International
Iraq: As Climate Threats Grow, Iraq Battles a New Enemy: Water Shortages
Dec 12, 2017
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Laurie Goering, Thomson Reuters Foundation
After years battling Islamic State militants, Iraqi farmers – many of them military volunteers – are now returning to their homes and fields only to…
Myanmar: Only 10pc of Land Seizure Complaints Settled
Dec 12, 2017
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Htoo Thant, Myanmar Times
Only 10 percent of complaints over seized farmland submitted to the central committee for re-scrutinising land complaints have been settled since its formation in May…
Iraq: IS Long Gone, but Former Iraqi Oil Hub Still Dead
Dec 11, 2017
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Agence France-Presse
A white rocking horse and a child's toy car lie abandoned on a dusty lane in the Iraqi city of Baiji, a small sign of…
Afghanistan: Indians to Begin CASA-1000 Project in Afghanistan
Dec 11, 2017
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Haidarshah Omid, TOLOnews
Officials of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE) on Monday said that two Indian companies have been selected to start the work on the…
Liberia: Traditional Leaders Want House Version of Land Rights Act Rejected by Senate
Dec 10, 2017
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FrontPage Africa
Traditional chiefs from several towns and villages across the country have threatened to canvass against the re-election of members of the Senate, if they concur…
Myanmar: Taint of Burma’s Genocide Gems
Dec 10, 2017
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Philip Sherwell and Jon Ungoed-Thomas, The Times
They are revered among aficionados for their rich, deep hues and mesmerising sparkle. However, Burmese gemstones used in high-end jewellery made by famous western brands…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq Oil Minister Says Kirkuk Oil Swap Deal with Iran Is for One Year
Dec 10, 2017
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Ahmed Hagagy, Reuters
Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi said on Sunday that a deal signed with Tehran to swap up to 60,000 barrels per day of crude produced…
Myanmar: Myanmar's Largest Oil Refinery Project Cancelled
Dec 7, 2017
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Su Phyo Win, Myanmar Times
Construction of a multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in the south of Dawei has been cancelled after an investor in the project ran into financial constraints, sources…
Colombia: US, Colombia Vow to Battle Record Surge in Coca Production
Dec 7, 2017
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Associated Press
U.S. and Colombian officials vowed Thursday to redouble efforts against drug trafficking as the South American nation contends with a record surge in coca production…
Afghanistan: America's Top Mercenary Wants to Go into Afghanistan and Take the Minerals
Dec 7, 2017
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Kelly O'Meara Morales, The Week
Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince wants to privatize the U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan, but apparently he's also very interested in the country's rare minerals.…
Sierra Leone: Huge 'Peace Diamond' Fetches a Disappointing $6.5 Million
Dec 6, 2017
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Michelle Toh, CNN
One of the world's largest diamonds has been sold for $6.5 million. The stone has been dubbed the "peace diamond" because much of the proceeds…
DRC: Investors out in Force Following DRC Lithium Deals
Dec 6, 2017
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Michael Quinn, MiningNews.net
With its shares up nearly 500% since June, Force Commodities has today unveiled a lithium joint venture in the Democratic Republic of Congo comprising ground…
Niger: UN Environment, Niger Sign Pact to Assess Impacts of Armed Conflict on Environment
Dec 6, 2017
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Xinhua
The UN Environment and the government of Niger on Wednesday signed an agreement to assess environmental and human impacts caused by the armed conflict and…
World Experts Gather to Review Progress on Climate and Security in 2017
Dec 6, 2017
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ANP Pers Support
Governments and experts are being urged to use the shifting geopolitical landscape to cement action on the climate and security agenda at a major conference…
South Sudan: South Sudan Hopes Higher Oil Prices Will Restore Ravaged Economy
Dec 5, 2017
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Tsvetana Paraskova, OilPrice.com
Rising oil prices are vital for South Sudan to revitalize its battered economy, as oil revenues are almost all of the country’s hard currency export…
Sudan/South Sudan: South Sudan Owes Sudan $1.3 Billion from 2012 Oil Deal: Official
Dec 5, 2017
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Denis Dumo, Reuters
South Sudan still owes neighboring Sudan $1.3 billion from a 2012 deal that ended a dispute over oil payments between the two nations, the deputy…
Sierra Leone: Peace Diamond: Precious Stone Fetches $6.5m in New York
Dec 4, 2017
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BBC
A giant 709-carat diamond unearthed in Sierra Leone has sold at auction in New York for $6.5m (£4.8m). Half of the proceeds, $3.8m, will be…
Iraq/Kurdistan: More Oil Found in the Kurdish North of Iraq
Dec 4, 2017
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Daniel J. Graeber, United Press International
Though it's too early to make any estimate on the reserve potential, British energy company Genel said it found more oil in the Kurdish region…
Myamar: Analysis: Tug Of War over Indigenous Rights and Govt’s Forestry Plan
Dec 4, 2017
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Moe Myint, Irrawaddy
Civil society organizations (CSOs) want the rights of indigenous people to be officially recognized in Myanmar’s Nationally Determined Commitment (NDC), the government’s action plan to…
Myanmar: Myanmar Bamboo Market Eyes Growth Potential
Dec 4, 2017
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Kyaw Ye Lynn, Frontier
The shortage of a special variety of bamboo is creating challenges for the handmade umbrella industry established a century ago in the Ayeyarwady Region capital,…
Afghanistan: Afghan Farmers Revert to Growing Opium, Sending Yields Soaring
Dec 3, 2017
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Ruchi Kumar, The National
While Afghanistan has been the world’s largest opium-producing nation for decades, the UN agency reported that a staggering 328,000 hectares of land was under opium…
Myanmar: Myanmar’s Environmental Degradation Worrying: Kyi Kyi Hla
Nov 30, 2017
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Subir Bhaumik, Mizzima
Myanmar's environmental degradation is cause for much worry, said environmentalist Dr Kyi Kyi Hla, at the launch of her book "The Ethics of Climate Change…
Afghanistan: USAID Empowers Afghan Women to Access Agriculture Credits
Nov 29, 2017
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USAID
One of the most difficult challenges for female farmers and women operating agriculture-related businesses in Afghanistan is access to credit. In addition, many women often…
Colombia: Ex-Rebels Working to Show Peace Is Possible in Colombia
Nov 29, 2017
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Latin American Herald Tribune
Oswaldo Sanchez, whose brother was killed in the country’s armed conflict, is one of 253 former members of the FARC guerrillas in central Colombia who…
Colombia: With Deforestation on the Rise, Colombia Businesses Join Fight to End Destruction
Nov 29, 2017
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Anastasia Moloney, Reuters
Colombia’s palm oil industry and big businesses have pledged to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains as the country battles to reverse the growing destruction…
Colombia: Coca and Agriculture in Post-Peace Accord Colombia (Part I)
Nov 29, 2017
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Isabel Peñaranda, North American Congress on Latin America
After the peace accord, can the Colombian government incentivize coca planters to cultivate other crops? Not if they don’t address the inequality and land grabbing…
DRC: Deforestation in DRC Threatens Climate, Wildlife
Nov 29, 2017
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Godfrey Olukya, Anadolu Agency
Deforestation in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become a pressing domestic and transnational issue with potentially high environmental costs. According to the UN Environment…
EcoPeace Middle East Wins GCSP 2017 Prize for Innovation in Global Security
Nov 28, 2017
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Geneva Center for Security Policy
The Geneva Center for Security Policy awarded EcoPeace Middle East's Program on Water Security with this year's Prize for Innovation in Global Security. The prize…
European Solar Prize 2017 Awarded to Ten Laureates in Vienna
Nov 28, 2017
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EcoPeace Middle East
The European Solar Prize Award is handed out every year to towns and municipalities, community businesses, associations or organizations, architects, journalists and individuals for their…
Colombia: Colombia Reaps ‘Peace Dividend’ with More Buying by Nespresso
Nov 28, 2017
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Isis Almeida, Bloomberg
Nespresso is extending its coffee buying in Colombia by going deep into previously conflict-hit regions after the Andean nation signed a peace accord last year that…