The Alternative National Congress has tossed a shade on former Vice President Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party's failure to resolve the crisis in the defunct Collaborating Political Party as promised. The ANC, which is headed by Alexander Cummings, has jibed Boakai for remarking that the Unity Party withdrew from the CPP due to Cummings' failure to attend meetings intended to resolve the impasse. If the former VP cannot withstand democratic challenges in the CPP, can he withstand democratic challenges in Liberia?" Boakai is not just withdrawing his UP from the CPP, he is running away from a democratic CPP primary defeat to Mr. Cummings," Toe noted. He added that Cummings, however, failed to show up for the first meeting with the Committee.

The Global Gateway Africa is Europe’s latest investment package that aims to support the people of Africa for what it terms as a strong, inclusive, green and digital recovery and transformation. To ensure concrete deliverables, instead of a traditional plenary format, EU and Africa Union heads of state or government will be participating in seven thematic roundtables, together with a selected group of external guests who are experts in their respective fields, according to the organizer. Ambassador Delahousse said though other continents support Africa, EU and Africa share a common bond and it’s cherished by people in Europe. “If you are in parts of Europe, you feel like you are in Africa, like the neighborhood and culture of Africa and it’s appreciated and we want to keep it. Europe remains open to people coming from Africa, provided the rules are followed,” Amb.

US-based Liberian hurdler Ebony Morrison returned home with a bronze medal from the just-ended 20th edition of the Meeting d'Athlétisme de Mondeville indoor championship held at the indoor track in Mondeville, France. Both Zaza and Morrison along with sprinter Emmanuel Matadi, will also represent Liberia in the 2022 World Indoor Championships slated for March 18-20 in Belgrade, Serbia. The trio qualified for the world championship after achieving the qualifying standards from their respective indoor events late January. The World Athletics Indoor Championships are a bi-annual indoor track and field competition that serve as the global championship for that version of the sport. Ebony Morrison, the lone female representative, clocked 8.13 in the women's 60m hurdles at the South Carolina Invitational Indoor Championships, just 0.1 short of Kia Davis’ 8.12 national record from 2008.

Captan said while the public corporate sector provides employment opportunities and public services, most times the opportunities are scarce and are usually vis-a-vis high in demand, but only the most privileged on political purpose benefit. The civil service was undermined, and the public sector became a means of creating personal wealth for those who get state power,” Captan explained. Changing the narrative matters,” Captan said as he congratulated ACGN for the thoughtfulness about including Liberia in its project for transformative actions. Madam Candace Eastman, the new head of the Liberia interim team of the Institute of Directors thanked the organizers of the workshop and assured them her full commitment to work with her colleagues, foreign partners, mainly those from the network of ACGN to help change the narrative of corporate governance in Liberia. Rockson Dogbegah, Chairman of Africa Corporate Governance Network (ACGN) and President of Institute of Directors Ghana, as well as Chisanga Patrick, past President of IOD, Zambia, graced the occasion virtually and provided insightful messages.

It is also likely to be a topic of discussion when Security Council envoys meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday for their monthly lunch, diplomats said. The 15-member U.N. Security Council is charged with maintaining international peace and security. The council has already met dozens of times over the crisis in Ukraine since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. China supported Russia in trying to stop the Jan. 31 council meeting called by the United States. Dana Banks, senior director for Africa at the White House National Security Council, will now lead the U.S. delegation to Liberia, U.S. officials said.

The Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Defense of Latvia Armed Forces, Brigadier General Imants Ziedins, has proposed the establishment of a tripartite military to military relationship among the Michigan National Guard, the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Latvia. General Ziedins praised the Minister of National Defense for his astute leadership in superintending the affairs of the Ministry of National Defense and the AFL. He especially appreciated Ziedins General for accepting the invitation extended him to participate in this year Armed Forces Day celebration. Also, Minister Ziankahn welcomes the proposed partnership among the Michigan National Guard, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Latvia and the AFL. The AFL has also benefited several logistical supports and training opportunities from the Michigan National Guard.

The House had earlier passed the Third Amended MDA, with its own set of recommendations, and forwarded the same to the Senate for concurrence. Key among the House’s recommendations was to strip from the AML revised MDA any exclusive right by the concessionaire to the Yekepa to Buchanan rail and port infrastructure. The Senate did concur with the Lower House’s recommendations, especially those regarding third party access to Liberia’s rail and port infrastructure. According to the Senate committee report, the agreement as structured does not give the kind of leverage that the government should have. We believe that it is incumbent on the administrative agencies to ensure that ArcelorMittal is not another LAMCO JV operating company.

The United States Embassy in Monrovia has congratulated the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) on the successful completion of a competitive and transparent process for selecting vendors to supply a new family of Liberian dollar banknotes and coins. Thanks to its use of international standards and best practices, the CBL is supplying technically sound banknotes and coins at the best possible value. In addition to the current competitive procurement of more than L$40 billion, USAID supported the emergency printing of L$4 billion in L$500 banknotes that arrived in Liberia in July 2020 to help ease the liquidity pressures in the country. The first L$4 billion of new L$100 banknotes arrived safely in December 2021, and the second L$4 billion is scheduled for February 2022. USAID remains a close partner of the CBL and an advocate for continued transparency and competition in all public procurement in Liberia.

The governments of France and Liberia on Wednesday signed a 10 million euro grant agreement to support vulnerable communities under the Greater Monrovia Integrated Development Project. French Ambassador Michael ROUX represented the government of France, while deputy economic management minister Augustus J. Flomo, represented the government of Liberia at the signing. ROUX explained that the signing ceremony follows the pledge made by the French foreign minister in June 2021 to Liberia’s foreign minister. “This is complementary to other actions France and French stakeholders are carrying to promote growth - an autonomous private sector-driven growth - enterprise and employment in Liberia”, he said. Ambassador ROUX expressed confidence that the project will contribute to bringing a better life to the people of Liberia.

They were expelled by a faction of the party loyal to its political leader Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence as part of a power struggle. This is despite Bility’s chairmanship being nullified by the party's political leader following an investigation, which claims that "the convention that brought the expelled chairman to power was fraudulently conducted." Prior to that, Bility suspended the political leader and Senator Dillon along with some partisans for not having paid their party dues. The suspension was never enforced, nor was the nullification of Bility’s chairmanship since the electoral body continues to recognize Bility as chair and Sen. Karngar Lawrence as political leader. The LP political leader appears to be leaning towards Boakai, while Bility supports Cummings.

Monrovia – President George M. Weah on Wednesday held his first major Cabinet Meeting for the new calendar year, focusing on several critical national Issues. He said although considerable progress has been made, there are “areas of concern” that need to be tackled. With regards to the national Prison Conditions, the Cabinet endorsed the recommendation for the erection of a new Prison Facility for the Monrovia Central Prison, which no longer has capacity to host more prisoners. He told the cabinet that credible information available to him is that most of these young people are being duped and living in appalling conditions. He has mandated the Ministries of Education, Labour, and justice to investigate the situation and devise mechanisms to curtail this worrisome situation.

....while attempting to flee for his lifeThe Liberia Immigration Services has detained Issac Vah Tukpah, the co-author of a book about President George Weah that contains details that have been described as "demeaning to the President's wife and womanhood." "Officers of the Joint Security headed by the Liberia Immigration Service intercepted Issac Vah Tukpah at Tianeh inland Checkpoint in Grand Cape Mount County at 11:45 p.m. He was traveling with no official traveling documents and is currently at the Bo Waterside Border Crossing Point. "He proceeded to leave the country at night but was arrested by Liberian Immigration at the border with Sierra Leone. Vah's life is now in the hands of George Weah and Nathaniel McGill.

Over the last few weeks, we have lost not just one, but several girls and women to sexual and gender-based violence. We declared Rape as a national emergency to prevent these deaths, incidents and the constant abuse of children, and women. The government continues to politicize the safety of Liberian children and women in the name of scoring political points by making big, big promises and openly lying about the SGBV cases. For example, the WCPS in Gbarpolu only have one female staff and a motorbike to run the entire county women and children affairs. The fight against sexual violence has never been a priority for the pro-poor government until we forced them in 2020.

He, however, said, after the trio attacked his vehicle, he managed to enter his fence but "do not know what went on behind my back." Rep. Cole denied ordering thugs to beat on the trio but said he cannot recall what went wrong after he entered his fence. Rep. Cole also denied that there was a commotion that resulted in the Doctor's shirt, undies, and trousers being torn up. On Wednesday, January 25, 2021, during the first hearing, Rep. Cole appeared at the court heavily escorted by members of the Liberia National Police. According to the Journalist, Rep. Cole said they obstructed his movement.

More than 330 people have been killed in heavy fighting since ISIS militants first attacked a prison in northeast Syria, a war monitor said on Sunday. The ISIS fighters on January 20 launched their biggest assault in years on the Ghwayran prison in the Kurdish-controlled city of Hasakeh, aiming to free fellow extremists, and dozens remained holed up inside on Sunday. The Britain-based group, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, said that 246 extremists, 79 Kurdish fighters and seven civilians had been killed so far in the ISIS assault and battles since. “The newly discovered bodies were inside and outside the prison,” Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Observatory, told AFP. The SDF announced they had recaptured the prison on Wednesday but intermittent clashes continued until Saturday between Kurdish fighters and extremists near the jail.