News


Palestine: Emergency Project Manager

Dec 5, 2016 | Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development

ACTED started its activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in May 2007, with a food security programme in the West Bank. ACTED Occupied Palestinian Territory…


Pearl Harbor, 75 Years Later

Dec 5, 2016 | George Friedman

Wednesday will be the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It happened three-quarters of a century ago, but it remains the defining moment…


Iraq/Kurdistan: As Iraq's Kurds Eye Statehood, a Border Takes Shape

Dec 5, 2016 | Associated Press

The sand berms and trenches that snake across northern Iraq stretch toward Syria, some accompanied by newly paved roads lit by street lamps and sprawling…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq's Kurdistan Sees No Major Oil Output Cuts as Part of OPEC Deal

Dec 5, 2016 | Reuters

Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan sees no major impact on its crude oil production from OPEC's output cuts, agreed last week, it said on Monday,…


DRC: Israeli Billionaire Dan Gertler Probed by UK Serious Fraud Office over Mining Deals

Dec 5, 2016 | Elsa Buchanan, International Business Times

The United Kingdom Serious Fraud Office is investigating Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler over mining deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC is…


Syria: Syria's River is Overflowing Now That Its People Have Fled

Dec 5, 2016 | Motherboard

The Syrian civil war has wreaked havoc on the Middle East since 2011, with millions of Syrians fleeing the country and trying to survive in…


Modi's Dangerous Anti-Pakistan Antics Could Push the Two Countries towards a Water War

Dec 4, 2016 | Usman Ali Khan

Recently, the distribution of water between two Indian states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has become a source of conflict over water divide, sweltering both into…


Water Wars: Beijing Charts Post-Election Path Forward

Dec 2, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

Many have wondered how China would respond to uncertainty regarding the US’ role in the Asia-Pacific since last month’s election. If news from this week…


Liberia: Senate Passes 2 Concession Agreements

Dec 2, 2016 | Bridgett Milton, New Dawn

The Liberian Senate, on Wednesday, November 30, passed two concessionagreements between the Liberian Government and the SethiferroFabrik,Inc. and the Gola Forest National Park. Following the…


Liberia: Exxon Set to Drill - Are Liberians Ready For Jobs in Oil Industry?

Dec 2, 2016 | FrontPageAfrica

Liberia’s oil industry is holding its breath waiting for the outcome of ExxonMobil exploration efforts by the end of the year. With global oil prices…


Iraq: Iraq MP Fears Assassination if Oil Thieves Are Exposed

Dec 2, 2016 | Middle East Monitor

In an interview with Iraqi station Al-Taghier TV, Misha’an Al-Jibouri, a Sunni MP, can be seen to be sat extremely uncomfortably as the programme host…


Afghanistan: The Taliban and China's Quest for Afghan Copper

Dec 2, 2016 | Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi, Deutsche Welle

It sounds paradoxical: The Taliban want to support and encourage big infrastructure and development projects in Afghanistan. That's the bottom line of an unexpected statement the insurgent…


The Environmental Consequences of Iraq's Oil Fires Are Going Unrecorded

Dec 1, 2016 | Doug Weir

The oil fires burning in and around the northern Iraqi town of Qayyarah began in July when retreating Islamic State forces ignited wells, storage tanks…


Iraq/Kuridstan/Islamic State: ISIS Uses Water as Weapon in Mosul Fight

Dec 1, 2016 | Mohammed Tawfeeq and Salma Abdelaziz, CNN

At least half a million people caught in the crossfire inside the Iraqi city of Mosul now have no access to running water, the United…


Myanmar: Fire on the Salween: Dams in Conflict Zones Could Threaten Myanmar’s Fragile Peace Process

Dec 1, 2016 | Demelza Stokes, Mongabay

Fear of the dams fueling more conflict in Myanmar’s ethnic areas led to a coalition of ethnic Shan political groups to call for the government…


Afghanistan: Chinese Govt Reacts to WION Expose, Rejects Accusations of Military Activity Deep inside Eastern Afghanistan

Dec 1, 2016 | Giles Gibson, Daily News & Analysis

Last month, WION obtained exclusive pictures showing Chinese-manufactured military vehicles in Little Pamir. The slim finger of Afghan territory borders China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and India's…


Food Insecurity: A Cause and Consequence of Conflict

Dec 1, 2016 | Vatican Radio

In a world where conflict affects so many communities, it is important to recognize the connection between food insecurity and social unrest. Kimberly Flowers, Director…


Climate Change: Climate Change Already Major Security Threat – Military Chiefs

Dec 1, 2016 | RT

Climate change and the ‘unimaginable’ refugee crisis which will follow is a threat right now and shouldn’t be seen merely as something which may emerge…


Syria: Toxic Hell of Syria’s Oil Fields

Dec 1, 2016 | Kieran Cooke, Middle East Eye

The satellite images tell the story: black, T-shaped marks littered across areas of the land in eastern Syria controlled by the Islamic State. On closer inspection,…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Mosul: Drone Vision Shows 'Smoke-Filled Hell' Facing Civilians near Iraq's Burning Oil Fields [Photos]

Dec 1, 2016 | ABC News

Newly released drone vision has revealed the devastation burning oil fields are having on communities near the Iraqi city of Mosul. Aid agencies said Islamic…


Climate Change: Climate Change Will Stir 'Unimaginable' Refugee Crisis, Says Military

Dec 1, 2016 | Damian Carrington, Guardian

Climate change is set to cause a refugee crisis of “unimaginable scale”, according to senior military figures, who warn that global warming is the greatest…


Colombia: Canada’s Zonte Sues Colombia Authorities over Gold Permit Rejection

Dec 1, 2016 | Cecilia Jamasmie, MINING.com

Canadian junior explorer Zonte Metals (TSX-V: ZON) is going ahead with plans to sue Colombia’s Department of Antioquia as it claims the mining authority did…


Myanmar: New Drone Analysis Highlights Conservation Challenges in Myanmar

Nov 30, 2016 | Ann Wang, Mongabay

Conservation work in Myanmar has been met with various challenges such as limited funding, an unstable political situation and poor management plans for forest reserves.…


Afghanistan: Afghan Taliban Offer Security for Copper, Gas Projects

Nov 30, 2016 | Hellenic Shipping News

The Afghan Taliban on Tuesday offered to protect major government projects, such as the mining of a big copper deposit and an international natural gas…


Colombia: Latin America Has Most Unequal Land Distribution, Colombia Fares Worst — Charity

Nov 30, 2016 | Anastasia Moloney, Reuters

Land distribution in Latin America is the most unequal in the world where only one percent of the farms and estates control more than half…


Liberia: Global Witness Pleased with Liberia’s New Oil Law

Nov 29, 2016 | FrontPageAfrica

Global Witness has welcomed Liberia’s new Petroleum Law, which marks a significant step towards the transparent management of the country’s oil sector, but warns that…


Conflict Minerals: EU Reaches Final Agreement on Conflict Minerals Regulation – An Overview

Nov 29, 2016 | Michael R. Littenberg, Amanda N. Raad, Katerina Sandford, Emily Burke, and Julia Chen, Ropes & Gray LLP

On November 22, the EU Council, Commission and Parliament reached an informal final agreement on a conflict minerals regulation. Last week's agreement builds upon the…


Conflict Minerals: Key Points Regarding the New European Union Conflict Minerals Agreement

Nov 29, 2016 | Sarah A. Altschuller, Foley Hoag LLP

On November 22, the Presidency of the European Council and the European Parliament announced agreement on the text of a new conflict minerals regulation. The agreement…


South Sudan: South Sudan Unveil Measures to Improve Non-Oil Revenues

Nov 29, 2016 | Sudan Tribune

South Sudan’s economy is currently in dire straits as the local currency, South Sudan Pound has fallen by over 50% and revenue generated from oil,…


South Sudan: Land Grabbing Blamed for Ethnic Tensions in South Sudan

Nov 29, 2016 | Joseph Oduha, Africa Review

Rampant land grabbing was fuelling ethnic strife in South Sudan’s Equatoria State, an official said. The National Land Commission Coordinator, Mr Butrus Apollo, said in…