Everest

All hikers stranded in Tibetan blizzard on Mt Everest rescued: Officials

Hundreds of hikers who were caught in a deadly blizzard on the Tibetan slopes of Mount Everest since Saturday have reached safety, local officials said on Tuesday. Earlier official media reports said one hiker died. All hikers and local hiking service personnel stranded by heavy snowfall in Dingri County, Xigaze City in southwest Tibet Autonomous Region, have reached safety, according to the local government. A total of 580 hikers and more than 300 personnel, including local guides and yak herders, have arrived safely in Qudeng Township and nearby areas, where local staff are organising their return journeys in an orderly manner, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted local government statement. About a dozen hikers were escorted to a meeting point with the help of local teams carrying food, medicine, heating and oxygen supplies, the Xinhua report said. Heavy snowfall began to hit Dingri on Saturday evening, affecting the hikers along mountain trails near Qudeng. The county governmen

Nepalese Sherpa Kami Rita scales Everest for 31st time, breaks own record

Famed Nepalese Sherpa guide Kami Rita has scaled Mount Everest for the 31st time, breaking his own record for the most successful ascents of the world's highest peak. The 55-year-old climber leading stood atop the 8,849-meter summit at around 4 am on Tuesday under stable weather conditions, according to Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, the expedition organiser. He was guiding a team of the Indian Army Adventure Wing Everest Expedition, led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi. This new feat cements his status as the record holder for the highest number of ascents to the top of the world a record that no one else has come close to, the Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted Mingma as saying. Kami Rita is safe and stable after his summit. He has started his descent and is on his way back to base camp, he added. As always, Kami has demonstrated his unmatched skills and professionalism on the mountain. We are immensely proud of his achievement and the legacy he continues to build.

Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee to $15,000, brings new pollution measures

Nepal has sharply increased permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by 36 per cent and also introduced a slew of measures aimed at controlling garbage pollution on the world's tallest peak, officials said. Under the revised mountaineering regulations, the royalty fee for foreigners climbing Everest from the normal south route in the spring season (March-May) has been raised to USD 15,000 from the current USD 11,000 per person. The autumn season (September-November) climbing fee has increased from USD 5,500 to USD 7,500. At the same time, the permit cost per individual for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons has risen from USD 2,750 to USD 3,750. A Cabinet decision to this effect has already been made, though the official announcement is yet to come, said Arati Neupane, Director of the Tourism Board. The new fees for climbing the 8848.86-metre peak will come into effect from September 1, 2025, she added. The revised regulations, approved by the Cabinet w

Heights of ambition

Written with brio, the book nevertheless is an uncomfortable read because Cockrell ignores the distressing negative externalities of Everest Inc

Rajasthan govt finds some MDH, Everest spices 'unsafe' for consumption

India's domestic market for spices was valued at $10.44 billion in 2022, according to Zion Market Research

Pesticide controversy: Govt tells MDH, Everest to take corrective measures

EtO is often used in the food industry to reduce bacterial load, yeast and mould, as a fumigant

Government asks MDH, Everest to take corrective measures

The central government has asked MDH and Everest to take “corrective measures”, weeks after spices produced by these companies were recalled by Singapore and Hong Kong

FSSAI finds no traces of ethylene oxide in MDH, Everest spice samples

As many as 28 samples have been cleared by the scientific panel at FSSAI, with no traces of ETO in them, said sources

Nepal bans sale of 4 MDH, Everest spice-mix products over quality concerns

After Singapore and Hong Kong, Nepal has also banned the sale and import of certain spice-mix products manufactured by Indian brands over alleged quality concerns. Four spice-mix products by MDH and Everest were banned in the Himalayan nation from Friday due to suspected ethylene oxide or EtO contamination, according to the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control here. Under this, Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Mixed Masala Powder; Mixed Masala Curry Powder of MDH and Fish Curry Masala of Everest have been banned in Nepal. As residue contents of ethylene oxide are found to be exceeding the prescribed limit in these four products, the import and sale of these products are banned within the country as per Article 19 of the Food Regulation 2027 B.S., the department said in a notice issued on Friday. Our serious attention has been drawn towards media reports about the sale of these sub-standard products in the market, and they are harmful for consumption, it said. The food qua

Nepal bans 'Everest, MDH Masala' brand, starts test for ethylene oxide

Nepal has banned these two spice brands after the news about high levels of ethylene oxide traces in the products

UK tightens scrutiny of all Indian spice imports amid contamination claims

"The use of ethylene oxide is not allowed here and maximum residue levels are in place for herbs and spices," James Cooper, Deputy Director of Food Policy at the FSA

Trouble mounts for MDH, Everest as New Zealand checks for contamination

Regulators in India have inspected MDH and Everest plants and sent samples for testing after the global scrutiny, though the results have not yet been made public

Sugar in cereals, pesticides in spices; why we struggle to keep food safe

Sugar in baby food is a different challenge, one that has its roots in activist shareholders' demands of a vote on the health impact of Nestle products worldwide

'If spice makers found guilty, govt will not hesitate to cancel licence'

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which has 237 testing labs, has collected over 1,500 spice samples from around the country

Stringent norms adopted for max pesticide residue limit in food items: Govt

The government on Sunday asserted that India has one of the most stringent norms for pesticides residues in food items and rejected reports suggesting that food regulator FSSAI allows high level of residues in spices and herbs. The clarification comes amid a ban imposed by the Hong Kong food regulator on certain spice mix of two leading Indian brands MDH and Everest on alleged presence of pesticide Ethylene Oxide in their samples. The Singapore food regulator too ordered a recall of one spice product of the Everest brand. FSSAI is currently collecting samples of branded spices, including that of MDH and Everest, sold in the domestic markets to ensure they comply with its quality norms. It does not regulate the quality of exported spices. In a statement, the Union Health Ministry clarified that maximum residue limits are different for various food products based on risk assessment. "Some media reports are claiming that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) allows

FSSAI relaxed pesticide norms in April, allowing 10x more residue in spices

Activists had warned against the policy relaxations, pointing to potential health hazards linked to pesticides

Spice row: FSSAI orders compulsory testing of spice brands across India

The decision was taken following the suspension of sales of certain spice blends from two leading brands, MDH and Everest, by Singapore and Hong Kong

MDH, Everest row: Centre asks state govts to test spices for quality check

Amid controversy over Indian spice exports, the Centre mandates state governments to conduct quality tests

Govt committee submits report on banned spice issue, decision pending

The govt is launching an initiative to ensure India's exports meet importing countries' tolerance limits

Australian regulator looking at MDH, Everest spices for possible recall

Earlier, some MDH and Everest spice mixes were recalled in Singapore, while Hong Kong suspended their sales over high levels of ethylene oxide