Ivory Coast: Go-ahead for direct US flights

IVORY Coast had received authorisation from the US to start direct flights between the two countries, officials said on Saturday, boosting its hopes of becoming a regional transport hub. The top cocoa producer is emerging from a decade-long political crisis that ended in a brief civil war in 2011, and is now attracting investors again. The African Development Bank moved its headquarters back to Abidjan last year, after an 11-year hiatus. The economy has seen a renaissance under President Alassane Ouattara, averaging annual growth of around 9 percent. – Reuters