International

South Sudan: Famine Looms In South Sudan

Jul 13, 2014 | AFK Insider

 At night, the glow from the lights of the oil installations in Paloich cuts through many miles of undeveloped South Sudanese countryside.

During the day, the…

Myanmar: The Smuggled Stone That Was Once More Precious Than Gold

Jul 13, 2014 | Alex Preston, BBC

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is one of the world's largest Jade producers - but with trade bound by international sanctions, many of the precious…

Myanmar: Achieving Burma’s Energy Goal Will Be ‘Very Tough’: Report

Jul 11, 2014 | The Irrawady

Burma faces a “very tough task” to achieve the Ministry of Electric Power’s ambition to develop a modern national energy infrastructure in the next 15…

Sierra Leone: ‘Minerals Sector is Growing’- NMA DG

Jul 11, 2014 | Awoko

The prophecy made by President Ernest Bai Koroma that by 2035 Sierra Leone will become a middle-income country, has been conceived by the Director General…

Liberia: Pres. Sirleaf Not Under Probe - Speaker Tyler

Jul 10, 2014 | allAfrica

House Speaker Alex Tyler, has denied media reports here of President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf being probed by the House of Representatives for alleged mismanagement of…

Congo: Sexwale 'Caught Up' in US Probe of Suspect DRC Mining Deal

Jul 10, 2014 | Mail&Guardian

In the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the Congo River rises from the Katanga Plateau to arc across central Africa and drain…

Conflict Minerals: White House adds Conflict Minerals Trade to Criteria for U.S Sanctions

Jul 10, 2014 | Compliance Week

Companies, scrambling to identify “conflict minerals” from the Democratic Republic of the Congo that may enter their supply chains, now have even more to worry…

South Sudan: Global Witness Rings Alarm Bell Over South Sudan's Finances

Jul 10, 2014 | allAfrica

The UK-based Global Witness warned that South Sudan is in the process of racking up more debt of which the bulk of it is not…

Conflict Minerals: U.S. Companies Wary of Suppliers’ Conflict Minerals

Jul 9, 2014 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Wandering into an American Eagle Outfitters store, a customer is more likely to wonder if a denim jacket will look good with a purple V-neck…

Liberia: LPRC Boss to Be Prosecuted

Jul 8, 2014 | AllAfrica

Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) says it has investigated and concluded several cases of corruption and has according to law, forwarded them (cases) with appropriate recommendations…

Myanmar: Myanmar Gems Emporium Takes Record 3 Billion Dollars

Jul 8, 2014 | DPA

Income reached 3.4 billion dollars and saw the successful auction of 6,007 of 7,454 jade lots, 126 out of 436 gem lots and 224 of…

Myanmar/Norway: Myanmar, Norway to Cooperate in Mangrove Conservation

Jul 8, 2014 | XinHua

Myanmar and Norway are seeking cooperation in mangrove forest conservation and a conservation plan in this respect is being worked out between the two countries,…

South Sudan: Finance Minister Tables $4 Billion Budget before Parliament

Jul 7, 2014 | Sudan Tribune

South Sudan’s finance minister, Agrey Tisa Sabuni, tabled the 2014-15 annual budget before parliament on Wednesday.

At 11.278 billion South Sudanese Pounds (SSP), about $4 billion,…

Syria: 'Water War' Threatens Syria Lifeline

Jul 7, 2014 | Aljazeera

When severe water cuts began to hit Aleppo province in early May, residents started referring to a "water war" being waged at the expense of…

Myanmar: Cruel Trade in Asian Elephants Threatens Survival - Report

Jul 6, 2014 | BBC News

Wild elephants are being held in horrific conditions in Myanmar by smugglers looking to resume a lucrative trade, a report says.It claims the animals, mainly…

South Asia: Attitudes to Water in South Asia

Jul 3, 2014 | Chatham House

Discussion about water in South Asia – in particular the shared rivers of the region – is vociferous, antagonistic and increasingly associated with national security. 

Renewable…

Iraq: Water Wars in the Land of Two Rivers

Jul 3, 2014 | ForeignPolicy

The turmoil in Iraq already has the world worried about the safety of the country's mammoth oil fields. Now Iraqis must imagine massive waves of…

Burma Accepted for EITI Scheme, But NGOs Remain Concerned

Jul 3, 2014 | The Irrawaddy

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global anti-corruption scheme, announced on Wednesday that Burma has been accepted as a candidate country. The decision means…

Burma: Burmese Army Plans to Return Only a Quarter of Seized Land Nationwide

Jul 3, 2014 | Democratic Voice of Burma

The Burmese army plans to return less than 125,000 acres of farmland to its original owners, making up only less than a quarter of land…

Extremist Group Takes Syria's Key Oil Field

Jul 3, 2014 | Associated Press

Activists say fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have taken control of Syria's largest oil field, near the border with Iraq.

The…

African Markets - Factors to watch on July 3

Jul 3, 2014 | Reuters

The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Thursday.

 EVENTS:

 Kenya - Central Bank of…

South Sudan to Borrow About $1 Billion From Oil Firms in 2014/15 Budget

Jul 2, 2014 | Reuters

South Sudan plans to borrow 3 billion South Sudanese pounds, about $1 billion at the official rate, from oil companies during the coming financial year…

Water Supply Key to Outcome of Conflicts in Iraq and Syria, Experts Warn

Jul 2, 2014 | The Guardian

Security analysts in London and Baghdad say control of rivers and dams has become a major tactical weapon for Isis.

The outcome of the Iraq and…

Regional Distrust Fuelling Water Conflicts in South Asia

Jul 2, 2014 | Eco-Business

Disputes over water threaten to aggravate tensions between countries in South Asia. Large parts of India and Pakistan already suffer from water stress and these…

DRC: Congo Admitted to EITI Resource Transparency Initiative

Jul 2, 2014 | Thomson Reuters Foundation

KINSHASA, July 2 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo has earned full membership to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the global organisation promoting good…

Conflict Minerals Law Starts Working despite Poor Industry Response

Jul 1, 2014 | Eric Onstad, Reuters, Chicago Tribune

LONDON (Reuters) - A U.S. law on conflict minerals is curbing African warlords' presence around mines in Congo, campaigners say, but its full impact remains…

Iraq/Syria: Water Wars Directed against Syria and Iraq: Turkey’s Control of the Euphrates River

Jul 1, 2014 | Abdulrahman Al-Masri, Global Research

The Euphrates has three main dams within Syria: Tishreen, Euphrates and Al-Baath. The Euphrates dam is considered the most important of the three. The water…

Liberia: Huge Disparity - EITI Fifth Report Points to Conflicting Liberia Figures

Jul 1, 2014 | Stephen D. Kollie, AllAfrica

The fifth Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report has revealed disparities in figures reported by the agency, companies and government agencies.

The EITI reported stated that…

Myanmar: CPI Cut Our Rice Ration, Say Anti-Dam Activists

Jul 1, 2014 | Nang Mya Nadi, Democratic Voice of Burma

Two local Kachin women, who have been involved in anti-Myitsone dam activities, say they have had their rice rations cut by China Power Investment Corporation…

Liberia: St. Peters Episcopal Church Taken to Court

Jul 1, 2014 | AllAfrica

The New Kru Town Magisterial Court has set this Wednesday for hearing in a land case involving the Episcopal Church of Liberia Caldwell Branch and…