International


Iran/Iraq: Iraq, Iran Ink Energy Sector Agreement

Dec 27, 2018 | Rudaw

Iraq and Iran have agreed to continue cooperation in the energy and electricity sectors, despite time ticking down on the US waiver of sanctions. Iran’s…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq's Kirkuk Oil Exports to Stay Restricted

Dec 26, 2018 | Ahmed Rasheed, Reuters

Exports from Iraq’s northern Kirkuk oilfields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan will stay at between 80-90,000 barrels per day (bpd) as most of the…


Iraq: Despite Oil Wealth, Iraq’s Basra Plagued by Broken Infrastructure, Poverty and Violence [Video]

Dec 25, 2018 | Jane Ferguson, PBS

Basra, in southern Iraq, contains much of the country’s oil wealth -- yet residents there are struggling just to survive. The city lacks basic services…


Water Wars: Early-Warning Tools Aim to Prevent 'Water Wars,' Curb Droughts

Dec 25, 2018 | Linda Givetash, NBC News

In a year of extreme heat and water-related tensions, researchers are trying to develop an early-warning system to prevent the devastating consequences of droughts that…


Afghanistan: 10,000 Tonnes of Fish Production Annually

Dec 24, 2018 | Afghanistan Times

Afghanistan produces an estimated 10,000 tonnes of fish every year, an official said on Monday, admitting that such low production won't meet the country's consumption…


Afghanistan: Water Shortages Worsen in Afghanistan as Drought Persists

Dec 23, 2018 | Al Jazeera

Afghans are facing water shortages due to the persistent drought that has ravaged the country this year. In many places, including the capital Kabul, local…


Afghanistan: Renewable Energy Projects Need $1.5B Investment: Ministry

Dec 23, 2018 | Rohullah Arman, TOLOnews

The Ministry of Energy and Water on Sunday said Afghanistan needs over $1.5 billion investment by the private sector to generate up to 2,000 megawatts…


Afghanistan: Taliban Gains $1.5B from Drugs, Mines Annually: Report

Dec 23, 2018 | Haseba Atakpal, TOLOnews

A report by the BBC shows that Taliban annually earns more than $1.5 billion from drug dealing, illegal mining, collecting electricity bills and financial support…


Afghanistan: How Does the Taliban Make Money?

Dec 22, 2018 | Dawood Azami, BBC

There are indications that the US is planning a significant withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan. Despite continued US military and financial support for the…


Myamar: IFC Report Recommends Alternatives to High-Risk Myitsone

Dec 21, 2018 | Thompson Chou, Myanmar Times

A government-sponsored study warned against restarting the highly controversial Myitsone dam and recommended alternatives to develop the country’s hydropower sector. The final version of the…


Sudan: Student Killed in Sudan Bread Price Protests

Dec 21, 2018 | Agence France-Presse

A student demonstrator was killed Thursday in eastern Sudan, a local official and relatives told AFP, amid mounting protests over the rising price of bread.…


Myanmar: Myanmar’s New Gemstone Law Is Flawed Says Global Witness

Dec 21, 2018 | International Mining

Myanmar’s parliament has passed a new law governing the gemstone sector. According to international anti-corruption NGO Global Witness, “the law may do little to reform…


Climate Change: Germany Aims to Put Climate into Focus at UN Security Council

Dec 21, 2018 | Julian Wettengel, Clean Energy Wire

Germany plans to use its diplomatic clout during its two-year term on the UN Security Council to ensure that climate change concerns are an integral…


Myanmar: Myanmar Land Grab Fears Stoked by New Law

Dec 21, 2018 | Libby Hogan, Voice of America

A new land conflict is threatening to erupt in Myanmar, where land is so sought after that even a cemetery can be eyed by developers.…


Sahel: Peace in Sahel Requires Tackling Causes of Instability, Special Adviser Tells Security Council amid Calls to Advance Development, Fight Terrorism

Dec 20, 2018 | UN Security Council

The Sahel is awash with challenges — from food insecurity and terrorist-related security threats to the negative impacts of climate change — but it has…


Sierra Leone: Underground Mining to Start in Kenema District

Dec 20, 2018 | Saffa B. Moriba, Awoko

The paramount chief of Lower Bambara chiefdom Kenema district PC Alimamy Moiwai Farma V spoke as Chair during the public consultation and disclosure of the…


Myanmar: Myanmar Continues Efforts to Generate International Demand for Local Gems

Dec 19, 2018 | Chan Mye Htwe, Myanmar News

The Second Yangon International Gems and Jewelry Fair is set to take place in Yangon’s Lotte Hotel from January 9 to 13, according to the…


Syria: New Satellite Images Show Convoy of Trucks Transporting Syrian Oil to Iraq and Turkey [Photos]

Dec 18, 2018 | Al Masdar News

The Russian Ministry of Defense published two images on Monday that showed Syrian oil being transported to the neighboring countries of Iraq and Turkey. As…


Afghanistan: Nearly Six Thousand Afghan Farming Families Severely Affected by Drought Targeted for Emergency Assistance

Dec 17, 2018 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN

With the approval of the Government of Afghanistan, the Republic of Korea and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have joined…


Colombia: A Colombian Roadmap for Climate Change

Dec 17, 2018 | Edward Davey, City Paper Bogotá

Colombia is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change – witness the devastation caused by recent floods, as well as the setbacks…


Afghanistan: Disarmament: With Drones, Researchers Take up the Fight against Land Mines

Dec 17, 2018 | News Article Insiders

Together with his colleague, Timothy de Smet, he decided to try the principle in a field in a State Park in Binghamton tested. The use…


Myanmar: Armed Ethnic KNU Criticises Land Law Amendment

Dec 17, 2018 | Chan Thar, Myanmar Times

The armed ethnic Karen National Union (KNU) on Sunday called for the abolition of the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Management Law because it contravenes…


Afghanistan/Pakistan: Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Looming Water Conflict

Dec 15, 2018 | Waleed Majidyar, Diplomat

From the Mayan Empire to modern-day Syria and Yemen, water insecurity has been a predominant cause of social distress, conflict, and crisis. Studies show that…


Afghanistan: Afghanistan Announces EoI for 2 GW Solar Tender

Dec 14, 2018 | Becky Beetz, pv magazine

In a bid to reduce dependence on energy imports, improve energy access for the around 70% of the Afghani population still lacking it, and to…


Timor-Leste: E. Timor President Vetoes Using Petroleum Fund to Buy Sunrise Gas Project

Dec 14, 2018 | Nelson Da Cruz, Reuters

East Timor’s president has vetoed a government bid to increase access to its petroleum fund for investment in energy projects, potentially delaying a $650 million…


Afghanistan: Afghanistan Faces Severe Water Shortage: Osmani

Dec 13, 2018 | Haidarshah Omid, TOLOnews

Former minister of water and energy Ali Ahmad Osmani on Thursday said Afghanistan faces a severe water shortage in the northern water zone and in…


South Sudan: South Sudan’s Neighbours Help Launder the Loot from Its Civil War

Dec 13, 2018 | Economist

Since South Sudan’s independence in 2011 its leaders have pillaged the country. Nearly $7bn has gone missing since 2012, reckons Kenya’s Institute of Economic Affairs,…


Iraq: Amnesty: Iraq Should Use Oil Revenue to Fund Reconstruction of War-Torn Areas

Dec 13, 2018 | Kurdistan 24

The Iraqi government would be wise to use an expected budget surplus to begin the reconstruction of rural areas affected by the Islamic State (IS)…


Climate Chnage: US Blocks Climate Security Discussion at NATO Level - EU Military Staff Member

Dec 13, 2018 | Faizan Hashmi, UrduPoint

Due to the skeptical position of the US administration on climate change, a discussion on climate security has been regrettably blocked at the NATO level,…


Colombia: Fragile Wetlands Face Major Threat from Climate Change in Colombia

Dec 13, 2018 | Michelle Begue, China Global Television Network

Colombia is home to a unique ecosystem which is a treasure in the northern Andes. These wetlands provide 70 percent of the country’s water supply.…