International
Iraq/Kurdistan: ‘Kexit’ Woes: Why a Kurdish Independence Referendum Has Few Backers
Sep 5, 2017
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Leela Jacinto, France 24
Kurdish regional authorities have called for an independence referendum for Iraqi Kurdistan on September 25. But regional and international powers are united in their opposition…
China/South China Sea: As World Watches Kim, China Quietly Builds South China Sea Clout
Sep 5, 2017
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Jason Koutsoukis and Dan Murtaugh, Bloomberg
As Kim Jong Un’s antics in North Korea capture global attention, China is quietly moving to bolster its grip on disputed territory in the South…
Myanmar: Kachin State Jade-Mining Area to Get Environment Plan
Sep 5, 2017
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Chan Mya Htwe, Myanmar Times
An environmental management plan (EMP) to regulate and ensure sustainable mining in Lone Khin area of Hpakant township in Kachin State has been completed, a consultant…
Bangladesh/Myanmar: Bangladesh Protests over Myanmar's Suspected Landmine Use Near Border
Sep 5, 2017
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Krishna N. Das, Reuters
Bangladesh lodged a protest after it said Myanmar had laid landmines near the border between the two countries, government officials said on Wednesday, amid growing…
West Africa: Climate Change, Hunger, and Terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin
Sep 5, 2017
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Nick Agnew, Geopolitical Monitor
The Lake Chad Basin is centered around the rapidly shrinking Lake Chad, and the area is home to some 30 million people across four countries.…
Afghanistan: Abundant Afghan Harvest Wilts amid Violence and Extortion
Sep 4, 2017
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Mujib Mashal, New York Times
In recent years, the violence in Afghanistan has dipped and peaked with the spring and fall harvests - the propsperity of one and the description…
Timor-Leste: A $50 Billion ‘Breakthrough’ for Timor-Leste?
Sep 4, 2017
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Anthony Fensom, Diplomat
Timor-Leste and Australia have praised an “historic” agreement over their longstanding boundary dispute in the Timor Sea. For the oil-dependent Southeast Asian nation, the deal…
Myanmar: Annan Commission Repeats Call for Kyaukphyu SEZ Assessment
Sep 4, 2017
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Thompson Chau, Myanmar Times
AN advisory commission tasked with finding solutions to the ethnic conflict in Rakhine State has recommended that the government conducts a strategic environmental assessment and…
Afghanistan: In Kabul, Access to Safe Drinking Water Is a Matter of Money
Sep 4, 2017
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Pamela Constable, Washington Post
In much of greater Kabul, where the population has tripled to 5 million in the past decade, the quest for safe drinking water is more…
Myanmar: Tatkon Farmers Protest over Land Grabs
Sep 4, 2017
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Kyaw Myo, Eleven
Farmers from Tatkon Township staged a protest on September 3 over land that was taken from them by the military to set up defence industrial…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq's Kurdistan Poised for Bumper Gas Growth
Sep 4, 2017
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Dmitry Zhdannikov, Reuters
Iraq’s Kurdistan is poised for a major increase in gas output following the settlement of a court case with developers who are now looking to…
Australia/Timor-Leste: Maritime Deal between Australia, Timor-Leste Cautiously Welcomed by Analysts
Sep 3, 2017
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SBS World News
The deal ends a long running row between the two nations that's stalled a multibillion-dollar offshore gas project in the Timor Sea. The details will remain…
Australia/Timor-Leste: Australia and Timor-Leste Strike Deal on Maritime Boundary Dispute
Sep 2, 2017
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Paul Karp, Guardian
Australia and Timor-Leste have reached a historic agreement, concluding a long-running and bitter maritime boundary dispute over the Timor Sea through conciliation. The deal clarifies…
Afghanistan: Parwan Vegetable Growers Say Bear Losses This Year
Sep 2, 2017
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Farid Tanha, Pajhwok Afghan News
Vegetable prices went down by 43 percent in central Parwan province compared to last year after Pakistan barred the import of vegetables, causing heavy financial…
DRC: Democratic Republic of Congo Army General Profits from Illegally Mining Conflict Gold
Sep 1, 2017
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Kate Hairsine, Deutsche Welle
As gold continues to fuel the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN report says Major General Gabriel Amisi Kumba with a history…
El Salvador: Water Wars in El Salvador: Tacuba Resists
Sep 1, 2017
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Hilary Goodfriend, North American Congress on Latin America
The struggle in Tacuba occurs in the legal vacuum generated by decades of deregulation in El Salvador, where organizers are campaigning for a nation-wide Water…
Cambodia: Land Grab Families Given Deadline
Sep 1, 2017
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Zahron Sokry, Khmer Times
Nearly 300 families accused of grabbing state land to build huts near a canal in Kandal province have been given three days to dismantle the…
Climate Change: Climate Change Leaves Women Farmers in Central Asia Fighting for Water
Sep 1, 2017
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Katie Arnold, NewsDeeply
In the Fergana Valley, mass migration of men has left women in charge of many of the farms. But patriarchal attitudes and a Soviet irrigation…
Colombia: Price of Peace: Deforestation in Colombia
Aug 31, 2017
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Chris Fitch, Geographical
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has rarely ever been credited with positive environmental outcomes, intentional or otherwise. But the previously long-standing presence of…
North Korea: Hungry North Korean Soldiers 'Ordered to Steal Corn because War is Imminent'
Aug 31, 2017
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Nicola Smith, Telegraph
As North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un boasts of his military prowess and flaunts his high tech weapons to the world, his malnourished soldiers are said…
Myanmar: In a Fragile Partnership, Dolphins Help Catch Fish in Myanmar
Aug 31, 2017
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Doug Clark, New York Times
Mr. Thin Myu is one of a few dozen fishermen left in Myanmar who know how to cooperate with Irrawaddy dolphins to fill their nets.…
China/India: India and China in a Water War
Aug 31, 2017
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Neeta Lal, Asia Sentinel
With more than 32 million people hit by floods in four Indian states so far this year, New Delhi is growing increasingly frustrated over China’s…
Liberia: Farmer: FAO and Partners Brainstorm on Responsible Governance of Land
Aug 31, 2017
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Judoemue Kollie, Daily Observer
The eradication of hunger and poverty and the sustainable use of the environment depend in large measure on how people, communities and others gain access…
Israel/Gaza: Israeli Mayors to US: Help Resolve Gaza Electricity, Water Crisis
Aug 31, 2017
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Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post
Southern Gaza border mayors have asked the United States to form an international coalition to help resolve Gaza’s water and electricity crisis, which has created…
Iran: Al Qaeda Affiliate Mining Uranium to Send to Iran, Somali Official Warns US Ambassador
Aug 31, 2017
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Catherine Herridge and Jake Gibson, Fox News
An Al Qaeda affiliate has seized control of uranium mines in Africa with the intent of supplying the material to Iran, according to a diplomatic…
Myanmar: Myanmar to Promote Bamboo Production Industry in Cooperation with China
Aug 31, 2017
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Xinhua
Myanmar has planned to promote bamboo production industry in the country in cooperation with China, U Ohn Win, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation…
Water: Over 180 Million People Lack Water in Conflict Zones Worldwide
Aug 30, 2017
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Prensa Latina
The United Nations Children''s Fund (UNICEF) warned today that more than 180 million people lack access to water in conflict zones throughout the world. According…
Afghanistan: What Opium Poppy and Tax Reveal about the Afghan State
Aug 30, 2017
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Middle East North Africa Financial Network
The AfghanistanResearch and Evaluation Unit (AREU), in a European Union(EU)-funded study, has released a paper highlighting the challenges of assessing control and influence that both…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq’s Oil Rich Kirkuk Province to Take Part in Kurdish Independence Vote
Aug 30, 2017
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Energy Voice
Iraq’s Kurds plan to hold the referendum on Sept. 25 in three governorates that make up their region as well as disputed areas that are…
Ghana: Ghana to Import Timber from Liberia as Local Forests Deplete
Aug 30, 2017
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Joseph Opoku Gakpo, Joy News
Ghana will from next month begin importing timber from Liberia to help deal with what woodworkers say is the shortage of logs in the country.…