International


Climate Change: Retired Navy Rear Admiral Calls Extreme Weather a National Security Threat

Nov 12, 2018 | Yale Climate Connections

As Hurricane Florence targeted the East Coast, the Navy moved its ships away from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to keep them safe. Retired Navy Rear Admiral…


Sudan: Sudan to Launch over 30 Oil Bids in 2019: FT Reports

Nov 12, 2018 | Sudan Tribune

Sudan is preparing to launch over 30 oil exploration bids next year in an attempt to lure western companies to reinvest in its petroleum industry…


Iraq: Blaming the Rain for Iraq’s Corruption

Nov 11, 2018 | Arab Weekly

Iraq, like many Arab countries, is plagued by rampant corruption at nearly all levels of government. Many public servants, from the policeman directing traffic at…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Explainer: Why Are Iraq's Kirkuk Oilfields So Important?

Nov 11, 2018 | Reuters

Iraq’s oilfields in the disputed Kirkuk region have taken on new significance after the United States restored oil sanctions against neighboring Iran. Washington is pressuring…


Afghanistan: Report: Counter-Narcotics Effort in Afghanistan Ineffective

Nov 9, 2018 | FEDweek

Even though the U.S. has spent more than $8 billion on efforts to thwart the opium cultivation and trade in Afghanistan, the problem is “worse…


Food Security: Peace, Stability Not Possible without Rural Development, Says IFAD President ahead of Paris Peace Forum

Nov 9, 2018 | East African Business Week

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Gilbert F. Houngbo will, at this week’s Paris Peace Forum, ask global leaders to consider the crucial role…


Learn How Army Veterans Are in the Farming Business Thanks to Cornell Program

Nov 9, 2018 | Matt Steecker, Ithaca Journal

Cornell Farm Ops assists veterans interested in agriculture by connecting them to workshops, online courses, fellow farmer veterans and scholarships for more advanced workshops that may not be…


Kyrgyzstan: In Kyrgyzstan, Warming Brings Less Water - and More Conflict

Nov 9, 2018 | Katie Arnold, Thomson Reuters Foundation

The World Bank has found that up to half of Kyrgyzstan could be affected by desertification by the end of the century, as the region…


Iraq/Kuwait: Iraq to Pay Kuwait 1.5 Percent of Oil Proceeds as ‘Compensations’

Nov 8, 2018 | Arab Times

United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) Governing Council said on Thursday that Iraq would pay, effective early next year, 1.5 percent worth of oil sales’ proceeds…


Iraq/Kurdistan: ISIS War, Financial Crisis Damaged Kurdistan Region Environment

Nov 7, 2018 | Karwan Faidhi Dri, Rudaw

Iraq suffered immense environmental devastation during its war with Islamic State. Some areas, particularly Mosul and other Sunni-dominated cities, have been reduced to toxic wastelands.…


Myanmar: Bringing the Land Use Policy to Life

Nov 7, 2018 | Eva Hirschi, Frontier

When it comes to land, Myanmar suffers from a contradictory, fragmented and outdated legal framework. The country has more than 40 laws on the books…


Afghanistan: How to Avoid the Resource Curse? Take Six Years to Approve Deals

Nov 7, 2018 | Eltaf Najafizada, BloombergQuint

Afghanistan selected preferred bidders for three gold and copper mines in 2012. It took the war-torn nation six years to finally sign the contracts. Afghan…


Rights Groups Call for Greater Attention to Environmental Security in Armed Conflicts

Nov 7, 2018 | Erik Slobe, Jurist

Amnesty International released two public statements on Tuesday regarding environmental security during war and armed conflicts. One statement addressed to the Chair of the UN…


Iran: Iran Holds Int’l Seminar on War’s Consequences for Family, Environment

Nov 7, 2018 | Alireza Hashemi, Iran Front Page

The 2018 edition of an international seminar revolving around the impact of war on woman, family and environment was held in Tehran on Tuesday, in…


Vietnam: Vietnam, US Complete Cleanup of Toxic Chemical from Airport

Nov 7, 2018 | Associated Press

Vietnam and the United States have finished the cleanup of dioxin contamination at Danang airport caused by the transport and storage of the herbicide Agent…


Afghanistan: Decades of War Takes Its Toll on the Environment

Nov 6, 2018 | Tamim Hamid, TOLOnews

National Environmental Protection Authority (NEPA) officials said Afghanistan’s water resources, soil and air quality have fallen victim to the war and that the thousands of mines…


Afghanistan: How to Avoid the Resource Curse? Take Six Years to Approve Deals

Nov 6, 2018 | Eltaf Najafizada, Bloomberg

Afghanistan selected preferred bidders for three gold and copper mines in 2012. It took the war-torn nation six years to finally sign the contracts. Afghan…


Sierra Leone: President Bio Calls for Diamonds to Be Cut and Polished in Sierra Leone

Nov 5, 2018 | Sierra Express Media

Addressing board members and management of AWDC, diamond traders, miners, bankers and the press, President Bio said that Sierra Leone was a major exporter of…


Colombia: 'Living Corpses': Why Colombia's National Tree Is at Risk

Nov 5, 2018 | Lucy Sherriff, BBC

"They are essentially living corpses," says Colombian scientist Rodrigo Bernal of Colombia's national tree. The ceroxylon quindiuense, a distinct species of palm tree which was…


Myanmar: ‘Genocide Gems’: Highly-Sought Burmese Rubies and Sapphires May Be Enriching Myanmar’s Military

Nov 4, 2018 | Josh K. Elliott, Global News

The U.S.-based International Campaign for the Rohingya (ICR) is calling for shoppers to boycott so-called “genocide gems” from Myanmar this holiday season, in hopes of…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq's Kurds Add Pipeline Capacity to Export Kirkuk Oil

Nov 4, 2018 | Nayla Razzouk and Abbas Al Lawati, Bloomberg

Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurds upgraded their oil export pipeline to accommodate future production growth from their region as well as from the contested Kirkuk area controlled…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Production at Kurdistan Region Oil Fields ‘Exceeding Expectations’

Nov 4, 2018 | Kurdistan 24

Crude oil production is on the rise at fields in the Duhok province area with results exceeding expectations, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources…


Devastating and Enduring Impact of Conflict on Our Planet

Nov 2, 2018 | Green News

Researchers have concluded that atomic radiations are able to penetrate into streams and kill marine species in large numbers. Genetic mutations in all types of…


Tanzania: Finally Land Dispute Resolved between Herders, Farmers in Kit

Nov 2, 2018 | Hilda Mhagama, Daily News

After years of clashes between farmers and herders in Kiteto District, more than 95,499 hectares of grazing land has been transferred to the livestock keepers…


Myanmar: Displaced Villagers in Myanmar at Odds with UK Charity over Land Conservation

Nov 2, 2018 | Joshua Carroll, Guardian

A British conservation charity has become embroiled in a row with villagers displaced by civil war in Myanmar over plans to protect pristine forests housing…


China/Vietnam/South China Sea: Chinese Coast Guard Chases Down, Rams Fleeing Vietnamese fishing boat [Video]

Nov 1, 2018 | Sreypov Men, AEC News Today

A Chinese coast guard vessel was filmed apparently ramming a Vietnamese fishing boat in video posted on Facebook. The video, shot from the Vietnamese boat,…


Colombia: Colombia Faces 273 Lawsuits for Poisoning Crops with Herbicide

Nov 1, 2018 | Renzo Pipoli, United Press International

The Colombian government faces 273 lawsuits stemming from damages to crops, land and water caused by the spraying the herbicide glyphosate, which intended to destroy…


DRC: Conflict-Free Artisanal Gold Exported from the Congo

Nov 1, 2018 | Rob Bates, JCK

The first shipment of certified conflict-free artisanal gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been exported to the United States, according to a…


Myanmar: 'We Feel Like Hermit Crabs': Myanmar's Climate Dispossessed

Nov 1, 2018 | Libby Hogan, Guardian

Worldwide, Myanmar is the second most vulnerable country to extreme weather events. The effects are widespread: in the dry zone, home to nearly a third…


Myanmar: Myanmar to Hold Raw Gems, Jade Fair

Oct 31, 2018 | Xinhua

Myanmar will hold special sale of raw gems and jade in local currency Kyat in Nay Pyi Taw on Nov. 12-17, the Information Ministry said…