News


Myanmar: New Aquaculture Economy Emerged on Rising Fish Demand

Nov 17, 2017 | Kang Wan Chern, Myanmar Times

Domestic demand for farmed fish in Myanmar has risen substantially over the past 10 years, with many small-scale fish farms emerging across the Ayeyarwady region.…


Using Science Diplomacy in the South China Sea

Nov 16, 2017 | James Borton

Despite White House efforts to deny well-established climate change reports and U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, most might question the wisdom of…


Climate Change, Food Security and Sustaining Peace

Nov 16, 2017 | Florian Krampe

‘We have succeeded at keeping famine at bay, we have not kept suffering at bay’, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while briefing members of the…


Conflict Minerals: Robin Wright’s Mission to End Conflict Minerals

Nov 16, 2017 | Carl Shih, The Lily

Robin Wright has never been the type of woman to sit still. As an activist and now entrepreneur, Wright began channeling her Hollywood fame as…


Iraq: Exclusive: Iraq Adds 400MW of Power as Flared Gas Recovery Kicks in

Nov 16, 2017 | Jennifer Gnana, The National

Iraq has added around 400 megawatts (MW) to its power grid from the first wave of flared gas recovery this year, according to the US…


Conflict Minerals: Apple Ranked as 'Clear Leader' in its Efforts to Source Conflict-Free Minerals from Supply Chain

Nov 16, 2017 | Mitchel Broussard, MacRumours

Apple has been designated the "clear leader" in its methods of supporting a conflict-free minerals trade throughout its supply chain. The title was awarded to…


Iraq/Kurdistan/Turkey: Iraq, Turkey Discuss Resuming Kirkuk Oil Exports

Nov 16, 2017 | Rudaw

Top Iraqi oil officials met with a Turkish energy delegation in Baghdad to discuss resuming Kirkuk's oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan which…


Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone’s Land Challenges to Be Addressed by Reforms

Nov 16, 2017 | UN Economic Commission for Africa

The problems surrounding access and ownership of land in Sierra Leone will be solved by the implementation of the National Land Policy, said country representatives…


Liberia/Sierra Leone: International Project Manager - Community Landscape Management

Nov 15, 2017 | The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

The RSPB was formed to counter the barbarous trade in plumes for women's hats, a fashion responsible for the destruction of many thousands of egrets,…


Sudan/South Sudan: Security Council Extends Mandates of United Nations Interim Force for Abyei, Joint Border Monitoring Entity, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2386 (2017)

Nov 15, 2017 | UN

The Security Council decided this morning to extend until 15 April 2018 the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA), and to limit support…


Iraq: Climate Change and Water Woes Drove ISIS Recruiting in Iraq

Nov 14, 2017 | Peter Schwartzstein, National Geographic

Around Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s northern Iraqi hometown, ISIS appears to have attracted much more support from water-deprived communities than from their better-resourced peers. In Tharthar…


Sudan/South Sudan: Sudan, S. Sudan Border Commission to Meet Next Week

Nov 14, 2017 | Sudan Tribune

Sudan’s Technical Committee for Border Demarcation (TCBD) has said the Joint Border Commission (JBC) between Sudan and South Sudan would meet next week in Khartoum.…


Iraq: Climate Change and Water Woes Drove ISIS Recruiting in Iraq

Nov 14, 2017 | Peter Schwartzstein, National Geographic

Across rural Iraq and Syria, farmers, officials, and village elders tell stories of desperate farmhands swapping backhoes for assault rifles. Already battered by decades of…


Momentum Continues to Grow in UN Study on Laws Protecting Environment in Conflict

Nov 13, 2017 | Doug Weir

The International Law Commission (ILC) is mandated by the UN with the progressive development and codification of international law, and added the topic ‘Protection of…


Myanmar: 'They Beat Him with Sticks', Says Villager of Killing of Myanmar Land Rights Defender

Nov 13, 2017 | Rina Chandran, Reuters

Campaigners demanding the return of land to villagers in northern Myanmar said their fight would go on, days after an activist was beaten to death…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq Aims to Increase Kirkuk Oilfield Output to 1 Million bpd

Nov 13, 2017 | Ahmed Rasheed, Reuters

Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi said Iraq plans to increase production from oilfields in Kirkuk to one million barrels per day and has visited the Bai Hasan…


China/Vietnam: Vietnam and China Agree to Avoid Conflicts in South China Sea

Nov 13, 2017 | Agence France-Presse

Vietnam and China agreed Monday to avoid conflicts in the hotly contested South China Sea, as a new pathway to dialogue on easing tensions was…


Afghanistan: 151 Water Reservoir Projects to Be Implemented

Nov 12, 2017 | Afghanistan Times

The ministry of rural rehabilitation and development on Sunday signed agreements for implementation of 151 water reservoir and water networks projects in different provinces. According…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq's Kurdistan Oil Payments at Risk over Independence Tensions

Nov 10, 2017 | Angelina Rascouet, Bloomberg

Iraq’s Kurdish region handed over almost $80 million to foreign oil producers over the past two days, but future payments may be at risk. Gulf…


Afghanistan: Ministry Shares List of over 1,000 Mining Contracts

Nov 10, 2017 | Mir Haidarshah Omid, TOLOnews

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has shared a list of 1,050 contracts of small mining projects on its website, saying that it is the…


Colombia: Colombia Gold and Copper Symposium Draws the Crowds

Nov 10, 2017 | Mining Journal

The Colombia Gold and Copper Symposium (CGCS) is rapidly establishing itself as one of the must-attend events for the mining and exploration sectors in Latin…


5 Programs Helping Soldiers become Farmers

Nov 10, 2017 | Chris Hardman, Civil Eats

Around the country, programs such as the Farmer Veteran Coalition, Archi’s Acres, and Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots are helping former soldiers transition to careers…


Veterans Find New Career in Farming

Nov 9, 2017 | Tim Hearden, Capital Press

After tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of American veterans have moved from the battlefield to the farm field with the help of organizations to…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Kurds: Iraq Court's Anti-Secession Ruling 'Revengeful'

Nov 9, 2017 | Farah Najjar, Al Jazeera

An Iraqi court's decision ruling against secession following a Kurdish bid for independence was "highly politicised" and part of a wider set of "vengeful" policies…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq's Kurdistan Makes $100 Million Monthly Payment to Oil Producers Despite Crisis

Nov 9, 2017 | Dmitry Zhdannikov, Reuters

Iraq’s Kurdistan has made its full monthly payment of around $100 million to oil producers working on its territory, despite a big drop in oil…


Conflict Minerals: Study Reveals 'Massive Weaknesses' in Conflict Minerals Policies

Nov 9, 2017 | Tammy Lovell, Chemical Watch

Independent research has found that 95% of company conflict mineral policies are not aligned with the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains. …


South China Sea Needs Science Diplomacy Policy

Nov 8, 2017 | James Borton

Despite White House efforts to deny well-established climate change reports, coupled with US withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, most might question the wisdom…


Afghanistan: For Afghan Farmers, Climate Change is 'God's Will'

Nov 8, 2017 | Masood Saifullah, Deutsche Welle

Climate change is having a huge impact on Afghanistan's agriculture-based society. Despite changing environment patterns, Afghan farmers have a limited understanding of how climate change…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraqi Prime Minister Pushes Plan to Cut Kurdistan’s Budget Share

Nov 8, 2017 | Mina Aldroubi, The National

The Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi defended a proposal to cut Iraqi Kurdistan's share in next year’s budget from 17 per cent to less…


Nigeria: Ogoni Cleanup: Environment Rights Group Charges FG to Move Faster

Nov 8, 2017 | Bolaji Ogundele, The Nation

The federal government has been charged to speed up the remediation and cleanup of the Ogoni environment, as advised by the United Nations Environmental Programme…