International
Liberia: US$372.67M in Loans, Concession Agreements under House Review
Feb 27, 2019
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Leroy M. Sonpon, III, Observer
The House of Representatives is reviewing US$372.67 million Concession and Loan Agreements submitted by President George Weah, as well as an Incentive Agreement with the…
Colombia: Colombia to Examine Selling Coffee at Its Own Price, Ignoring New York Market
Feb 27, 2019
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Reuters
Colombia, the world’s top producer of washed arabica, will look into selling its harvest at a price which covers production costs, without being tied to…
Myanmar: Recognize Our Customary Tenure and Rights: Nagas to Myanmar Govt
Feb 27, 2019
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Morung Express
Indigenous Naga communities in Myanmar have called upon the Government of Myanmar to recognize “the customary tenure system and respect their rights to own, use…
Myanmar: Mandalay to Debate Effort to Resolve Land-Ownership Issues
Feb 27, 2019
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Phyo Wai Kyaw, Myanmar Times
The Mandalay Region hluttaw (parliament) will debate a proposal to give title deeds to people who have lived for a long time on land that does…
Myanmar: After Decades of Conflict, Land Deadline Looms for Myanmar Villagers
Feb 25, 2019
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Rina Chandran, Reuters
After nearly seven decades of conflict, the Karen National Union (KNU), the oldest ethnic armed group, signed a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar government in…
India/Pakistan: Are India and Pakistan on the Verge of a Water War?
Feb 25, 2019
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Keith Johnson, Foreign Policy
With tensions rising between India and Pakistan in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack earlier this month that killed more than 40 Indian police…
Myanmar: Lethal Landslips and Drug Addiction: Myanmar's Toxic Jade Trade
Feb 25, 2019
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Peter Yeung and Zaw Moe Htet, Guardian
A controversial new gemstone law fails to address the hazards of an industry in which scores of workers die each year. Testimonies heard by the…
Myanmar: Myanmar’s Milling Industry Devastated by New Logging Policies
Feb 25, 2019
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Genevieve Belmaker, Good Men Project
Myanmar’s Timber Merchants Association is crying foul over what they say are the devastating impacts from a one-year logging ban and new, restrictive government policies.…
Afghanistan: Seeds of Hope: Why Afghan Farmers No Longer Give a Fig for Poppies
Feb 24, 2019
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Sayed Salahuddin, Arab News
For decades, Afghanistan’s opium harvests earned the country worldwide notoriety. Now it is winning a global reputation with a very different export — fresh and…
Afghanistan: Water Shortage Warning in Western Afghanistan
Feb 22, 2019
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Prensa Latina
The Afghanistan Institute for Strategic Studies warned Friday of water shortages in the west of the country after a 50 per cent drop in the…
Afghanistan: Research Reveals Severe Lack of Water Along Harirod River
Feb 22, 2019
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Gulabuddin Ghubar, TOLOnews
A research by Afghan Institute of Strategic Studies shows that water level has dropped by 50 percent in Harirod River water zones, affecting many areas…
Afghanistan: Afghanistan’s Dried Fig Exports Reach $47M
Feb 22, 2019
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Rohullah Arman, TOLOnews
Figures by Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) show that Afghanistan has exported figs valued almost $47 million in the last 10 months. The…
Liberia: Sexual Violence & Threats Documented at Liberia Agricultural Company
Feb 22, 2019
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FrontPage Africa
Swiss-based human rights group, Bread for all (Bfa) and her Liberian partners, Green Advocates International (GAI), Alliance for Rural Democracy (ARD) and Natural Resource Women…
UNDP Strategy Highlights How Gender Equality Can Drive SDG Progress
Feb 21, 2019
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Catherine Benson Wahlen
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has released its third gender equality strategy, covering the years 2018-2021. The Strategy provides a road map for elevating and…
Colombia: Colombia's Ex-Rebels Turn Tourist Guides, but Peace Remains Fragile
Feb 21, 2019
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Anastasia Moloney, Thomson Reuters Foundation
As a former rebel fighter, Ximena Cruz used to hide and survive in Colombia’s dense forests, but now in peacetime she hopes tourists will visit…
Myanmar: Corruption of Myanmar’s Illegal Teak Trade 'Goes to the Heart of Government'
Feb 21, 2019
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Ekklesia
For three decades, the multi-million dollar international trade in Burmese teak has been riddled with crime and high-level corruption, driving conflict and human rights abuses…
Climate Change: Prepare Now for Accelerating Climate Threats, Military Officials Warn
Feb 21, 2019
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Laurie Goering, Thomson Reuters Foundation
Militaries must prepare now to deal with more frequent disasters, new conflicts and other risks as accelerating climate change brings threats that could draw in…
Climate Change: 'Red Team' Revived under Physicist Who Sees 'CO2 Drought'
Feb 21, 2019
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Scott Waldman, E&E News reporter
The Trump administration finally found a way to formally question climate science. William Happer, a prominent climate skeptic in the Trump administration, is heading a…
Liberia: Sime Darby Plantation Considers Exiting West Africa Palm Oil Operations: Sources
Feb 21, 2019
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Emily Chow, Reuters
Sime Darby Plantation, the world’s biggest oil palm planter by land holdings, is considering exiting its palm and rubber operations in the West African nation…
Liberia: EPA Takes Steps to Address Land Degradation in Liberia
Feb 21, 2019
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FrontPage Africa
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia has begun taking steps to address land degradation in the country. One of the steps includes the vetting,…
Climate Change: Prepare Now for Accelerating Climate Threats, Military Officials Warn
Feb 21, 2019
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Laurie Goering, Thomson Reuters Foundation
Militaries must prepare now to deal with more frequent disasters, new conflicts and other risks as accelerating climate change brings threats that could draw in…
Myanmar: Rising Public Concern Over Vacant Land Law Amendment Goes Unaddressed
Feb 21, 2019
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Nyein Nyein, Irrawaddy
The six-month window for the registration of vacant, fallow and virgin land for the use of agribusiness in accordance with the newly amended Vacant, Fallow…
India/Pakistan: India to Stop Its Share of Water from Flowing into Pakistan
Feb 21, 2019
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Archana Chaudhary and Iain Marlow, Bloomberg
Pakistan said it will respond if India launches a military strike, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration announced plans to divert water from…
Somaliland: Providing Cash to People Displaced by Conflict and Drought
Feb 20, 2019
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Abdifatah Muse, Norwegian Refugee Council
Somalia has experienced recurring droughts since 2015. Four consecutive failed rainy seasons have resulted in loss of livestock and food insecurity. Digital cash aid is…
South Sudan: South Sudan Water Minister Says Oil Minister Interfering in Her Activities
Feb 20, 2019
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Sudan Tribune
South Sudanese Water Resources and Irrigation Sophia Pal Gai accused The Minister of Petroleum of Republic of South Sudan Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth of interfering in…
Myanmar: Businesses Misusing Farmland Face Hefty Fines, Warns Minister
Feb 20, 2019
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Htoo Thant, Myanmar Times
The government will punish people and companies that use farmland for purposes other than growing crops with a fine of 30 percent of the land’s market…
This Penn Student Created a Registry That Identifies Veterans with Similar Health Issues
Feb 20, 2019
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Claire Ochroch, Daily Pennsylvanian
nspired by the health issues he developed after his deployment, Chad Baer is now creating a system that will help identify veterans who could potentially…
Climate Change: White House Prepares to Scrutinize Intelligence Agencies’ Finding That Climate Change Threatens National Security
Feb 20, 2019
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Juliet Eilperin and Missy Ryan, Washington Post
The White House is working to assemble a panel to assess whether climate change poses a national security threat, according to documents obtained by The…
Sudan: Fuelling Peace through Dialogue over Natural Resources in Sudan’s West Kordofan
Feb 20, 2019
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UN Environment
Between June 2015 and August 2018, UN Environment, with funding from the European Union, implemented the Promoting Peace Over Natural Resources in Darfur and Kordofan…
South Sudan: Oil Companies May Be Complicit in Atrocities in South Sudan, UN Panel Says
Feb 20, 2019
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Nick Cumming-Bruce, New York Times
Despite a peace agreement, mass atrocities continue in South Sudan, driven partly by fights over control of oil, and foreign oil companies may be complicit…