Latest news with #Nepali
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
China asks Nepal to join its new international mediation organisation
China has asked Nepal to join the newly formed International Organisation for Mediation as Beijing wants more countries, besides Pakistan, from the South Asian region to join the initiative formed to further its global influence. The International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) was launched on Friday in Hong Kong. State-run Xinhua news agency reported that 33 countries signed the convention on-site, making them the founding members of the IOMed. However, the full member list is not yet released. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who launched the initiative met his Nepali counterpart Arzu Rana Deuba on the sidelines of the ceremony in Hong Kong on Friday and expressed hope that Nepal will join IOMed at an early date, an official press release said here. Deuba attended the IOMed inaugural event but apparently Nepal has not signed up to join it. We discussed various aspects of Nepal-China bilateral ties, including high-level exchanges and development cooperation, Deuba said in a post on X after the meeting. Look forward to continue working together towards further strengthening relations between the two countries, she added in the post on X. Wang said China and Nepal are traditional friendly neighbours and China places Nepal in an important position in its neighbourhood diplomacy. For her part, Deuba congratulated China on the successful signing ceremony of the IOMed and said that it is an ideal choice to have the IOMed headquarters in Hong Kong, according to the press release. Beijing's all-weather ally Pakistan has signed up for the IOMed and its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar attended the signing ceremony. During their meeting, Wang told Dar that China is willing to work with Pakistan and other countries to provide voluntary and efficient new options for dispute settlement for all countries, and a new platform for maintaining peace, stability, fairness and justice in the Global South, the foreign ministry press release said.
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First Post
4 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
China urges Nepal to join new mediation body as Beijing seeks greater influence in South Asia
China has asked Nepal to join the newly formed International Organisation for Mediation as Beijing wants more countries, besides Pakistan, from the South Asian region to join the initiative formed to further its global influence. read more China has called on Nepal to become part of the newly established International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), as Beijing seeks to expand its diplomatic footprint in South Asia beyond Pakistan. The IOMed was officially launched on Friday in Hong Kong, with the aim of enhancing China's global influence through multilateral dialogue and conflict resolution mechanisms. According to China's state-run Xinhua news agency, 33 nations signed the convention during the launch event, thereby becoming founding members of the new body. However, the complete list of member countries has yet to be disclosed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD During the inauguration, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting with his Nepali counterpart, Arzu Rana Deuba, urging Kathmandu to join IOMed at the earliest opportunity, according to an official statement. While Deuba was present at the launch ceremony, Nepal has not yet committed to joining the organisation. We discussed various aspects of Nepal-China bilateral ties, including high-level exchanges and development cooperation, Deuba said in a post on X after the meeting. Look forward to continue working together towards further strengthening relations between the two countries, she added in the post on X. Wang said China and Nepal are traditional friendly neighbours and China places Nepal in an important position in its neighbourhood diplomacy. For her part, Deuba congratulated China on the successful signing ceremony of the IOMed and said that it is an ideal choice to have the IOMed headquarters in Hong Kong, according to the press release. Beijing's all-weather ally Pakistan has signed up for the IOMed and its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar attended the signing ceremony. During their meeting, Wang told Dar that China is willing to work with Pakistan and other countries to provide voluntary and efficient new options for dispute settlement for all countries, and a new platform for maintaining peace, stability, fairness and justice in the Global South, the foreign ministry press release said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
China asks Nepal to join its new international mediation organisation
Beijing: China has asked Nepal to join the newly formed International Organisation for Mediation as Beijing wants more countries, besides Pakistan , from the South Asian region to join the initiative formed to further its global influence. The International Organisation for Mediation ( IOMed ) was launched on Friday in Hong Kong. State-run Xinhua news agency reported that 33 countries signed the convention on-site, making them the founding members of the IOMed. However, the full member list is not yet released. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Seniors Born 1941-1979 Receive 12+ Benefits This Month if They Ask USWalletSaver Learn More Undo Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who launched the initiative met his Nepali counterpart Arzu Rana Deuba on the sidelines of the ceremony in Hong Kong on Friday and expressed hope that Nepal will join IOMed at an early date, an official press release said here. Deuba attended the IOMed inaugural event but apparently Nepal has not signed up to join it. Live Events "We discussed various aspects of Nepal-China bilateral ties, including high-level exchanges and development cooperation," Deuba said in a post on X after the meeting. "Look forward to continue working together towards further strengthening relations between the two countries," she added in the post on X. Wang said China and Nepal are traditional friendly neighbours and China places Nepal in an important position in its neighbourhood diplomacy. For her part, Deuba congratulated China on the successful signing ceremony of the IOMed and said that it is an ideal choice to have the IOMed headquarters in Hong Kong, according to the press release. Beijing's all-weather ally Pakistan has signed up for the IOMed and its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar attended the signing ceremony. During their meeting, Wang told Dar that China is willing to work with Pakistan and other countries to provide voluntary and efficient new options for dispute settlement for all countries, and a new platform for maintaining peace, stability, fairness and justice in the Global South , the foreign ministry press release said.
Mint
6 hours ago
- Mint
A lightning fast ascent of Everest is rocking the mountaineering world
KATHMANDU , NEPAL : Four men left London's Heathrow Airport for Nepal on a May afternoon. Within five days, they were atop Mount Everest, the 29,000-foot peak where an ascent typically takes weeks of acclimatization and bursts of climbing punctuated by rest. Instead, the four British army veterans prepared for the world's highest peak using a new pre-acclimatization regime involving inhaling xenon gas—once used as an anesthetic but now more commonly found in rocket propellant. Their ascent is rocking the mountaineering community and Nepali authorities, with their use of a substance banned from competitive sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency provoking the criticism this amounts to cheating. Nepal's mountaineering authorities are studying the climb and its implications. On May 29, when the country marks the first recognized summit of the mountain in 1953 as Everest Day, Nepal's prime minister lamented the use of xenon. 'Dishonesty even with Mount Everest?" he said. 'If it did happen, it should be stopped." Alistair Carns, a climber in the group, said critics should take the long view. 'We have just got to accept we're at the cutting-edge of science," said Carns, Britain's veterans minister. He said using xenon was no different from using supplemental oxygen, an innovation climbers made about a century ago that gained wide use. Xenon gas was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2014 after Russian athletes acknowledged using it for Winter Olympics contests. Mountain climbing is a largely unregulated endeavor, though climbing Everest requires permission from Nepal if climbing from the south face, and from China if climbing from the north. Himal Gautam, director at Nepal's tourism department, said the government hasn't certified the expedition as a successful ascent or verified it as a record. The government gives certificates for successful ascents based on photos, videos and climber accounts, but doesn't verify all record claims. The climbers believe they set a record for the fastest round-trip Everest expedition, less than seven days including the return to London. A Ukrainian man said he made it from his home in New York City to the summit of Everest in four days, reaching the peak on May 19, just ahead of the British group. That claim hasn't been verified either. Austrian mountaineer Lukas Furtenbach, who organized the xenon-assisted ascent, said it wasn't just about speed. He described it as a scientifically planned effort to explore the future of high-altitude mountain-climbing—and make it safer. 'We use xenon to protect the body from altitude sickness, not to hasten the ascent," said Furtenbach. 'I don't believe that anyone is against increasing safety on Everest, when the whole world is every year reporting about the many deaths on Everest." Climbing times for the most experienced mountaineers have steadily lowered since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay achieved the first recognized ascent of the world's tallest peak. That historic climb began in Kathmandu on March 10, 1953, reaching the summit on May 29. In 2019, nutrition scientist Roxanne Vogel summited Everest in two weeks, door-to-door, from her home in California. The fastest climb from base camp to Everest, meanwhile, was by Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa in just under 11 hours in 2003. But for more typical climbers—even when aided by the best gear, experienced Sherpas, climbing ropes and oxygen—Everest is an endeavor that typically spans six to eight weeks. That includes more than a week to trek to base camp, days spent acclimatizing there, and circuits to higher camps often followed by a descent to allow the body to adjust. Failure to acclimatize properly can mean headaches and dizziness in milder cases, and in the worst instances, fatal mountain sickness. Carns said his work as a government minister and personal commitments—he has young children—didn't permit him weeks away from home. Another reason to make news was to raise money for Scotty's Little Soldiers, a British charity focused on the children of fallen soldiers. His fellow climbers were Kevin Godlington, Anthony Stazicker and Garth Miller. Furtenbach had the four British climbers prepare for weeks at their homes in the U.K. by sleeping for a total of over 500 hours each in tents that simulate the low-oxygen conditions on Everest. That has long been part of Furtenbach's expeditions offering a 'flash" ascent of Everest in about three weeks. The men also worked out using masks that simulated thin mountain air. Their regime included a new feature—a roughly 20-minute, one-time hit of a mix of xenon and oxygen some weeks before the men began their climb in Nepal. The formulation was developed and administered to the men in Germany by Dr. Michael Fries, head of anesthesia and intensive-care medicine at St. Vincenz Hospital in the German town of Limburg an der Lahn. After hearing Furtenbach speak on the radio in 2018 about his efforts to help climbers pre-acclimatize, Fries said he contacted him to propose his idea: breathe in xenon gas before a challenging climb. The gas, said Fries, appears to have neuroprotective properties and prompts the production of a hormone that triggers red blood cell production, improving the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Furtenbach and at least a dozen other climbers experimented with the gas in their climbs in the following years, said Fries, and their experiences convinced them it helped prevent altitude-related symptoms. The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation said in January that scientific literature didn't support the idea that breathing in xenon improves performance in the mountains. Given how swiftly it can work—putting people to sleep in a minute—highly experienced medical supervision is vital, said Fries. Furtenbach on his Instagram account has warned climbers against trying to copy their example, noting his group used the gas under medical supervision—and not on the mountain itself. Several mountaineers, while crediting the British climbers achievement and the preparations of Furtenbach's outfit, expressed concern that less experienced climbers or unethical expedition outfits could try to replicate the experiment with dangerous results. 'I'm happy for the four climbers," said Alan Arnette, a mountaineer who chronicles Everest climbing. 'I just think we have to be very aware of unintended consequences of other people trying to take this and replicate it and not doing it safely and thinking that it's some kind of magic bullet or shortcut to the top." Stephan Keck, head of the Austria-based expedition operator Himalayan Experience, said he worried commercial impulses could encourage xenon's use to help inexperienced people summit quickly. 'I don't want to have a circus up there," he said. Some mountaineering experts said it is hard to assess the effects of xenon for a climbing group that also prepared extensively with hypoxia tents and had past physical training in the military. After arriving in Nepal on the morning of May 17, the men took a helicopter to reach base camp after noon. Pasang Tendi Sherpa, who worked with the climbers, said the group prayed at base camp before beginning. They began climbing around midnight, skipped the first camp and arrived at the second camp the next morning. The following day they climbed to Camp 3 and on May 20, made it to Camp 4, into the infamous 'death zone." The pace was relentless, said Godlington: 'We barely stopped to rest." At Camp 4, three of their Sherpas turned back because of a storm. The rest continued to climb overnight, reaching the summit at 7:15 a.m. on May 21. 'We were the only guys on the mountain," Godlington said. Carns said he had given the group a 30% chance of success. Reminders of how wrong climbing Everest can go were all around. When he turned into Camp 4 'there was a dead body just frozen to my left," said Carns. He doesn't foresee a spate of copycat climbs. 'This is one of the hardest things I've done," said Carns. 'So I don't think we're going to see a whole glut of people trying to get up in a week." Write to Krishna Pokharel at and Tripti Lahiri at
India Gazette
11 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"We will never give in to nuclear blackmail": EAM Jaishankar at Vadodara
Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], May 31 (ANI): Emphasising that safeguarding the nation's interests remains paramount, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar hit out at Pakistan asserting that India will never succumb to any form of nuclear blackmail. Addressing the Convocation Ceremony of Foreign National Students at Parul University in Gujarat's Vadodara, EAM S. Jaishankar said that New Delhi's zero tolerance for terrorism has been manifested today through its actions. 'We will never give in to nuclear blackmail. Whatever decisions have to be taken in India's national interests are taken and will continue to be taken,' he said. He termed April's Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, including a Nepali national, an attempt to devastate the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir and an evil desire to sow the seeds of religious discord. 'Recently, we saw an attempt to devastate the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir and an evil desire to sow the seeds of religious discord. The barbarity of the killings required an exemplary response, which was delivered... It is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture, and utilise terrorism for their ends are made to pay a high cost. That it warranted a forceful response, even after the 26/11 attack in Mumbai in 2008, is widely acknowledged,' Jaishankar added. 'But times have changed, and our resolve is much stronger now. Terrorism epicentres are no longer immune. India's zero tolerance for terrorism has been manifested today through its actions...' said Jaishankar. Further stressing the issues of the Global South, the EAM said, 'There are also other pressing challenges faced by the world especially our brothers and sisters of the Global South. We all realised during the COVID Pandemic how much our health security depended on others. The Ukraine conflict brought home the vulnerability of energy security. The shortage of fertilisers and scarcity of food grains left many economies deeply impacted.' He spoke about the imperative of stronger international cooperation in a more diverse and pluralistic world, and New Delhi's outlook driven by the ethos of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam. He also highlighted India's strong advocacy for the Global South, rooted in shared history and common aspirations. Notably, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. (ANI)
