By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives The Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia has formally submitted a national roadmap for the country’s transitional justice process to President Joseph Boakai, a move experts say is a key step toward long-delayed accountability for war-era atrocities and systemic corruption. Among the…
Liberia Named on Proposed U.S. List of Countries for Third-Country Deportations as Funding is Cut for Global Vaccine Program
By Anthony Stephens, senior correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Liberia has been included on a proposed list of 51 countries that have been identified by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to accept deportees, including criminals, who are not their own citizens, according to the New York Times, a U.S. media outlet. The effort is part…
U.S. Embassy in Liberia Orders Visa Applicants to Make Social Media Profiles Public
The U.S. embassy in Monrovia says the social media accounts of all applicants will be screened and approved before their travel. By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: The U.S. embassy in Monrovia has “requested” all visa applicants from Liberia to change their social media settings from private to “public to facilitate vetting necessary to…
Nobel Laureate Gbowee Says Hindsight Has Shown Former President Sirleaf’s Government Was a “Diamond” in Comparison with Successors
By Anthony Stephens, senior correspondent with New Narratives Summary In a surprising concession, Leymah Gbowee, Liberia’s internationally renowned peace activist, has said that she has revised her prior criticisms of the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who left office after two six-year terms in 2018. In an exclusive interview with FrontPage Africa, Gbowee, who shared the…
President Boakai Sets Up Special Taskforce to Address Potential U.S. Travel Ban
By Anthony Stephens, senior correspondent with New Narratives President Joseph Boakai has set up a high-level task force in response to reports that Liberia could be among dozens of countries targeted in a proposed United States travel ban. The move comes amid mounting concerns over the country’s unusually high rate of visa overstays. The seven-member body, chaired…
Unusual January Rains Signal Deepening Climate Crisis, Environmental Agency Warns
Summary By Aria Deemie, climate change reporter with New Narratives Liberia’s normally dry season has been disrupted by rainfall, flooding, and strong winds, raising fresh concerns about the country’s vulnerability to climate change and the growing risks to agriculture, infrastructure, and coastal communities. For generations, Liberia’s weather followed a predictable pattern, with rains beginning in…
As Internet Use Surges, Thousands Of Poor Families Are Being Scammed; A New Bill Will Help But Police Warn They Still Have Few Options To Stop It
As internet access grows across Liberia, thousands of poor families are falling victim to increasingly sophisticated online scams promising fake jobs, travel programs and scholarships, draining life-savings and deepening economic hardship while police warn they still have few tools to stop the fraud even as lawmakers push a new bill to strengthen protections and enforcement….
New Malaria Drug Available in Eight African Countries Promises Breakthrough for Infants; Liberia May Wait Years
A breakthrough malaria drug now approved and rolling out in eight African countries offers new hope for saving infants’ lives after years without an age-appropriate treatment, but Liberia risks being left behind as experts urge faster regulatory action to close the treatment gap in a nation still battling one of the region’s highest malaria burdens…
War Crimes Court Office Submits Long Awaited Bills to Justice, Amid Dispute With Civil Society
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: The Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia on Tuesday submitted its long-awaited draft legislation for a war and economic crimes court and a national anti-corruption court to the country’s justice minister, following weeks of public disagreement with leading civil society groups…
New Malaria Drug Available in Eight African Countries Promises Breakthrough for Infants; Liberia May Wait Years
Summary: · Health experts are urging swift regulatory approval for “Coartem Baby”, a groundbreaking new malaria drug for infants under six months, warning delays could cost lives. · Liberia continues to battle one of Africa’s highest malaria burdens, with nearly one million cases and an estimated 3,500 deaths in 2023 — most among children under…
As Internet Use Surges, Thousands Of Poor Families Are Being Scammed; A New Bill Will Help But Police Warn They Still Have Few Options To Stop It
Summary: KARNGAR TOWN, Johnsonville — In interview after interview, the story begins the same way: a promise of opportunity arrives quietly, wrapped in hope for a way out of poverty, with no hint of danger. Here in this community on the outskirts of Monrovia, Nor G. Boo had just finished arranging goods in her small…
Liberia and Ghana Stand Almost Alone in Region as U.S. Travel Ban Hits Neighbors, Experts Cite Acceptance of U.S. Deportees and Other Strategic Factors
By Anthony Stephens, senior reporter with New Narratives Summary: Liberia’s exclusion from the Trump administration’s latest travel ban has drawn a mix of praise and caution from foreign policy experts, who say it reflects warming relations with Washington as the Trump administration shift its focus from aid to U.S. national interests. The revised policy, announced…
Experts Warn of Grave Impact For Students as Usaid-Funded Teacher Training Program
Education experts warn that the end of a major USAID-funded teacher training program in Liberia could have a grave impact on students, as thousands of aspiring teachers now face uncertainty in completing their training and the broader effort to address the country’s chronic teacher shortage hangs in the balance. Garmai Tarnue reports in this social…
A Successful Greenhouse Venture Offers Climate Promise for Devastated Farmers, but Aid Withdrawal Clouds the Sector
A new greenhouse farming venture in Liberia is offering a climate-smart lifeline to farmers facing devastating weather and crop losses, showing how controlled environments and modern techniques can protect harvests even as unpredictable rains batter fields, but the withdrawal of international aid now threatens the future growth of this promising solution for food security and…
A Successful Greenhouse Venture Offers Climate Promise for Devastated Farmers, but Aid Withdrawal Clouds the Sector
By Aria Deemie, climate change reporter with New Narratives Summary erratic rainfall, drought, and rising pest infestations that are devastating harvests. WUNGKO FARM, Salala – The afternoon sun comes out after a sudden downpour on this farm, 50 miles from Monrovia, heating the nursery as workers gently lower seeds into tiny pots lined in long,…
Liberia Included on a List of 36 Countries for Potential US Travel Ban; Foreign Minister Nyanti Says Government Is Engaging The Trump Administration on the Matter
By Anthony Stephens, senior correspondent with New Narratives The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has included Liberia on a list of 36 countries whose citizens could be banned from traveling to the US according to a draft memo obtained by The Washington Post, a U.S. media outlet. The memo “signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio…
How the theft of a small engine part is fueling pollution, crime, and a deadly health crisis
When Isaac Peprah bought his car, a Honda Accord, he thought he had finally escaped the long tro-tro commutes between East Legon and Spintex that had taken hours from his day. But barely a week after he bought it, a group of young men from a makeshift mechanic shop flagged him down near a junction…
Ghana’s buses are filling with toxic fumes — and experts say passengers are paying the price
Adeeza’s breaths came in short, rapid bursts. As the bus rumbled from Bolgatanga toward Accra each inhalation felt like fire in her lungs. For the asthma patient, these moments signaled mortal danger — her body screaming that something was triggering her compromised respiratory system. Adeeza scanned the bus, desperately searching for the regular culprits. Strong…
Residents pay price as Ofankor-Nsawam Highway project delays; health workers warn of rise in air-pollution related illnesses
The Ofankor-Pokuasi-Nsawam Highway was once a vital transportation artery for the local economy, but legal battles and government debt owed contractors have delayed the reconstruction by two years as surrounding communities face a range of problems. Key among them is their health. Experts warn the delayed project has become a major health hazard for over…
Liberia Overwhelmingly Wins UN Security Council Seat as Diplomats Say It Shows Country’s “Growing Regional Influence”
By Anthony Stephens, senior correspondent with New Narratives Liberia has overwhelmingly won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council—64 years after it first held the role. One hundred and eighty-one of the 188 member states of the UN voted for Liberia. The vote marked a historic milestone for the country, coming nearly 22…
Lonestar Cell Sues EPA Over Noise Fine, Agency Confirms
Telecom giant Lonestar Cell MTN is taking Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency to court after challenging a $15,000 fine for noise pollution at its Congo Town generator site, a penalty the agency says followed scientific tests showing noise above national and WHO limits and years of complaints from neighbors, setting up a legal showdown that many…