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☆ India expects more clashes with Chinese troops in Himalayas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Krishn Kaushik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A security assessment by Indian police in the Himalayan region of Ladakh says there could be more clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along their contested frontier there as Beijing ramps up military infrastructure in the region. A fresh clash erupted between the two sides in the eastern Himalayas in December but there were no deaths. The report said the assessment was based on intelligence gathered by local police in the border areas and the pattern of India-China military tensions over the years. China's foreign ministry spokesperson's office on Saturday said China was maintaining close communication and dialogue through diplomatic and military channels with India. India and China share a 3,500 km (2,100 miles) border that has been disputed since the 1950s.

☆ Video shows passenger plane that crashed in Nepal flying low over a populated area before spinning sharply. At least 44 reported killed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

At least 44 people have died after a plane crashed near an airport in central Nepal. 72 people were on board the Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu. The plane is between two hills near the Pokhara airport, making it difficult for rescue workers to work. The Yeti Airlines flight from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu crashed on landing, with videos on social media showing the aircraft spinning sharply just before it hit the ground. At least 309 people have died since 2000 in plane or helicopter crashes in the mountainous nation of the Himalayas, Reuters report.

☆ Nearly 200 people in Himalayan town evacuated after homes develop cracks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LUCKNOW, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Indian authorities have moved nearly 200 people from their homes in the Himalayan town of Joshimath, an official said on Saturday, after hundreds of buildings in the area popular with pilgrims and tourists developed cracks due to shifting soil. For years, experts have warned that large-scale construction work, including hydro power projects, in and around Joshimath could lead to land subsidence - the sinking or settling of the ground surface. Atul Sati, the convener of the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti that has been protesting government inaction to stop land subsidence, said local residents had been flagging the issue for months. "The concerned authorities are working on it and the only way to contain the problem is to channelise the water stream," Rautela told Reuters. Reporting by Saurabh Sharma, Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Explainer: What the world's nature-rich nations want out of a global conservation deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File PhotoMONTREAL, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Tangled expanses of Amazon rainforest, high mountains of the Himalayas, and cloud-shrouded forests are just some of the unique landscapes contained within the world's most nature-rich nations. Governments are trying to work out a new global agreement to guide conservation and wildlife protection through 2030 at a U.N. summit in Montreal this week. Of the nearly 200 countries assembled, five are considered to be among the world's most biodiverse nations — measured in the number of unique species. That's more than a third of all the world’s flowering plants, and more than half of all bird and mammal species on Earth. Here's what some of the world's most nature-rich nations want to happen at the talks.

☆ An unexpected force may be speeding up glacier melt across the globe: colorful algae blooms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Now he sees bright pink and red algae blooms every year. Dr. Matt DaveyScientists like Maréchal think these algae blooms are getting larger and more frequent as rising global temperatures melt glaciers worldwide. Glacier algae seems to be booming, but scientists have a lot to learnResearcher Matt Davey samples snow algae at Lagoon Island, Antarctica. Ice algae and snow algae are different types of microorganisms, and different fields of study, but they both affect glaciers. A strip of "blood snow" filled with red algae cuts across a dark bloom of purple algae in Greenland.

☆ This mountaineer spent $10,000 to launch a company that guides people up Mount Everest—now it brings in $3 million a year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Adrian Ballinger has summited Mount Everest eight times. Alpenglow's prices can range from $275 for an introductory mountaineering course to up to $98,000 per person for a guided expedition up Mount Everest. Mountain climbing and entrepreneurship are both risky endeavors that require mental and physical resilience to succeed, Ballinger says. Source: Alpenglow ExpeditionsBy 2004, Ballinger wanted to branch out on his own. "That first year, I only guided two expeditions that I think had a total of, maybe, eight clients," Ballinger says.

☆ Here's what flight attendants want you to know about flying
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Navigating the world of airports and airplanes at this time can be stressful, but if anyone’s an expert in holiday travel, it’s flight attendants. That said, sometimes flight attendants are only in a destination for 24 hours. Flight attendants support this kind of switching about, but will try not to interfere unless there are issues. And yes, some celebrities have a reputation for being rude, and that reputation will spread among flight attendants. I think a lot of flight attendants would agree with me on that.”What strange things do people leave behind in the cabin?

☆ US and Indian troops are teaming up for tough training in the Himalayas near a tense border with China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US soldiers are training with Indian troops in the Himalayas this month for exercise Yudh Abhyas. This year's version of the exercise is being held near India's disputed border with China. An Indian army convoy on a highway leading to Ladakh, in Kashmir's Ganderbal district in June 2020. REUTERS/Danish Ismail"The US and India probably anticipated that conducting the exercise near the Chinese border would draw Beijing's ire. Indian soldiers during Yudh Abhyas in Alaska in October 2021.

☆ 2 little-known intel agencies are helping US partners keep an eye on Russia's and China's frontline forces
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Two little-known US intelligence agencies have made significant contributions to countering Russia in Ukraine. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office have gathered and distributed valuable information about Russian activity. Little-known intel agenciesA National Reconnaissance Office payload is launched into space from Vandenberg Air Force Base in September 2017. US Air Force/Senior Airman Ian DudleyThe US response to Russia's war in Ukraine has pulled the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office out of the shadows. NRO satellites have many customers, but the NGA is probably the most reliant on the satellites operated by the NRO.

☆ India's Modi meets Biden at G20 summit, shakes hands with China's Xi
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] President of the U.S. Joe Biden speaks with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit opening session in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. PRASETYO UTOMO/G20 Media Center/Handout via REUTERSNEW DELHI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed global and regional developments in a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Indonesia, India's foreign ministry said. Modi also exchanged courtesies with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of a G20 dinner, according to government sources. Modi and Xi came face-to-face previously at a summit of regional security group Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbekistan in September. The Indian premier has also met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, World Bank president David Malpass, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva, among other leaders, at the G20 summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.

☆ The Woman Who Inspired Me to Climb Higher
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Katie Arnold | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

On Oct. 15, hundreds gathered in Telluride, Colo., to celebrate the life of renowned ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson . Nelson, 49, died on Sept. 26 when she triggered a small avalanche while skiing off the 26,781-foot summit of Mount Manaslu in Nepal. The crowd read like a who’s-who from the world of climbing and adventure. Jimmy Chin, who won an Academy Award for his 2018 documentary “Free Solo,” shared stories of a long friendship. Nelson’s death triggered an outpouring of tributes from people around the world, most of whom, like me, didn’t know her personally.

☆ Meta is losing billions, but people are making real-life money in the metaverse: 'It's been an incredibly positive experience'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A year ago on Friday, Mark Zuckerberg made a huge bet on the metaverse, announcing his company's name change from Facebook to Meta. The billionaire's vision of virtual worlds, along with the $10 billion he's spent on metaverse development over the past year, "really struck me," Sorrels says. Alexis Dimas, a 37-year-old metaverse creator based in Santa Ana, California, says he joined Horizon Worlds in beta nearly two years ago. "As far as Horizon Worlds losing users, I haven't witnessed that or seen that. Zuckerberg: 'I appreciate the patience'On Wednesday's Meta earnings call, Zuckerberg told investors that Meta could weather its problems and that its investments in the metaverse will eventually be fruitful.

☆ How Fighter Pilots Survive Death-Defying Jet Ejections
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Daniel Gessner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Even in successful scenarios, 20% to 30% of fighter pilots suffer some sort of spinal fracture. In TV and movies, a fighter pilot ejecting from their jet comes across as a cut-and-dry procedure. About 20% to 30% of fighter pilots experience some sort of spinal fracture as a result. This entire process exerts 14 to 16 times the force of gravity on fighter pilots' bodies. And within two to four seconds, depending on what mode of flight you're in, you're going to have a full parachute.

☆ Bhutan holds high-altitude race to highlight climate dangers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KATHMANDU, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Twenty-nine runners set off on a rare high-altitude race in Bhutan on Thursday to highlight the dangers of climate change to the Himalayan kingdom sandwiched between China and India, two of the world's biggest polluters. South Asia’s only carbon-negative country, with a population of fewer than 800,000 people, is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which is speeding up the melting of its glaciers and causing floods and unpredictable weather patterns. Its government and the United Nations have blamed climate change. "I've probably completed maybe around 30 ultra marathons, but never like this,” American runner Sarah Keyes told the state-run Bhutan Broadcasting Service. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The best wildlife photos of 2022 include a ball of bees, a snake eating a bat, and polar bears raiding an abandoned town
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The London Natural History Museum announced the 2022 winners of its Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. The winning photos include a frenzied ball of bees, a dancing sea star, and the brushy mouth of a whale. The cactus bees, like most other bees, are endangered by habitat loss, pesticides, and the changing climate. The resulting photo, above, won the Grand Title in this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London each year. As clouds of sea-star sperm and eggs filled the water, photographer Tony Wu captured this otherwordly invertebrate in the throes of its dance.

☆ Afraid of heights, he climbed Mount Everest — now he's helping others conquer their fears too
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Monica Buchanan Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

He's also climbed the highest mountains on all seven continents, the so-called Seven Summits. The cost to climbRigney estimates he's paid between $170,000 and $180,000 to climb the Seven Summits, he said. But Mount Everest is a "massive logistical operation" that takes about two months, he said. Rigney climbed Mount Everest for about four to five hours a day. After climbing the "Seven Summits," Rigney said he is deliberately choosing travel experiences that are less risky.

☆ India's military relationship with Russia isn't going away — it'll 'endure for decades,' analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders' summit in Samarkand on Sept. 16, 2022. Alexandr Demyanchuk | Afp | Getty ImagesIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have publicly rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, but the longstanding friendship between the two countries isn't going away, analysts said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for his part, claimed that Russia and India were "friends," a month after Ukraine was invaded. But despite India's apparent change in stance over the war, India still needs Russia, analysts told CNBC. "Russia remains India's most important [military] partner," he added.

☆ Search team finds the body of famed US mountain climber Hilaree Nelson 2 days after she went missing on Himalaya peak
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The body of US mountaineer and extreme skier Hilaree Nelson was found on Wednesday in the Himalayas. A rescue team recovered her body near the peak of Mount Manaslu , the eighth highest summit in the world. Mount Nelson, 49, went missing on Monday as she was attempting to sky down the summit with her partner. Nelson, 49, had gone missing on Monday after falling down the peak of the world's eighth highest peak, Mount Manaslu, per The New York Times. In 2018, they successfully skied down Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest mountain, which straddles Nepal and Tibet, per the Times.

India's foreign minister followed up last week at the U.N. Security Council, describing the trajectory of the Ukraine war as "very concerning" and the risk of a nuclear escalation as of "particular anxiety". Moreover, India is worried the war is pushing Russia closer to China, which has fraught relations with New Delhi, the analysts said. "This is countering a narrative that India and China are both doing the same thing – that China is supporting Russia and India, by sitting on the fence, is also supporting Russia," Raghavan told Reuters. India and Russia have had deep relations for decades: Russia accounted for $5.51 billion of the $12.4 billion that India spent between 2018 and 2021 on arms imports. "As the Ukraine conflict continues to rage, we are often asked whose side are we on," he said, again without mentioning Russia.

☆ The North Face is renaming its fleece jackets and spotlighting the Sherpa people
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The North Face is dropping the word “sherpa” from the name of its fleece jackets this fall, using the opportunity to highlight the heritage of the Sherpa people. The collection, which was called sherpa fleece jackets and vests, will now be called “pile” fleece, as will all of the company's fleece products moving forward. A Women's High Pile Nuptse Jacket by The North Face. The North Face has credited the Sherpa people for helping guide the company’s athletes for decades during expeditions in the Himalayan mountains. The North Face isn’t the only company to use the word "sherpa" to describe products.

☆ Where the Wild Things Are
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( The New York Times Magazine | Photographs Yael Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat. “If the snow leopard should manifest itself, then I am ready to see the snow leopard,” Matthiessen writes. “We’ve seen so much, maybe it’s better if there are some things that we don’t see.”Today, nearly 50 years later, if you are so inclined, you can go see a snow leopard at the zoo. The best trips, like Peter Matthiessen’s search for the snow leopard, find a way to make themselves permanent. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat.

☆ Lessons From a Lifetime of Animal Voyages
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Sam Anderson | Photographs Yael Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

An animal voyage is special because it requires us to make many journeys all at once. My favorite record of an animal voyage is a book that’s fluent in failure. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat. “If the snow leopard should manifest itself, then I am ready to see the snow leopard,” Matthiessen writes. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat.

☆ Inside an Animal Sanctuary in Bolivia Where Tourists Can Help
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Photographs Yael Martínez | Yael Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

An animal voyage is special because it requires us to make many journeys all at once. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat. “If the snow leopard should manifest itself, then I am ready to see the snow leopard,” Matthiessen writes. The best trips, like Peter Matthiessen’s search for the snow leopard, find a way to make themselves permanent. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat.

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