International


South Sudan: Oil and Power Investment Drive Is a Path Towards Lasting Peace, Stability and Prosperity

Nov 22, 2018 | Africa Energy Chamber

The African Energy Chamber is encouraged by the progress made in South Sudan's oil sector after the peace agreement. The success of the South Sudan…


Paris Peace Forum Recognizes Climate Change, Food Insecurity, Water Scarcity as Challenges for Peace and Security

Nov 22, 2018 | Leila Mead, International Institute for Sustainable Development

A declaration signed by heads of UN agencies and French President Emmanuel Macron at the conclusion of the first edition of the Paris Peace Forum…


Afghanistan: MAIL Plans Ahead as Jujube Harvest Hits 3,600 Tons This Year

Nov 22, 2018 | Daily Outlook Afghanistan

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) said steps are being taken to establish facilities to dry jujubes in order to increase the export…


Afghanistan: Saffron Processing Factory in Herat to Hire 700 Women

Nov 21, 2018 | Wadsam

An Afghan businessman has invested USD 2 million to open a saffron processing factory in western Herat province. The factory will offer job to 700…


Climate Change: Dangers without Borders: Military Readiness in a Warming World

Nov 21, 2018 | Neela Banerjee, Inside Climate News

In a little over a decade, climate change could make the installation and other military sites on Kwajalein uninhabitable. A 2018 study commissioned by the…


South Sudan: Minister Orders Termination of Contracts with US Based Oil Service Company

Nov 21, 2018 | Vanguard

At the South Sudan Oil and Power Conference in Juba, the Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons announced the decision to mandate all petroleum operators including…


Myanmar: Man Scavenging for Jade Shot Dead by Security Guard at Myanmar Mine, Triggering Uproar and Arson

Nov 20, 2018 | South China Morning Post

A jade scavenger in northern Myanmar has been shot dead by mine security – the latest death in a multibillion-dollar industry notorious for its dire…


Iraq: WHO and Ministry of Health and Environment Investigate the Mass Death of Fish in Southern governorates of Iraq

Nov 20, 2018 | World Health Organization

Laboratory tests conducted on water samples at the reference laboratory in Amman, Jordan, to investigate the cause of the mass death of freshwater fish in…


Afghanistan: Over 2m Jeribs of State-Owned Land Surveyed So Far

Nov 19, 2018 | Pajhwok Afghan News

The Afghanistan Land Authority, also known as ARAZI, says 429732 hectares of state-owned land and public properties under state institutions use has been surveyed in…


Myanmar: Why a Land Law Change Is Sparking Fears of Mass Evictions

Nov 19, 2018 | Ben Dunant, Frontier Myanmar

Government paperwork would have you believe that a third of Myanmar’s landmass, totalling almost 50 million acres, is “vacant”, “virgin” or “fallow”. This is ostensibly…


Afghanistan: SDG1 Case Study: How Burberry Is Helping Afghan Goat Farmers Cash in on Cashmere

Nov 19, 2018 | Madeleine Cuff, BusinessGreen

Despite its luxury cachet, many of Afghanistan's cashmere farmers still live in extreme poverty - Fashion giant Burberry has teamed up Oxfam and PUR Projet…


Water Diplomacy: Council Adopts Conclusions

Nov 19, 2018 | European Council

On 19 November 2019, the Council adopted conclusions on water diplomacy. The Council recalls that water is a prerequisite for human survival and dignity and…


Myanmar: Myanmar's Special Raw Gems, Jade Sales Yield 32.72 mln USD

Nov 18, 2018 | Xinhua

Myanmar's special sale of raw gems and utility jade in local currency Kyat ended in Nay Pyi Taw late Saturday, with a total proceeds of…


Climate Change: Climate Change and Security to Be Discussed at APEC Summit

Nov 17, 2018 | Radio New Zealand

New Zealand's Prime Minister has arrived in Papua New Guinea for the APEC leaders' summit, where climate change, regional development and trade, are expected to…


Myanmar: 41 Civil Society Ogranisations Call on the Myanmar Government to Suspend Controversial Land Law Which Risks Evicting Millions of Farmers from Their Land

Nov 16, 2018 | ReliefWeb

Letter of concern regarding implementation of the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Management Law (2012) as Amended by The Law Amending the Vacant, Fallow and…


South Sudan: South Sudan Pegs Economic Recovery on Resuming Oil Exports

Nov 16, 2018 | Julius Barigaba, East African

South Sudan will host its second Oil and Power Conference next week as it looks to rebuild its stunted economy following a five-year civil war…


Philippines/Vietnam/South China Sea: Vietnam-Philippines South China Sea Activity in Focus with Naval Exchange

Nov 16, 2018 | Prashanth Parameswaran, Diplomat

On November 10, Vietnam and the Philippines conducted the fourth iteration of their naval personnel interactions on Northeast Cay in the Spratly Islands in the…


South China Sea: Pence Urges Speed on South China Sea Code of Conduct

Nov 16, 2018 | Ralph Jennings and Nike Ching, Voice of America

US Vice President Mike Pence is urging the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) to move forward with a code of conduct for the South China…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Baghdad and Kurds Strike Deal to Resume Kirkuk Oil Exports

Nov 16, 2018 | Al Jazeera

Iraq says it has reached an initial agreement with Kurdish authorities to restart exports from the oilfields of Kirkuk, one year after flows were halted due…


Conflict Minerals: WDC Issues Definition of Conflict Diamonds

Nov 14, 2018 | Rapaport News

The World Diamond Council (WDC) has released its proposed new Kimberley Process (KP) definition of conflict diamonds, which addresses a broader range of human-rights abuses.…


Myanmar: Myanmar Holds Special Raw Gems, Jade Sales in Nay Pyi Taw

Nov 13, 2018 | Xinhua

A special sale of raw gems and utility jade in local currency Kyat is underway in Myanmar's capital of Nay Pyi Taw. A total of…


Afghanistan: 4th Saffron Flower Festival Held in Herat Province, Western Afghanistan [Photos]

Nov 13, 2018 | Xinhua

Afghan farmers display their products during the Fourth Saffron Flower festival in Herat province, western Afghanistan.


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…


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…


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…