International


Land: Misinterpreting Islamic Law Robs Muslim Women of Land: Experts

Mar 1, 2018 | Reuters

The misinterpretation of Islamic law and a lack of knowledge about inheritance rights are major hurdles in improving women’s access to land in Muslim countries,…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Kurdish-Iraqi Deal Could Restore Oil Production

Feb 28, 2018 | Nick Cunningham, OilPrice

Iraq’s oil production could begin to rise after a tentative deal was agreed to by the Kurdish Regional Government and the central government in Baghdad.…


China/Philippines: Philippines Says Any South China Sea Energy Deal Must Be with Chinese Company, Not Govt

Feb 28, 2018 | Reuters

Any potential deals between Manila and Beijing on energy exploration in the South China Sea should be agreed with a company and not the Chinese…


Colombia: 60% of Colombia’s Farmers Do Not Formally Own Their Land

Feb 28, 2018 | Jarrod Demir, Colombia Reports

Six out of 10 peasant families in Colombia do not formally own their land, according to director of the National Land Agency, Miguel Samper. It…


Ghana: Farmers Lead The Way to Reduce Human-Elephant Conflict in Kakum

Feb 28, 2018 | Henrietta Asiedu, Modern Ghana

A training on biodiversity conservation and elephant crop raid prevention techniques is the most recent intervention in terms of building capacity of communities for elephant…


Iran: Iran Warns of Regional Tension over Water Resources

Feb 28, 2018 | Asharq Al-Awsat

Iranian spiritual leader’s advisor for military affairs, Yahya Rahim Safavi, warned of regional tensions between Iran and its neighbors over water in the coming years,…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq Agrees Tentative Deal with Kurds to Resume Crude Oil Exports to Turkey

Feb 28, 2018 | Platts

Iraq has agreed a deal with the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government to resume crude oil exports through its pipeline to Turkey, halted since last July,…


Nigeria: On the Front Line of Climate Change and Conflict

Feb 28, 2018 | Paul Parks, Business Day

The Nigeria Watch Project at the University of Ibadan reported that in 2017 more than 8600 people were killed in Nigeria from civil strife, criminal…


South Sudan: South Sudan Accuses Oil Group of Pollution, Threatens Shutdown

Feb 28, 2018 | Denis Dumo, Reuters

South Sudanese lawmakers have accused the consortium running the country’s last working oilfields of dumping expired chemicals in the bush, and have threatened to shut…


Afghanistan/Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan, Afghanistan Mull Shore Protection Work along Amu Darya River

Feb 28, 2018 | Trend

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan held a meeting of specialists of water authorities of the two countries in Termez from Feb. 26 to Feb. 27, 2018, the…


Conflict Minerals: Price of Cobalt Tripled in Two Years

Feb 27, 2018 | Viliyana Filipova, Finance Apprise

The price of cobalt tripled in two years to 81,500 USD per tonne. The metal, which is used in high-tech battery products like iPhone smartphones…


Afghanistan: Gemstone Illegally Excavated from 370 Nuristan Sites

Feb 27, 2018 | Yousuf Zarifi, Pajhwok Afghan News

Illegal excavation of gemstones from nearly 400 mines has been underway in eastern Nuristan province, with half of the revenue going to militants, officials and…


Myanmar: Residents Rail against ‘Biased’ Gemstone Bill

Feb 27, 2018 | Kyaw Ko Ko, Myanmar Times

Local residents of Myitkyina township in Kachin State have vowed to launch a protest against the gemstone bill that was submitted to the Pyithu Hluttaw last…


Afghanistan: Afghanistan's Minefields: Living amongst Landmines [Video]

Feb 27, 2018 | Jennifer Glasse, Al Jazeera

Afghans have lived through decades of war and instability. One of the biggest threats they face now are landmines, left from either the Soviet invasion…


Liberia: Several Land Cases on Hold

Feb 26, 2018 | Alvin Worzi, Daily Observer

With the prevalence of land cases across Liberia, the Daily Observer has reliably learnt that several land cases are lingering at the Circuit Court in…


Australia/Timor-Leste: Australia, East Timor Agreement over $50 Billion Oil and Gas Field

Feb 26, 2018 | Lindsay Murdoch, Sydney Morning Herald

Australia and East Timor will sign a landmark agreement aimed at opening the way to share revenue from the $50 billion Greater Sunrise oil and…


Iran/Iraq/Kurdistan: Plan to Truck Oil from Iraq's Kirkuk to Iran Delayed by Security Concerns

Feb 26, 2018 | Reuters

A plan to truck oil from Iraq’s northern Kirkuk fields to Iran cannot be fully implemented at this stage due to security concerns, the head…


South Sudan: Nearly Two-Thirds of the Population in South Sudan at Risk of Rising Hunger

Feb 26, 2018 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN

More than 7 million people in South Sudan - almost two-thirds of the population - could become severely food insecure in the coming months without…


Colombia: No Guns, No Drugs, No Atrocities, No Rape, No Murder. Just Bananas…

Feb 25, 2018 | Tm Adams, Guardian

In the previous days travelling among the banana workers of the provinces of Magdalena and Urabá Antioquia, on roads that until a year or two…


Iraq/Kurdistan: IS Militants Kill 2 Policemen in Attack on Oil Well in Iraq's Kirkuk

Feb 25, 2018 | Xinhua

Two policemen were killed Saturday and three wounded in an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants on an oil well in Iraq's oil-rich province of…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq Denies Pull-out from Oil-Rich Kirkuk

Feb 25, 2018 | Middle East Monitor

Iraq’s Defence Ministry on Saturday denied media reports about the withdrawal of federal police forces from the oil-rich Kirkuk province. Local media said federal police…


No Guns, No Drugs, No Atrocities, No Rape, No Murder. Just Bananas…

Feb 25, 2018 | Tim Adams

Don José Manuel Suarez has seen some things. Father of seven and grandfather of 15, his 80 years have been spent farming a patch of…


Myanmar: From Trash to Treasure: Myanmar Start-up Spins Rubbish into Handicrafts in Fight Against waste

Feb 24, 2018 | Pichayada Promchertchoo, Channel NewsAsia

Yangon produces 2,800 tonnes of rubbish every day. Much of it ends up on the streets and in waterways – such as the river separating…


Afghanistan: 500 Land Ownership Certificates Handed out in Herat

Feb 24, 2018 | Samim Faramarz, TOLOnews

President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday handed out land ownership certificates to a number of Herat residents as part of a ceremony to confirm legal ownership…


Afghanistan: Afghanistan Breaks Ground on 1,127-Mile ‘Peace Pipeline’

Feb 23, 2018 | Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times

One of the boldest efforts to date to stabilize Afghanistan through economic development began on Friday with a ceremonial start to construction on a $22.5…


Afghanistan: Private Wells Siphon off Afghanistan's Water

Feb 23, 2018 | Bismillah Pashtoonmal, Institute for War & Peace Reporting

A proliferation of privately-dug wells are draining water resources in Zabul province and threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of local farmers. Low rainfall has led…


Afghanistan: UNDP Launches Tender for Hydro-Solar Hybrid Mini Grid in Afghanistan

Feb 23, 2018 | Emiliano Bellini, PV Magazine

The United Nations Development Programme Afghanistan Country Office, has issued a tender for the construction of a 340 kW hydro-solar hybrid mini grid in Dara-e-Noor…


Myanmar: Myanmar to Hold Pearl Auction in HK to Penetrate Global Market

Feb 23, 2018 | Eleven

Myanmar will hold its sixth International Pearl Auction in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) starting Friday, according to the official Global New Light…


Myanmar: Conservationists Sound Alarm over Pollution, Abuse of Wetlands

Feb 23, 2018 | Phyo Wai Kyaw, Myanmar Times

Conservationists have expressed grave concern over the deterioration of the country’s wetlands mainly due to pollution, converting them to farmland and climate change. Daw Thiri…


Sudan: Sudan to Tighten Punishment for Gold Smugglers

Feb 22, 2018 | Sudan Tribune

The Sudanese Presidency on Wednesday has formed a committee to introduce strict measures against gold and money smuggling. Sudan, which has 6,780 kilometres of borders…