International


China/Vietnam: China and Vietnam at Impasse Over Rig in South China Sea

May 12, 2014 | Keith Bradsher, The New York Times

HONG KONG — China and Vietnam appear to have reached at least a temporary impasse over a giant drilling rig sent by a state-controlled Chinese…


Liberia: Liberian Police Accused of Brutality in Marshall Land Crisis

May 12, 2014 | Henry Karmo, AllAfrica

Ben Town — Residents of Ben Town, Marshall Road in Margibi County have complained of being brutalized by officers of the Police Emergency Response unit…


Myanmar: Vice President defends land seizures by Tatmadaw

May 12, 2014 | Sithu Maung Maung, Mizzima

Vice President U Nyan Tun defended land seizures by the former military government in comments at a ceremony at Kyaunggone Township in Ayeyarwady Region to…


China/Vietnam: Vietnam Fails to Rally Partners in China Dispute

May 11, 2014 | Mike Ives and Thomas Fuller, The New York Times

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam’s prime minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, accused China on Sunday of “dangerous and serious violations” in a territorial dispute that has raised…


China/Philippines: Philippines Jails Chinese Sailors in Fish Dispute

May 10, 2014 | Gerry Mullany, The New York Times

HONG KONG — Raising the stakes in its confrontation with China, the Philippines said Saturday that it had imprisoned 11 Chinese fishermen who were caught…


Russia/Ukraine: Russia Ratchets Up Ukraine's Gas Bills in Shift to an Economic Battlefield

May 10, 2014 | Steven Erlanger, The New York Times

LONDON - Gazprom, the natural gas giant 50.01 percent owned by the Russian government, keeps ratcheting up the bill for Ukraine, increasing the economic pressure…


Sierra Leone/Guinea: Fraud Warning and Fake Kimberley Process Certificates for Sierra Leone and Guinea

May 9, 2014 | US Department of State

The Department of State, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, in conjunction with U.S. Customs and Border Protection is advising the public on several scams…


Ukraine: Separatists Defy Kiev and Putin on Referendum

May 8, 2014 | C. J. Chivers and David M. Herszenhornc, The New York Times

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine vowed on Thursday to press ahead with a referendum seeking autonomy, a risky move that seemed to…


China/Vietnam: China Insists It Has Right to Put Rig off Vietnam

May 8, 2014 | Fuel Fix

BEIJING — China insisted Thursday it had every right to drill for oil off Vietnam’s coast and warned its neighbor to leave the area around…


South Sudan: Diplomat Says IGAD Force Will Not Protect South Sudan's Oil

May 8, 2014 | Radio Tamazuj

Sudan’s deputy ambassador in South Sudan says the proposed East African IGAD force in South Sudan will protect only ceasefire monitors and has no other…


South Sudan: African Markets - Factors to watch on May 8

May 8, 2014 | Retuers

South Sudan's government does not have enough money to pay its bills and will have to borrow from oil companies if the four-month rebellion in…


Conflict Minerals Reporting Deadline: Is Your Business Ready?

May 7, 2014 | Jeff Leinaweaver, The Guardian

As US businesses scramble to meet the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s conflict minerals disclosure rule – with the first reporting deadline rapidly approaching 2…


Myanmar: Farmers Injured in Clash With Police After Court Decision

May 7, 2014 | Nyein Nyein, The Irrawaddy

Two farmers were hospitalized Tuesday in Paungtae Township, Pegu Division, when police violently clashed with supporters of an activist denied bail in a case relating…


Myanmar: Deforestation Spreads as Timber Demand Soars

May 7, 2014 | The Myanmar Times

Ashen earth strewn with the limbs of once-mighty trees is all that is left of the fearsome forest in central Myanmar that Wa Tote remembers…


China/Vietnam: Vietnam Squares Off With China in Disputed Seas

May 7, 2014 | Gerry Mullany and David Barboza, The New York Times

HONG KONG — Tensions in the South China Sea intensified Wednesday as Vietnamese vessels confronted Chinese ships that were working to place an oil rig…


Africa: East Africa's Oil and Gas Infrastracture to Take Lead in Africa

May 6, 2014 | Constant Munda, AllAfrica

EAST Africa is poised to lead the rest of Africa in developing infrastructure for the nascent oil and gas industry, a new report by audit…


SEC Confirms Conflict Minerals Rule Remains (Largely) In Place

May 6, 2014 | Rakesh Gopalan, Alex J. Brackett, Richard W. Viola and Jane Whitt Sellers, McGuireWoods LLP

Yesterday the Division of Corporate Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission issued its much-anticipated guidance regarding its conflict minerals rule, stating that, with the…


Liberia: Affected Citizens Disrupt EPO Expansion in Grand Bassa County

May 6, 2014 | Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, AllAfrica

Buchanan — The Equatorial Palm Oil (EPO) has again faced stiff resistance from some affected communities when residents disrupted an EPO mapping process on last…


Africa: Resistance to Liberia Landgrabs a Warning to Africa Investment Conference

May 6, 2014 | AllAfrica

Abuja (Nigeria) / Monrovia (Liberia) — On the opening day of a 6-8 May conference in Abuja aimed at attracting private sector agricultural investment in…


Myanmar: MPs Concern Over ‘Land Grab’ Commission Continues to Mount

May 5, 2014 | Mizzima

Hluttaw MPs have levelled renewed criticism at the regional and state sub-committees of the Land Use Management Committee, suggesting misinformation and a lack of transparency.

Speaking…


Liberia: Judge Kaba - Land Issue Is a National Challenge

May 5, 2014 | Abraham Sollie, All Africa

The Presiding Judge at the Criminal Court "A",Jusuf Kaba, has described land issue in Liberia as a national challenge. Criminal Court "A" is situated at…


Liberia: Gbarpolu, Bong Land Dispute Worrisome

May 5, 2014 | AllAfrica

Tension is said to be brewing between Bong County and the newly created Gbarpolu County, with claims and counter-claims over a piece of land running…


Lessons Learned Webinar: Suppliers Using SEC Conflict Minerals Reporting to Gain Market Share

May 5, 2014 | SBWire, Green Status Pro

Woburn, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/05/2014 -- Green Status Pro sponsored a unique peer-to-peer webinar, May 31 Deadline: Conflict Minerals Lessons Learned, on May 1,2014.…


Liberia: Oil Company: Spent US $138m In 2012/13; No Report In 2013/14

May 5, 2014 | J. Yanqui Zaza, The Perspective

Liberia’s annual budgetary document, like any other budget, should fulfill at least the civil obligation in providing transparent, verifiable information to the public. This practice,…


SEC Issues Statement on D.C. Court of Appeals Decision on Conflict Minerals Rule: First Reports Due by June 2, 2014, as Scheduled

May 5, 2014 | Alston & Bird LLP

On April 29, 2014, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (the “Division”) issued a statement providing guidance regarding the effect of the decision of the…


South Sudan: Geopolitics of Nile Water - Its Implications on S. Sudan Conflict

May 5, 2014 | Deng Mading Gatwech, AllAfrica

In Africa, access to water is one of the most critical aspects of human survival. Today, about one third of the total population lack access…


Senegal/Casamance: Community Forestry is Defusing Africa's Longest-Running Conflict

May 5, 2014 | Louise Hunt, Ecologist

The Casamance - a strip of land lying to the south of Gambia - is home to Africa's longest running conflict, a 30-year low intensity…


Afghanistan: Survivors’ Hopes Fade in Aftermath of Afghan Landslide

May 4, 2014 | Azam Ahmad and Habib Zahori, The New York Times

ABI BARAK, Afghanistan — With hope gone that the 2,100 people thought to be buried by a mountain of mud here could be rescued, most…


Myanmar: Organic farming offers Kachin IDPs vital health options

May 4, 2014 | Seamus Martov, Democratic Voice of Burma

NHKAWNG PA, KACHIN STATE — It has been nearly three years since fighting between Burma’s military and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) forced Lazing Lu…


Myanmar: Burma’s mangroves in danger of extinction

May 4, 2014 | Zaw Htet, Democratic Voice of Burma

Thick mangrove forests once lined Burma’s coastline, but in the past 30 years over half of the country’s mangrove forests have been destroyed.

Mangrove trees are…