Kathmandu: The first international gathering of summiteers of Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) will be taking place in Nepal on May 27.



The event named ' Everest Summiteers Summit' aims to bring together the climbers, provide them a forum for sharing experiences with each other and promote an adventurous tourism, according to organiser the Everest Alliance Nepal.



Alliance Chair Sudarshan Nepal has said that so far 177 climbers from 16 countries have confirmed the registrations for participating in the Summit. A total of 500 climbers who have already reached the top of the world's tallest peak are expected to attend the event.



They will represent India, China, the United States of America, Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Iran, Singapore, Australia, Lebanon, Morocco and the UAE.



There will be presence of those who climbed Mount Everest seven decades ago to share their experiences with the gathering. Those who have reached the peak, including individuals with different abilities, will also give presentations.



Kanchha Sherpa, the last surviving member of the historic 1953 expedition to Mount Everest, will be honored at the event. He was part of the team alongside Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who made history as the first people to reach the summit.



The Summit will include extensive discussions on the impacts of climate change on mountain ecosystems, with panel discussions featuring representatives from organizations such as WWF, ICIMOD, IUCN, and others.



The event is supported by several prominent organizations, including the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents, the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), the Nepal Mountaineering Association, and the Hotel Association of Nepal, among others.

First international 'Everest Summiteers Summit' on May 27

Kathmandu: The President of COP-29 and Special Representative the President of Azerbaijan for Climate Issues, Mukthar Babayev, called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today.



During the meeting held at the Prime Minister's official resident in Baluwatar, PM Oli thanked the Government of Azerbaijan for its leading role in talking the climate change impacts through mutual cooperation.



PM Oli said that the non-aligned nations should continue to push for concerted efforts for the concept of Himalayas to the Oceans and bring the large countries on board.



The President of COP-29 and Special Representative the President of Azerbaijan for Climate Issues is in Nepal to attend the ongoing Sagarmatha Sambaad.



On the occasion, Mukthar congratulated the PM for organizing the Sagarmatha Sambaad and disseminating its messages to the world for the protection of Himalayas and for environment.

President of COP-29 meets PM Oli

Kathmandu: The Sagarmatha Sambaad, the international dialogue on climate action, sustainability, and global partnerships, themed "Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity" has kicked off in Kathmandu today.



Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the Sagarmatha Sambaad amid a special function a while ago. More than 350 national and international distinguished personalities are present at the event.



Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister and Coordinator of Sambaad Management Committee Dr Arzu Rana Deuba welcomed the distinguished guests attending the event.



Currently, the distinguished guests are addressing the event. There will be parallel thematic sessions after the closing of the inaugural session.

PM Oli inaugurates Sagarmatha Sambaad

Kathmandu: In its bid to inform the world community about climate change and its impacts, and to explore measures for climate resilience, the government is organizing the Sagarmath Sambaad from today in Kathmandu.



Beginning today, the Sagarmatha Sambaad -- the first of its kind from the Government of Nepal -- will conclude on May 18. The theme of the Sagarmath Sambaad is "Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity".



The program includes various sessions, seminars, and keynote speeches on topics such as climate action, sustainability, and global partnerships. According to Foreign Affairs Minister and Coordinator of Sambaad Management Committee Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, a total of 175 foreign guests and almost equal number of Nepalis will join the event.



There will be the participation of high-level delegation from 12 countries. The dignitaries from China, India and some other countries have already arrived in Kathmandu and the participants from some other countries are arriving.



The leaders of Indian and Chinese delegations are scheduled to address the event. Likewise, COP29 President and Special Representative the President of Azerbaijan for Climate Issues is also scheduled to address the event. Similarly, a video message addressed to the Sagarmatha Sambaad by UN Secretary General António Guterres will be presented today.



There will be series of plenary sessions after the inauguraal session. The programme includes various sessions, seminars, and keynote speeches on topics such as climate action, sustainability, and global partnerships.

Sagarmatha Sambaad begins today

Kathmandu: A total of 175 foreign delegates are participating in the 'Sagarmatha Sambaad' (Sagarmatha Dialogue), a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum committed to deliberate on the most prominent issues of global, regional and national significance, to be held here on May 16 -18.



Minister for Foreign Affairs and Sagarmatha Sambaad Management Committee Coordinator, Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, in a press meet here today shared so.



Dr Rana apprised that altogether 350 participants including 175 foreign delegates are taking part in the event aimed at providing a suitable platform for multi-stakeholder, inter-regional global dialogue in Nepal on pressing contemporary issues facing the world.



Delegates will include ministers, high-ranking government officials, diplomats, representatives from donor agencies, climate change experts and environmentalists as well as development actors and leaders from various sectors.



They will deliberate on the burgeoning environmental challenges and concerns facing the world. They will also seek to forge regional and international cooperation for collective efforts towards climate action.



In the press meet organized to update about the event and its preparation, Minister Rana reiterated that the event will bring together a total of 175 foreign delegates and Nepali in similar number.



The three-day event will see participation of high-level delegates from 12 countries, said Dr Rana, adding they will engage in one high-level plenary session.



Furthermore, representatives from a total of 61 national and international organizations as well as representatives from SAARC, BIMSTEC, Asian Development Bank, World Bank as well as civic societies will also partake in the dialogue.



Together they will engage in 12 parallel sessions and other side events, she informed. The first-ever Sagarmatha Sambaad is themed 'Climate Change, Mountains and Future of Humanity'.



Hereafter, the government decided, the multi-stakeholder dialogue forum will be held every two years. Participants will discuss various contemporary issues facing the humanity across the global particularly the climate-change induced adversities and impacts and dwell on climate action and climate justice.



"Preparation to the Sagarmatha Sambaad is in its final stage. We have reached this far completing various rounds of preparation. Preparation to hold 10 preliminary discussions has been completed," Minister Rana mentioned.



Foreign Minister Rana, during the press meet, asserted that Nepal has the potential to take on a leading role on neutral and dialogue-driven diplomacy.



Moreover, she highlighted Nepal's commitment for collective efforts towards climate action and expressed her confidence that Nepal, through this event, can position itself as a key player in promoting peaceful dialogue on the global stage.



Prime Minister KP Sharma will address the event where Minister Rana will deliver keynote address. A short audiovisual content illuminating the participants about the dialogue forum will be shown, it was shared.



A video message addressing the event by the General-Secretary of the United Nations will also be broadcasted in the event.



According to the Sagarmatha Sambaad Secretariat, high-level delegates from India and China and COP-29 President also the President of Azerbaijan will address the event.

A total of 175 foreign delegates to participate in 'Sagarmatha Sambaad'

Kathmandu: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, the oldest American currently serving in space, returned to Earth on Sunday — the day he turned 70 — after completing a 220-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).



Pettit landed alongside Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner in Kazakhstan's steppe at 06:20 local time (01:20 GMT), aboard the parachute-assisted Soyuz MS-26 capsule, according to NASA.



During the mission, the trio orbited the Earth 3,520 times. It was Pettit’s fourth journey into space, bringing his total time spent off-planet to 590 days.



Although Pettit is now the oldest serving U.S. astronaut to have flown in space, he is not the oldest person to do so — that title remains with John Glenn, who flew aboard a NASA mission in 1998 at age 77.



The crew handed command of the ISS to Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi before departure. Pettit, originally from Oregon, will now undergo re-adaptation to Earth’s gravity before returning to Houston, Texas. His Russian colleagues will be transferred to Star City, Russia’s main space training base near Moscow.



Last month, another NASA mission made headlines when astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth after an unexpectedly extended stay of more than nine months on the ISS due to technical delays.



Source: BBC

NASA’s oldest active astronaut Don Pettit returns to earth on 70th birthday

Kathmandu: Three genetically engineered wolf pups resembling the extinct dire wolf have been born and are now living in a secure, undisclosed location in the United States, according to Colossal Biosciences, a biotech firm working to revive lost species. The pups, aged three to six months, are already around 80 pounds and are expected to grow to nearly 140 pounds in adulthood.



As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the project is part of Colossal's broader efforts to recreate animals that resemble extinct species by using advanced genetic techniques. While the company claims these wolves bear physical similarities to dire wolves — large prehistoric predators that vanished over 10,000 years ago — independent scientists say this does not signal the true return of the species.



“You can’t actually bring back an extinct species — all you can do now is make something look superficially like something else,” said Vincent Lynch, a biologist at the University at Buffalo, who was not involved in the project.



Colossal researchers studied ancient DNA from dire wolf fossils, including a 13,000-year-old tooth from Ohio and a 72,000-year-old skull fragment from Idaho. Using CRISPR gene editing, they altered gray wolf cells at 20 genetic sites before implanting the engineered DNA into dog egg cells. The embryos were carried to term by domestic dog surrogates.



Despite the physical resemblance, the genetically engineered wolves lack the lived experience of hunting in the wild. “They’ll never learn the finishing move to take down a giant elk,” noted Matt James, Colossal’s chief animal care expert.



In a parallel development, Colossal also announced it had successfully cloned four red wolves using blood drawn from the critically endangered red wolf population in the southeastern U.S. The effort aims to expand genetic diversity within captive breeding programs.



Wildlife ethicists remain cautiously optimistic. University of Montana conservation expert Christopher Preston noted that while the new cloning process may be less invasive than past methods, it still involves sedating wild wolves — a difficult and risky procedure.



Colossal CEO Ben Lamm said the company recently met with U.S. Interior Department officials to discuss the project. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum praised the development on X (formerly Twitter), calling it a “thrilling new era of scientific wonder.” However, skeptics like Lynch warn that whatever ecological role dire wolves once played cannot simply be reinserted into today’s altered ecosystems.



Source: AP

Genetically engineered ‘Dire Wolves’ born in U.S.

Kathmadu: More than 40 percent of the world’s electricity was generated from clean energy sources in 2024, the highest share since the 1940s, according to a new report by the global energy think tank Ember. However, global carbon dioxide emissions rose to an all-time high, driven by increased electricity demand during an unusually hot year.



The BBC, citing Ember’s findings, reported that 40.9% of global electricity came from non-fossil sources last year, including solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear energy. Despite this progress, total emissions climbed to 14.6 billion tonnes in 2024 — the highest level on record.



The rise in emissions was largely attributed to a 4% increase in global electricity demand, fueled in part by soaring temperatures and the resulting surge in air conditioning use. This pushed the use of coal and gas up by 1.4%, with fossil fuels still accounting for more than half of global electricity production — 34% from coal and 22% from gas.



Solar power remains the fastest-growing energy source globally. According to Ember, solar generation has doubled every three years since 2012. China continues to lead the solar expansion, contributing over half of global solar growth, while India’s solar capacity doubled between 2023 and 2024.



"Solar power has become the engine of the global energy transition," said Phil Macdonald, Ember’s managing director. "Hotter weather drove the fossil generation increase in 2024, but we're very unlikely to see a similar jump in 2025."



Wind and solar combined now produce roughly 15% of global electricity, while hydropower and nuclear contribute 14% and 9%, respectively. However, both hydro and nuclear are growing at a much slower pace.



Despite the milestone in clean energy generation, Ember’s report underscores that the expansion of renewables has not yet been fast enough to reduce overall global emissions. The continued rapid growth in energy demand, especially in fast-developing economies like India and China, is outpacing the clean energy transition.



In a separate development, the European Copernicus climate service reported that March 2025 was the second hottest on record, extending a string of record-breaking temperature months globally.



Source: BBC

Global clean energy surpasses 40%, but CO2 emissions hit record high: Ember Report

Kathmandu: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has raised concerns over rising air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley and across the country, urging public cooperation in mitigating its risks.



On Friday, the KMC issued a nine-point appeal to the general public, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to curb pollution. It urged residents to regularly maintain their vehicles, avoid open burning of waste, refrain from burning plastic materials, and use pollution-control equipment in industries.



Additionally, the KMC advised the public to wear masks for personal protection.



The metropolis also called for strict adherence to air quality and smoke emission standards outlined in the Pollution Control Standards 2081, aiming to improve environmental conditions and public health.

KMC warns of rising air pollution, issues public appeal

Kathmandu: Kathmandu Valley’s air quality has deteriorated to a very unhealthy level, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering around 260 throughout the day on Thursday.



According to IQAir, a global air quality monitoring agency, Kathmandu ranked as the most polluted city in the world today. An AQI reading above 200 is considered hazardous for all population groups.



While weather conditions remain clear in most parts of the country, Kathmandu’s atmosphere is filled with smoke, dust, and pollutants, preventing sunlight from penetrating effectively. Meteorologists warn that the toxic air is causing eye irritation, throat discomfort, and respiratory issues among residents.



Air quality expert Dr. Bhupendra Das attributes the worsening pollution to an increase in wildfires, agricultural residue burning in rural areas, and heavy vehicular emissions. Additionally, Kathmandu’s bowl-shaped geography traps polluted air, preventing pollutants from dispersing.



Experts suggest that rain or strong winds are necessary to clear the pollution. However, the Meteorological Department has stated that there is no immediate likelihood of rainfall or stormy weather.

Kathmandu’s air quality reaches ‘Very Unhealthy’ levels, ranks as world’s most polluted city

Kathmandu: The 7th Annual Water and Peace Seminar 2025, on "Diplomacy, Dialogue, Discourses: Exploring Potentials and Challenges for Inclusive Water Cooperation," is taking place in Kathmandu from March 26-27 at Hotel Himalaya, Nepal.



It is a part of a week-long event which started on 24 March and concludes on 1 April and it brings together experts, members of civil society, policymakers, and academics from around the world to discuss the future of water diplomacy, with a particular focus on South Asia.



The seminar's discussions revolve around the importance of transboundary water cooperation, inclusivity, and fostering sustainable and effective cooperation over shared water resources. Prof.



Sanjay Chaturvedi, Vice President (Outreach), South Asian University, in his welcome remarks, said that this event being held in Nepal is very significant as Nepal is home to the Himalayas, which is the largest source of freshwater in the world; hence Nepal can be a bridge for these types of dialogue and discussions.



Medha Bisht, Associate Professor of South Asia University and convener of the seminar,r feels that Water Diplomacy in the Himalayan rivers needs a paradigmatic shift in South Asia. Deliberation on the same would make participants learn about best practices from other regions and understand limitations and challenges on themes around inclusivity and participation.



Susanne Schemeir, Head of Department, Water Governance at IHE Delft, said, "It's great to have the 7th Water and Peace seminar here in Nepal, a country where a lot of water management and water cooperation is happening. This year we are focusing on inclusivity, a critical topic regarding water sharing and cooperation. Because different actors, such as government actors, civil society representatives, women, youth, and indigenous communities, are involved in the decision-making processes. So we want to bring all of them together and bring out new ideas."



For Nepal, water diplomacy is of particular importance.



“It allows the country to engage in constructive dialogues, ensuring equitable access to water resources, reducing tensions, and promoting sustainable development across borders. As Nepal continues to address complex transboundary water issues, creating inclusive and cooperative frameworks is crucial to safeguarding its water future and fostering regional harmony.”



Pramod Jaiswal, Research Director of NIICE, shared, "This event is the first of its kind here in Nepal and it has managed to bring together people from around the world. It is an important platform to generate new ideas for fostering sustainable and safe cooperation over water resources as we cover different important issues such as climate change, transboundary water, role of civil societies in water diplomacy, UN Global Water conventions, Water Law and many others”.



Dr. Jaiswal further shared that Water diplomacy is crucial for Himalayan Nepal to address climate-induced glacier melt, transboundary water challenges, and hydropower potential. The UN’s 2025 glacier initiative offers Nepal an opportunity to advocate for climate resilience, strengthen regional cooperation, and secure international support for sustainable water management, disaster mitigation, and equitable resource-sharing.



The week-long program is jointly organized by the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Netherland; South Asian University (SAU), New Delhi and Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE), Kathmandu where there are around 70 participants from 30 countries in Kathmandu and more than 100 are participating online.

7th Annual Water and Peace Seminar 2025 begins in Kathmandu

Kathmandu: NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, alongside their fellow crew members, have safely returned to Earth after a nine-month mission in space. Their journey back concluded with a dramatic re-entry through Earth's atmosphere in a SpaceX capsule, followed by a gentle splashdown off the coast of Florida.



The astronauts’ capsule was greeted by a pod of dolphins, and after being lifted from the water, they were greeted with cheers and smiles. At a press conference following their return, NASA's Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich shared, "The crew’s doing great," adding that their safe return marked the end of a mission initially planned for just eight days.



The mission, which began in June 2024, faced unexpected delays. Wilmore and Williams were originally aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which encountered technical issues during its journey to the International Space Station (ISS). Due to these problems, NASA opted to extend the astronauts' stay, providing them with a SpaceX capsule for their eventual return. The astronauts' planned six-month mission was extended to nine months, with the duo carrying out experiments and spacewalks during their extended stay.



"Its awesome to have Crew 9 home, just a beautiful landing," said Joel Montalbano, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for Space Operations. The astronauts' long tenure in space led to some challenges, including the toll long-duration missions take on the body. Upon landing, they were assisted onto stretchers—a standard practice for astronauts who have spent extended periods in zero gravity.



As they reunite with their families, the astronauts will undergo medical evaluations and follow an exercise regimen to help them readjust to gravity. Their return was met with a sense of relief and joy, with astronaut Helen Sharman remarking on the emotional reunion awaiting them.



Despite their unplanned extension in space, Wilmore and Williams remained in high spirits. Williams had even looked forward to her return to Earth, telling CBS she was excited to "see my family, my dogs, and jump in the ocean."



The astronauts’ return marks the successful conclusion of a mission that highlighted the resilience of the crew and the ongoing collaboration between NASA and SpaceX.



Source: BBC

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