A total of 434 Liberians arrived in western Côte d'Ivoire's 'Refugee Reception Zone' between 16 and 19 July, UNHCR reported. This brings to 4,076 the new Liberian refugees in the area. The western towns of Danane and Guiglo, which lie along the border with Liberia, are within the zone.

Talking Drum Studio began in 1997 by producing programmes on election education and polling procedures. Today, TDS aims to reduce political and ethnic violence - stressing themes of peace, reconciliation and democratization.

Liberia's Defence Ministry reported renewed fighting in the northern county of Lofa even as relief organisations continued to appeal for assistance for people displaced by the insecurity there. Defence Minister Daniel Chea said on Tuesday that Lofa was under attack by Guinea-based rebels, AFP and humanitarian sources reported.

The European Union (EU) executive branch has taken a step toward suspending aid to Liberia in light of the country's "worsening situation in the areas of human rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and corruption."

THE Internet revolution may have changed the world but in Liberia it is ephemeral and under tight state control due to President Charles Taylor's attempts to stifle criticism by his opponents.

Ghana's minister of interior, Malik Alhassan Yakubu, said a ship with 167 Liberians was denied entry into the country because it was carrying illegal immigrants, Ghana Radio reported on Thursday.

Liberia's president, Charles Taylor, his wife, son and two ex-wives head a list of 130 people banned by the United Nations Security Council from travelling abroad. The travel embargo is part of a sanctions package that went into force last month to punish Liberia for fomenting war by allegedly supplying guns to rebels in Sierra Leone in exchange for diamonds. It includes an arms ban as well as an embargo on diamonds exported from Liberia, where Taylor is alleged to head the illegal operations. He and his government have denied this.

President Charles Taylor said on Tuesday that if West African leaders became complacent about the war in Lofa County, northern Liberia, the entire region could be endangered, the Liberian Ministry of Information reported. "We cannot be trying to solve the crisis in Sierra Leone while others are trying to support a new war in Liberia," he said, referring to reports that Liberian troops had seized British-made ammunition from anti-government forces in Lofa.

US President George W. Bush has prohibited the import of all rough diamonds from Liberia, the US State Department reported. Liberia is under UN sanctions for dealing in Sierra Leonean diamonds and otherwise supporting Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels.

Children fleeing fighting in Liberia's Lofa County and separated from their families are vulnerable to attacks by rebel and government forces while girls and women are being raped, Save the Children UK reported on Wednesday.

Liberia has called on the United Nations to investigate ongoing attacks on its soil by Guinea-based insurgents and said it has a right to defend itself, despite a UN arms embargo. In a 10 May letter to the UN Secretary-General, Foreign Minister Monie Captan said the embargo had impaired Liberia's ability to defend itself. He said Guinea was "openly, blatantly and with impunity" allowing Liberian dissidents to invade the northern county of Lofa in an effort to unseat the government of President Charles Taylor.

The BBC has obtained the first independently verified information about the widespread nature of the rebel war in northern Liberia. Independent medical sources say that in the last few months of fighting hundreds of Liberian Government soldiers have been wounded. It is likely that a similiar number of combatants were wounded or killed on the rebel side as fighting has raged between rebel forces reportedly backed by neighbouring Guinea and Liberian Government troops.

Liberian President Charles Taylor has reacted angrily to the United Nations sanctions imposed on his country on Monday, describing it as "unfortunate and not in the best interest of Liberia and the entire sub-region." He said: "We know that certain countries are bent on seeing that this government leaves office, but the Liberian people will stand united." But how long this "unity" will hold is anyone's guess.

Amnesty International today called on the Liberian government and armed opposition groups based in Guinea immediately to end abductions of women, children and other civilians.

Thousands of Liberian troops have been sent to the country's troubled northern border with Guinea where the rebels control a number of towns. Officials said the troops had launched simultaneous counter-attacks on the rebel held towns of Foya, Kolahun, Vahun, Voinjama and Zorzor.

Four Liberian journalists from an independent Monrovia daily newspaper are due to go on trial today charged with espionage following an article that accused the government of profligate spending on helicopter repairs and Christmas cards.

Guinean President Lansana Conte has refused to meet Liberian counterpart Charles Taylor over rebel attacks on Guinea which Conte says are backed by Liberia.

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), based in Accra, Ghana, is sending a team of human rights lawyers from Ghana and Nigeria to Liberia to assist in the defense of the four journalists detained on the charge of espionage.