Latest news with #Karakoram
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Discovery at Earth's 'most dangerous glacier' sparks joy among climate skeptics
Scientists have made a startling discovery that may debunk global warming at Earth's 'most dangerous glacier,' sending climate change deniers into celebration. Based on a surprising photo taken by the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023, researchers from around the world have concluded that three glaciers in Asia 's Karakoram mountain range have been gaining ice and merging. The NASA image revealed that the Lolofond and Teram Shehr glaciers have been slowly merging with the Siachen glacier near the borders of India, Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan. The region has long been referred to as the world's most dangerous glacier range due to the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, with both nations positioning troops on their side of the glaciers since 1984. Long before the photo was revealed, scientists had called the unexplained ice gains the 'Karakoram anomaly,' since many climate studies have found that most glaciers worldwide are losing mass due to rising temperatures. However, this is the second major glacier location to see more ice being formed in recent years. In May, researchers in Shanghai discovered that Antarctica started to reverse its decades-long trend of catastrophic melting and has seen record amounts of ice forming since 2021. The latest development from Karakoram has set off climate deniers on social media, who have continued to claim that the alarmism over global warming has been nothing more than a hoax. 'UH oh, Democrats. Are we back to a new Ice Age?' one person joked on X, referring to Democrat-led climate bills in Congress. 'This anomaly has baffled scientists for years, no doubt upsetting #ClimateChange fanatics,' another person posted. To the climate deniers' point, scientists studying the Karakoram anomaly since the 1990s still haven't been able to pin down a clear reason why more ice has been forming and the glaciers are merging. One possible explanation could be that favorable weather patterns in the region have kept the ice from melting. That includes seeing cooler summers and more snow in the winter. A 2022 study in the Journal of Climate found that wintertime precipitation intensity (snow) in the Karakoram range rose by roughly 10 percent between 1980 and 2019. However, a 2023 study in Earth System Science Data claimed that the phenomenon likely wouldn't last due to rising global temperatures countering this short stretch of cold weather. 'This may indicate a weakening of the abnormal behavior of glaciers in the Karakoram owing to the continuous warming,' the researchers said. Despite the latest climate findings, the region has continued to show signs of unusual ice growth that have left geologists and climatologists stumped. Another theory, posed by geology professor Kenneth Hewitt of Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, suggested that thick layers of dust and debris could be keeping the ice underneath from melting in the sun like other glaciers. His 2005 paper in the journal Mountain Research and Development found that less than two inches of debris from local avalanches and rockfalls over the centuries would be enough to start protecting the ice from melting. However, researchers from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado shot this theory down, noting that if the Karakoram anomaly only started in the 1990s, as studies show, something else would need to spark this trend besides centuries of dust. Siachen has been the world's second-longest glacier outside of Greenland and Antarctica. NASA scientists have measured it to be around 47 miles long and 2.2 miles in width. Sitting near K2, the world's second-highest mountain, the Siachen glacier's peak starts around 19,000 feet above sea level and descends to around 11,800 feet. The photo released by NASA also highlighted the dark-colored moraines, which are parallel bands formed from rock and dust wedged between the glaciers as they merge. These layers were particularly noticeable around the Teram Shehr glacier as it smashes into the Siachen glacier from the right side. As scientists struggle to answer the question of why more ice is growing in this disputed part of Asia, the mystery has given skeptics of climate science even more evidence to use against so-called 'climate alarmists.' University of Cambridge professor Mike Hulme told in 2023 that climate alarmists have created tremendous distrust and ill will among the public by blaming almost all of society's issues on the climate emergency. 'Climate change is cited as the sole explanation for everything going wrong in the world. Drought, famine, flooding, wars, racism – you name it. And if it's bad, it's down to global warming caused by humans,' Professor Hulme said. 'I disagree with the doom-mongers. Climate change is not like a comet approaching Earth. There is no good scientific or historical evidence that it will lead to human extinction or the collapse of human civilization,' the professor of human geography added.
Khaleej Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
In a Pakistan valley, a small revolution among women
In a sawdust-filled workshop nestled in the Karakoram Mountains, a team of women carpenters chisel away at cabinets -- and forge an unlikely career for themselves in Pakistan. Women make up just a fraction of Pakistan's formal workforce. But in a collection of villages sprinkled along the old Silk Road between China and Afghanistan, a group of women-led businesses is defying expectations. "We have 22 employees and have trained around 100 women," said Bibi Amina, who launched her carpentry workshop in 2008 at the age of 30. Hunza Valley's population of around 50,000, spread across mountains abounding with apricot, cherry, walnut and mulberry orchards, follow the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam. Ismailis are led by the Aga Khan, a hereditary position held by a family with Pakistani roots now living in Europe. The family opened a girls' school in Hunza in 1946, kickstarting an educational investment that pushed the valley's literacy rate to 97 percent for both men and women. That rate far outstrips the country average of around 68 percent for men and 52.8 percent for women. As a result, attitudes have shifted, and women like Amina are taking expanded roles. "People thought women were there to wash dishes and do laundry," Amina said of the generation before her. Trained by the Aga Khan Foundation to help renovate the ancient Altit Fort, Amina later used her skills to start her own business. Her carpenters are currently at work on a commission from a luxury hotel. Pioneers Only 23 percent of the women in Pakistan were officially part of the labour force as of 2024, according to data from the World Bank. In rural areas, women rarely take on formal employment but often toil in the fields to support the family's farming income. In a Gallup poll published last year, a third of women respondents said their father or husband forbade them from taking a job, while 43.5 percent said they had given up work to devote themselves to domestic tasks. Cafe owner Lal Shehzadi spearheaded women's restaurant entrepreneurship in Hunza. She opened her cafe at the top of a winding high street to supplement her husband's small army pension. Sixteen years later, her simple set-up overlooking the valley has become a popular night-time tourist attraction. She serves visitors traditional cuisine, including yak meat, apricot oil and rich mountain cheese. "At the start, I used to work alone," she said. "Now, 11 people work here and most of them are women. And my children are also working here." Following in Shehzadi's footsteps, Safina quit her job to start her own restaurant around a decade ago. "No one wanted to help me," she said. Eventually, she convinced family members to sell two cows and a few goats for the money she needed to launch her business. Now, she earns the equivalent of around $170 a month, more than 15 times her previous income. Farming to football The socio-economic progress of women in Hunza compared to other rural areas of Pakistan has been driven by three factors, according to Sultan Madan, the head of the Karakoram Area Development Organisation and a local historian. "The main reason is the very high literacy rate," he told AFP, largely crediting the Aga Khan Foundation for funding training programmes for women. "Secondly, agriculture was the backbone of the economy in the region, but in Hunza the landholding was meagre and that was why women had to work in other sectors." Women's increased economic participation has spilled into other areas of life, like sports fields. "Every village in the valley has a women's soccer team: Gojal, Gulmit, Passu, Khyber, Shimsal," said Nadia Shams, 17. On a synthetic pitch, she trains with her teammates in jogging pants or shorts, forbidden elsewhere by Pakistan's dress code. Here, one name is on everyone's lips: Malika-e-Noor, the former vice-captain of the national team who scored the winning penalty against the Maldives in the 2010 South Asian Women's Football Championship. Fahima Qayyum was six years old when she witnessed the killer kick. Today, after several international matches, she is recruiting the next generation. "As a girl, I stress to others the importance of playing, as sport is very good for health," she told AFP. "If they play well, they can also get scholarships."
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
In a Pakistan valley, a small revolution among women
In a sawdust-filled workshop nestled in the Karakoram Mountains, a team of women carpenters chisel away at cabinets -- and forge an unlikely career for themselves in Pakistan. Women make up just a fraction of Pakistan's formal workforce. But in a collection of villages sprinkled along the old Silk Road between China and Afghanistan, a group of women-led businesses is defying expectations. "We have 22 employees and have trained around 100 women," said Bibi Amina, who launched her carpentry workshop in 2008 at the age of 30. Hunza Valley's population of around 50,000, spread across mountains abounding with apricot, cherry, walnut and mulberry orchards, follow the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam. Ismailis are led by the Aga Khan, a hereditary position held by a family with Pakistani roots now living in Europe. The family opened agirls' school in Hunza in 1946, kickstarting an educational investment that pushed the valley's literacy rate to 97 percent for both men and women. That rate far outstrips the country average of around 68 percent for men and 52.8 percent for women. As a result, attitudes have shifted, and women like Amina are taking expanded roles. "People thought women were there to wash dishes and do laundry," Amina said of the generation before her. Trained by the Aga Khan Foundation to help renovate the ancient Altit Fort, Amina later used her skills to start her own business. Her carpenters are currently at work on a commission from a luxury hotel. - Pioneers - Only 23 percent of the women in Pakistan were officially part of the labour force as of 2024, according to data from the World Bank. In rural areas, women rarely take on formal employment but often toil in the fields to support the family's farming income. In a Gallup poll published last year, a third of women respondents said their father or husband forbade them from taking a job, while 43.5 percent said they had given up work to devote themselves to domestic tasks. Cafe owner Lal Shehzadi spearheaded women's restaurant entrepreneurship in Hunza. She opened her cafe at the top of a winding high street to supplement her husband's small army pension. Sixteen years later, her simple set-up overlooking the valley has become a popular night-time tourist attraction. She serves visitors traditional cuisine, including yak meat, apricot oil and rich mountain cheese. "At the start, I used to work alone," she said. "Now, 11 people work here and most of them are women. And my children are also working here." Following in Shehzadi's footsteps, Safina quit her job to start her own restaurant around a decade ago. "No one wanted to help me," she said. Eventually, she convinced family members to sell two cows and a few goats for the money she needed to launch her business. Now, she earns the equivalent of around $170 a month, more than 15 times her previous income. - Farming to football - The socio-economic progress of women in Hunza compared to other rural areas of Pakistan has been driven by three factors, according to Sultan Madan, the head of the Karakoram Area Development Organisation and a local historian. "The main reason is the very high literacy rate," he told AFP, largely crediting the Aga Khan Foundation for funding training programmes for women. "Secondly, agriculture was the backbone of the economy in the region, but in Hunza the landholding was meagre and that was why women had to work in other sectors." Women's increased economic participation has spilled into other areas of life, like sports fields. "Every village in the valley has a women's soccer team: Gojal, Gulmit, Passu, Khyber, Shimsal," said Nadia Shams, 17. On a synthetic pitch, she trains with her teammates in jogging pants or shorts, forbidden elsewhere by Pakistan's dress code. Here, one name is on everyone's lips: Malika-e-Noor, the former vice-captain of the national team who scored the winning penalty against the Maldives in the 2010 South Asian Women's Football Championship. Fahima Qayyum was six years old when she witnessed the killer kick. Today, after several international matches, she is recruiting the next generation. "As a girl, I stress to others the importance of playing, as sport is very good for health," she told AFP. "If they play well, they can also get scholarships."
Arab News
13-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
In a Pakistan valley, a small revolution among women
KARIMABAD, Pakistan: In a sawdust-filled workshop nestled in the Karakoram Mountains, a team of women carpenters chisel away at cabinets — and forge an unlikely career for themselves in Pakistan. Women make up just a fraction of Pakistan's formal workforce. But in a collection of villages sprinkled along the old Silk Road between China and Afghanistan, a group of women-led businesses is defying expectations. 'We have 22 employees and have trained around 100 women,' said Bibi Amina, who launched her carpentry workshop in 2008 at the age of 30. Hunza Valley's population of around 50,000, spread across mountains abounding with apricot, cherry, walnut and mulberry orchards, follow the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam. Ismailis are led by the Aga Khan, a hereditary position held by a family with Pakistani roots now living in Europe. The family opened a girls' school in Hunza in 1946, kickstarting an educational investment that pushed the valley's literacy rate to 97 percent for both men and women. That rate far outstrips the country average of around 68 percent for men and 52.8 percent for women. As a result, attitudes have shifted, and women like Amina are taking expanded roles. 'People thought women were there to wash dishes and do laundry,' Amina said of the generation before her. Trained by the Aga Khan Foundation to help renovate the ancient Altit Fort, Amina later used her skills to start her own business. Her carpenters are currently at work on a commission from a luxury hotel. Only 23 percent of the women in Pakistan were officially part of the labor force as of 2024, according to data from the World Bank. In rural areas, women rarely take on formal employment but often toil in the fields to support the family's farming income. In a Gallup poll published last year, a third of women respondents said their father or husband forbade them from taking a job, while 43.5 percent said they had given up work to devote themselves to domestic tasks. Cafe owner Lal Shehzadi spearheaded women's restaurant entrepreneurship in Hunza. She opened her cafe at the top of a winding high street to supplement her husband's small army pension. Sixteen years later, her simple set-up overlooking the valley has become a popular night-time tourist attraction. She serves visitors traditional cuisine, including yak meat, apricot oil and rich mountain cheese. 'At the start, I used to work alone,' she said. 'Now, 11 people work here and most of them are women. And my children are also working here.' Following in Shehzadi's footsteps, Safina quit her job to start her own restaurant around a decade ago. 'No one wanted to help me,' she said. Eventually, she convinced family members to sell two cows and a few goats for the money she needed to launch her business. Now, she earns the equivalent of around $170 a month, more than 15 times her previous income. The socio-economic progress of women in Hunza compared to other rural areas of Pakistan has been driven by three factors, according to Sultan Madan, the head of the Karakoram Area Development Organization and a local historian. 'The main reason is the very high literacy rate,' he told AFP, largely crediting the Aga Khan Foundation for funding training programs for women. 'Secondly, agriculture was the backbone of the economy in the region, but in Hunza the landholding was meager and that was why women had to work in other sectors.' Women's increased economic participation has spilled into other areas of life, like sports fields. 'Every village in the valley has a women's soccer team: Gojal, Gulmit, Passu, Khyber, Shimsal,' said Nadia Shams, 17. On a synthetic pitch, she trains with her teammates in jogging pants or shorts, forbidden elsewhere by Pakistan's dress code. Here, one name is on everyone's lips: Malika-e-Noor, the former vice-captain of the national team who scored the winning penalty against the Maldives in the 2010 South Asian Women's Football Championship. Fahima Qayyum was six years old when she witnessed the killer kick. Today, after several international matches, she is recruiting the next generation. 'As a girl, I stress to others the importance of playing, as sport is very good for health,' she told AFP. 'If they play well, they can also get scholarships.'
Al Jazeera
01-06-2025
- Health
- Al Jazeera
This is what it is like to be held in solitary confinement in a US prison
Warning: This story contains references to suicide, which some readers may find disturbing. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, help and support are available. Visit Befrienders International for more information about support services. When I was a child, I would spend each summer with my family in the foothills of northern Pakistan's Karakoram mountains. We would spend our days exploring the verdant meadows, forests and lakes in this region known as the "roof of the world" and then return to our lodge for meals of chargha (fire-roasted chicken) and naan, hot tea, coconut biscuits, cashews and dried fruits. At night, we'd make bonfires and tell stories about our family spread all over the world. I remember how tiny I felt sitting wrapped in a woollen Kashmiri shawl on those chilly nights, sitting under skies full of stars. Those trips always carried a sense of adventure - and freedom. One day during one of those summer holidays when I was 12, my Aunt Naseem went for a walk and I tagged along. She was my mentor and confidant and, having never had children of her own, was like a mother to me. That day, we headed to the Neelam River separating Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian-administered Kashmir. We walked along the riverbank beside the clear river. We were so close to the border that we could see the Indian army posts, their guns pointed in our direction. Arriving at a higher point, we stood in the Neelum Valley. It had rained earlier and now the air was fresh. Snow-capped peaks rose in the distance. I remember my aunt pulling me into the warmth of her shawl. "Once here, Tariq, you never actually leave. A part of you will always stay in the north, always beckoning,' she told me. Her words enchanted me. "You don't believe me,' she said, her smile widening. "Shout out your name and see what happens." I shouted - as loud as I could. Then it came: an echo that seemed to say my name over and over into the distance. "Now you see. The mountains are too high. They will never let Tariq leave," my aunt told me.
