International
China/South China Sea: US Calls for Immediate End to China's Island-Building; Vows More Patrols
May 30, 2015
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ABC News
The United States has called for an immediate end to China's intensifying reclamation works in the South China Sea and vowed to continue sending military…
China/Philippines/South China Sea: Philippines Says Maritime Dispute Its 'Most Pressing Security Concern'
May 30, 2015
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Sue Lannin, ABC News
The Philippines says tension with China over disputed islands in the South China Sea is the country's most pressing security concern. China claims most of…
Iraq: OPEC under Siege as ISIL Threatens World's Oil Lifeline
May 30, 2015
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Andrew Critchlow, The Telegraph
Thick black smoke rising from the Baiji oil refinery could be seen as a dirty smudge on the horizon as far away as Baghdad after…
China/South China Sea: China Placing Mobile Artillery on Reclaimed Island, US Says
May 29, 2015
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ABC News
The United States says China has placed mobile artillery weapons systems on a reclaimed island in the disputed South China Sea, a development that Republican…
Liberia: Protesters Invade Liberia Palm Oil Plantation, Injure Official
May 28, 2015
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Reuters
Armed protesters entered a palm oil plantation in southeastern Liberia, taking several people hostage and injuring a senior government official, police officials and the company…
South Sudan: South Sudan Lacks Enough Revenues to Fund Budget
May 28, 2015
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Sudan Tribune
South Sudan has announced its inability to generate enough revenues to fund the country’s annual budget, amid allegations that government may halt paying for basic…
South China Sea: Taiwan’s Plan for Peace in the South China Sea
May 27, 2015
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Shannon Tiezzi, The Diplomat
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s president, Ma Ying-jeou, announced a plan for dialing down tensions in the South China Sea, where Brunei, mainland China, Malaysia, the Philippines,…
Iraq: An Iraqi Oil Refinery that Was Too Important to Destroy has Just Been Destroyed
May 27, 2015
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Stephen Snyder, Public Radio International
ISIS fighters and pro-goverment forces battled for a year over control of the oil refinery at Baiji, Iraq's largest. The plant was crippled but intact,…
Sudan: Sudan Orders Chinese Gold Miners to Stop Digging Immediately
May 27, 2015
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Want China Times
The government of Sudan has stunned Chinese investors in gold mining in the country by ordering them to stop extraction operations within 24 hours or…
China/Philippines/Vietnam/South China Sea: Philippine, Vietnam Troops Play Sports on Disputed Island
May 27, 2015
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AFP
Filipino and Vietnamese troops played football and tug-of-war on a disputed South China Sea island on Wednesday, officials said, closing ranks as their rival China…
DRC: Governor of Congo Mining Hub Katanga Warns Against Tax Hikes
May 27, 2015
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Aaron Ross, Reuters
The powerful governor of Democratic Republic of Congo's Katanga province warned on Wednesday against significant tax hikes in a proposed new mining code amid a…
China/Philippines/Vietnam/South China Sea: Don't Blame the Oil Rigs
May 27, 2015
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Emily Meierding, Pacific Standard
A year ago this month, China moved its oil drilling rig, the HD-981, into waters around the Paracel Islands. China’s exploratory drilling provoked a confrontation…
Climate Change: How Climate Change Threatens National Security (+video)
May 26, 2015
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Michael Holtz, Christian Science Monitor
What is the “farmhands-to-fighters” argument? The argument links reduced economic opportunity in agriculture to increased violent activity. A study by Edward Miguel, an economist at…
Chad/Cameroon/Nigeria: Boko Haram Surrounds Havens with Land Mines
May 25, 2015
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Sierra Leone Times
Chad and Cameroon say huge numbers of land mines planted by Boko Haram fighters along Cameroon's border with Nigeria are a danger to people, livestock…
Iraq: ISIS in Iraq: Islamic State Torches Iraq's Largest Oil Refinery at Beiji
May 25, 2015
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Mark Piggott, International Business Times
Fighters from ISIS - also known as Islamic State (IS) - have torched part of Iraq's largest oil refinery at Beiji, some 200km from Baghdad,…
South Sudan: South Sudan Oil Field Becomes Battleground as Economy Reels
May 25, 2015
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Ilya Gridneff, Bloomberg
After 17 months of civil war spanning a swathe of South Sudan bigger than Syria, President Salva Kiir’s survival may hinge on the fate of…
South Sudan: War Pushes South Sudan's Economy to the Brink
May 24, 2015
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AFP
Soaring inflation and a likely currency collapse are adding to South Sudan's woes after 17 months of civil war characterised by brutal attacks on civilians.…
Iraq/Iran: US Officials Say Iran is Firing Artillery in Support of Iraq's Fight for Beiji Oil Refinery
May 22, 2015
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Robert Burns, Associated Press
Iran has entered the fight to retake a major Iraqi oil refinery from Islamic State militants, contributing small numbers of troops — including some operating…
Iraq/Iran: Iraq Discusses Iran Drilling its Oil, Gas Fields
May 22, 2015
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Press TV
A high-ranking Iraqi delegation has visited Tehran and discussed oil and gas drilling by Iranian companies in the Arab country, the Mehr news agency says. The…
Mali: Mali Government Promises to Tackle Land Grabbing
May 22, 2015
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Spy Ghana
Mali’s Minister of State Domains and Land Affairs Me Mohamed Ali Bathily has said his ministry will launch a merciless war against land grabbers and…
South Sudan/Sudan: As Fighting Escalates, South Sudan Alleges Khartoum Hand in Rebel Offensive to Take Oil Hub
May 22, 2015
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Rodney Muhumuza, Associated Press
South Sudan's military on Friday accused the Sudanese government of aiding a new rebel offensive in the southern country where oil fields are now threatened…
DRC: European Parliament Votes for Tougher Measures on Conflict Minerals
May 21, 2015
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The Guardian
European gold, tantalum (the material that makes mobile phones vibrate), tungsten and tin imports from conflict zones will be subjected to tougher surveillance procedures under…
DRC: Parliament Prioritises Human Rights in Conflict Minerals Crackdown
May 21, 2015
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Julie Levy-Abegnoli, The Parliament
Parliament turned into its own conflict zone when MEPs approved new rules in an effort to stop blood minerals from being used in products made…
DRC: Brandeis University Goes Conflict-Free
May 21, 2015
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Enough Project
Student activists are celebrating the announcement from Brandeis University of a new policy to ensure computers and other electronic equipment they purchase are not connected to killing, child…
Sierra Leone: S/Leonean Leader Orders Halt to Land Grabbing around University Campus
May 21, 2015
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APA, Star Africa
Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma has ordered authorities at the University of Sierra Leone to immediately address the protracted issue of land grabbing around…
China/South China Sea: Exclusive: China Warns U.S. Surveillance Plane
May 21, 2015
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CNN
The Chinese navy issued warnings eight times as a U.S. surveillance plane on Wednesday swooped over islands that Beijing is using to extend its zone…
DRC: First Copper from Congo-China Deal Due by Year End - Government
May 21, 2015
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Aaron Ross, Reuters
A joint venture between Democratic Republic of Congo's state miner and two Chinese companies, signed under a 2009 "minerals for infrastructure" deal, will begin producing…
South Sudan: South Sudan Government Denies Main Oil Fields Seized by Rebels
May 20, 2015
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John Tanza and Waakhe Simon Wudu, Voice of America
The South Sudan government on Wednesday dismissed claims by rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar that they have seized control of the strategic…
Nigeria: Youth and Civil Society Groups Protest against Governor Uduaghan over Embezzlement and Land Grabbing
May 20, 2015
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Sahara Reporters
More than 2,000 youth and community activists took to the streets in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, to protest the corrupt actions of Delta…
United States: Obama: Climate Change Poses Risk to US Military, National Security
May 20, 2015
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Roberta Rampton, Reuters
May 20 Rising seas, thawing permafrost and longer wildfires caused by warmer global temperatures threaten U.S. military bases and will change the way the U.S.…