International
Iraq: Despite Oil Wealth, Iraq’s Basra Plagued by Broken Infrastructure, Poverty and Violence [Video]
Dec 25, 2018
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Jane Ferguson, PBS
Basra, in southern Iraq, contains much of the country’s oil wealth -- yet residents there are struggling just to survive. The city lacks basic services…
Afghanistan: 10,000 Tonnes of Fish Production Annually
Dec 24, 2018
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Afghanistan Times
Afghanistan produces an estimated 10,000 tonnes of fish every year, an official said on Monday, admitting that such low production won't meet the country's consumption…
Afghanistan: Taliban Gains $1.5B from Drugs, Mines Annually: Report
Dec 23, 2018
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Haseba Atakpal, TOLOnews
A report by the BBC shows that Taliban annually earns more than $1.5 billion from drug dealing, illegal mining, collecting electricity bills and financial support…
Afghanistan: Renewable Energy Projects Need $1.5B Investment: Ministry
Dec 23, 2018
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Rohullah Arman, TOLOnews
The Ministry of Energy and Water on Sunday said Afghanistan needs over $1.5 billion investment by the private sector to generate up to 2,000 megawatts…
Afghanistan: Water Shortages Worsen in Afghanistan as Drought Persists
Dec 23, 2018
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Al Jazeera
Afghans are facing water shortages due to the persistent drought that has ravaged the country this year. In many places, including the capital Kabul, local…
Afghanistan: How Does the Taliban Make Money?
Dec 22, 2018
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Dawood Azami, BBC
There are indications that the US is planning a significant withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan. Despite continued US military and financial support for the…
Myanmar: Myanmar Land Grab Fears Stoked by New Law
Dec 21, 2018
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Libby Hogan, Voice of America
A new land conflict is threatening to erupt in Myanmar, where land is so sought after that even a cemetery can be eyed by developers.…
Climate Change: Germany Aims to Put Climate into Focus at UN Security Council
Dec 21, 2018
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Julian Wettengel, Clean Energy Wire
Germany plans to use its diplomatic clout during its two-year term on the UN Security Council to ensure that climate change concerns are an integral…
Myanmar: Myanmar’s New Gemstone Law Is Flawed Says Global Witness
Dec 21, 2018
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International Mining
Myanmar’s parliament has passed a new law governing the gemstone sector. According to international anti-corruption NGO Global Witness, “the law may do little to reform…
Sudan: Student Killed in Sudan Bread Price Protests
Dec 21, 2018
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Agence France-Presse
A student demonstrator was killed Thursday in eastern Sudan, a local official and relatives told AFP, amid mounting protests over the rising price of bread.…
Myamar: IFC Report Recommends Alternatives to High-Risk Myitsone
Dec 21, 2018
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Thompson Chou, Myanmar Times
A government-sponsored study warned against restarting the highly controversial Myitsone dam and recommended alternatives to develop the country’s hydropower sector. The final version of the…
Sierra Leone: Underground Mining to Start in Kenema District
Dec 20, 2018
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Saffa B. Moriba, Awoko
The paramount chief of Lower Bambara chiefdom Kenema district PC Alimamy Moiwai Farma V spoke as Chair during the public consultation and disclosure of the…
Sahel: Peace in Sahel Requires Tackling Causes of Instability, Special Adviser Tells Security Council amid Calls to Advance Development, Fight Terrorism
Dec 20, 2018
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UN Security Council
The Sahel is awash with challenges — from food insecurity and terrorist-related security threats to the negative impacts of climate change — but it has…
Myanmar: Myanmar Continues Efforts to Generate International Demand for Local Gems
Dec 19, 2018
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Chan Mye Htwe, Myanmar News
The Second Yangon International Gems and Jewelry Fair is set to take place in Yangon’s Lotte Hotel from January 9 to 13, according to the…
Syria: New Satellite Images Show Convoy of Trucks Transporting Syrian Oil to Iraq and Turkey [Photos]
Dec 18, 2018
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Al Masdar News
The Russian Ministry of Defense published two images on Monday that showed Syrian oil being transported to the neighboring countries of Iraq and Turkey. As…
Myanmar: Armed Ethnic KNU Criticises Land Law Amendment
Dec 17, 2018
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Chan Thar, Myanmar Times
The armed ethnic Karen National Union (KNU) on Sunday called for the abolition of the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Management Law because it contravenes…
Afghanistan: Disarmament: With Drones, Researchers Take up the Fight against Land Mines
Dec 17, 2018
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News Article Insiders
Together with his colleague, Timothy de Smet, he decided to try the principle in a field in a State Park in Binghamton tested. The use…
Colombia: A Colombian Roadmap for Climate Change
Dec 17, 2018
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Edward Davey, City Paper Bogotá
Colombia is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change – witness the devastation caused by recent floods, as well as the setbacks…
Afghanistan: Nearly Six Thousand Afghan Farming Families Severely Affected by Drought Targeted for Emergency Assistance
Dec 17, 2018
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
With the approval of the Government of Afghanistan, the Republic of Korea and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have joined…
Afghanistan/Pakistan: Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Looming Water Conflict
Dec 15, 2018
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Waleed Majidyar, Diplomat
From the Mayan Empire to modern-day Syria and Yemen, water insecurity has been a predominant cause of social distress, conflict, and crisis. Studies show that…
Timor-Leste: E. Timor President Vetoes Using Petroleum Fund to Buy Sunrise Gas Project
Dec 14, 2018
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Nelson Da Cruz, Reuters
East Timor’s president has vetoed a government bid to increase access to its petroleum fund for investment in energy projects, potentially delaying a $650 million…
Afghanistan: Afghanistan Announces EoI for 2 GW Solar Tender
Dec 14, 2018
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Becky Beetz, pv magazine
In a bid to reduce dependence on energy imports, improve energy access for the around 70% of the Afghani population still lacking it, and to…
South Sudan: South Sudan’s Neighbours Help Launder the Loot from Its Civil War
Dec 13, 2018
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Economist
Since South Sudan’s independence in 2011 its leaders have pillaged the country. Nearly $7bn has gone missing since 2012, reckons Kenya’s Institute of Economic Affairs,…
Iraq: Amnesty: Iraq Should Use Oil Revenue to Fund Reconstruction of War-Torn Areas
Dec 13, 2018
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Kurdistan 24
The Iraqi government would be wise to use an expected budget surplus to begin the reconstruction of rural areas affected by the Islamic State (IS)…
Colombia: Fragile Wetlands Face Major Threat from Climate Change in Colombia
Dec 13, 2018
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Michelle Begue, China Global Television Network
Colombia is home to a unique ecosystem which is a treasure in the northern Andes. These wetlands provide 70 percent of the country’s water supply.…
Afghanistan: Afghanistan Faces Severe Water Shortage: Osmani
Dec 13, 2018
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Haidarshah Omid, TOLOnews
Former minister of water and energy Ali Ahmad Osmani on Thursday said Afghanistan faces a severe water shortage in the northern water zone and in…
Climate Chnage: US Blocks Climate Security Discussion at NATO Level - EU Military Staff Member
Dec 13, 2018
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Faizan Hashmi, UrduPoint
Due to the skeptical position of the US administration on climate change, a discussion on climate security has been regrettably blocked at the NATO level,…
Iraq: Iraq’s Charred Olive Groves - Another Ruinous Legacy of Islamic State
Dec 13, 2018
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Tom Westcott, Middle East Eye
Before the Islamic State (IS) group seized control of the rural town in mid-2014, its olive-loving locals had not imported the fruit for decades, relying…
Timor-Leste: President of Timor-Leste Vetoes Changes to the Oil Operations Law
Dec 12, 2018
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Macauhub
The President of Timor-Leste (East Timor) has vetoed a set of amendments to the oil operations law focused on financing the purchase of two holdings…
Conflict Minerals: Responsible Minerals Initiative Releases Blockchain Guidelines to Drive Alignment in Mineral Supply Chain Due Diligence
Dec 12, 2018
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Responsible Business Alliance
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), a coalition of leading companies dedicated to improving the security and human rights conditions in their mineral supply chains, today…