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NEWS ABOUT: Sierra Leone

West African Leaders Push Ivory Coast's Gbagbo to Leave

20K flee country as violent confrontation looms

(Newser) - Last chance for a peaceful resolution? West African leaders met with Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo today to try to resolve the country’s post-election strife, the BBC reports. The heads of Benin, Sierra Leone, and Cape Verde met with Gbagbo, who has refused to step down despite international support for... More »

Warlord Moves to Block Campbell Testimony

Taylor accused of giving model 'blood diamond'

(Newser) - Supermodels aren't often called as witnesses at war crimes tribunals, and Liberian strongman Charles Taylor's lawyers want to keep it that way. They're seeking to block Naomi Campbell from being subpoenaed to appear at Taylor's trial to testify about a "blood diamond" she allegedly received from the warlord at... More »

221 Missing, 8 Dead in Sierra Leone Boat Accident

Vessel was carrying mostly schoolkids

(AP) - Police say more than 200 people remain missing in Sierra Leone a day after a boat capsized, killing at least eight. Most of the passengers were schoolchildren returning from holidays in the West African nation. At least 221 people remain missing, with 39 passengers rescued. The boat was traveling from... More »

Ex Liberian Prez Defends Skull Displays

(Newser) - Former Liberian President Charles Taylor defended displaying human skulls along roadways in his country to scare people into obeying soldiers' orders, reports the Times of London. “Skulls were used as symbols of death,” he told the judges at his trial at the Hague. “Enemy soldiers had been... More »

Ex-Liberian Prez: War-Crimes Charges 'Lies'

Taylor calls himself 'lover of humanity'

(Newser) - Former Liberian president Charles Taylor took the stand today in the Hague, calling war-crimes allegations against him “lies,” the BBC reports. “It is very, very, very unfortunate that the prosecution, because of disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors would associate me with such titles or descriptions,” he said... More »

Fashion Week Hits Africa

Amidst global downturn, African designers poised to rise

(Newser) - The recession is taking a toll on demand for haute couture, but African designers are betting the youthfulness of their industry will trump the economy at the first pan-African fashion week. “We’re growing,” says a designer from Sierra Leone who trained in New York and Paris. "... More »

Japan Tops Life-Expectancy List

Sierra Leone, Afghanistan fall at bottom

(Newser) - Health initiatives and wars have flipped some of the world's life expectancies since 1990, the World Heath Organization said today. Some findings, via AP:
  • Japanese women, at 86, and San Marino men, 81, enjoy the longest life expectancies.
  • Sierra Leone men, 39, at Afghan women, 42, have the shortest.
  • In
... More »

Salma Hayek Breastfeeds Starving Baby

On-camera moment sparks viral video

(Newser) - Footage of Salma Hayek breastfeeding a starving African baby has gone viral, Salon reports, prompting responses from some who are impressed and others who are, predictably, turned on. The actress, who is still breastfeeding her own daughter, was filmed with babe in arms by Nightline during a humanitarian trip to... More »

Thais Nab 'Merchant of Death'

Russian arms dealer may face US trial for supplying terror groups worldwide

(Newser) - The Russian arms dealer branded "the merchant of death" was apprehended in Thailand today after US intelligence linked him to Colombia rebels, the New York Times reports. Viktor Bout is on international most-wanted lists for allegedly using his private air fleet to supply al Qaeda and the Taliban—plus... More »

'Blood Diamonds' Trial Opens

War crimes court pleads for cash in case against former Liberian president

(Newser) - The war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor is set to begin in The Hague after months of costly delays—forcing the court to ask for financial handouts to complete the proceedings. Taylor, 59, trained Sierra Leone's notoriously violent Revolutionary United Front in exchange for "blood diamonds,... More »

UN: Iceland Best Place to Live

Sub-Saharan Africa, it turns out, not so great

(Newser) - Iceland has inched out longtime champ Norway as the best place in the world to live, and sub-Saharan Africa is the worst. The UN list, out today, ranks countries by real per-capita GDP, education, and life expectancy. The US ranked 12th, down from 8th last year, as relatively low life... More »

Sierra Leone Tribunal Convicts 3

War crimes court first to rule against use of child soldiers

(Newser) - The UN-backed Sierra Leone war crimes tribunal handed down its first verdicts today, convicting three leaders of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The rebel leaders face lengthy prison terms after being convicted of 11 of 14 charges, including murder, rape, and the recruitment... More »

Charles Taylor Skips War Crimes Trial

Former President of Liberia accused of atrocities in Sierra Leone

(Newser) - Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, didn't show up for the opening of his  war-crimes trial in The Hague today, the BBC reports. He is accused of fostering a long bloody civil war in Sierra Leone marked by crimes against humanity, terrorism, rape and the use of child soldiers.... More »

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