Latest news with #Everest
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nuclear leakage in Ganga? How a secret CIA mission 60 years ago may haunt the billions in India who depend on the holy river
In 1965, India's top climbers carried a nuclear spying device up Nanda Devi for the CIA to watch China's atomic tests. Bad weather forced them to abandon it. The device vanished into the glacier, taking five kilograms of plutonium with it. Parliament asked questions, but the device was never found. Today, meltwater feeds the Ganga from the same glacier. Local fears remain while official monitoring is absent. The Cold War's hidden bomb still rests, half-lost, beneath India's sacred peaks. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Everest heroes turned spymasters Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Plan: Watch China from the 'roof of the world' The storm that swallowed a secret Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Who is Captain Kohli, the Everest pioneer A Nation's pride on Everest Flowing water, frozen risk Legacy of a reluctant hero Nearly sixty years ago, deep in the Himalayas, India's best climbers carried a nuclear-powered spying device up Nanda Devi , aiming it at China's secret atomic tests. What happened next has left a radioactive question mark buried somewhere under the snow — and perhaps leaking slowly towards the Ganges, lifeline to half a billion device, a Remote Sensing Data Collection Unit powered by a plutonium capsule, vanished during a storm in 1965. Despite risky recoveries and years of quiet searching, it remains lost near the Rishi Ganga glacier. Captain Manmohan Singh Kohli , who led the mission, never called himself a spy. 'Look, we weren't spies, but adventure men. For us, it was a mountaineering expedition with a special purpose,' Kohli told the BBC years later from his home in Cold War made unlikely partners. The CIA's plan was born when China shocked the world by testing its first nuclear bomb in Xinjiang. The US needed eyes on Chinese missile launches and bomb designs. Satellites were too new and unreliable. High Himalayan peaks offered a view no camera in space could Bishop, an American mountaineer, convinced Air Force Chief Curtis LeMay the plan could work. LeMay, known for his aggressive nuclear strategies, signed off. India's leaders, still recovering from the 1962 border war with China, agreed to help. Their best climbing team would haul the American-built sensor as high as possible — in Kohli and his climbers had only just returned from planting India's flag on Everest in 1965. Many porters and Sherpas who trusted him followed him up Nanda Devi too. This time, the cargo was no flag but a 57 kg generator with a plutonium heart.'You should write about the uniqueness of the mission — the Nanda Devi joint operation was the biggest in the world,' Kohli told the BBC. 'Biggest, because of the number of people that took part in it. Besides the military of porters and Sherpas, we also had nuclear experts, intelligence officers, specialised agents like communicators, which is not the case in regular mountaineering expeditions.'The idea first sparked when Barry Bishop, a renowned American climber, spoke with US Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay. Bishop told him the Himalayan peaks offered a clear line into Chinese territory. LeMay, known for his appetite for nuclear brinkmanship, pushed the CIA to act. But they needed still reeling from its 1962 defeat by China, saw a chance to watch its old foe. Intelligence chiefs Bhola Nath Mullik and Rameshwar Nath Kao agreed. They picked Kohli — the calm Navy officer who'd brought India glory on wrote later, 'I was told we had to carry something to the summit of a mountain, alongside the Americans. It was, or the fact that it was composed of 80% of the radioactive material that destroyed Hiroshima, were details we didn't know.'In September 1965, two junior Intelligence Bureau officers reached Lata village below Nanda Devi. They needed porters — tough men of the Jad Bhotia tribe. Karthik Rana, an elder porter, remembered: 'Luckily, in the early summer of 1965, I was hired by Japanese mountaineers to climb another peak, Trisul, so I missed out when Indian saabs came calling.'Thirty-three Bhotia porters signed up. Nine elite Sherpas joined them. The mission's brain trust was formidable: Kohli led, with four IB officers — Harish Rawat, Sonam Wangyal, Gurcharan Singh Bhangu, and Sonam Gyatso. Rameshwar Nath Kao, future father of RAW, kept daily radio contact with Kohli. American climbers and CIA men watched from base plan was simple but brutal. Drag 57 kg of high-tech sensors and plutonium fuel up the Rishi Ganga gorge. Lash it to the peak. Let it team set out in late September 1965. IB officers secured dozens of local porters in Lata village, gateway to the peak. As the men climbed, weather turned. Blizzards pinned them near 7,300 metres. The nuclear device was too heavy to carry safely down. The only choice: secure it to a rock outcrop and escape before frostbite claimed Kohli's team returned in spring, snow slides and shifting ice had wiped the ledge clean. The device was gone, dragged into the glacier's gut by tonnes of moving snow and rock. 'If the capsule ever ruptures, it could contaminate the Rishi Ganga for decades,' Kohli the next few years, new attempts used dummy units to test safer placements on Nanda Kot, a nearby peak. Some dummy sets also vanished into crevasses. The original unit, with its real plutonium, never Manmohan 'Mohan' Singh Kohli, the Navy officer who put India atop Everest and carried a secret nuclear mission into the Himalayas, died on 23 June in New Delhi at 93. The Indian Navy described him as 'a pioneer of adventure training and a national icon who shaped the mountaineering ethos of the armed forces.'Born in 1932 in Haripur, now in Pakistan, Kohli's childhood turned upside down by Partition. At just 15, he fled his burning town on a refugee train to Amritsar. A bullet missed him by inches. He arrived with nothing but fear — and college in Lahore, Shimla and Allahabad, Kohli joined the Navy in 1954 as an education officer. His life changed when he was posted to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute . There, he trained under Tenzing Norgay — Everest hero of 1953. The student climbed fast. By 1959, Kohli led the Navy's ascent of Nanda Kot, a tough peak no one had tamed since 1936. Two years later, he summited Annapurna III, braving killer ridges and avalanches. He was now India's top 1964, India had twice failed to conquer Everest. Lives were lost. Hopes were high. So the nation turned to Kohli. He had six months to lead India's third plan was precise. As The Times of India reported, the team of 21 — climbers, Sherpas, doctors, and even a film crew — left by train on 26 February 1965. They trekked into the Solu-Khumbu valley, reached Thyangboche Monastery by 8 March, and built base camp on 22 March. By 27 March, they crossed the deadly Khumbu Icefall — the season's earliest crossing — giving them an 20 and 29 May, four summit teams planted nine Indians atop Everest — then a world record. Kohli stayed at South Col, coordinating every step. He did not climb the final ridge. Instead, he ran the radios, rationed supplies, steadied they returned, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri called it 'a triumph for the whole nation.' Kohli refused to take an Arjuna Award unless every climber and Sherpa got one too. He won that fight. It remains the only time the award has honoured an entire the Rishi Ganga tumbles down from the same glacier into the Alaknanda, one of the Ganga's main tributaries. Local communities depend on this meltwater for crops, livestock and daily life. There are no warning signs on the trails. Trekkers pass over the ancient slip point. Few know a Cold War relic lies somewhere like Dr Milap Chand Sharma say the Himalayas do not hide things forever. Unlike deserts, glaciers shift and flow downhill. As the ice melts under climate pressure, debris buried for decades can surface. The device's stainless steel casing was designed to resist corrosion — but the mountain's force is Menon, the only surviving scientist from the 1978 inquiry, later urged, 'Someone in the government should look into it.'Some porters who helped carry the generator fell ill later. Some died young. No direct link was ever proven. But the fear lingers in local monitoring ever began. Villagers living beneath the snowfield drink glacier runoff every day. The mountains remain quiet. But as glaciers shrink and rivers swell, the Cold War's buried spy could still return — carried by the holy river that so many call life never stopped warning about Everest's commercial circus. He told the BBC, 'Climbing Everest looks like a big joke today. It absolutely does not resemble the old days when there were adventures, challenges and exploration.'After retiring in 1974, he wrote books, mentored young climbers, and pushed mountaineering into schools. He shaped the Indo-Tibetan Border Police into a mountain lived through Partition's pain, Everest's storms and a Cold War secret. Yet he left this simple line behind: 'Leadership is not about standing on top; it is about taking others there.'Captain Kohli's peaks still stand. So does the secret he left behind. Some secrets, though, are buried deeper than any summit.(With inputs from TOI)
The Advertiser
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Penrith 2021 vibes as Blues brave litany of injuries
Liam Martin says there are similar vibes in the NSW Origin camp to Penrith's heroic 2021 NRL premiership, with several players defying injuries to feature in the decider. Payne Haas on Wednesday revealed he had a bulging disc in his lower back, which required him to be needled in Brisbane on Monday before flying to Sydney. Brian To'o is battling a grade-two ligament tear in his knee and won't run until at least Saturday, while Hudson Young (groin) was the third player to sit out NSW's opening training session in the Blue Mountains on Wednesday. Jarome Luai also avoided any contact due to the chest wound that caused his infection and three-night hospital stay last weekend, while halves partner Nathan Cleary is managing a groin issue. Penrith built a "climbing Everest" theme around the 2021 premiership win, with Dylan Edwards, To'o and Cleary among a nine-strong injured brigade to feature in that grand final. So ugly did things get, a 16-year-old Jett Cleary and Cameron Ciraldo's son teenage boy Kai were filling numbers at training. Close to half of that Penrith side are in NSW camp this week, and Martin said it had served as an inspiration since then that anything was possible with the group. "That '21 run is probably the most incredible thing. We still talk about it and what we managed to do that year," Martin said. "This is similar vibes, just the toughness of the group. "Bizza (To'o) in particular. I've played a few games where he's finished the game and it's turned out he's done his syndesmosis, stuff like that. "The toughness is incredible, they (all) continue to surprise you. I've got every faith that they'll be right for the game." No one has typified that toughness more than Haas during this year's Origin series. The Brisbane prop barely trained in the lead-up to Origin I due to a quad tear, before being man of the match in NSW series-opening win at Suncorp. The bulging disc in his back has also proven a pain since the start of the season, despite being the Broncos' best forward almost every week this year. "Every time I get the chance to play with him, I'm in awe of him, he's just a generational freak, just what he can do," Martin said. "I absolutely love playing with him and can't wait to do it again. "Game one, didn't train all week, was put on ice. And then he come out and seeing how he played is just incredible." Haas himself was also adamant there is no risk of him missing next Wednesday night's decider at Accor Stadium, or that the bulging disc would in any way hold him back. "I'm just resting up now, but I'll be doing some running tomorrow ... No chance (I'll be missing)," Haas said. "I had a bit of swelling down my lower back, and then got a minor disc bulge. "I had a needle on Monday ... It's all good." Liam Martin says there are similar vibes in the NSW Origin camp to Penrith's heroic 2021 NRL premiership, with several players defying injuries to feature in the decider. Payne Haas on Wednesday revealed he had a bulging disc in his lower back, which required him to be needled in Brisbane on Monday before flying to Sydney. Brian To'o is battling a grade-two ligament tear in his knee and won't run until at least Saturday, while Hudson Young (groin) was the third player to sit out NSW's opening training session in the Blue Mountains on Wednesday. Jarome Luai also avoided any contact due to the chest wound that caused his infection and three-night hospital stay last weekend, while halves partner Nathan Cleary is managing a groin issue. Penrith built a "climbing Everest" theme around the 2021 premiership win, with Dylan Edwards, To'o and Cleary among a nine-strong injured brigade to feature in that grand final. So ugly did things get, a 16-year-old Jett Cleary and Cameron Ciraldo's son teenage boy Kai were filling numbers at training. Close to half of that Penrith side are in NSW camp this week, and Martin said it had served as an inspiration since then that anything was possible with the group. "That '21 run is probably the most incredible thing. We still talk about it and what we managed to do that year," Martin said. "This is similar vibes, just the toughness of the group. "Bizza (To'o) in particular. I've played a few games where he's finished the game and it's turned out he's done his syndesmosis, stuff like that. "The toughness is incredible, they (all) continue to surprise you. I've got every faith that they'll be right for the game." No one has typified that toughness more than Haas during this year's Origin series. The Brisbane prop barely trained in the lead-up to Origin I due to a quad tear, before being man of the match in NSW series-opening win at Suncorp. The bulging disc in his back has also proven a pain since the start of the season, despite being the Broncos' best forward almost every week this year. "Every time I get the chance to play with him, I'm in awe of him, he's just a generational freak, just what he can do," Martin said. "I absolutely love playing with him and can't wait to do it again. "Game one, didn't train all week, was put on ice. And then he come out and seeing how he played is just incredible." Haas himself was also adamant there is no risk of him missing next Wednesday night's decider at Accor Stadium, or that the bulging disc would in any way hold him back. "I'm just resting up now, but I'll be doing some running tomorrow ... No chance (I'll be missing)," Haas said. "I had a bit of swelling down my lower back, and then got a minor disc bulge. "I had a needle on Monday ... It's all good." Liam Martin says there are similar vibes in the NSW Origin camp to Penrith's heroic 2021 NRL premiership, with several players defying injuries to feature in the decider. Payne Haas on Wednesday revealed he had a bulging disc in his lower back, which required him to be needled in Brisbane on Monday before flying to Sydney. Brian To'o is battling a grade-two ligament tear in his knee and won't run until at least Saturday, while Hudson Young (groin) was the third player to sit out NSW's opening training session in the Blue Mountains on Wednesday. Jarome Luai also avoided any contact due to the chest wound that caused his infection and three-night hospital stay last weekend, while halves partner Nathan Cleary is managing a groin issue. Penrith built a "climbing Everest" theme around the 2021 premiership win, with Dylan Edwards, To'o and Cleary among a nine-strong injured brigade to feature in that grand final. So ugly did things get, a 16-year-old Jett Cleary and Cameron Ciraldo's son teenage boy Kai were filling numbers at training. Close to half of that Penrith side are in NSW camp this week, and Martin said it had served as an inspiration since then that anything was possible with the group. "That '21 run is probably the most incredible thing. We still talk about it and what we managed to do that year," Martin said. "This is similar vibes, just the toughness of the group. "Bizza (To'o) in particular. I've played a few games where he's finished the game and it's turned out he's done his syndesmosis, stuff like that. "The toughness is incredible, they (all) continue to surprise you. I've got every faith that they'll be right for the game." No one has typified that toughness more than Haas during this year's Origin series. The Brisbane prop barely trained in the lead-up to Origin I due to a quad tear, before being man of the match in NSW series-opening win at Suncorp. The bulging disc in his back has also proven a pain since the start of the season, despite being the Broncos' best forward almost every week this year. "Every time I get the chance to play with him, I'm in awe of him, he's just a generational freak, just what he can do," Martin said. "I absolutely love playing with him and can't wait to do it again. "Game one, didn't train all week, was put on ice. And then he come out and seeing how he played is just incredible." Haas himself was also adamant there is no risk of him missing next Wednesday night's decider at Accor Stadium, or that the bulging disc would in any way hold him back. "I'm just resting up now, but I'll be doing some running tomorrow ... No chance (I'll be missing)," Haas said. "I had a bit of swelling down my lower back, and then got a minor disc bulge. "I had a needle on Monday ... It's all good."
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Everest Group to Hold Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call on Thursday, July 31, 2025
HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Everest Group, Ltd. ('Everest') (NYSE: EG) will hold its second quarter 2025 earnings conference call on Thursday, July 31, 2025, beginning at 8:00 am Eastern Time. Dial in details can be obtained by completing the registration form available at: The call can be accessed via a live, listen only webcast at where a replay of the call will also be available. Everest will release financial results on July 30, 2025 after the NYSE market close. At that time, Everest's earnings release and financial supplement will be made available at About Everest Everest is a global underwriting leader providing best-in-class property, casualty, and specialty reinsurance and insurance solutions that address customers' most pressing challenges. Known for a 50-year track record of disciplined underwriting, capital and risk management, Everest, through its global operating affiliates, is committed to underwriting opportunity for colleagues, customers, shareholders, and communities worldwide. Everest common stock (NYSE: EG) is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information about Everest, our people, and our products can be found on our website at
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists discover microplastics in SEMEN and female reproductive fluid – and warn they could spark an infertility crisis
From the depths of The Mariana Trench to the summit of Everest, microplastics can now be found almost everywhere on Earth. Now, it turns out even our most intimate moments can't escape their blight. Scientists have discovered microplastics are 'common' in both male and female reproductive fluids. And they warned of the potential implications for reproduction, as egg and sperm quality could be impaired. The team examined follicular fluid – found within the ovaries - from 29 women and the seminal fluid, found within semen, from 22 men. Analysis revealed a range of commonly-used microplastics were present in more than half of the samples. This included microplastics linked to non-stick coatings, polystyrene, plastic containers, wool, insulation and cushioning materials. Lead researcher Dr Emilio Gomez-Sanchez, from the University of Murcia, said: 'Previous studies had already shown that microplastics can be found in various human organs. 'As a result, we weren't entirely surprised to find microplastics in fluids of the human reproductive system, but we were struck by how common they were – found in 69 per cent of the women and 55 per cent of the men we studied.' Microplastics are defined as plastic particles under 5mm in size, and there is evidence that they pose a threat to environmental and public health. While this research did not directly assess how microplastics affect fertility, their detection highlights the need to explore possible implications for human reproductive health, the researchers warned. 'What we know from animal studies is that in the tissues where microplastics accumulate, they can induce inflammation, free radical formation, DNA damage, cellular senescence, and endocrine disruptions,' Dr Gomez-Sanchez added. 'It's possible they could impair egg or sperm quality in humans, but we don't yet have enough evidence to confirm that.' The scientists said the microplastics probably enter the body through ingestion, inhalation and contact with the skin. From there they enter the bloodstream, which then distributes them throughout the body – including to the reproductive organs. They plan to carry out further studies to explore the potential relationship between the presence of microplastics and egg and sperm quality. The findings, published in the journal Human Reproduction, were presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). Commenting on the study Dr Carlos Calhaz-Jorge, Immediate Past Chair of ESHRE, said: 'Environmental factors influencing reproduction are certainly a reality, although not easy to measure objectively. 'The authors of this study found microplastics in over two-thirds of follicular fluids and more than 50 per cent of semen fluids from the studied patients. 'Although the significance of these findings is not yet clear, they should be considered an additional argument in favour of avoiding the generalised use of plastics in our daily lives.' Previous studies have detected microplastics in human breast milk, blood and even brain tissue. And separate research has found high levels in everyday items such as tea bags, baby bottles and chopping boards. Some scientists have urged caution when interpreting the findings of the new study. Dr Stephanie Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology at Imperial College London, said: 'Without information on the sizes of the microplastic particles observed, it is challenging to interpret how meaningful this data is. 'There is a high potential for samples to become contaminated with microplastic throughout the sampling, laboratory processing, and analysis procedures. 'It is not a surprise that microplastics have been found – they are everywhere, even in the lab – but the data provided do not support that they are there as a result of human exposure as opposed to methodological artefact and must be interpreted with caution at this early stage.' Fay Couceiro, Professor of Environmental Pollution and Head of the Microplastics Research Group at the University of Portsmouth, said: 'The study is very interesting and considering the global reduction in fertility rates, looking at possible causes is very topical and timely. 'As the authors state, finding microplastics is not that surprising as we have found them in lots of other areas of our bodies. 'Presence is also not the same as impact and the authors are clear that while they have found microplastics in the reproductive fluids of both men and women, we still don't know how they are affecting us.' WHAT CAN MICROPLASTICS DO TO THE HUMAN BODY IF THEY END UP IN OUR FOOD SUPPLY? According to an article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, our understanding of the potential human health effects from exposure to microplastics 'constitutes major knowledge gaps.' Humans can be exposed to plastic particles via consumption of seafood and terrestrial food products, drinking water and via the air. However, the level of human exposure, chronic toxic effect concentrations and underlying mechanisms by which microplastics elicit effects are still not well understood enough in order to make a full assessment of the risks to humans. According to Rachel Adams, a senior lecturer in Biomedical Science at Cardiff Metropolitan University, ingesting microplastics could cause a number of potentially harmful effects, such as: Inflammation: when inflammation occurs, the body's white blood cells and the substances they produce protect us from infection. This normally protective immune system can cause damage to tissues. An immune response to anything recognised as 'foreign' to the body: immune responses such as these can cause damage to the body. Becoming carriers for other toxins that enter the body: microplastics generally repel water and will bind to toxins that don't dissolve, so microplastics can bind to compounds containing toxic metals such as mercury, and organic pollutants such as some pesticides and chemicals called dioxins, which are known to causes cancer, as well as reproductive and developmental problems. If these microplastics enter the body, toxins can accumulate in fatty tissues.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Everest Group to Hold Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call on Thursday, July 31, 2025
HAMILTON, Bermuda, July 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Everest Group, Ltd. ("Everest") (NYSE: EG) will hold its second quarter 2025 earnings conference call on Thursday, July 31, 2025, beginning at 8:00 am Eastern Time. Dial in details can be obtained by completing the registration form available at: The call can be accessed via a live, listen only webcast at where a replay of the call will also be available. Everest will release financial results on July 30, 2025 after the NYSE market close. At that time, Everest's earnings release and financial supplement will be made available at About Everest Everest is a global underwriting leader providing best-in-class property, casualty, and specialty reinsurance and insurance solutions that address customers' most pressing challenges. Known for a 50-year track record of disciplined underwriting, capital and risk management, Everest, through its global operating affiliates, is committed to underwriting opportunity for colleagues, customers, shareholders, and communities worldwide. Everest common stock (NYSE: EG) is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information about Everest, our people, and our products can be found on our website at View source version on Contacts Media: Dawn LauerChief Communications Officer908.300.7670 Investors: Matt RohrmannHead of Investor Relations908.604.7343 Sign in to access your portfolio
