Myanmar earthquake leaves ancient town in ruins

The United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic officially launched the Kyrgyzstan SDG Investor Map, Kabar reports.

The SDG Investor Map is a market intelligence tool that identifies priority investment opportunities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the country’s national development priorities. It provides investors with detailed information on priority industries, market needs, and potential partners, enabling informed investment decisions. This tool has already been successfully implemented in several countries and has proven effective in attracting long-term sustainable investments. Kyrgyzstan is the first country in Central Asia to apply this globally recognized methodology, joining over 47 emerging markets worldwide.

Developed under the leadership of the National Investment Agency (NIA) and with technical support from UNDP, the Map outlines 9 Investment Opportunity Areas (IOAs) across sectors such as Renewable Energy, Infrastructure, Food and Beverage, Services, and Education, where private sector capital can deliver measurable economic, social, and environmental returns. An additional three IOAs were marked as "emerging," highlighting potential areas for future exploration.

Business and government representatives highlighted the potential of the SDG Investor Map as an effective tool for informed decision-making in sustainable development. "We are confident that the SDG Investor Map will be a key instrument for attracting investments into Kyrgyzstan’s economy, fostering sustainable growth and development," said Farhat Iminov, Director of NIA.

The Kyrgyzstan SDG Investor Map is now publicly accessible through the SDG Investor Platform, providing data-driven insights to guide SDG-aligned investment decisions. The findings will be reviewed and updated every two years to ensure their continued relevance.

UNDP Resident Representative Alexandra Solovieva underlined the importance of the initiative, stating: "The SDG Investor Map offers a strategic bridge between private capital and national development goals. It’s a practical tool to attract investments that not only generate profit but also deliver lasting impact for people and planet."

The implementation of the SDG Investor Map will enhance transparency in the investment process and increase international investors' confidence in Kyrgyzstan. UNDP and NIA will continue their efforts to attract investors to the country, with all investment opportunities available on the platform.

 

Excavations at the Olympos Ancient City in Türkiye’s southern Antalya province have uncovered new mosaic floors and a notable inscription at the entrance of a church, archaeologists announced, Anadolu Agency reports.

Located in the Kumluca district, Olympos has been under continuous excavation since 2006, with year-round efforts underway for the past four years. The site contains remains from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods.

Significant discoveries at the site include multiple churches, an entrance complex, the Bishop’s Palace, a bridge, the Lycian Marcus Aurelius Arkhepolis Monumental Tomb, mosaic structures, the Antimakhos Sarcophagus, and monumental tombs near the harbor.

Gokcen Kurtulus Oztaskin, an associate professor at Pamukkale University and head of the excavation team, told Anadolu that the increased funding and ongoing support from Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has enabled uninterrupted archaeological work.

He added that mosaics with geometric and vegetal motifs, along with inscriptions, were found in both the main and annex sections of the church. One inscription was located at the church entrance door.

Highlighting the inscription’s message, Oztaskin said it reads: "Only those on the righteous path may enter here."

According to Oztaskin, the presence of mosaic inscriptions and benefactors’ names indicates that Olympos was one of the most affluent cities in the Lycian region in terms of mosaic art.

Excavations to continue at newly identified temple

Oztaskin said the site also reveals how a Roman-era necropolis and cemetery area evolved into a civilian settlement during the Byzantine era, likely due to population growth. Excavations continue to uncover this transformation.

One building, constructed in the 5th century AD and destroyed by fire in the 6th century, was rebuilt preserving its original layout and function. It is a multi-room residential building with stone-paved floors.

Excavations will also begin on a newly identified building believed to be a temple, based on its architectural features.

Work this year will continue in the necropolis area in the western part of the city and on monumental buildings in the city center, including the temple, the Bishop’s Palace, and Church No. 3.

Excavations in the northern section of the ancient city are expected to be completed within two years, after which focus will shift to the southern areas.

Oztaskin added that large storage jars, or pithoi, were also discovered this year in the civilian settlement zone.

Artifacts from the ongoing excavation are currently on display at the Antalya Archaeological Museum.

 

Archaeologists have discovered more than 100 Paleolithic sites in the city of Weinan, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, confirming that human activity in this region dates back at least 600,000 years, Xinhua reports.

The sites were identified during a year-long special survey under the fourth national cultural relics census in Shaanxi.

These findings provide crucial evidence of ancient human evolution in the area and refine academic understanding of early human history and cultural traits on the eastern Guanzhong Plain -- once the heartland of ancient China.

Weinan has a long history of Paleolithic archaeology, including the landmark discoveries of the "Lantian Man" and "Dali Man" fossils during the 1960s and 1970s. Since 2020, surveys led by the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, have revealed extensive clues regarding Paleolithic culture across the city.

Zu Liang, curator of Weinan Museum, said these findings extend the historical timeline of continuous human habitation in the area, and offer evidence for tracing the cultural legacy of the Yellow River.

 

At least nine people were killed in a school shooting in Austria's second-largest city of Graz, local media reported on Tuesday, Xinhua reports.

Several students and teachers were seriously injured, local media cited the police as saying. The suspected perpetrator is believed to have killed himself, reports added.

According to Austria's largest newspaper, Kronen Zeitung, the incident occurred at the school in the Lend district shortly before 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Tuesday.

Police have been mobilized in the region, with a helicopter deployed. The school has been evacuated, and further danger is excluded, local police stated on the social media platform X.

 

Over 70 countries are set to call for targets to reduce plastic production and consumption worldwide to combat marine pollution in a joint statement to be issued at the U.N. Ocean Conference this week, a source related to the matter said Monday, Kyodo reported.

Japan is not expected to back the statement, which will be issued by various European and Pacific island nations at the conference running Monday through Friday in the southeastern French city of Nice.

Middle Eastern countries and others that produce petroleum, a raw resource used to manufacture plastics, have also opposed manufacturing restrictions and are expected to forego backing the statement.

An estimated over 8 million tons of plastic waste is washed into the world's oceans every year. Concerns have also grown over microplastics that end up in the ocean and enter the bodies of marine organisms, which in turn could impact human health if they are consumed.

Negotiations on the creation of an international treaty will also resume in Switzerland in August, but the lack of countries onboard with the statement has highlighted the difficulty of reaching a consensus on manufacturing regulations, the biggest focus of the negotiations.

At the previous round of talks held in South Korea from November to December, participating nations could not reach an agreement on manufacturing restrictions.

The joint statement will additionally call for mandatory reporting of manufacturing, and import and export volumes in order to achieve the reduction targets.

France, which leads support for the regulations, is touting the joint statement as a "historic opportunity."

Japan has opted not to be named in the joint statement, stating that it wants an agreement that includes as many countries as possible and avoids fragmentation.

But environmental groups have criticized Japan, saying that it should clarify its stance in order to make the treaty effective.

 

The III International Bishkek Film Festival will be held in the capital from June 11 to 15, the Ministry of Culture, Information and Youth Policy reported, Kabar reports.

The opening of the festival will take place on June 11 at the Kyrgyz National Philharmonic and the closing on June 15 at 18:00 at the Kyrgyz National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after A. Maldybaev.

According to the festival program, several events are planned to be held at different venues in the city.

 

As the boreal wildfire season gets underway, Canada has seen a sharp rise in the number and intensity of wildfires, particularly in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, resulting in large emissions of smoke and pollutants into the atmosphere, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has been closely tracking the fires, their emissions, and the transport of smoke across long distances. According to CAMS Senior Scientist Mark Parrington, "central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions." He added that the presence of smoke over Europe reflects the scale of the fires and their broader atmospheric impact.

In recent weeks, satellite data has confirmed that smoke from Canadian wildfires has crossed the Atlantic, reaching Europe. An initial plume arrived over the Mediterranean in mid-May, with smoke reported in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. A larger plume followed at the end of May, reaching northwestern Europe on June 1, with further smoke transport expected in the coming days.

CAMS forecasts suggest that, while these plumes occur mostly at high altitudes and are unlikely to affect surface air quality significantly, they may still lead to hazier skies and more vivid sunsets.

At the same time, major wildfires continue to burn in Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District, with the most prominent fires occurring in the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai, east of Lake Baikal. Carbon emissions in the region have reached their highest level for this period since 2018.

 

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Tuesday called for strengthening financial cooperation among member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to give strong impetus to the development of regional countries, Xinhua reports.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a group meeting with foreign representatives attending a meeting of the SCO member states' finance ministers and central bank chiefs.

Ding said that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a series of important suggestions and measures for jointly building a more beautiful home of the SCO at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" meeting last year in Astana.

China is willing to take its rotating presidency of the SCO as an opportunity and work with other member states to prioritize development, strengthen financial cooperation, expand the local currency settlement, promote digital inclusive finance, and actively work for the establishment of an SCO development bank, Ding said.

Speaking on behalf of the foreign side, SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev spoke highly of the work carried out by China as the rotating chair of the SCO, and expressed the willingness to collaborate with the Chinese side to uphold the "Shanghai Spirit" and promote regional prosperity and development.