Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - The President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, visited Télévision Nationale on Thursday to encourage the staff of Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTB) and boost morale following the rocket fire incident on 12 June near the television courtyard, his communications office announced.“Unfortunately, it was those [...] Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - During a telephone conversation with the Chadian President, Mahamat Idriss Déby, the Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid al Dbaiba, expressed his condolences over the explosion of an ammunition warehouse in the Chadian army's strategic reserve camp in the capital, N'Djamena, that [...] Full text...

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) – The European Council on Thursday announced the appointment of Rear Admiral Valentino Rinaldi as EU Operation Commander for the European Union military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI). He will take command from Rear Admiral Stefano Turchetto on 19 July. Military operation.Rear Admiral Rinaldi has a [...] Full text...

Washington, DC, United States (PANA) -  In 2023, the amount of gas flared worldwide rose by nine billion cubic metres (bcm) to 148 bcm, its highest level since 2019, finds new satellite data compiled by the World Bank's Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership. The World Bank said on Thursday [...] Full text...

Mogadishu, Somalia (PANA) - Somalia’s economy is expected to grow at 3.1 per cent in 2023 up from 2.4 per cent in 2022. This rebound in growth was driven by improved weather conditions and policy reforms instituted by the government to reach the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Completion Point. The [...] Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South African political party, Democratic Alliance (DA) which is in the process of forming a Government of National Unity with the ANC, has been rocked by a race row.The DA on Thursday suspended its newly elected MP, Renaldo Gouws, after an old video clip [...] Full text...

Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - Desperate shortages of essentials in Gaza have left the enclave’s most vulnerable individuals struggling to carry on amid stifling heat, heavy fighting, disease spread and a breakdown in law and order, UN humanitarians have warned.In its latest report on the dire situation in Gaza issued late [...] Full text...

Tripoli, Liba  (PANA) - Libya's representative to the United Nations Security Council, Taher el-Sonni, has identified external interference as the main cause of the crisis in the country, denouncing the Security Council's inability to identify any individual, body or group that is standing in the way of a comprehensive settlement [...] Full text...

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team has welcomed the Senegalese new authorities’ commitment to the existing IMF-supported programmes, noting their commitment to implementing policies aimed at reducing debt vulnerabilities by embarking on a growth-friendly fiscal consolidation, strengthening governance, delivering a more inclusive and job-rich growth, [...] Full text...

Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - The following are Thursday's foreign exchange rates for the Gambian Dalasi as published by the Central Bank of Gambia.Currency                   Buying                SellingUS Dollar                   65.057  [...] Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) – Sudan's warring parties’ recent unlawful attacks in North Darfur’s El Fasher have killed hundreds of civilians and forced tens of thousands to flee, as thousands in and around the city face starvation, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday. It urged the United Nations secretary-general to “act” on [...] Full text...

Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, has called on the Zimbabwe authorities to release more than 70 members of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party following a mass arrest on 16 June.“Zimbabwean authorities must immediately and unconditionally release these opposition members and drop all charges [...] Full text...

Apulia, Italy (PANA) - Across the Global South, young people are yearning for opportunity and a better life. But while 1.2 billion people in developing countries are projected to reach working age over the next decade, only an estimated 420 million jobs will be available to them, leaving nearly 800 [...] Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - UN aid coordination office OCHA said on Wednesday that Gazans continue to be displaced due to active fighting and bombardment.Briefing journalists in New York, Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the agency assisting Palestine refugee, UNRWA, estimates that only 65,000 people remain in Rafah, [...] Full text...

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – The following are the exchange rates for the Tanzania Shilling on Thursday as issued by the Bank of Tanzania,Currency            Buying                 SellingBurundi Franc    0.9009                 0.9084Euro               [...] Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The United Nations on Wednesday commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, highlighting the vital role hospital’s play in helping survivors heal.In his message for the day Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that the protection of healthcare facilities is a “fundamental [...] Full text...

Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - High-level independent human rights investigators reiterated serious concerns on Wednesday about the legality of the Israeli army's conduct in Gaza and pushed back at claims that their inquiry has done too little to highlight the ongoing ordeal of hostages captured by Palestinian militants.“People from the north [...] Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Libyans overwhelmingly desire a political consensus so that credible national elections can be held that will restore legitimacy to national institutions, the deputy head of the UN Support Mission in the country (UNSMIL) said on Wednesday.Briefing ambassadors at the UN Security Council, Stephanie Koury said [...] Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Conflict, climate chaos and upheaval have forced more than 120 million people from their homes including 43.5 million who have fled across national borders, said the UN Secretary-General in his message for World Refugee Day, which falls on Thursday.That’s a record number on the move [...] Full text...