The ex-chief of a Nelson Mandela charity is resigning from its board after the revelation that he secretly kept diamonds passed on to him by supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell, who has been avoiding international prosecutors for the past year, will be forced to appear on the witness stand in the war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor.

Naomi Campbell and actress Mia Farrow will be summoned to testify at former Liberian President Charles Taylor’s war crimes trial, addressing allegations that he gave the supermodel an uncut diamond at a South African reception in 1997.

Naomi Campbell reportedly attacked a news cameraman as she stormed out of an interview.

Police in Thailand have mysteriously dropped all charges against one of the world’s biggest arms dealers dubbed “The Merchant of Death”.

The international war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor reopened at The Hague today, six months after it was adjourned when he boycotted the opening session and fired his lawyer.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor boycotted the resumption of his war crimes trial in The Hague, Netherlands, today, the second time he has failed to show up to face charges of arming Sierra Leone rebels and orchestrating a murderous terror campaign during that country’s 10-year civil war.

Prosecutors in the Netherlands were due to call their first witness today in the international war crimes case against former Liberian President Charles Taylor.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor today boycotted the landmark first international war crimes trial of a former African leader being held in The Hague, Netherlands.

THE remaining 83 troops with the last Irish unit on peacekeeping duty in Liberia returned home last night.

Emotional scenes are expected tonight as the last Irish soldiers serving in Liberia return home, marking the end of Ireland’s four-year presence in the war-torn African country.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor was expected to make his first appearance in a Hague court room in the Netherlands today for a hearing aimed at paving the way for his war crimes trial.

The UN-backed Sierra Leone tribunal holding ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor authorised today the former warlord’s transfer to an overseas court for trial on war crimes charges.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor may soon be moved to a high security prison in the Netherlands that should withstand even his notorious ability for escape.

Denmark will turn down a UN request to accept former Liberian President Charles Taylor after his trial in a UN-backed war crimes court, Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said today.

The Danish government has received a formal request from the United Nations to imprison Liberian President Charles Taylor if he is convicted by a UN-backed war crimes court, government sources said Tuesday.

The son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor was ordered held without bail today on US passport fraud charges.

FORMER Liberian President Charles Taylor appeared before an international war crimes court yesterday.

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor pleaded not guilty today to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including sexual slavery, mutilation and sending children into combat.

The UN-backed Sierra Leone court has charged former warlord and ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor with crimes against humanity and other violations of international law committed within Sierra Leone by rebels he allegedly helped direct and arm between 1996 and 2002.

Infamous warlord, accused blood diamond merchant and former Liberian President Charles Taylor will be in the dock today before a war crimes tribunal bent on sending a powerful message to the world’s despots that no one is above the law.

LIBERIA’S former President Charles Taylor, accused of fomenting bloody wars across West Africa, is set to go trial in the Hague for the mayhem wrought during his years in power.

Nigeria’s announcement that it is ready to hand over exiled Liberian warlord Charles Taylor – the first former African head of state indicted for crimes against humanity and war crimes – is a reluctant gesture that sends a powerful message to other warmongers on the continent.

Nigeria said today it will send back to Liberia exiled ex-president and one-time warlord Charles Taylor, wanted for trial on war crimes by a UN-backed court.

Nigeria today said it was considering a request from Liberia to the hand over ex-President Charles Taylor.

LIBERIAN refugee Yatta Holmes bears a scar along her left eye where rebels slashed her face with a machete during an attack on her town several years ago.

LIBERIANS are flocking to the presidential campaign of former soccer star George Weah, who has pledged to lead his war-scarred country to peace and development after decades of despots.

Defence Minister Willie O'Dea is due to review the Irish soldiers preparing for peacekeeping duties in Liberia during a visit to Collins Barracks in Cork later today.

Irish soldiers on a UN-mandated peace-enforcement mission in Liberia have arrested two rebel commanders who were holding 30 civilians captive in the north of the war-torn country.

About 130 Irish peacekeeping troops will be leaving Dublin tonight for the war-torn Liberian capital Monrovia.

AFTER walking for two days, Siatta Golafale gave birth by the roadside helped by a nurse who like her was fleeing the sound of gunfire in Liberia’s lawless countryside.

DONWEH BAR props up her skeletal frame, wizened beyond her 48 years, with spindly arms wrapped around a twisted cane. Nearby a toddler with protruding belly and ribs eats a few grains of corn meal from her mother's hand.

Liberian rebels locked in peace talks have said a power-sharing deal could be signed as early as today.

DESPERATE for food, tens of thousands of civilians broke through barricades on Monrovia’s front-line bridges yesterday, reuniting Liberia’s war-divided capital after 10 weeks of rebel siege.

Tens of thousands of hungry Liberians broke though barricades on Monrovia’s frontline bridges today in a desperate search for food, reuniting the capital after 10 weeks of rebel siege.

REBELS lifted their siege of Liberia’s war-torn capital Monrovia yesterday after scores of US troops were flown into the battered city.

Rebels lifted their two month siege of Liberia’s starving capital today, not long after scores of US marines were flown in by helicopters.

Fleeing refugees reported vicious attacks today as Liberia’s second rebel group began pressing toward the capital.

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.

Defiant to the end, Liberian President Charles Taylor resigned today but said: “God willing, I will be back.”

IN a farewell address to his wartorn nation, President Charles Taylor declared yesterday he would "sacrifice my presidency" to stop bloodshed in Liberia.

REBEL leaders said they will not allow any ally of President Charles Taylor to take power after the embattled leader named his vice-president as his successor. Rebel representatives at peace talks in Ghana said they would observe an often-violated June 17 ceasefire pact for the capital of Monrovia, but insisted they would not accept Taylor's appointment of Moses Blah.

President Charles Taylor submitted his resignation in favour of his vice president as throngs cheered the first West African peacekeepers to enter Liberia’s besieged capital, Monrovia.

HUNDREDS of thousands of Liberians cheered West African peacekeepers as they rumbled through the pockmarked capital yesterday, in an explosion of joy on streets that just last week formed a deadly frontline.