International
Broken Land, Broken Promises - Myanmar's Controversial Copper Mines
Feb 10, 2015
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Deutsche Welle
"Sometimes there is a very strong smell from the sulphuric acid factory; people cannot stay in the village at those times. Our eyes tear up…
Iraq/Kurdistan: In Payment Drought, Oil Companies Pare KRG Investment
Feb 10, 2015
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Patrick Osgood, Iraq Oil Report
Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has not paid its oil contractors since November, highlighting political and financial problems that could hamper plans to increase…
Iraq: EIA: Iraq Oil Production Growth was World’s Second Largest in 2014
Feb 9, 2015
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Oil & Gas 360
According to information released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) today, Iraq’s production growth in 2014 was the second largest in the world, trailing only…
Myanmar: Investors Eye Myanmar's Rich Potential for Rice Growing
Feb 9, 2015
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Petchanet Pratruangkrai, The Nation
Myanmar may go back to being one of the world's major rice exporters in five to 10 years, as many Thai and foreign investors are…
Myanmar: Shell to Explore in Deepwater Offshore Myanmar
Feb 9, 2015
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World Oil
The Hague, Netherlands -- Shell and its partner Mitsui Oil Exploration group (MOECO) have signed exploration and production sharing contracts with Myanma Oil and Gas…
Sierra Leone: Blood Diamonds Prominent as Multi-Billion-Dollar Swiss Leaks Scandal Hits HSBC
Feb 9, 2015
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Greg Klein, Resource Clips
HSBC’s secret Swiss bank accounts facilitated billions of dollars in money laundering, tax evasion, fraud, arms trafficking and possibly terrorism, a team of investigative journalists…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Conflicts and Oil Agreements: Baghdad and Erbil's Truly Ambivalent Relationship
Feb 8, 2015
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Al Bawaba
The Kurdish region’s oil supply is a major point of contention in Iraq as it brings up questions of wealth distribution and foreign exports. The…
Iraq: Iraqi Kurdistan Oil Firms Go Domestic Amid Dearth of Export Pay
Feb 6, 2015
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Reuters
Oil producers in Iraqi Kurdistan, including Gulf Keystone Petroleum and Genel, have started ramping up deliveries to the local market at the expense of foreign…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Baghdad Oil Deal With Kurds 'In Danger' of Falling Apart, Lawmaker Warns
Feb 6, 2015
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Assyrian International News Agency
An important agreement between Baghdad and Erbil that resolved long-standing disputes over the budget and oil exports is in danger of falling apart, the deputy…
Kurdistan: Iraq’s Autonomous Kurdistan Government Looking to Borrow Internationally
Feb 6, 2015
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Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is considering borrowing abroad “to strengthen economic infrastructure,” a Kurdish lawmaker told Rudaw.
Izat Sabir, chairman…
Liberia: Liberians Need Legal Rights to Forest, Says Report
Feb 6, 2015
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SciDev.Net
Liberia’s government must do more to award land rights to forest dwellers to protect natural resources from exploitation and encroachment of palm oil plantations, warns…
Afghanistan: Copper Mining Threatens Afghan Site of Ancient Buddhist Past
Feb 6, 2015
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Lynne O'Donnell, Associated Press
Treasures from Afghanistan's largely forgotten Buddhist past are buried beneath sandy hills surrounding the ancient Silk Road town of Mes Aynak - along with enough…
South Sudan: S. Sudan Rebels Dismiss Governor’s Claims on Oil Fields
Feb 6, 2015
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Sudan Tribune
A spokesperson for South Sudanese rebels in Unity state has described as “mere propaganda” allegations that the armed opposition forces planned to attack the oil…
Liberia: Special Report: Illegal Gold Mining in Liberia
Feb 5, 2015
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African Network of Centres for Investigative Reporting
A recent report by the United Nations Panel of Experts in Liberia highlighted the ongoing insecurity in the border area between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire,…
Iraq: Pentagon: Oil is No Longer ISIS’ Main Source of Income
Feb 5, 2015
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Al Arabiya
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is no longer relying on oil as its main source of revenue to fund its terrorist activity,…
China/Philippines/South China Sea: China Defends Ship’s Actions Against Philippines in South China Sea
Feb 5, 2015
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Malay Mail Online
China today defended the actions of a coast guard vessel in the disputed South China Sea after the Philippines accused it of ramming three fishing…
Myanmar: Jade Mines Grind to a Halt in Hpakant
Feb 4, 2015
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Kyaw Hsu Mon, The Irrawaddy
RANGOON — Jade mining operations in northern Burma’s Kachin State have ground to a halt after more fighting between the military and Kachin Independence Army…
Liberia: Who Collected Controversial U.S.$100,000?
Feb 4, 2015
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The News
The National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) has made it categorically clear that it never disbursed funds to the House of Representatives for the purpose…
Iraq: Low Oil Prices Force Iraq to Pass Austerity Budget As It Struggles to Pay Soldiers Fighting ISIS
Feb 4, 2015
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Campbell MacDiarmid, National Post
ERBIL, Iraq — Low oil prices have forced an austerity budget on Iraq as it struggles to rebuild its army and rally support across the…
Liberia: Could 2015 Be a Breakthrough Year for Community Land Rights?
Feb 4, 2015
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Astrid Zweynert, Thomson Reuters Foundation
2015 is set to be a pivotal year for the global recognition of land and resource rights if momentum in protecting the world's forests and…
Resource Curse: Study Suggests Oil Factors Hugely Into Foreign Wars
Feb 4, 2015
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Douglas Main, Newsweek
Oil plays an even bigger role in influencing foreign military intervention than is generally acknowledged, according to a new economic analysis, lending support to so-called…
South Sudan: UN Agency Warns of Catastrophic Food Shortages If Conflict Continues
Feb 4, 2015
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UNICEF
The ongoing conflict in South Sudan is sharply reducing food supplies and slowing humanitarian access to people in need, the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF)…
Russia/United States: New Cold War: U.S., Russia Fight Over Energy Future
Feb 4, 2015
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Bradley Klapper and Matthew Lee, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – The United States and Russia are once more locked in what could be a generation-defining conflict, and Europe is yet again the…
Conflict Resources: Russia Presses UN Resolution to Prevent Terrorists from Collecting Ransom and Money from Oil
Feb 4, 2015
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Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS – Russia is pressing for adoption of a new U.N. resolution aimed at preventing terrorists from collecting ransom payments or money from the…
Conflict Minerals: Where Apple Gets the Tantalum for Your iPhone
Feb 4, 2015
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Lynnley Browning, Newsweek
Nobody likes to think his or her iPhone was made from minerals derived from a country where warlords and mass rapists profit from the mines.…
Myanmar: Land Disputes in Myanmar: From Ploughs to Ports
Feb 3, 2015
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Economist
New businesses are opening across Myanmar, literally reshaping its landscape. But some wonder whether the new developments will benefit everyone.
Liberia: Oil Money Raises Eyebrows for Legislative Consultation
Feb 3, 2015
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C. Winnie Saywah-Jimmy, The Inquirer
Contrary to Representatives Emmanuel Nuquay and Prince Moye's claim that the US$ 1.2 million under debate was a single check endorsed by the National Oil…
Conflict Minerals: EU’s Proposed Regulation on Conflict Minerals – Part I
Feb 3, 2015
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Squire Patton Boggs, Dynda A. Thomas, and Kate Stokes, Lexology
The European Union (EU) is considering legislation that would regulate the importation of conflict minerals into the EU. The European Commission announced its proposed regulation…
Climate Security: High North Dialogue Podcast – Interview with Kristin Halvorsen
Feb 3, 2015
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Andreas Raspotnik, The Arctic Institute
In our 2nd podcast for the High North Dialogue 2015 we talked with Kristin Halvorsen, Director of CICERO, Center for International Climate and Environmental Research…
Liberia: What Happened to Kuwaiti Oil Deal?
Feb 2, 2015
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Heritage
MONROVIA - There are reports that the announced Kuwaiti Oil Deal has supposedly ended up like the controversial Nigerian and Japanese Oil Agreements(deals) which were…