Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction / Photo: © AFP
-
Galloway accuser could not foresee publishing-sector fallout, lawyer argues
-
No. 22 UCLA defeats No. 5 Arizona 84-75 despite Kharchenkov's 38 points
-
New York City Center revives In the Heights as a timely community story
-
Vessel operator seeks witnesses after Vancouver grounding
-
Godzilla Minus Zero shifts focus toward postwar human drama
-
US Air Force deploys F-16 fighters to remote Aleutian base for readiness drill
-
Mehbooba Mufti urges dialogue and renewed Central Asia links for Kashmir
-
Bezos grant helps Seattle nonprofit move thousands of families toward housing
-
Seacliff Healthcare Seeks Specialist GP in Thirroul
-
Shrini Srivastava joins crew of Varanasi-Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper service
-
US stocks fall before midterm Election Day as technology shares weaken
-
Nearly Half of Australian Workers Overqualified, Survey Finds
-
BLS Polymers makes strong market debut at ₹248 per share
-
RBI eases export-declaration compliance for individual service exporters
-
Petrol and diesel prices remain broadly steady across major Indian cities
-
India proposes more import entry points for drugs and medical devices
-
Reliance shares remain in focus after near-12% surge
-
Derek Tierney Outlines Ten-Year Strategy for National Digital Health System
-
2026 Arizona Midterms: Key Races, Ballot Measures, and Voter Deadlines
-
NBC’s Steve Kornacki Reveals Tech Habits Ahead of Midterm Elections
-
Coal India prepares possible $1 billion Mahanadi Coalfields listing
-
India and Israel oppose UN draft on regional conventional arms control
-
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa Share Emotional Farewell After 'DWTS' Elimination
-
BLS Polymers shares open 65.3% above IPO price
-
US Buildings Threatened by Wildfires Could Triple by 2060
-
Capital-markets shares rally as Motilal Oswal and Angel One lead gains
-
Why Pregnancy Cost Estimates Fail: A Family’s $9,000 Surprise
-
Latino Voters Defy ICE Fears, Turn Out in Record Numbers for Midterms
-
US Strikes Iranian Targets in Strait of Hormuz Ahead of Midterms
-
ITC shares rise as analysts anticipate gradual cigarette-business recovery
-
Brodeur’s Overtime Goal Secures Bethlehem’s Second Consecutive Sectional Title
-
Reliance rally puts historical one-year return pattern in focus
-
Rare 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda 426 Hemi Listed for $400,000
-
Kuwait edges Oman 1-0 in veterans Gulf Cup in Doha
-
The Digital Burden: Why Instant Messaging Feels Like a Full-Time Job
-
Saudi Aramco quarterly profit climbs 34.6% amid elevated oil prices
-
Alberta Tabled Controversial Riding Boundary Maps Amid Gerrymandering Accusations
-
Washington reports movement in Iran negotiations aimed at preventing escalation
-
Hong Kong court set to sentence activist Joshua Wong in security case
-
Korea’s Labor Share of GDP Hits Record Low Amid Semiconductor Boom
-
Australia raises benchmark rate to highest level in 18 years
-
littlefish and Halo Dot Partner to Replace Payment Terminals with SoftPOS
-
'The Remarried Empress' Cast Discusses Bringing Fantasy Royal Drama to Life
-
Kuwait inspectors destroy 115 kilograms of unverified meat in Farwaniya
-
Asian stocks retreat as AI worries outweigh steep oil-price drop
-
Egypt Accelerates Construction of 341km Sinai Railway Linking Arish and Taba
-
Hamad International Airport stages emergency drills during WATAN 2026
-
John Schneider Admits Owes Millions in 'Dukes of Hazzard' Divorce Battle
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.
S.Spengler--VB
