International
Colombia: Colombia Coca Cultivation Rises by 50% Says UN
Jul 15, 2017
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BBC
The United Nations says there was a 50% increase last year in the area of land being used to cultivate coca leaf in Colombia. The…
Syria: Syrian Army Takes More Oil Fields from Islamic State in Raqqa and Eastern Desert
Jul 15, 2017
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Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Reuters
The Syrian army backed by heavy Russian air strikes seized a string of oil wells in southwest Raqqa province on Saturday, as retreating Islamic State…
Myanmar: Lawmaker Criticizes Military Action in Illegal Mining Areas
Jul 14, 2017
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Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint, Irrawaddy
Lower House lawmaker representing Kachin’s Tanai Township U Lin Lin Oo criticized a military crackdown on illegal gold and amber mines in the township during…
Iraq/Kurdistan: US Concerned about 'Date' of the Kurdish Referendum
Jul 14, 2017
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Rudaw
The United States thinks that the Kurdish referendum should not take place in September as the process seems to be happening in a "fast timeline",…
Myanmar: Govt Makes K5.3 Billion from Sale of Seized Timber in 2016-17
Jul 14, 2017
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Htoo Thant, Myanmar Times
The Government earned more than K5.3 billion from selling seized timber at auction in fiscal year 2016-17, U Ohn Win, minister of Natural Resources and…
Colombia: Colombia Expands Indigenous Reserves Near Key Deforestation Hotspot
Jul 14, 2017
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Mike Gaworecki, Mongabay
The Colombian government announced yesterday the expansion of two indigenous reserves in the buffer zone of Serrania de Chiribiquete, the South American country’s largest national…
Syria: Animal Health Campaign Helps Support Food Security and Livelihoods for More Than 230,000 People
Jul 14, 2017
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
In strife-torn Syria, the food security and livelihoods situation of some 234,000 people has received a strong boost thanks to a recently completed animal health…
Myanmar: Myanmar Government Begins Responding to Land Grab Protests
Jul 14, 2017
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Coconuts Yangon
The ongoing drama over land seizures in Mandalay Region ended for some farmers on Tuesday when the Myanmar government returned over 300 acres of land…
Colombia: Starbucks Partners with NGOs to Invest Nearly $5 Million USD in Colombian Coffee Industry
Jul 13, 2017
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Jared Wade, Finance Colombia
Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks announced this week that is has expanded its program to help to support coffee farmers in Colombia with loans, technical training,…
Myanmar: Committee Suggests Detailed Land Scheme
Jul 13, 2017
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Soe Min Htike, Eleven
The committee for development of agriculture, livestock and fisheries has suggested the Upper House create a detailed scheme for land management. The committee offered the…
Myanmar: Eight Elephants Poached in Six Months in Irrawaddy Division
Jul 13, 2017
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Salai Thant Zin, Irrawaddy
Eight wild elephants were killed by poachers in six months from January to the end of June in Irrawaddy Division, according to the divisional police…
Israel/Palestine: Israelis and Palestinians Agree to Water Deal to Help Communities Suffering Chronic Shortages
Jul 13, 2017
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Joshua Mitnick, Los Angeles Times
Israeli and Palestinian officials said Thursday they had agreed to a water-sharing plan to help Palestinian communities suffering chronic shortages, a goal included in a…
Namibia: Land Grabbing Threatens Stability of Otjozondjupa - Governor
Jul 13, 2017
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Albertina Nakale, New Era
Land grabbing in Otjozondjupa is threatening the stability of the region, the regional governor Otto Ipinge said. Ipinge said Otjiwarongo, being Otjozondjupa's regional capital, hosts…
Israel/Palestine: Israel, Palestinians Reach Landmark Water Deal for West Bank, Gaza
Jul 13, 2017
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Raphael Ahren and Melanie Lidman, Times of Israel
Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Thursday announced an agreement that will provide millions of cubic meters of drinking water to the Palestinians from a…
South Sudan: South Sudan to Hold its First-Ever Oil and Gas Conference
Jul 12, 2017
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United Press International
South Sudan in October will highlight its potential for energy investments in its first-ever conference for potential investors, the organizer said. African Oil & Power…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Erbil, Baghdad Ready to ‘Reorganize’ Cooperation on Oil, Electricity
Jul 12, 2017
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Rudaw
Erbil and Baghdad are ready to “open a new chapter” in their relations, and have discussed the possibility of forming a joint committee to “reorganize”…
Myanmar: Yangon Floods, Rain Insurance a New Probably Market
Jul 12, 2017
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Eleven
Once again, Myanmar’s crowning jewel of progress Yangon was awash with writing waters of assorted ingredients on July 11 as continuous heavy rain battered the…
Colombia: Colombia’s Agriculture Posts Second Highest Growth in 15 Years
Jul 12, 2017
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Nederland Wereldwijd
A couple of weeks ago, the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) published a report on Colombia’s economic growth in the first quarter of 2017.…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Kurdistan, Iraq Form Committee to Boost Energy Coordination
Jul 12, 2017
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Baxtiyar Goran, Kurdistan 24
The Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi government delegation met in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, to discuss boosting coordination in electricity and…
Afghanistan/Iran: War of Words Heats up Between Iran and Afghanistan over Water Resources
Jul 12, 2017
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Dominic Dudley, Forbes
A long-running diplomatic squabble between Iran and Afghanistan over shared water resources appears to be intensifying, with the two countries’ presidents trading barbs in speeches…
Liberia: EPA Fines Maryland Oil Palm US$10K
Jul 11, 2017
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Observer
Authorities of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have fined Maryland Oil Palm Plantation (MOPP) in Sodoken, Maryland County US$10,000 for violating the environmental laws of…
Myanmar: Coal Plan Sparks Ire as Myanmar Struggles to Keep Lights on
Jul 11, 2017
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Shoon Naing and Yimou Lee, Reuters
Opposition to a planned $3 billion coal-fired power plant in eastern Myanmar is highlighting the challenges facing Aung San Suu Kyi's government in crafting a…
Colombia: Deforestation Soars in Colombia after Farc Rebels' Demobilization
Jul 11, 2017
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Sibylla Brodzinsky, Guardian
Colombia has seen an alarming surge in deforestation after the leftwing rebels relinquished control over vast areas of the country as a part of a…
Sudan: Sudan Plans to Prevent Crude Minerals Export
Jul 10, 2017
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Xinhua
Sudan announced on Sunday plans to prevent exportation of crude minerals, said Sudan's minerals ministry. The Minerals Minister Hashim Ali Salim made the remarks when…
Myanmar: Groups Demand Compensation for Impact of Myanmar-China Pipeline
Jul 10, 2017
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Si Thu Lwin, Myanmar Times
Fourteen findings of environmental impact along the Myanmar-China oil and gas pipeline and seven demands by Pyin Oo Lwin farmers in Mandalay have been released…
South Sudan: China, Diplomacy and Oil Part of the Mix in South Sudan
Jul 10, 2017
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Daniel J. Graeber, United Press International
Invested in the country's energy sector, China's emerging role as a peacemaker is being put to the test in South Sudan, the International Crisis Group…
Afghanistan: Afghanistan Says to Construct 20 More Dams
Jul 10, 2017
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Press TV
Afghanistan says it plans to construct 20 more dams in face of warnings that the move could undermine life in some of its neighboring countries,…
South Sudan: Gold Rush in South Sudan as Oil Prices Drop
Jul 9, 2017
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Andrew Woods, African Business Review
Gold mining is booming in war-torn South Sudan as the oil industry stagnates amid economic chaos in Africa’s newest nation. The conflict between government and…
Myanmar: Leftover Land Disputes Vex Government as Discontent Grows
Jul 7, 2017
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Htun Khaing, Frontier
Land confiscation is an issue that has blighted the country for several decades. There was much optimism when the NLD formed committees to address the…
Liberia: Sime Darby, PAC Conflict Nears End-Committee Submit Report
Jul 7, 2017
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FrontPageAfrica
Sources have hinted FrontPageAfrica that the long standing conflict between the people of the Projected Affected Communities (PAC) and Malaysian Oil Palm Company Sime Darby…