Liberia bars official travel for two months to cut costs…Read full details

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf PHOTO: AFP

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has barred all official visits abroad for two months, following protests over soaring prices as the local currency depreciates, the information minister said Tuesday.

“Except in case of emergency, no official will be allowed to travel,” the minister, Eugene Nagbe, told AFP.

“Exceptions will only be granted by the president herself,” Nagbe said, adding that official visits abroad would remain suspended for 60 days.

The decision came a week after business owners and civil society groups staged a protest demanding that parliament take action to stop a surge in prices as the Liberian dollar depreciated to the US dollar.

Sirleaf — Africa’s first elected female head of state and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2011 — also accused some businesses of hoarding US dollars, triggering a shortfall on the market.

The US dollar has coexisted with local currency since 1847, when Liberia became the first African nation to proclaim its independence as a modern republic.

Previously, it had been a protectorate of the United States.

“Whenever the US (dollar) rate goes up, prices follow suit,” economics professor Prince Bagoon told AFP.

In a statement Saturday, the presidency said the central bank had also been “mandated to review the alarming situation of capital flight and strengthen its regulatory measures so as to curb the illicit repatriation of foreign currency from the country”.

The central bank and the finance ministry are also seeking to stabilise the exchange rate, the statement said.

These efforts “have begun to yield positive results with the steady decline of the rate in favour of the Liberian dollar”, it added.

Toure, Jesus named in City’s Champions League squad…See full details

Manchester City's Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure controls the ball/ AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFF

Yaya Toure capped his return to the Manchester City fold as he and new signing Gabriel Jesus were included in their squad for the Champions League knockout stages.

Toure was left out of City’s 25-man list for the group stages, sparking a row between boss Pep Guardiola and the Ivory Coast midfielder’s agent that led to him being frozen out of the side.

But since that dispute was resolved in November, Toure has reclaimed a place in the team and been in fine form, with his latest dominant display coming in City’s 4-0 win at West Ham on Wednesday.

Toure’s inclusion in the Champions League squad comes as no surprise, with fellow midfielder Ilkay Gundogan likely to miss the rest of the season through injury.

Recent signing Jesus, who scored his first league goal since his move from Palmeiras in the West Ham win, comes into the European squad in place of Kelechi Iheanacho.

“I’m very happy for the goal, very happy for the performance and especially for the win,” Jesus told City TV.

“This is the spirit I think we have to have and if we keep that spirit we will be able to achieve our goals.

“The reception from the club has been great, my team-mates are helping a lot and the process of adaptation is going great.

“I honestly thought it would be more difficult but thanks to my family, my friends and my team-mates it’s going really well.”

Having now been registered at the club for two years, Iheanacho can be removed from the main squad quota but remain eligible as a player named on the “B” list.

City face Monaco in the Champions League last 16 as they aim to win the competition for the first time.