Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction / Photo: ARSENY MAMASHEV - AFP
-
Sweeping Vietnam internet law comes into force
-
Thousands attend Christmas charity dinner in Buenos Aires
-
Demand for Japanese content booms post 'Shogun'
-
Mystery drones won't interfere with Santa's work: US tracker
-
Global stocks mostly higher in thin pre-Christmas trade
-
NASA probe makes closest ever pass by the Sun
-
Global stocks mostly rise in thin pre-Christmas trade
-
Global stocks mostly rise after US tech rally
-
Investors swoop in to save German flying taxi startup
-
Saving the mysterious African manatee at Cameroon hotspot
-
The tsunami detection buoys safeguarding lives in Thailand
-
Asian stocks mostly up after US tech rally
-
US panel could not reach consensus on US-Japan steel deal: Nippon
-
The real-life violence that inspired South Korea's 'Squid Game'
-
El Salvador Congress votes to end ban on metal mining
-
Five things to know about Panama Canal, in Trump's sights
-
Mixed day for global stocks as market hopes for 'Santa Claus rally'
-
Trump's TikTok love raises stakes in battle over app's fate
-
European, US markets wobble awaiting Santa rally
-
NASA solar probe to make its closest ever pass of Sun
-
Volkswagen boss hails cost-cutting deal but shares fall
-
Sweden says China blocked prosecutors' probe of ship linked to cut cables
-
UK economy stagnant in third quarter in fresh setback
-
Global stock markets edge higher as US inflation eases rate fears
-
US probes China chip industry on 'anticompetitive' concerns
-
Mobile cinema brings Tunisians big screen experience
-
Honda and Nissan to launch merger talks
-
Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate fears
-
Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
-
Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate worries
-
Trump vows to 'stop transgender lunacy' as a top priority
-
Beyond Work Unveils Next-Generation Memory-Augmented AI Agent (MATRIX) for Enterprise Document Intelligence
-
Sweet smell of success for niche perfumes
-
'Finally, we made it!': Ho Chi Minh City celebrates first metro
-
Tunisia women herb harvesters struggle with drought and heat
-
Trump threatens to take back control of Panama Canal
-
Secretive game developer codes hit 'Balatro' in Canadian prairie province
-
Stellantis backtracks on plan to lay off 1,100 at US Jeep plant
-
Banned Russian skater Valieva stars at Moscow ice gala
-
Biden signs funding bill to avert government shutdown
-
Sorrow and fury in German town after Christmas market attack
-
France's most powerful nuclear reactor finally comes on stream
-
Sierra Leone student tackles toxic air pollution
-
Amazon says US strike caused 'no disruptions'
-
Qualcomm scores key win in licensing dispute with Arm
-
Scientists observe 'negative time' in quantum experiments
-
US approves first drug treatment for sleep apnea
-
Amazon expects no disruptions as US strike goes into 2nd day
-
US confirms billions in chips funds to Samsung, Texas Instruments
-
Wall Street rebounds despite US inflation ticking higher
NYSE - LSE
Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
Kyrgyzstan has opened a criminal probe into the destruction of glacial ice by a private company, a rare move pointing to concerns over water shortages in the Central Asian country.
Glaciers are thick masses of ice that form on land from centuries of compressed snow.
They provide a vital source of freshwater in Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country home to thousands of them, but rising temperatures due to climate change and mining operations are putting them at risk.
The glacial ice in the southern Osh region was destroyed when a private company "illegally built a road to a coal mine" in the area, allegedly in collusion with a state-owned firm, prosecutors said on Thursday.
"As a result of the illegal actions of the private company, glaciers and soil spanning an area of 9,392 square metres were destroyed," they added.
Prosecutors said they had opened a criminal case into environmental safety violations and the "abuse of an official position", without elaborating.
Acting as water towers, glaciers are crucial sources of freshwater and play an important role in Kyrgyzstan's food security, as melting ice is used for irrigation and agriculture.
Concerns over water shortages in Central Asia are mounting, with climate change, leaky Soviet-era infrastructure and disputes over water ownership all contributing to the problem.
M.Davis--CPN
