Botswana's annual inflation rate decreased this year by 0. Full text...

Dar es Salaam- Tanzania, (PANA) -- Cash-strapped Air Tanzania Corporation (ATC) Friday resumed weekly flights to DR Congo's southern city of Lubumbashi after several months of postponement due to security problems. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- The 16th edition of Nigeria's biggest trade jamboree, the Lagos International Trade Fair, will hold in November, officials at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) say. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Nigeria's daily crude oil production of about 2 million barrels has fallen short by 600,000 barrels after rampaging youths forced the shutdown of an oil plant of the American company, Mobil, in the south-eastern state of Akwa Ibom. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Ivorian Transport minister Aime Kabran Appiah has said the multinational company, Air Afrique, needs 50 billion CFA francs (1 US dollar = 700 FCFA) if it is to avoid floundering. Full text...

Niamey- Niger (PANA) -- Niger's Prime Minister Hama Amadou was Friday off to Brussels for a weeklong working visit in Belgium, sources in Niamey said. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- In a move to protect the local textile industry, the authorities in Kenya say they will impose conditions to discourage importers who bring into the country sub-standard goods. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The ADF Thursday approved 17. Full text...

Brazzaville- Congo (PANA) -- The Congolese government Thursday said shark fishing in territorial waters of the country is banned effective 15 May in order to protect their species, currently endangered by poaching on Pointe-Noire's Atlantic coast. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- A 5. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- It might sound an overstatement, but the number of economic groupings across Africa borders on proliferation, so much so that donor partners are beginning to find co-operation with the configuration cumbersome. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- It might sound an overstatement, but the number of economic groupings across Africa borders on proliferation, so much so that donor partners are beginning to find co-operation with the configuration cumbersome. Full text...

Nairobi Kenya (PANA) -- Microsoft East Africa, a subsidiary of Microsoft Plc Thursday introduced Microsoft Office XP to the Kenyan market ahead of the launching proper billed for 31 May. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- Western Cape (South Africa) Premier Gerald Morkel Thursday announced the establishment of an economic advisory council with members drawn from both business and government. Full text...

Harare- Zimbabwe (PANA) -- Zimbabwe's biggest business group warned Thursday more and more companies would shut down if the government does not reign in former fighters of the country's war of independence invading companies to settle labour disputes. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Senegal's annual rate of inflation was 0. Full text...

Harare- Zimbabwe (PANA) -- Zimbabwe said Thursday it had lifted a ban on imports of livestock products from South African after receiving assurances Pretoria had brought an outbreak of foot and mouth disease under control. Full text...

Nairobi- Kenya (PANA) -- The much-anticipated Western donor support to Kenya's budget is expected to resume in August, according to Finance Minister Chris Okemo. Full text...

Harare- Zimbabwe (PANA) -- A group of Zimbabwean companies have signed an agreement with a Namibian dealer to swap fuel for Zimbabwean goods, sources involved in the deal hinted Thursday. Full text...

Bujumbura- Burundi (PANA) -- The director general of the state-owned Sugar Production and Wholesale Company (SOSUMO), Nimery Barutwanayo, has accused the local traders of causing an "artificial" sugar shortage that is affecting consumers in the country. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- Egypt and Libya have expressed total willingness to implement all agreements between them as well as eliminate obstacles to starting joint strategic projects. Full text...

Bissau- Guinea Bissau (PANA) -- Guinea Bissau is among 25 African countries included in the five-year European Development Fund fishing programme under which FAO would provide 35 million US dollars to each of them. Full text...

Bujumbura- Burundi (PANA) -- Authorities in Bujumbura have predicted that coffee production in Burundi would drop by 40 percent this year to about 18,500 tonnes from the 31,000 tonnes produced in 2000 due to low rainfall and attacks by pests on the crop. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- Ten countries in the Mediterranean region have agreed on an extended free Arab trade zone as a step toward creation of a future common Arab market, it was officially announced Wednesday. Full text...

Port Louis- Mauritius (PANA) -- China's ambassador in Mauritius, Xia Shouan on Wednesday handed over agricultural and health equipment worth 15. Full text...

Maputo- Mozambique (PANA) -- The Mozambican government has, as expected, decreed a 17 percent increase in the statutory minimum wage of the country's workers. Full text...

Maputo- Mozambique (PANA) -- The state-owned Mozambican Telecommunications Company (TDM) is prepared to invest 7. Full text...

Windhoek- Namibia (PANA) -- Following are the daily exchange rates against the Namibian dollar for Wednesday afternoon, as provided by the First National Bank's Treasury Division: [ST] Dollar/Commercial Rand: 7. Full text...

Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) -- Air Mauritania has issued its striking technical flight personnel with an ultimatum to return to work within three days or consider themselves fired. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- Ethiopia's Export Promotion Agency has unveiled a five-year plan to improve the quality of commodities and diversify the country's foreign exchange earnings. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt Tuesday have decided to work for the setting up of an Arab Free- Trade Zone (ZALE) comprising Mediterranean Arab countries. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- Ahead of the 5th ministerial conference on fishing cooperation between African States along the Atlantic Ocean, a committee of experts has begun sizing up the execution of an action plan adopted at the previous conference in October 1999. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Malian imports through Cote d'Ivoire estimated at 150 billion CFA francs (1 US dollar = 700 CFA francs) have substantially dropped, the Ivorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) said. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- Western Cape Premier Gerald Morkel said his visit to California and Florida would encourage the exchange of knowledge and skills between the people of South Africa and the United States. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- The Zambian government, through its privatisation agency, is sifting deeper for a viable option in its bid to bail the state-owned Zambia National Commercial Bank out of a continuing crisis. Full text...

Harare- Zimbabwe (PANA) -- A Kuwaiti company Wednesday resumed fuel shipments to Zimbabwe after it received 10 million US dollars in arrears for earlier supplies. Full text...

Harare- Zimbabwe (PANA) -- Zimbabwe's high government domestic debt, blamed for fuelling inflation and interest rates, has declined slightly to 177 billion Zimbabwean dollars due mainly to tighter expenditure control, the Central Bank said Wednesday. Full text...

Niamey- Niger (PANA) -- The government in Niger Tuesday augmented its current fiscal budget by 20 billion CFA francs, according to an official statement following a cabinet meeting. Full text...

Windhoek- Namibia (PANA) -- Southern African political and business leaders are due to meet early June in Durban, South Africa, for an economic summit which organisers say will address the most challenging problems facing the subregion. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The 9th joint conference of African economy and finance ministers rolled off Tuesday in Algiers, Algeria with Zimbabwe's Simba Makoni urging for a common united front in the drive for the continent's development. Full text...

Lusaka- Zambia (PANA) -- The Central Bank in Zambia was Tuesday auctioning a million US dollars in a bid to shore up the strength of the local kwacha that sagged three per cent on Monday's trading. Full text...