International
Guinea/Ivory Coast/Liberia/Sierra Leone: MRU Establishes Transboundary Water Resources National Advisory Committee
Sep 27, 2019
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Observer
The Mano River Union (MRU) comprising four West African countries, including Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast, has officially established a National Advisory…
Myanmar: Jade, Gems Totalling More Than €500 Million Sold during Nay Pyi Taw Event
Sep 27, 2019
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Htoo Thant, Myanmar Times
The recent Mid-Year Myanmar Gem Emporium which took place in Nay Pyi Taw from September 16 to 25, saw sales of more than €500 million…
Pentagon May Scrap 35 Million Depleted Uranium Rounds Used by the A-10 Warthog's Gun
Sep 26, 2019
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Joseph Trevithick, Drive
The US military is looking into what it would take to dismantle and dispose of more than 35,000,000 rounds of ammunition with depleted uranium cores,…
Colombia: As the Amazon Burns, Colombia’s Forests Decimated for Cattle and Coca
Sep 26, 2019
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Antonio José Paz Cardona, Mongabay
The last few weeks have been critical for the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia. Fires in August razed thousands of hectares of forest and drew…
Colombia: Honey Heals Wounds of War in Colombian Village
Sep 26, 2019
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Daily Times
Covered from head to toe in a protective suit, Yina Ortiz peers through a veil to check in on her beehive. It is one of…
South Sudan: South Sudan to Unveil Seven Oil Blocks on Offer in October
Sep 25, 2019
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Fred Ojambo, Bloomberg
South Sudan will unveil next month seven oil blocks that will be offered in the next licencing round, according to the state-owned Nile Petroleum Corp.…
Myanmar: Undeveloped Land in Industrial Zones Could Be Confiscated: Myanmar Authorities
Sep 25, 2019
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Xinhua
Myanmar authorities have warned that undeveloped land plots in industrial zones in Yangon region could be confiscated, saying that unless concrete reasons are provided, the…
China/South China Sea: Beijing Deploys New Deepwater Drilling Rig in South China Sea
Sep 25, 2019
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Laura Zhou, South China Morning Post
China has deployed a deepwater oil rig in the South China Sea , according to a state media report. The machine, which is China’s largest…
Liberia: NOCAL Holds on to EITI to Keep IMF/WB Funding
Sep 24, 2019
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Africa Intelligence
For the past few weeks, the managing director of the National Oil Company of Liberia (Nocal), Saifuah-Mai Gray has been pushing to keep IMF/WB funding.
Climate Change: Former Top Military Officials Seek Action, Saying Climate Change Poses ‘Unprecedented Security Risks’
Sep 24, 2019
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Wyatt Olson, Stars and Stripes
A group of former top military and national security officials on Tuesday called for President Donald Trump to establish a sweeping plan that treats climate…
Colombia: Oil Palm, Cattle and Coca Take a Toll on Colombia’s Indigenous Jiw
Sep 24, 2019
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Maria Fernanda Lizcano, Mongabay
In the Caño La Sal reservation in central Colombia, the Jiw indigenous community lives on a shrinking amount of land. Several armed groups have begun…
Amazon Deforestation Not a Local Issue When It Comes to Pollution
Sep 24, 2019
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Andrew Wright, Forbes
According to scientists in Latin America, the out-of-control blazes in the Amazon that seized international attention in August 2019 are releasing a hidden danger –…
Myanmar: Myanmar Draws up Standards for 26 Agricultural Products to Boost Export
Sep 23, 2019
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Xinhua
Myanmar has drawn up standards and specifications for 26 agricultural products to ensure them meet international standards and to bolster export through improving the quality…
Yemen: Yemen Upcycles Shot-up Buses to Ease Water Shortage
Sep 23, 2019
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Agence France-Presse
Once a bus wreck peppered with bullet holes, the pristine white water tanker parked in front of a Yemen university now delivers water to students…
South Sudan: South Sudan to Host Oil and Gas Conference to Woo Int'l Investors
Sep 21, 2019
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Xinhua
South Sudan will host an international energy conference in October to woo global investors amid quest to boost the growth of the country's economy, officials…
Afghanistan: Fixing Afghanistan’s Security of Tenure Crisis
Sep 20, 2019
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Ahmad Bilal Khalil and Noorullah Farajid, Diplomat
Based on preliminary findings by the Afghan government, out of half a million properties surveyed and registered in the eight provincial capitals of Afghanistan, only…
Myanmar: Myanmar Court Jails Farmers for Using Vacant Land
Sep 20, 2019
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Salai Thant Zin, Irrawaddy
Maubin Township Court in Irrawaddy Region on Wednesday sentenced eight farmers to two years in prison for farming land owned by a private company. Orchard…
South Sudan: South Sudan Oil Consortium Funded Militias Accused of Atrocities, Report Says
Sep 19, 2019
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Megan Specia, New York Times
A South Sudanese oil consortium directly financed militias accused of committing atrocities in the country’s civil war, according to an investigative report released on Thursday…
Afghanistan: Former Owner of Marble Mining Company in Afghanistan Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding US Government Agency, Leading to Default on a $15.8 Million Loan
Sep 19, 2019
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US Department of Justice
The former owner of a marble mining company in Afghanistan was sentenced to 54 months in prison today for his role in a scheme to…
South Sudan: Watchdog Report Claims Profiteers Have Looted Billions from South Sudan
Sep 19, 2019
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Carol Van Dam, Voice of America
A large array of international players, including corporate giants in the United States and China, have profited from South Sudan's long civil war, according to…
DRC: USAID Fund Ensures DRC Mines Operate Transparently
Sep 19, 2019
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Mining Review
The US government, through its Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded sustainable mine site validation project (SMSV) project, implemented by non-profit international development organization Pact, will help…
Yemen: Fishing for a Future
Sep 18, 2019
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Paul Ireland, Norwegian Refugee Council
Coastal communities have suffered greatly in Yemen’s ongoing bloody conflict. Fishing boats, ports and processing sites have been destroyed or damaged, and many fishermen have…
Colombia: Deforestation Increase Dovetails with Armed Conflict in Colombia, Study Finds
Sep 18, 2019
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Antonio José Paz Cardona, Mongabay
Colombia is home to so many species that it is considered “megadiverse,” and it has also experienced relatively high levels of armed conflict. A new…
Syria: Modest Recovery in Syrian Agriculture Masks Ongoing and Intractable Problems
Sep 18, 2019
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Phoebe Sleet, Future Directions International
A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization predicted that Syrian wheat production would double this year. The report estimates that wheat production will…
South Sudan: South Sudan Signs Mineral Exploration Agreement with US, Canada Firms
Sep 18, 2019
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AlBawaba
South Sudan has signed a mineral exploration agreement with two mining and metal refining companies in Canada and the USA. The pact allows the mining…
Colombia: Linking Climate Change and Peacebuilding in Colombia through Land Access
Sep 18, 2019
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Sebastian Lema and Johanna Kleffmann, Climate Diplomacy
Colombia’s long-standing internal conflict and the country’s contribution to climate change share one common root cause: land concentration. Policies to strengthen access to land and…
Conflict Minerals: London Metal Exchange to Delay Ban on Tainted Metal until 2025 - Sources
Sep 18, 2019
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Pratima Desai, Zandi Shabalala, and Tom Daly, Reuters
The London Metal Exchange (LME) will postpone plans to ban metal tainted by human rights abuses until 2025, giving producers three more years to comply…
Climate Change: Why Climate Change Is a National Security Issue [Video]
Sep 16, 2019
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Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle, MSNBC
President Trump doesn’t acknowledge that climate change is real, but the Pentagon does. Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle are joined by the director of the…
Liberia: Stakeholders Want Forest Reforms Law Amended for Effective Management, Benefit Sharing
Sep 16, 2019
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Gerald C. Koinyeneh, FrontPage Africa
Stakeholders including lawmakers and environmental experts have made a commitment to initiate activities aimed at promoting effective management of Liberia’s forest to enhance its economic,…
Liberia: Beekeeping Has a Big Impact in Liberia Thanks to North Shore Foundation
Sep 15, 2019
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Gordon McIntyre, Vancouver Sun
People ask them when they’re coming home. In fact, Kent Bubbs Jr. and Landis Wyatt arrived home on Friday when they landed at Monrovia, the…