PRESIDENT Charles Taylor, the former warlord blamed for nearly 14 years of bloodshed in Liberia and indicted for war crimes, finally surrendered power to his deputy yesterday.

WEST African peacekeepers were to mount their first patrol of war-ravaged Monrovia as President Charles Taylor appeared to stall for time before going into exile in Nigeria.

MORTAR rounds pounded homes in Liberia’s rebel-besieged capital, killing at least 14 people, while the US ambassador appealed yesterday to insurgents to withdraw from the bloodied city and reopen its port for desperately needed food and aid.

LIBERIAN rebels engaged in an all-out battle for the country’s war-torn capital said yesterday they have ordered their troops to stop fighting.

SOME 4,500 more American sailors and Marines have been ordered to position themselves closer to Liberia after at least 70 people were killed when heavy fighting engulfed the capital Monrovia yesterday.

HEAVY fighting engulfed the Liberian capital yesterday, killing at least 70 people as mortars pounded the city in an all-out battle between rebels and forces of President Charles Taylor.

FIGHTING roared towards Liberia’s capital yesterday in a serious blow to last week’s ceasefire and hopes of a negotiated end to West Africa’s deadliest conflict.

Liberia’s main rebel group are walking out of peace talks, accusing the top mediator of letting President Charles Taylor slip out of a pledge to give up power.

LIBERIA'S government yesterday said rebels had attacked its forces on two fronts in a breach of a ceasefire agreed last week to end a war that has spilled chaos into West Africa.

WEST AFRICAN mediators flew to war-torn Liberia yesterday as rebels besieging the capital said they were willing to respect a ceasefire — but only if President Charles Taylor’s forces stop attacking them.

Fighting raged today in a northern suburb of the capital of war-torn Liberia and terrified civilians fled by the thousands.