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☆ Nepal urges Russia not to recruit its citizens into army; says six killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Nepal government said in a statement that six of its nationals, who had been serving the Russian army, were killed, without providing any details. Diplomatic efforts were underway to get one Nepali citizen serving the Russian army and captured by Ukraine released, the statement added. Nepal also urged its citizens not to join the army of any war-torn country. English daily, The Kathmandu Post, quoted Milan Raj Tuladhar, Nepal's ambassador in Moscow, as saying that 150-200 Nepalis were working as mercenaries in the Russian army. Millions of Nepali nationals are employed in civilian work mainly as labourers in industries and construction sites in South Korea, Malaysia and the Middle East.

Persons: Phil Noble, Milan Raj Tuladhar, Gopal Sharma, Sudipto Ganguly Organizations: Brigade, Catterick Garrison, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Richmond, Britain, Nepal, Moscow, India, China, Russia, Ukraine, Kathmandu, Russian, South Korea, Malaysia, Lincoln

☆ New party to face old guard in Bhutan's fourth free vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) received the highest number of votes in the preliminary round of the election held on Thursday, followed by the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), the ECB said. Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), the party headed by outgoing Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, finished fourth, the ECB vote counts showed. PDP, headed by former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, is a liberal group founded in 2007, which had formed the government in Bhutan between 2013 and 2018. They also share similar views on several other issues such as the development of hydroelectric power, agricultural growth, and unemployment. Majority-Buddhist Bhutan, which is roughly the size of Switzerland, has deep economic and trade relations with its southern neighbour, India, which is its biggest donor.

Persons: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Jetsun Pema, Britain's King Charles, Henry Nicholls, Nyamrup, Lotay Tshering, Tshering Tobgay, Pema Chewang, Gopal Sharma, Alex Richardson Organizations: Buckingham, REUTERS, Bhutan, Democratic Party, Bhutan Tendrel Party, ECB, Buddhist, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, India, Bhutan, Buddhist Bhutan, Switzerland

☆ Bhutan Votes in Preliminary Round of National Elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Gopal SharmaKATHMANDU (Reuters) - Bhutan began voting on Thursday in the preliminary round of national elections to choose two political parties that will contest the fourth free vote since democracy was established in the Himalayan kingdom 15 years ago. Nestled between China and India, Bhutan is known for its Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, an economic gauge that takes into account factors normally ignored by gross domestic product measures, like recreation and emotional well-being. Nearly half a million of the country’s fewer than 800,000 people are eligible to vote for the five political parties that are in the fray. The two parties that win the highest number of votes will qualify for the final round of the election to the 47-member National Assembly, set to take place on Jan. 9. Analysts say all five political parties have vowed to boost the $3 billion economy that is dependent on aid and tourism.

Persons: Gopal Sharma, “, ”, Karma, Stephen Coates Organizations: National Assembly, Bhutan, Analysts Locations: Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Bhutan, China, India, Punakha, Thimphu, Switzerland

☆ Nepal registers first same-sex marriage; 'historic', say activists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Participants take part in an annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade, in Kathmandu, Nepal June 10, 2023. "We have issued the marriage registration certificate to the couple in consideration of the Supreme Court order and instructions from relevant government authorities," said Hem Raj Kafle, chief administrative officer of the Dordi rural municipality. In June, the country's Supreme Court issued an interim order allowing same-sex couples to register their marriages pending a final verdict. "It is historic," said Pant, a former lawmaker, noting that it was the first such registration in South Asia. Taiwan is the only other country to legalise same-sex marriage in Asia, where societies remain largely conservative.

Persons: Navesh, Ram Bahadur, Gurung, Surendra Pandey, Pandey, Raj Kafle, Sunil Babu Pant, Nepal's, Pant, Gopal Sharma, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Richard Chang Organizations: REUTERS, Blue Diamond Society, Maoists, Nepali Congress, Thomson Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Lumjung, South Asia, Taiwan, Asia

☆ Nepal riot police rout protesters seeking restoration of monarchy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The "Citizens' Campaign" protesters say governments in place since the monarchy was scrapped, as part of a deal ending a Maoist insurgency, have failed to live up to commitments to develop one of the world’s poorest countries. Protesters tried to dismantle a police barricade on the outskirts of Kathmandu and march into the centre of the capital, prompting riot police to intervene and repel the crowd, witnesses said. Some police officers were injured by stones thrown by protesters, said Basnet. Durga Prasai, coordinator of the Citizens’ Campaign, said about 10 protesters were injured in the melee, two of them critically. Gyanendra, the last king of the Himalayan mountain country wedged between India and China, lives as a commoner with his family in Kathmandu.

Persons: Jitendra Basnet, Durga Prasai, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Gopal Sharma, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Pro, Police, Protesters, Citizens ’, East, Nepali Congress, Thomson Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, KATHMANDU, Malaysia, South Korea, India, China

☆ Nepal to ban China's TikTok, alleges damaging social impact
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. TikTok has already been either partially or completely banned by other countries, with many citing security concerns. Nepal's Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said the decision to ban TikTok had been made at a cabinet meeting earlier on Monday. "Colleagues are working on closing it technically," Sharma told Reuters. Nepal's neighbour India banned TikTok along with dozens of other apps by Chinese developers in June 2020, saying that they could compromise national security and integrity.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, China's, TikTok, Technology Rekha Sharma, Sharma, Purushottam Khanal, Khanal, Pradeep Gyawali, Gopal Sharma, Sakshi Dayal, Jason Neely, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Nepal's, Communications, Technology, Reuters, Nepal Telecom, Communist Party of Nepal, Marxist, Thomson Locations: Nepal, India, Pakistan

☆ Nepal earthquake: More tremors occur three days after deadly quake
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KATHMANDU, Nov 6 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Nepal on Monday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said, followed by another slightly weaker temblor, injuring three people, just days after 153 perished in the country's worst quake since 2015. The epicentre of Monday's bigger earthquake was in Ramidanda in Jajarkot district, the same location as Friday's temblor, the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre said. [1/6]A woman stands in front of her collapsed house after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal November 6, 2023. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar Acquire Licensing RightsJajarkot district official Ek Raj Upadhayay said buildings with damage after Friday's quake may have been further compromised, but no details were available. The quake was the deadliest in the Himalayan country since 2015, when about 9,000 people were killed in two earthquakes.

Persons: Satosh Rokka, temblor, Navesh, Ek Raj Upadhayay, Gopal Sharma, Chandni Shah, Mrigank Dhaniwala, Toby Chopra, Bernadette Baum Organizations: National Earthquake Monitoring, Research Centre, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Nepal, European, Ramidanda, Jajarkot district, Paink, Jajarkot, New Delhi, India, Kathmandu, Bengaluru

CHIURI, Nepal, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Sobbing relatives of victims from Nepal's worst earthquake in eight years cremated their loved ones on Sunday as rescuers looked for people who could still be trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. The quake had a magnitude 6.4, Nepal's National Seismological Centre said, while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 5.6. Since Friday's quake, thousands of buildings in Jajarkot and neighbouring Rukum West district have collapsed or developed cracks making them uninhabitable. "I am shocked to lose almost all my family members," said the 41-year-old, who farms millet and corn. In Khalanga, the capital of Jajarkot district, survivors slept in the streets near damaged houses, wrapped in blankets to beat the cold.

Persons: Baljit Mahar, Mahar, Navesh, Kuber Kadayat, Shanta Bahadur B.K, B.K, Navesh Chitrakar, Yubaraj Sharma, Gopal Sharma, William Mallard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Reuters, Seismological Centre, U.S . Geological, REUTERS, Nepal Police, Thomson Locations: CHIURI, Nepal, Chiuri, Jajarkot, U.S, Rukum West, Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, Jajarkot district

☆ Rescuers Struggle to Find Nepal Quake Survivors, Deaths at 137
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

"The number of injured could be in the hundreds and the deaths could go up as well," Jajarkot district official Harish Chandra Sharma told Reuters by phone. Officials said 99 people were killed in Jajarkot and 38 in neighbouring Rukum West district, both in Karnali province. At least 85 people were injured in Rukum West and 55 in Jajarkot, an official in the prime minister's office said. Thousands of residents spent the entire night in cold, open grounds because they were too scared to go in into the cracked houses as aftershocks struck," Sharma said. Local TV channels showed rescuers digging through the rubble with their bare hands looking for survivors in the debris of collapsed houses.

Persons: Gopal Sharma, Harish Chandra Sharma, Sharma, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Krishna Bhandari, Narendra Modi, Saurabh Sharma, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: Seismological, German Research Centre, Geosciences, U.S . Geological, Reuters, Authorities, Indian, YP Locations: Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Nepal, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Jajarkot, Rukum West, Karnali province, Ramidanda, Surkhet, Chaurjahari, Rukum, India, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, LUCKNOW

☆ Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors, deaths at 137
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A damaged building is seen after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal, November 4, 2023. Officials said 99 people were killed in Jajarkot and 38 in neighbouring Rukum West district, both in Karnali province. At least 85 people were injured in Rukum West and 55 in Jajarkot, an official in the prime minister's office said. Thousands of residents spent the entire night in cold, open grounds because they were too scared to go in into the cracked houses as aftershocks struck," Sharma said. Local TV channels showed rescuers digging through the rubble with their bare hands looking for survivors in the debris of collapsed houses.

Persons: Harish Chandra Sharma, Sharma, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Krishna Bhandari, Narendra Modi, Gopal Sharma, Saurabh Sharma, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Seismological, German Research Centre, Geosciences, U.S . Geological, Reuters, Authorities, Indian, YP, Thomson Locations: Jajarkot, Nepal, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Rukum West, Karnali province, Ramidanda, Surkhet, Chaurjahari, Rukum, India, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, LUCKNOW

☆ Nepal earthquake kills at least 69
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Light illuminates a street between the cluster of residential buildings in Kathmandu, Nepal November 8, 2022. "Rescue and search teams have to clear roads blocked by dry landslides due to the earthquake to reach the affected areas," Bhattarai said. At least 20 people were rushed to hospital with injuries, Jajarkot district official Suresh Sunar told Reuters by phone. Nepal's National Seismological Centre said the quake occurred at 11:47 p.m. (1802 GMT) in Jajarkot district of Karnali province. The earthquake shook buildings as far as New Delhi, about 600 km (375 miles) away, according to Reuters witnesses.

Persons: Navesh, Harish Chandra Sharma, Namaraj Bhattarai, Bhattarai, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Jajarkot, Suresh Sunar, Santosh Rokka, Aditya Kalra, Gopal Sharma, Shivam Patel, Gnaneshwar Rajan, Jahnavi, Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis, Cynthia Osterman, David Gregorio, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Seismological Centre, German Research Centre, Geosciences, U.S . Geological Survey, Twitter, Reuters, Nepal's, Thomson Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Jajarkot, New Delhi, India, Rukum West, Jajarkot district, Karnali province

☆ Two earthquakes rattle Nepal, injuring 17, triggering landslides
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KATHMANDU, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Two earthquakes rocked western Nepal on Tuesday, injuring 17 people, damaging homes and triggering a landslide that blocked a major highway, authorities said. The temblors, centred in Talkot and Chainpur, struck at an interval of about 30 minutes. Police official Dipesh Chaudhary said 17 people - 11 women and six men - were injured and were being treated in hospital. One of the injured people was hit by a falling object, said Narayan Pandey, the top district official. Some homes in Chainpur, a town in the district, collapsed.

Persons: Rama Acharya, Dipesh Chaudhary, Narayan Pandey, Nilutpal, Gopal Sharma, Tanvi Mehta, Andrew Heavens, Clarence Fernandez, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Reuters, Police, Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Nepal, Bajhang, India, Talkot, New Delhi, Chainpur, Bengaluru, Kathmandu

☆ Bhutan cuts daily tourist fee by half to lure more visitors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"This is in view of the important role of the tourism sector in generating employment, earning foreign exchange ... and in boosting overall economic growth," it said. Isolated for generations, Bhutan opened to tourists in 1974 when it received 300 visitors. The tourist fee has limited arrivals to bigger spenders who make up a fraction of the numbers that visit nearby Nepal. Nevertheless, Bhutan hopes to raise the contribution of tourism to its $3 billion economy 20%, from about 5%. In June, the government eased rules on length of stay and fees for tourists but numbers have not picked up as expected.

Persons: Dorji Dhradhul, Dhradhul, Gopal Sharma, Robert Birsel Organizations: Department of Tourism, Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Bhutan, COVID, Nepal

Most of the recent arrivals have settled in Perth, Western Australia, where they have enrolled in courses such as childcare, hospitality and accounting. Tashi Kipchu, a 25-year-old education consultant, is one of many who came to Australia last year in search of better opportunities. People don't see an opportunity out there," said Kipchu, who studied marketing at the University of Western Australia. That accelerated after the reopening of borders in Australia in 2022, with official data showing student visa applications from Bhutan jumping fivefold in the fiscal year ended June. At Kingston International College, a vocational education provider in Western Australia, about 150 Bhutanese students receive training, said managing director Tandin Dorji, himself a Bhutanese migrant.

Persons: Cathal McNaughton SYDNEY, Tashi Kipchu, Kipchu, Phil Honeywood, Sonam Tobgay, Tandin Dorji, Dorji, Stella Qiu, Gopal Sharma, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, University of Western, International Education Association of Australia, Bhutan's, Kingston International College, Thomson Locations: Thimphu, Bhutan, KATHMANDU, Australia, Perth, Western Australia, University of Western Australia, South Asia, China, India, Nepal, Bhutanese, Sydney, Kathmandu

☆ Norwegian woman, Nepali sherpa become world's fastest to climb all 14 tallest peaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

“They have become the fastest to climb all 14 peaks,” Tashi, told Reuters, quoting information from the base camp. Climbing all 14 highest peaks in a few months is a challenging feat, which is normally done by many climbers in years. They set the fastest climbing record by beating Nirmal Purja from Nepal who completed all peaks in six months and one week in 2019. "They have made a summit a short while ago," Madison told Reuters adding that the Norwegian woman was "extremely tough mentally and physically". One of the sherpas, the 17-year-old Nima Rinjin Sherpa, also becomes the youngest to climb K2, Tashi said.

Persons: Kristin Harila, Nepal’s Tenjen, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, Tashi, Nirmal Purja, Cho Oyu, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum, Garrett Madison, Madison, Nima Rinjin Sherpa, Gopal Sharma, Michael Perry Organizations: Seven, Guinness, Madison Mountaineering, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Norwegian, Pakistan, Kathmandu, “, Nepal, Tibet, China, Annapurna, U.S

☆ Nepal bans‘non-essential’ flights by helicopters after deadly crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KATHMANDU, July 13 (Reuters) - Nepal's aviation regulator has banned helicopters from conducting "non-essential" flights, including those for sight-seeing, for two months after a deadly crash in the Everest region in which six people were killed. Five Mexican tourists and the Nepali pilot of a small helicopter operated by the private Manang Air company were killed on Tuesday when their chopper crashed while returning from viewing Himalayan peaks, including Mount Everest. “Non-essential flights like mountain flights, external load operations (sling flights) and showering of flowers by helicopters (will) be restricted till September,” the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said in a Twitter post late on Wednesday. Nepal, which is in the midst of the annual June-September monsoon season, has formed an investigation committee to find out what caused Tuesday’s crash. Nepal's worst air crash in 30 years killed 71 people in January, when a plane went down near the tourist city of Pokhara.

Persons: Mount, CAAN, Everest, Gopal Sharma, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Manang Air, Mount Everest, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Everest, Nepal, Pokhara

☆ Nepal retrieves bodies of six killed in helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] People unload the body from air transport of a person killed in a helicopter crash belonging to Manang air, at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal July 11, 2023. REUTERS/Navesh ChitrakarKATHMANDU, July 11 (Reuters) - Authorities in Nepal have retrieved the bodies of all six people killed in a helicopter crash on Tuesday, including five Mexican nationals, officials said, the latest in a series of air disasters to strike the Himalayan nation. The helicopter was operated by Manang Air, which ferries tourists seeking a view of the country's towering peaks, including Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. "We have already dispatched four bodies to Kathmandu in a helicopter and are preparing to send the remaining two soon," Bhattarai told Reuters from the crash site. Nepal's worst air crash in 30 years killed 71 people in January, when a plane went down near the tourist city of Pokhara.

Persons: Mount Everest, Basanta Bhattarai, Bhattarai, Sita Adhikari, Nima Tshering Sherpa, Teknath Sitoula, Raju Neupane, Gopal Sharma, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Ed Osmond, Clarence Fernandez, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, REUTERS, Authorities, Manang, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, KATHMANDU, Likkhu, Solukhumbu, Nepali, Pokhara

☆ Activists hail Nepal ruling allowing same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Supreme Court has been considering a petition on the issue filed by gay right activists and on Wednesday it issued an interim order allowing for same-sex couples to register their marriages pending a final verdict. Gurung said about 200 same-sex couples were expected "to come out openly and register their marriages". In Asia, Taiwan is the only place that recognises gay marriage, though pressure is building for reform in Japan, Thailand and South Korea. Since then, some same-sex couples have held unofficial weddings and gay pride parades have been held in the capital, Kathmandu. "We will now approach the authorities to formally register our marriage," Gurung said, referring to her partner of nearly a decade, Surendra Pandey.

Persons: Pinky Gurung, Gurung, Maya Gurung, Surendra Pandey, Gopal Sharma, Robert Birsel Organizations: Blue Diamond Society, Nepal's, Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Nepal, Asia, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Kathmandu

India's top solar power producing state Rajasthan has been getting "early warnings" of technical challenges that could arise as the use of renewables increases, a federal power ministry official said. "If proper tariff structures incentivising flexible thermal generation are not introduced, it could result in slower renewable energy adoption," he said. Reuters GraphicsSOLAR, PLUS COALGreen energy capacity in Asia grew 12% in 2022, the fastest rate among major regions, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. However, authorities in India's sun-drenched Rajasthan state are finding it increasingly difficult to control voltage fluctuations due to the inconsistent nature of solar power output. "Many of these renewable plants are not actually able to comply with such requirements," the official said.

Persons: Rystad, Wood Mackenzie, Lauri Myllyvirta, Pablo Hevia, Koch, Hevia, Florence Tan, Yuka Obayashi, Andrew Hayley, Fransiska, Gopal Sharma, Mei Mei Chu, Joyce Lee, Tony Munroe, Jamie Freed Organizations: Engie, Centre for Research, Clean Energy, Air, Reuters, International Renewable Energy Agency, International Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: China, India, Asia, Wood Mackenzie SINGAPORE, Rajasthan, Pacific, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Beijing, Jakarta, Khanh Vu, Hanoi, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul

☆ Heavy rains lash east Nepal; one dead, 25 missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KATHMANDU, June 18 (Reuters) - One person was killed and at least 25 others were missing in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains that battered east Nepal, officials said on Sunday, the first known fatality since the annual rains began last week. Heavy rains washed away a hydroelectric project under construction on the Hewa River in Sankhuwasabha district in eastern Nepal where 16 workers have gone missing, said Bimal Paudel, a government official. Nine people were also missing in flash floods and landslides in neighbouring Taplejung and Panchthar districts, bordering India in the east, officials said. Gaurav Dhakal of the Panchthar district said overnight rains damaged two bridges on the Mechi highway, cutting off the road link to remote Taplejung district where four people were missing. Hundreds are killed or go missing in rains which spark floods inundating villages, crops and damaging infrastructure every year in mostly mountainous Nepal, nestled between China and India.

Persons: Bimal Paudel, Gaurav Dhakal, Gopal Sharma, Rupam Jain Organizations: Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Nepal, Sankhuwasabha district, Taplejung, India, Panchthar, China, Kathmandu, Lincoln

☆ Nepali sherpa saves Malaysian climber in rare Everest 'death zone' rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KATHMANDU, May 31 (Reuters) - A Malaysian climber narrowly survived after a Nepali sherpa guide hauled him down from below the summit of Mount Everest in a "very rare" high altitude rescue, a government official said on Wednesday. A helicopter using a long line then lifted him from the 7,162-metre (23,500 feet) high Camp III down to base camp. [1/5] Ngima Tashi Sherpa walks as he carries a Malaysian climber while rescuing him from the death zone above camp four at Everest, Nepal, May 18, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video. Gelje said he convinced his Chinese client to give up his summit attempt and descend the mountain, saying it was important for him to rescue the climber. Tashi Lakhpa Sherpa of the Seven Summit Treks company, which provided logistics to the Malaysian climber, declined to name him, citing his client's privacy.

Persons: Gelje, Nima Tahi Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa, Bigyan Koirala, Tashi Lakhpa Sherpa, Gopal Sharma, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Department of Tourism, Reuters, Seven Summit, Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Malaysian, Mount, III, Everest, Nepal, Malaysia

☆ US climber urges better policing to keep Everest free from garbage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] American Mountaineer Garrett Madison who climbed Everest for the 13th time, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Kathmandu, Nepal May 30, 2023. "We need to find better ways to bring the waste down," Madison said in the Nepali capital Kathmandu after returning from the mountain. "We need better policing to check that every team brings down its garbage." Mountain climbing generates big income for Nepal, which issued a record 478 permits for Everest this March to May season, each costing $11,000. While hundreds of people climbed the mountain this season, 12 of them died and five were missing on its slopes.

☆ From highs to lows, Everest record breaker sees 'no future' in Nepal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Kami Rita Sherpa, 53, a Nepali Mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest for a record 28 times, poses for a picture at his rented apartment in Kathmandu, Nepal May 28, 2023. REUTERS/Navesh ChitrakarKATHMANDU, May 29 (Reuters) - Kami Rita Sherpa had stood at the top of world just days earlier, exultant at having summited Mount Everest for a record 28th time. The country earned $5.8 million in permit fees - $5 million from Mount Everest alone – during this year's March-May climbing season. Expeditions hiring sherpas must take out life insurance for them, but the pay out is just 1.5 million Nepali rupees (about $11,300). "This should be increased to 5 million rupees (about $38,000)," said Kami Rita, gently rubbing a bruise on his cheek.

☆ U.S. mountaineer climbs rare Everest 'triple crown' as death toll reaches 12
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KATHMANDU, May 26 (Reuters) - A renowned U.S. mountain guide has achieved the rare Mount Everest region "triple crown" of climbing the Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse peaks in one season, a hiking firm said on Friday, as the season's death toll on the world's highest mountain hit 12. Madison, who owns the company Madison Mountaineering based in Seattle, climbed the smaller but technically difficult Nuptse peak, at 7,855 metres (25,770 feet), on May 8. British climber Kenton Cool, who climbed the triple crown in 2013, said Garrett was an "unflappable expedition leader" who quietly goes about his job. Cool, 49, last week set a new record of 17 summits of Everest, the world's highest peak, by a foreign climber. A Nepali, Kami Rita Sherpa, this week climbed Everest for a 28th time, the most by any mountaineer.

☆ Ex-British Gurkha hopes Everest climb will change disability perceptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KATHMANDU, May 21 (Reuters) - Hari Budha Magar, the first above the knee double amputee to scale Mount Everest, said on Sunday that his ascent would raise awareness about disability. “Gurkha veteran, Hari Budha Magar creates history … as the first ever double above-knee amputee to scale Mt Everest,” the Gurkha Brigade said in a twitter post. “I hope my climb will help change the perception of persons with disabilities,” Magar told Reuters from the base camp by phone. Mount Everest has been climbed by more than 11,000 people, including those with disabilities – like blindness and below the knee amputees. Nepal has issued 478 permits to climb Everest during the current season that ends this month.

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