Latest news with #Himalayas
Forbes
2 hours ago
- General
- Forbes
Fox News Correspondent Summits Mount Everest, Does 22 Pushups
Fox News Senior Correspondent Mike Tobin on the summit of Mount Everest Carrying a Fox News Channel flag, Fox News Senior Correspondent Mike Tobin reached the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. That's a massive achievement in itself, but Tobin completed one of the world's riskiest and most dangerous challenges by dropping and doing 22 pushups in recognition of the 22 veterans who die by suicide every day. 'You have seen some of the different events that people have done as far as the 22 push-ups in recognition of the veteran suicide," Tobin said on Fox News Channel's America's Newsroom. 'I hope that a troubled guy out there somewhere who was looking at suicide as a reasonable response to his troubles will realize that someone took the time to do that in a perilous situation and reconsider before he hurts himself.' Tobin, an experienced climber who has reached the summits of Cotopoxi, Chimborazo, Aconcagua, the Eiger, the Matterhorn, the Wetterhorn, and Cho Oyu, says preparing for Everest was an entirely different--and grueling--experience. 'We did crazy kinds of training,' he said. 'Like, I take the sandbags that our cameramen use and I put them in a backpack and I ran up and down the Indiana sand dunes for hours at a time.' But that physical training couldn't prepare him for the unique psychological experience of reaching the top of the world--and then returning safely. 'I certainly was spooked at different times on the climb,' Tobin said. "The only time I really noticed that I was spooked was coming back down the Second Step. To explain what the Second Step is, on the northeast ridge of Everest, there are three major obstacles, the First, Second and Third Step. And for whatever reason--and some of the other guys on the team said the same thing--coming back down on the Second Step, that was spooky.' GOKYO- KHUMBU HIMAL,NEPAL: (UNDATED FILE PHOTO) Mount Everest, at 8,850-meters (29,035-foot) ... More towers over the surrounding peaks as seen from the adjacent Gokyo Ri in this undated file photo. A record 1,000 climbers plan assaults on the summit as mountaineers celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the conquest of Everest on May 29, 2003. Since Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Everest in May 1953, 1,200 men and women from 63 countries have summited the mountain. (Photo by) It was in Everest's 'death zone,' above 26,247 feet where the air is too thin to support human life without supplemental oxygen that Tobin stopped to complete the 22 pushup challenge. ""The only way you survive the death zone is to get in and out of there as fast as you can before the sand runs out of your hourglass or before the oxygen runs out of your bottle," said Tobin. "I was just trying to think, 'Keep your head about yourself. Don't make any mistakes, don't turn what's otherwise going to be a celebration into a tragedy.'" About 700 to 1,000 climbers attempt the summit each year, with success rates ranging between 60% and 70%, according to Climbing Kilimanjaro. In 2023, 12 climbers died on Everest, and another five were separated from their teams and listed as missing. In terms of climbing, once you've reached Everest it's all quite literally downhill from there. But would Tobin want to follow his climb with another equally impressive feat? 'Given the caliber of men I climbed with on this team, it will be hard to top this Everest experience," Tobin said. "However, the very reason I became a reporter is a lust for the next experience or adventure. I won't shut the door and declare the thrill-seeking portion of my life has peaked. In the short term, what I want now, is to be with my wife.'
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Chinese embassy in Nepal repeats warning against India border travel after 2 more arrests
China's embassy in Nepal has once again warned Chinese citizens in the Himalayan country not to visit the Nepal-India border region, after two Chinese nationals were arrested by Indian police for allegedly taking photos and videos in the area. Advertisement The reminder, posted on Friday via the embassy's official social media account, was the third such reminder in the past month. It said that despite repeated warnings for Chinese nationals travelling in Nepal to avoid the India border area, some chose to ignore these cautions and insisted on visiting the region, resulting in several arrests by Indian border guards over alleged illegal entry. 'In order to protect the safety of Chinese citizens in Nepal, the Chinese embassy in Nepal once again solemnly reminds Chinese citizens not to go to the Nepal-India border area,' the statement said, warning that Nepal and India had 'comprehensively strengthened patrols and inspections' in recent days. The embassy also noted that Nepal and India shared an open border with few border signs, allowing the citizens of both countries to travel freely with their identity documents. However, nationals of other countries could not travel to India through Nepal without a visa, and Chinese citizens visiting the Nepal-India border area were very likely to mistakenly enter Indian territory and face the risk of arrest, it warned. Advertisement It also warned about severe penalties in India for illegal immigrants. Even if entry into Indian territory was accidental, individuals would be arrested, prosecuted, and could face between two to eight years of jail time, along with fines, the notice said. The reminder came a day after two Chinese nationals were arrested at the Jatahi-Pipraun border in India's Bihar state on Thursday.
Al Arabiya
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Swiss glacier collapse offers global warning of wider impact
The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts say. Footage of the May 28 collapse showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside, into the hamlet of Blatten. Ali Neumann, disaster risk reduction advisor to the Swiss Development Cooperation, noted that while the role of climate change in the specific case of Blatten 'still needs to be investigated', the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere -- the part of the world covered by frozen water. 'Climate change and its impact on the cryosphere will have growing repercussions on human societies that live near glaciers, near the cryosphere, and depend on glaciers somehow and live with them,' he said. The barrage largely destroyed Blatten, but the evacuation of its 300 residents last week averted mass casualties, although one person remains missing. 'It also showed that with the right skills and observation and management of an emergency, you can significantly reduce the magnitude of this type of disaster,' Neumann said at an international UN-backed glacier conference in Tajikistan. Stefan Uhlenbrook, Director for Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said it showed the need for vulnerable regions like the Himalayas and other parts of Asia to prepare. 'From monitoring, to data sharing, to numerical simulation models, to hazard assessment and to communicating that, the whole chain needs to be strengthened,' Uhlenbrook said. 'But in many Asian countries, this is weak, the data is not sufficiently connected.' 'Not enough' Swiss geologists use various methods, including sensors and satellite images, to monitor their glaciers. Asia was the world's most disaster-hit region from climate and weather hazards in 2023, the United Nations said last year, with floods and storms the chief cause of casualties and economic losses. But many Asian nations, particularly in the Himalayas, lack the resources to monitor their vast glaciers to the same degree as the Swiss. According to a 2024 UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction report, two-thirds of countries in the Asia and Pacific region have early warning systems. But the least developed countries, many of whom are in the frontlines of climate change, have the worst coverage. 'Monitoring is not absent, but it is not enough,' said geologist Sudan Bikash Maharjan of the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). 'Our terrains and climatic conditions are challenging, but also we lack that level of resources for intensive data generation.' That gap is reflected in the number of disaster-related fatalities for each event. While the average number of fatalities per disaster was 189 globally, in Asia and the Pacific it was much higher at 338, according to the Belgium-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters' Emergency Events Database. Geoscientist Jakob Steiner, who works in climate adaptation in Nepal and Bhutan, said it is not as simple as just exporting the Swiss technological solutions. 'These are complex disasters, working together with the communities is actually just as, if not much more, important,' he said. 'Sad disparity' Himalayan glaciers, providing critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn. Hundreds of lakes formed from glacial meltwater have appeared in recent decades. They can be deadly when they burst and rush down the valley. The softening of permafrost increases the chances of landslides. Declan Magee, from the Asian Development Bank's Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, said that monitoring and early warnings alone are not enough. 'We have to think... about where we build, where people build infrastructure and homes, and how we can decrease their vulnerability if it is exposed', he said. Nepali climate activist and filmmaker Tashi Lhazom described how the village of Til, near to her home, was devastated by a landslide earlier in May. The 21 families escaped -- but only just. 'In Switzerland they were evacuated days before, here we did not even get seconds,' said Lhazom. 'The disparity makes me sad but also angry. This has to change.'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Swiss glacier collapse offers global warning of wider impact
The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts say. Footage of the May 28 collapse showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside, into the hamlet of Blatten. Ali Neumann, disaster risk reduction advisor to the Swiss Development Cooperation, noted that while the role of climate change in the specific case of Blatten "still needs to be investigated", the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere -- the part of the world covered by frozen water. "Climate change and its impact on the cryosphere will have growing repercussions on human societies that live near glaciers, near the cryosphere, and depend on glaciers somehow and live with them," he said. The barrage largely destroyed Blatten, but the evacuation of its 300 residents last week averted mass casualties, although one person remains missing. "It also showed that with the right skills and observation and management of an emergency, you can significantly reduce the magnitude of this type of disaster," Neumann said at an international UN-backed glacier conference in Tajikistan. Stefan Uhlenbrook, Director for Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said it showed the need for vulnerable regions like the Himalayas and other parts of Asia to prepare. "From monitoring, to data sharing, to numerical simulation models, to hazard assessment and to communicating that, the whole chain needs to be strengthened," Uhlenbrook said. "But in many Asian countries, this is weak, the data is not sufficiently connected." - 'Not enough' - Swiss geologists use various methods, including sensors and satellite images, to monitor their glaciers. Asia was the world's most disaster-hit region from climate and weather hazards in 2023, the United Nations said last year, with floods and storms the chief cause of casualties and economic losses. But many Asian nations, particularly in the Himalayas, lack the resources to monitor their vast glaciers to the same degree as the Swiss. According to a 2024 UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction report, two-thirds of countries in the Asia and Pacific region have early warning systems. But the least developed countries, many of whom are in the frontlines of climate change, have the worst coverage. "Monitoring is not absent, but it is not enough," said geologist Sudan Bikash Maharjan of the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). "Our terrains and climatic conditions are challenging, but also we lack that level of resources for intensive data generation." That gap is reflected in the number of disaster-related fatalities for each event. While the average number of fatalities per disaster was 189 globally, in Asia and the Pacific it was much higher at 338, according to the Belgium-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters' Emergency Events Database. Geoscientist Jakob Steiner, who works in climate adaptation in Nepal and Bhutan, said it is not as simple as just exporting the Swiss technological solutions. "These are complex disasters, working together with the communities is actually just as, if not much more, important," he said. - 'Sad disparity' - Himalayan glaciers, providing critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn. Hundreds of lakes formed from glacial meltwater have appeared in recent decades. They can be deadly when they burst and rush down the valley. The softening of permafrost increases the chances of landslides. Declan Magee, from the Asian Development Bank's Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, said that monitoring and early warnings alone are not enough. "We have to think... about where we build, where people build infrastructure and homes, and how we can decrease their vulnerability if it is exposed", he said. Nepali climate activist and filmmaker Tashi Lhazom described how the village of Til, near to her home, was devastated by a landslide earlier in May. The 21 families escaped -- but only just. "In Switzerland they were evacuated days before, here we did not even get seconds," said Lhazom. "The disparity makes me sad but also angry. This has to change." pm/pjm/bc
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Swiss glacier collapse offers global warning of wider impact
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan: The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts say. Footage of the May 28 collapse showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside, into the hamlet of Blatten. Ali Neumann, disaster risk reduction adviser to the Swiss Development Cooperation, noted that while the role of climate change in the specific case of Blatten 'still needs to be investigated,' the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere — the part of the world covered by frozen water. 'Climate change and its impact on the cryosphere will have growing repercussions on human societies that live near glaciers, near the cryosphere, and depend on glaciers somehow and live with them,' he said. The barrage largely destroyed Blatten, but the evacuation of its 300 residents last week averted mass casualties, although one person remains missing. 'It also showed that with the right skills and observation and management of an emergency, you can significantly reduce the magnitude of this type of disaster,' Neumann said at an international UN-backed glacier conference in Tajikistan. Stefan Uhlenbrook, Director for Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said it showed the need for vulnerable regions like the Himalayas and other parts of Asia to prepare. 'From monitoring, to data sharing, to numerical simulation models, to hazard assessment and to communicating that, the whole chain needs to be strengthened,' Uhlenbrook said. 'But in many Asian countries, this is weak, the data is not sufficiently connected.' Swiss geologists use various methods, including sensors and satellite images, to monitor their glaciers. Asia was the world's most disaster-hit region from climate and weather hazards in 2023, the United Nations said last year, with floods and storms the chief cause of casualties and economic losses. But many Asian nations, particularly in the Himalayas, lack the resources to monitor their vast glaciers to the same degree as the Swiss. According to a 2024 UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction report, two-thirds of countries in the Asia and Pacific region have early warning systems. But the least developed countries, many of whom are in the frontlines of climate change, have the worst coverage. 'Monitoring is not absent, but it is not enough,' said geologist Sudan Bikash Maharjan of the Nepal-based International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). 'Our terrains and climatic conditions are challenging, but also we lack that level of resources for intensive data generation.' That gap is reflected in the number of disaster-related fatalities for each event. While the average number of fatalities per disaster was 189 globally, in Asia and the Pacific it was much higher at 338, according to the Belgium-based Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters' Emergency Events Database. Geoscientist Jakob Steiner, who works in climate adaptation in Nepal and Bhutan, said it is not as simple as just exporting the Swiss technological solutions. 'These are complex disasters, working together with the communities is actually just as, if not much more, important,' he said. Himalayan glaciers, providing critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn. Hundreds of lakes formed from glacial meltwater have appeared in recent decades. They can be deadly when they burst and rush down the valley. The softening of permafrost increases the chances of landslides. Declan Magee, from the Asian Development Bank's Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, said that monitoring and early warnings alone are not enough. 'We have to think... about where we build, where people build infrastructure and homes, and how we can decrease their vulnerability if it is exposed,' he said. Nepali climate activist and filmmaker Tashi Lhazom described how the village of Til, near to her home, was devastated by a landslide earlier in May. The 21 families escaped — but only just. 'In Switzerland they were evacuated days before, here we did not even get seconds,' said Lhazom. 'The disparity makes me sad but also angry. This has to change.'
