Naivasha, Kenya (PANA) - To unlock Africa’s economic potential through reducing the time and cost of cross-border trade, the Finnish Government Friday announced Euros 12 million funding to TradeMark Africa (TMA). The funding will support projects aligned with TMA’s third strategic plan (2023 - 2030) which will advance inclusive, clean, and [...] Full text...
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Fresh conflict has erupted in Afar and Somali regions, leading to displacements and the destruction of property, Ethiopia's human right body said on Friday. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it was monitoring the eruption of the conflict and added it was concerned by [...] Full text...
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) – Azerbaijan, the host nation for the next round of the UN global climate change talks, has called for an end to colonisation of New Caledonia, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. Azerbaijan's Foreign ministry official, Michael Forrest, urged France to end its colonisation of New Caledonia [...] Full text...
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The ECOWAS Court of Justice on Friday commenced a week-long sensitization and training programme for lawyers on its newly implemented Electronic Case Management System (ECMS).This significant event, taking place in Accra, Ghana, from 14 -19 June, 2024, aims to equip legal practitioners with the necessary skills [...] Full text...
New York, US (PANA) - A cautious welcome was given by civilians in Gaza to this week’s Security Council resolution endorsing a ceasefire for hostages deal - mixed with frustration that the fighting continues with both Hamas and the Israeli Government signaling that the three-phase plan falls short.The US-led resolution [...] Full text...
Rome, Italy (PANA) - Escalating fighting in the south and centre of Gaza makes it near-impossible for humanitarians to deliver desperately needed food aid, the Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Carl Skau, said on Friday at the end of a two-day mission to the enclave. “Driving through [...] Full text...
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The global fight to tackle female genital mutilation (FGM) is being undermined by the movement of some girls across national borders and beyond to undergo the procedure, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) warned in a new report published on Friday. Although many States have intensified their [...] Full text...
Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - Burundi's only public university, based in Bujumbura, is to receive State subsidies to relaunch its accommodation, catering, acquisition and maintenance of movable and immovable assets, as well as its scholarship and loan management services, a press release issued on Friday following Thursday's weekly meeting of the [...] Full text...
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Office of International Cooperation and Organisational Affairs of the Libyan Ministry of Local Government on Thursday held a meeting with national and international partners to discuss the fourth pillar of the strategic priorities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), which deals with [...] Full text...
Maseru, Lesotho (PANA) - Blood transfusion plays a critical role in the provision of lifesaving health care. Vulnerable people, such as mothers during childbirth, under-nourished and malaria-affected children, victims of trauma and accidents, and patients suffering from sickle cell and other chronic diseases, particularly benefit from this care.“We join the [...] Full text...
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Forced displacement surged to historic new levels across the globe last year and this, according to the 2024 flagship Global Trends Report from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The rise in overall forced displacement – to 120 million by May 2024 – was the 12th consecutive annual [...] Full text...
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - The following are Friday's foreign exchange rates for the Gambian Dalasi as published by the Central Bank of Gambia.Currency Buying SellingUS Dollar 65.057 [...] Full text...
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday called for concrete measures to halt the human rights violations and abuses that continue to endanger reconciliation and peace in Ethiopia.“I urge the parties to the conflict to halt ongoing hostilities and to resolve difference through [...] Full text...
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) – The World Bank on Thursday approved two operations: $1.5 billion for the Nigeria Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation (RESET) Development Policy Financing Programme (DPF) and $750 million for the Nigeria Accelerating Resource Mobilisation Reforms (ARMOR) Programme-for-Results (PforR). The combined $2.25 billion package provides immediate financial [...] Full text...
Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - In order to step up efforts in the fight against corruption, the European Council on Friday agreed its position on an EU law that sets minimum standards for the definition and sanctioning of corruption offences, preventive measures and rules for more effective investigation and prosecution.The law’s [...] Full text...
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in collaboration with partners, is announcing support for human rabies vaccines for post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as part of routine immunisation.Eligible countries are receiving guidance on how to access these vaccines under Gavi’s co-financing policy, according to an official statement issued here. It [...] Full text...
Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - The 14 nations eyeing places at this year’s CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt had their qualifiers fixtures officially confirmed on Thursday.This follows the draws conducted for the qualifiers for the competition set to take place in Egypt this year.A total of 14 [...] Full text...
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Heavy shelling reported in the so-called safe zone of Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza on Thursday came despite the ongoing international push for a ceasefire and as the UN health agency reported 32 deaths from malnutrition “including 28 among children under five years old”.In a stark assessment [...] Full text...
Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - The professional footballers’ unions of England (PFA) and France (UNFP) took FIFA to court in Brussels on Thursday to challenge the timetable “unilaterally set” by the world body, in particular its new Club World Cup in 2025.Players’ unions have complained that the expanded Club World Cup, [...] Full text...
New York, USA (PANA) - Violence against children caught in armed conflict reached “extreme levels” last year, with a “shocking” 21 per cent increase in extreme violations, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a report published on Thursday. Children were killed and maimed in unprecedented numbers in places such as Israel [...] Full text...
New York, United States (PANA) - The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Thursday that calls for the paramilitary Rapid Security Forces (RSF) in Sudan to halt their siege on El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state. The resolution, put forward by the United Kingdom, received 14 votes in favour, [...] Full text...
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Deputy Minister for Economic Affair in the Government of National Unity, Saad Al-Hanich, chaired a meeting attended by a delegation from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to discuss the mechanism for cooperation between the ministry and the UN agency in supporting and developing [...] Full text...
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – The following are exchange rates for the Tanzania Shilling on Friday as issued by the Bank of Tanzania.Currency Buying SellingBurundi Franc 0.9014 0.9098Euro 2806.4224 2835.0124British Pound 3323.9224 3357.9504Japanese Yen 16.5709 16.7334Kenya Shilling [...] Full text...
