International
Sri Lanka: Illegal Fishing, Land Grabbing by Outsiders Add to Tamil Fishermen's Woes
Jun 24, 2016
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P.K.Balachandran, The New Indian Express
Seven years after the end of the war the fishermen of Kokkilai in the Tamil-majority Mullaitivu district of North-East Sri Lanka are yet to enjoy…
Liberia: Pres. Sirleaf Threatened with Impeachment Again
Jun 24, 2016
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Leroy M. Sonpon III, Liberian Observer
A member of the House of Representatives, J. Gabriel Nyenkan, has threatened to impeach President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, "for criminal facilitation and her role in…
Myanmar: French Technical Assistance to Help Myanmar Provide Electricity from River Currents
Jun 24, 2016
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MIzzima
France is to provide technical assistance with sourcing an electricity supply from river currents for distribution to rural regions of Myanmar, state media reported on…
Myanmar: NLD Hand Back 232 Acres Confiscated Farmlands – Rightful Owners Not Happy
Jun 23, 2016
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Nan Wai Phyo Zar, Karen News
Villagers in Karen State are less than ecstatic that more than 232 acres of farmland, confiscated by the Burma Army and other government officials will…
Liberia: EPA Consults on Oil and Gas Exploration in Margibi
Jun 23, 2016
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New Dawn
The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA has conducted Stakeholders’ Consultation in Marshall City, Margibi County on Block LB-13 for offshore Oil and Gas exploration between…
Water Wars: 1 Dead, 24 Injured in Guna and Ashok Nagar
Jun 23, 2016
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Desh Deepl, Times of India
A water-related row — ownership of a tube-well took an ugly turn when a man clubbed to death his elder brother in Guna district. The…
Israel/Palestine: Israel Blames Palestinians for Water Shortages in West Bank
Jun 23, 2016
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RT
Israeli authorities blame Palestinians’ unwillingness to upgrade aging infrastructure as the primary reason for increased water shortages in the West Bank. Palestinians accuse their neighbors…
The Top-Secret Cold War Plan to Keep Soviet Hands off Middle Eastern Oil
Jun 23, 2016
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Steve Everly, Politico
On a cool summer day in London in 1951, an American CIA officer told three British oil executives about a top-secret U.S. government plan. The…
Afghanistan: Afghan Women Take on Farming
Jun 23, 2016
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Arzo Mohammadai, Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Agriculture, a central pillar of Afghanistan’s economy, has traditionally been dominated by men. Women are sometimes recruited to work the fields or tend livestock, but…
Myanmar: The Opium Bulbs of Myanmar: Drug Crop or Lifeline for Poor Farmers?
Jun 22, 2016
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Paul Vrieze, Guardian
The trade in opium and its derivative heroin is controlled by many rebel groups and pro-government militias who use it to fund a long-running civil…
Myanmar: Myitsone Developer Releases Excerpts of Contract Agreement
Jun 22, 2016
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Ye Mon, Myanmar Times
Amid continued lobbying from China to restart the controversial Myitsone dam, the development company behind the project released excerpts of the contract agreement over the…
China/South China Sea: The Fishing Community at the Centre of China’s Maritime Conflict
Jun 22, 2016
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Suruchi Mazumdar, The Wire
In the controversial waters of the South China Sea, China’s modest fishermen double as Beijing’s foot soldiers, advancing the country’s sovereignty claims and economic rights.…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Kurds and Iran Eye an Oil Deal
Jun 22, 2016
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Mohammed A. Salih and Mustafa Naser, Al Jazeera
Iran and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have hammered out the technical details of a plan to build a pipeline that could transfer as much as…
Timor-Leste: Timor-Leste’s Non-Oil Economy Must Look to Tourism
Jun 22, 2016
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Susan Marx, Asia Foundation
Despite Timor-Leste’s obvious allure and ongoing economic improvements, it remains a heavily oil-dependent country – the second highest in the world behind South Sudan –…
DRC: Rebels, Army Seen Profiting from Congo Gold Despite Controls
Jun 21, 2016
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Bloomberg, Thomas Wilson
International regulations aimed at curbing the trade in so-called conflict minerals have failed to stop rebel groups and elements of the army in eastern Democratic…
Myanmar: Suu Kyi Faces Dilemma over Controversial Dam Project
Jun 20, 2016
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Sebastian Strangio, Nikkei Asian Review
Since its suspension five years ago, the $3.6 billion Myitsone hydropower project has come to symbolize the bad old days in Myanmar.
Myanmar: Burmese Jade Mining Film Scoops Awards at Rangoon Festival
Jun 20, 2016
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San Yamin Aung, The Irrawaddy
A documentary about the deadly jade mining industry in Hpakant, Kachin State—where landslides have killed scores of small-scale miners over the last year—won two out…
Myanmar: Jade Miners’ Hopes of Fortune Often Become Tragedy of Addiction
Jun 20, 2016
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Htet Khaung Linn, Myanmar Now
An estimated 300,000 migrant workers have come from across Myanmar to scavenge through mining waste in the hope of finding jade stone. Daily income levels…
China/Indonesia/South China Sea: Indonesian Navy Fires on Chinese Boat Near Natuna Islands
Jun 20, 2016
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TRT World
Indonesia said on Monday it will continue to protect the sovereignty of its fishing grounds following reports of a fresh confrontation with Chinese vessels in the disputed South China…
Conflict Minerals: Fairphone Achieves Traceable Supply for All Four Conflict Minerals; Your Move, Industry
Jun 20, 2016
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Sustainable Brands
Today, Fairphone announced it is adding conflict-free tungsten from Rwanda into its supply chain. With this achievement, Fairphone has successfully managed to transparently source all…
Afgahnistan: Growing Poppies a Detested Yet Profitable Business for Farmers in Southern Afghanistan
Jun 20, 2016
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Abdul Haleem and Manan Arghand, Xinhua
The conflict-hit Afghanistan reportedly produces around 90 percent of opium poppies, the raw material used in the manufacturing of heroin to the world. The largest…
Myanmar: In Mon State, Expanding Quarries Threaten Farms
Jun 19, 2016
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Phyo Thiha Cho, Myanmar Now
Farmers in the area, which comprises six villages with Bamar, Karen, Pa-O and Mon residents, said that since 2011 authorities had allowed companies to rapidly…
Myanmar: In Mon State, Expanding Quarries Threaten Farms
Jun 19, 2016
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Phyo Thiha Cho, Myanmar Now
Farmers in Mon State, which comprises six villages with Bamar, Karen, Pa-O and Mon residents, said that since 2011 authorities had allowed companies to rapidly…
Uganda: Delay in Harmonising Regional Laws Affecting Mineral Exports - Expert
Jun 18, 2016
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Sandra Janet Birungi, The Monitor
The slow pace at which regional countries are harmonising laws regarding minerals continues to affect exports, the director of democracy and good governance programme at…
Afghanistan/Pakistan: Pakistan to Receive More as Afghanistan Abandons Share in CASA-1,000
Jun 17, 2016
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Zafar Bhutta, Tribune
Pakistan will receive 1,300 megawatts of cheap and clean electricity from Central Asian states, more than the initially planned 1,000MW, as Afghanistan has abandoned its…
Conflict Minerals: EU “Political Understanding” Reached on Conflict Minerals Law
Jun 16, 2016
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ELM Sustainability Partners
The European Commission announced that a “political understanding” was reached on the European conflict minerals law. As we understand it, this means that the relevant…
Conflict Minerals: LIVE EP Press conference Trilogue Negotiations on Conflict Minerals [Video]
Jun 16, 2016
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European Commission
Press conference by Gianni PITTELLA (IT), S&D Chair, and Maria ARENA (S&D, BE)
Conflict Minerals: EP Press Conference by Cecilia Malmström, Member of the EC, on Conflict Minerals [Video]
Jun 16, 2016
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European Commission
On 16 June 2016, Cecilia Malmström, Member of the EC in charge of Trade, together with Bernd Lange, chairman of the Committee on International Trade…
Afghanistan: Afghanistan Signs Contract for a Major Dam in Farah Province
Jun 15, 2016
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Khaama Press
The Afghan government signed another contract for the construction of a dam in western Farah province of AFghanistan. The contract for the construction of Dam,…
Ukraine: Vitally Important Resources in the ATO Zone Are Dangerous for Life and Health. Part 3: Soil
Jun 15, 2016
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Environment People Law
EPL continues to follow the latest results of the monitoring of the environment in Eastern Ukraine. Unfortunately, such monitoring is now possible only in the…