International
Pakistan: Land Grabbers, Henchmen Arrested in Islamabad after Gun Battle with Police
Dec 4, 2018
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Munawer Azeem, Dawn
The police arrested 42 people posing as the Taliban in order to grab land, after a gun battle during an operation Sunday night. Four policemen…
Russia/Ukraine: HotSpots H2O, December 3: Water Infrastructure Still a Target in Ukrainian Conflict
Dec 3, 2018
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Kayla Ritter, Circle of Blue
Attacks on civilian water infrastructure remain a strategic vulnerability in the ongoing conflict between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatists. Two major water lines were…
Colombia: Deforestation Is Unexpected Result of Peace in Colombia
Dec 3, 2018
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Stony Brook University
War can have devastating effects on nature, but what happens in times of peace? In a first-of-a-kind study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, scientists provide…
Myanmar: Chinese Company behind Controversial Copper Mine Eyes Additional 100k Acres
Dec 3, 2018
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Zarni Mann, Irrawaddy
Local concerns over the environmental impacts and potential for land confiscation in the Latpadaung copper mining area are rising again with the submission of an…
Iraq: Iraqi Security Prevents Protesters from Storming Oilfield
Dec 3, 2018
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Middle East Monitor
Iraqi security forces yesterday prevented dozens of demonstrators from storming the major oilfield of West Qurna 2 in the country’s southern province of Basra.
DRC: Cobalt Mining Shows Clean Energy Revolution Comes at a Price
Dec 3, 2018
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Zoe Dawson, Irish Times
Iraq: Iraq's Nineveh Province Declares State of Emergency Following Flash Flooding
Dec 2, 2018
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Mina Aldroubi, The National
Iraqi authorities on Sunday declared a state of emergency after flash flooding and torrential rainfall battered Nineveh, further exacerbating the plight of the war-torn province.…
Afghanistan: Farmers Harvest More Saffron This Year
Nov 30, 2018
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Haidarshah Omid, TOLOnews
Amid arrival of saffron harvest season, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) said farmers have harvested three tons more saffron compared with the…
Sudan: Sudan’s East Darfur Embracing Shared Natural Resource Management to Curb Conflict
Nov 30, 2018
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UN Environment
As in many parts of western Sudan, Ismail and other East Darfur residents have for decades lived in a fragile environment characterized by climatic variability…
Myanmar: UK Aid, WWF to Help Myanmar Develop ‘Green’ Rubber
Nov 29, 2018
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Chan Mya Htwe, Myanmar Times
The UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Dawei Golden Land Co (DGL) have made a joint investment of over…
Colombia: Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Launched to Protect Colombian Rainforest, Indigenous Peoples
Nov 29, 2018
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Catherine Benson Wahlén, International Institute for Sustainable Development
Leaders from every major religious faith joined Afro-Colombian communities, indigenous peoples, climate scientists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to launch the Colombia ‘Interfaith Rainforest Initiative.’ Through…
Israel/Palestine: Israel Rules in Favour of Settlers after 22-Year Legal Battle against Land Grab
Nov 28, 2018
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Middle East Monitor
The Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favour of settlers after a 22-year legal battle by Palestinians against efforts to annex their land in the occupied…
China/Vietnam/South China Sea: Chinese Construction on Remote Reef Rekindles Dispute with Vietnam
Nov 28, 2018
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Ralph Jennings, Voice of America
China's new construction on a remote South China Sea reef has soured its relations again with Vietnam, a claimant to the same islet, after a…
Conflict Minerals: How Technology Can Stop Blood Diamonds
Nov 27, 2018
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Borgen Magazine
Diamonds are associated with many joyous and happy occasions: engagements, birthdays, anniversaries and even winning the Superbowl. For many people, diamonds represent wealth and personal…
Afghanistan: Agricultural Development Key to Global Security: Ghani
Nov 27, 2018
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Syed Zabiullah Langari, TOLOnews
Addressing a private sector side event in Geneva on Tuesday, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said that his administration has created the legal structure for the mining…
Afghanistan: Farmers Grappling with Afghanistan Drought Urgently Need Seed and Animal Feed Support
Nov 27, 2018
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
A new drought response will help 1.4 million of the most vulnerable drought-affected people in Afghanistan during the coming winter season and into April next year, the…
Iraq: Iraq Allocates 2019 Oil Sales
Nov 27, 2018
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Ahmed Rasheed, Reuters
Iraq has allocated its oil sales for 2019, with 67 percent of exports going to Asian markets, 20 percent to the Europe and 13 percent…
Colombia: Religious Leaders in Colombia Form Coalition to Defend Rainforests
Nov 27, 2018
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Manuel Rueda, Catholic News Service
Religious leaders in Colombia promised to step up efforts to prevent the destruction of rainforests in the South American country, as they launched a coalition…
Colombia: Colombian Organic Coconut Farm Attracts Investors from 10 Countries
Nov 27, 2018
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Fresh Plaza
Farmfolio, a Cayman Islands-based agriculture development firm, this week closed the second round of funding for its Colombian farming operation, Pietrasanta. The project encompasses 570…
Iraq: Trump 'Asked Iraqi Prime Minister for Oil as Repayment for Iraq War'
Nov 27, 2018
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Tom Embury-Dennis, Independent
Donald Trump twice asked Iraq’s prime minister for oil in repayment for America’s invasion of the Middle East country to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003, it has…
Land: Hi-Tech Mapping Threatens Land Rights across the 'Digital Divide': Experts
Nov 26, 2018
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Rina Chandran, Reuters
Countries are increasingly embracing drones and satellites to map land and minimize conflict rising from ownership disputes, but unequal access to these technologies can further…
Climate Change: Climate Change Report Underscores National Security Threats
Nov 26, 2018
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Jamie McIntyre, Washington Examiner
The National Climate Assessment released by the Trump administration last week underscores something the Pentagon has been saying for more than a decade: Climate change…
China/Japan: From Drillships to Warships: Increasing Tensions in the East China Sea
Nov 26, 2018
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Talal Husseini, Offshore Technology
China has initiated new oil and gas drilling projects in disputed waters in the East China Sea, deploying a mobile offshore drilling unit that straddles…
Syria: Syria Refineries Raise Health Concerns
Nov 26, 2018
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Voice of America, Sirwan Kajjo and Zana Omer
In the northeastern corner of Syria, the large oil fields have one common theme: makeshift oil refineries. The refining process involves an ad hoc oil…
Afghanistan: Eight Irrigation Canals Inaugurated in Balkh
Nov 26, 2018
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Afghanistan Times
Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock on Sunday said that eight water irrigation canals have been inaugurated in northern Balkh province. The construction work of…
Afghanistan: Badakhshan Pistachio Yields Exceed 100 Tons
Nov 25, 2018
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Afghanistan Times
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock on Saturday said pistachio yields in northern Badakhshan province have increased to 100 tons this year. According to Badakhshan…
Iraq: Flash Floods Kill Dozens in Iraq and Raise Questions over Deteriorating Infrastructure
Nov 25, 2018
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The National
Dozens of people were killed and thousands more were displaced across Iraq over the past four days, as flash floods and torrential rainfall battered the…
Iraq: H.R. McMaster Told Trump off for Asking Iraqi Prime Minister about Oil
Nov 25, 2018
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Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner
Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster once rebuked President Trump after he raised the possibility of taking Iraq's oil to compensate the U.S. for the…
Myanmar: Returning Refugees Face Uncertainty in Eastern Myanmar Settlement
Nov 24, 2018
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Steve Sandford, Voice of America
Black diesel smoke belches from a rusty engine that pumps water to the relatively new eastern Myanmar town of Lay Kay Kaw, about 5 kilometers…
Colombia: Colombia Tries to Get Farmers Away from the Cocaine Biz. How's That Going?
Nov 24, 2018
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WVXU
Culcha's troubles stand as a cautionary tale as Colombia tries to roll back soaring drug production. Last year, the country produced a record 422,550 acres…