UN News, New York The 15 member UN Security Council (UNSC) has excluded the Liberian government from an arms embargo enforced on the West African country since 2003.

By Michael Kiefer, The Arizona Republic A Maricopa County Juvenile Court judge on Wednesday dropped charges against a 9-year-old boy accused of rape.

UN News Service, New York A United Nations human rights expert voiced concern today over the decision of a court to order Liberia to pay debts of about $20 million to two so-called “vulture funds” – private investment firms that buy the debts of struggling countries or companies at below face value and then aggressively pursue repayment of the entire sum.

By Paul I. Adujie, New York There is strength in numbers. So goes an age old adage. That adage seems to be a perfect   imperative for continental Africans and all peoples of African descent who need to be counted in the forthcoming US Census in 2010 and even beyond.

Gulf Times, Reuters/Lagos A leading Nigerian human rights lawyer has launched legal action to try to force President Umaru Yar’Adua to hand executive powers to his deputy while he is receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.

By Elise Keppler, New York   The Liberian government should investigate and prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Liberia’s brutal armed conflicts, Human Rights Watch said today.

MONROVIA, IRIN – With 45 percent of Liberian children under age five chronically or acutely malnourished, experts say nutrition is a burning health problem, but NGOs feel the Ministry of Health is not as worried as it should be, and lacks the capacity to provide leadership in bringing about solutions.

BY  PETER MASSAQUOI, CeasefireLiberia In the wake of ongoing development in Liberia ’s agriculture sector, former transitional council chairman Gyude Bryant has criticized the government for doing nothing to support the One Blood organization’s agriculture initiative to make Liberia self-sufficient in food production.