Italy's Jannik Sinner hits a return to Japan's Taro Daniel during their men's singles match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai on October 5, 2024. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)
Italy’s Jannik Sinner hits a return to Japan’s Taro Daniel during their men’s singles match at the Shanghai Masters. PHOTO: AFP
SHANGHAI (AFP) – Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz showed why they were top in the world at the Shanghai Masters on Saturday, as they raced into the third round with comfortable straight-sets wins.
Sinner dispatched Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-1, 6-4, while earlier in the day Alcaraz made short work of China’s Shang Juncheng, winning 6-2, 6-2.
Sinner has said he is not in a “comfortable” situation thanks to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appeal against a decision by tennis authorities to clear him of wrongdoing after he twice tested positive for a steroid in March.
His recent blistering winning streak was broken by Alcaraz in the China Open final on Wednesday.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz hits a return to China’s Shang Juncheng during their men’s singles match at the Shanghai Masters. PHOTO: AFP
But there was no tiredness on display from either player on Saturday, with 23-year-old Sinner looking completely unruffled in the first set against the 93rd-ranked Daniel.
Daniel fell behind again in the second and despite rallying halfway through to gently test Sinner, the Italian kept his cool, ending the set 6-4.
“I had only one practice session yesterday but I felt very comfortable on the court,” he said after the match.
“Today’s performance means a lot to me.”
Earlier, his arch-rival Alcaraz also looked comfortable throughout, breaking in the first game.
Teenager Shang became only the second Chinese player to win an ATP Tour singles title at the Chengdu Open last month, but he was unable to make much headway against the world number two.
China’s Shang Juncheng hits a return to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz during their men’s singles match at the Shanghai Masters. PHOTO: AFP
Despite their enthusiasm for Shang, the crowd couldn’t resist Alcaraz’s charm.
At the Spaniard’s encouragement, they broke into loud cheers when he won a particularly exciting rally in which he hit a tricky backwards shot to keep the point alive.
“I’ve been playing really good tennis lately so I want to just keep going and keep feeling it, keep feeling this good,” 21-year-old Alcaraz said after the match.
“I just had one practice then was straight into this match, so to be able to show this level in the first match, I’m just really proud,” he added.
The tournament lost its second top ten player on Saturday, as Russian Andrey Rublev fell to 65th-ranked Jakub Mensik 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-3, joining Norwegian Casper Ruud on the notable casualties list.
This photograph shows a large lion protome lamp (Roman period, underwater discovery, 2004) during an exhibition on protection of cultural property in case of conflict entitled "Heritage in Peril" at the Art and History Museum in Geneva on October 3, 2024. Devastated by a year of war, the Gaza Strip is exhibiting part of its archaeological heritage in exile in Switzerland, to preserve its soul and identity. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
A mosaic pavement (Byzantine period, 579 AD) collected in 1997 from the site of a vanished Byzantine church in Deir-el-Balah in the Gaza Strip. PHOTO: AFP
GENEVA (AFP) – Archaeological treasures from the Gaza Strip are going on display in Geneva, with the Swiss city protecting the heritage of a territory devastated by a year of war.
Amphoras, statuettes, vases, oil lamps and figurines are among the 44 objects unearthed in Gaza going on show in the “Patrimony in Peril” exhibition at the Museum of Art and History (MAH).
“It’s a part of Gaza’s soul. Its identity, even,” Beatrice Blandin, the exhibition’s curator, told AFP. “Heritage is really the history of this strip of land, the history of the people who live there.”
The artefacts are from a collection of more than 530 objects that have been stored in crates in a secure warehouse in Geneva since 2007, unable to return to Gaza.
The exhibition, which runs from Saturday until February 9, also includes artefacts from Sudan, Syria and Libya.
It was staged to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The exhibition looks at the responsibility of museums in saving such property from damage, looting and conflict, reminding visitors that deliberately destroying heritage is a war crime.
A large lion protome lamp (Roman period, underwater discovery, 2004) during an exhibition on protection of cultural property in case of conflict entitled “Heritage in Peril”. PHOTO: AFP
Cultural damage in Gaza
“The forces of obscurantism understand that cultural property is what is at stake for civilisation, because they have never stopped wanting to destroy this heritage, as in Mosul,” said Geneva city councillor Alfonso Gomez – a reference to the northern Iraqi city captured by the Islamic State jihadist group in 2014.
MAH director Marc-Olivier Wahler told AFP: “Unfortunately, in the event of conflict, many aggressors attack cultural heritage because it is obviously erasing the identity of a people, erasing its history.”
Thankfully, “there are museums, rules and conventions that protect this heritage”.
Since Israel’s offensive in Gaza began following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, cultural sites in the Palestinian territory have paid a heavy price, says the United Nations’ cultural organisation.
UNESCO has verified damage to 69 sites: 10 religious sites, 43 buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, two depositories of movable cultural property, six monuments, one museum and seven archaeological sites.
A man walks past the entrance of the Art and History Museum hosting the exhibition on protection of cultural property in case of conflict entitled “Heritage in Peril”. PHOTO: AFP
Stuck in Swiss warehouse
At a time when Palestinian cultural heritage is “the victim of unprecedented destruction, the patrimonial value of the Gazan objects held in Geneva seems greater than ever”, said the MAH.
Some of the objects belonged to the Palestinian Authority. The rest belonged to the Palestinian entrepreneur Jawdat Khoudary, but he later gave ownership of them to the PA in 2018.
These artefacts, evoking daily, civil and religious life from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman era, arrived in Geneva in 2006 to be shown at the “Gaza at the Crossroads of Civilisations” exhibition, inaugurated by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
They had been meant to form the foundation of an archaeological museum to be built in Gaza.
Instead, they were stuck in Geneva for 17 years, the conditions for their safe return having never been met.
A flask representing a crouching dromedary, loaded with amphorae (Byzantine period, 6th Century, discovered in Blakhiyah, Gaza Strip). PHOTO: AFP
Saved by circumstances
“At the time when the objects were due to leave, Hamas took over the Gaza Strip and there were geopolitical tensions between Palestine and Israel,” said Blandin.
This “coincidence of circumstances,” she said, ultimately saved the artefacts: the rest of Khoudary’s private collection, which remained in Gaza, has been “totally destroyed” since October 7 last year.
Following a new cooperation agreement signed last September between the Palestinian Authority and Geneva, the Swiss city has committed to looking after the artefacts for as long as necessary.
The MAH also served as a refuge, in 1939 when the Spanish Republicans evacuated by train the greatest treasures from the Museo del Prado in Madrid and several other major collections.
This photograph shows a bronze figurine of Serapis (Roman period, 2nd Century, underwater discovery, 2004) during an exhibition on protection of cultural property in case of conflict. PHOTO: AFP
And last year, Geneva hosted an exhibition of Ukrainian works of art.
According to the Swiss Museums Association, Switzerland, along with counterparts in other countries, has also been able to help more than 200 museums in Ukraine preserve their collections after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
TOPSHOT - A man photographs the rubble of a building levelled by an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, on October 5, 2024. Israel's military launched an intensified wave of strikes on Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon, killing more than 1,110 people since September 23, and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in a country already mired in economic crisis. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP)
A man photographs the rubble of a building levelled by an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs. PHOTO: AFP
BEIRUT (AFP) – The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon said Saturday it would not leave positions in the south despite what it said was an Israeli request to “relocate”.
“On September 30, the IDF (Israeli military) notified UNIFIL of their intention to undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon. They also requested we relocate from some of our positions,” the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said.
“Peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly.
“We are regularly adjusting our posture and activities, and we have contingency plans ready to activate if absolutely necessary,” it added.
Israel has intensified its campaign against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since September 23, killing more than 1,110 people and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in a country already mired in economic crisis.
Israel said earlier this week that it would start carrying out limited ground incursions into south Lebanon.
“We continue to urge Lebanon and Israel to recommit to Security Council Resolution 1701 – in actions, not just word – as the only viable solution to bring back stability in the region,” UNIFIL said.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, stipulated that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be deployed in south Lebanon.
Around 40 BSPCare volunteers, community leaders, and residents from Mukim Belait collected 483.08kg of trash as part of a Beach Cleaning Campaign held on October 5 along the beachfront along Kuala Belait.
The event, organised by Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP), was held in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day, a global volunteering effort to clean up beaches, lakes and rivers.
Volunteers collect trash from the beach. PHOTO: DANIEL LIM
BSP Communication and External Affairs (CEA) Manager Suriani Garip emphasising the importance of engaging with the local community to achieve a unified goal of preserving the cleanliness of the environment.
She highlighted how Brunei has previously contributed to the effort in collecting more than 1.8 tonnes across 40km of beach and collected 3,490 individual plastic bottles in 2023, and she hopes that the campaign held this year will also have a similar impact in contributing towards this global initiative.
Volunteers collect trash from the beach. PHOTO: DANIEL LIM
The collected trash was also recorded on the Clean Swell app which consolidated the data from similar initiatives and efforts for scientists and advocates to determine the best action to tackle ocean trash on a global scale and create long-lasting solutions for plastic pollution.
The IMPIAN Project, a Brunei-based platform supporting the special needs community, took part in a regional forum discussing socio-economic development in Malaysia on October 1 and 2.
The forum, organised by Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (YaPEIM), saw IMPIAN Project founder Lailatul Zubaidah Hussain, share insights into the challenges faced by families with special needs children, drawing from her experiences and the organisation’s initiatives in Brunei Darussalam.
Lailatul’s journey began in 2018 when her youngest daughter was diagnosed with CHARGE Syndrome and her son with autism. “Raising two special needs children revealed the gaps in support systems, particularly in-home nursing care and early intervention services,” she said.
At the forum, Lailatul also outlined the project’s future plans, including the launch of an Inclusive Daycare and Learning Centre to help prepare special needs children for schooling.
She emphasised sustainability in social projects, aiming to create business models within the project that ensure long-term support without relying solely on donations.
The forum, officiated by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof, featured other notable speakers from YaPEIM and regional social enterprises, discussing innovative uses of infaq (charitable donations) and strategies to strengthen social investment for community impact.
Students with their parents and guardians at a motivational talk. PHOTO: ROKIAH MAHMUD
A motivational talk was held for Year 6 students at the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Arabic School to encourage them to work hard and build confidence in their upcoming examinations.
Head of Counselling Division at the Ministry of Education Haji Ali Yusri bin Haji Abd Ghafor delivered the talk, stressing the need for the students to focus on their studies as well as acquire other skills that could assist them in their future.
The Year 6 students will sit for the Primary School Assessment (PSR) examination next week.
A sunnat hajat prayer and recitation of Surah Yaasiin was also held at the school’s surau, to encourage their supplication to Allah the Almighty. – Rokiah Mahmud
Students with their parents and guardians at a motivational talk. PHOTO: ROKIAH MAHMUD
This photograph shows rose bushes at the "Starry Night" park landscape, inspired by Van Gogh's work, near the central Bosnian town of Visoko, on October 1, 2024. Bosnian businessman with a passion for Van Gogh's work, created a nature reproduction of "Starry Night" on no less than ten hectares, paying tribute to painter's work and transformed a hilly area in central Bosnia into a work of art. Tens of thousands of lavender bushes, grasses and plants form swirls and spirals that, seen from the sky, are unmistakably reminiscent of the celestial configuration painted in 1889 by the Dutch post-impressionist artist. (Photo by ELVIS BARUKCIC / AFP)
VISOKO (AFP) – A Vincent Van Gogh aficionado in Bosnia has turned a plot of land into a giant, living reproduction of the painter’s masterpiece, Starry Night, composed of thousands of plants.
“Vincent Van Gogh belongs to us too. It’s our heritage and this is a way of paying tribute to him,” Halim Zukic told AFP.
This aerial photograph shows the ‘Starry Night’ park, near Central-Bosnian town of Visoko. PHOTO: AFP
Behind him, tens of thousands of lavender bushes, grasses and other plants form swirls and spirals across a dozen hectares that – seen from the air – unmistakably resemble the celestial configuration painted by the Dutch post-Impressionist master in 1889.
“It wasn’t possible to simply reproduce a flat image on a three-dimensional space,” Zukic said. “Inspired by the painting, we tried to stick to the shapes and proportions, so that it looks like the painting as much as possible.
“And I think we succeeded.”
The 56-year-old entrepreneur first noticed the land 20 years ago when he was returning from a day out picking mushrooms nearby, in the woods surrounding the village of Luznica in central Bosnia.
He bought the first plot with the idea of building a hut and creating a small, rounded garden.
At the time, he wasn’t even thinking about “Starry Night”, one of the favourite landscapes in New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
But the idea just clicked in 2018 when Zukic noticed the tracks left on the lawn by a tractor.
“To my eyes, these tracks looked like spirals from “Starry Night” and it was an immediate decision.”
This photograph shows rose bushes at the “Starry Night” park landscape, inspired by Van Gogh’s work. PHOTO: AFP
130,000 lavender plants
The former insurance company owner, who now works in tourism, bought more land and started working it, helped daily by up to 20-30 gardeners.
He declined to say what it cost to complete his labour of love, which took six years to acquire its final shape.
“We planted around 130,000 lavender bushes, tens of thousands of aromatic and medicinal plants, several thousand trees,” he said.
“There isn’t a single straight line in the park – just like in nature.”
At the same time, Zukic became interested in Van Gogh, about whom he knew very little at the time.
Today, Zukic talks animatedly about the painter, his “love of nature” and the “passion with which he did his work”.
In 2023, he travelled to France to visit the places where Van Gogh spent some of his most prolific years – Arles and Saint-Remy-en-Provence.
The artist painted Starry Night in June 1889 while he was in a Saint Remy psychiatric hospital. A year later, he committed suicide, aged 37.
Black swans and ducks swim on an artificial lake in “Starry Night” park. PHOTO: AFP
For the time being, only a handful of visitors have had the chance to appreciate Zukic’s park. The plants and trees still need time to flourish so the public will need a few more months of patience, he said.
“Having money is not enough. You need time for a park,” he said. “I’d say we’ve created a good foundation. The park will be more beautiful every year.”
COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s new government has approved a controversial restructure of USD14.7 billion in foreign commercial credit tentatively agreed by its predecessor, the finance ministry said Saturday.
Former leader Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a deal with international sovereign bondholders and the China Development Bank just two days before he lost presidential elections last month.
The new leftist President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had called for better terms, but after two days of talks with an IMF delegation in Colombo, his government said it would honour his predecessor’s deal.
“Sri Lankan authorities confirm their endorsement of… the agreement in principle terms as announced on September 19,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
The debt restructuring is a key International Monetary Fund demand to rebuild the island’s economy, which suffered its worst crisis in 2022 when it shrank by 7.8 per cent.
In June, the government concluded a deal with its bilateral lenders to restructure its official credit amounting to USD6 billion.
Under the deal announced on September 19, private creditors holding more than half of international sovereign bonds and foreign commercial loans to the South Asian nation agreed to a 27-per-cent haircut on their loans.
They also agreed to a further 11 per cent reduction on the interest owed to them.
International sovereign bonds account for $12.5 billion and the balance of $2.2 billion is owed to the China Development Bank.
Sri Lanka’s external debt stood at $46 billion at the time of its foreign debt default in 2022, when it ran out of foreign exchange to finance even the most essential imports such as food and fuel.
The bond restructuring endorsed by the new government must still go to parliament for ratification.
Dissanayake dissolved the assembly days after he was sworn in and called a snap election for November 14, a year ahead of schedule. The legislature is set to have its first session on November 21.
Austerity measures in line with the IMF bailout loan of USD2.9 billion secured last year helped stabilise the economy but also caused severe hardships for low income Sri Lankans.
The IMF has said that Sri Lanka returned to growth in the wake of the crisis, but warned its economy was still not out of the woods.
Side view portrait of senior man using computer in class with male instructor helping, copy space
ANN/THE STAR – A rising number of seniors are applying for jobs post-retirement to cope with the rising cost of living and a longer life expectancy, says Jobstreet by SEEK.
The online employment company’s managing director Vic Sithasanan said there has been a 13-per-cent rise in job applications from seniors aged 60 and above between January 2023 and the end of August 2024.
He said this was likely due to factors such as the rising cost of living and extended life expectancy, which necessitates longer careers for financial stability.
“The reasons reflect personal motivations and broader economic factors, but the most pressing is the rising cost of living.
“On Jobstreet’s platform, we’ve seen the number of senior users aged 60 to 99 grow 2.6 times from 2022 to 2023, with a 2.4-fold increase in Q1 (the first quarter) of 2024 alone compared with 2022.
“Seniors are motivated to extend their careers to increase their financial safety net,” he said.
He added that with longer life expectancies, seniors feel the need to sustain their income for a longer duration, prompting many to seek employment opportunities beyond the retirement age.
Sithasanan said an estimated one per cent of the current 3.9 million seniors are actively searching for jobs, which reflects a significant portion of the aged population engaging in the job market.
“As the workforce ages and the value of experience becomes more apparent, companies will – if they have not yet already – recognise the benefits of hiring senior talent.
“This requires a shift in perception, and the need to create a working environment that supports and encourages the hiring of older workers.”
He said many companies are implementing upskilling and reskilling programmes specifically designed for older employees, ensuring they stay up to date with the latest technologies and industry trends.
“Doing this will appeal to senior hires, who are looking for ways to remain relevant and leverage their vast experience to mentor and guide younger employees, fostering a culture of knowledge transfer and intergenerational collaboration.”
Sithasanan said companies offering flexibility at the workplace could also appeal to older talent who prioritise the ability to manage family or health commitments.
He added that government has several initiatives that support and incentivise older workers in the workforce, such as income tax reductions for employers who hire older workers, as well as training and development programmes to help older workers acquire new skills.
“The Human Resources Ministry has also stepped in to issue age-friendly workplace guidelines to address the specific needs of older workers, such as ergonomic workstations and accessible facilities,” he said.
Sithasanan said Jobstreet’s Laws of Attraction (LOA) survey has shown that Malaysian talent is largely driven by salary and compensation, but more mature generations such as Gen X and Baby Boomers typically look for roles that can showcase their wealth of experience and knowledge, with job security at the forefront of their minds.
“Seniors have also expressed a desire to stay active and engaged in the workforce, as a way to maintain a sense of purpose and contribute to society,” he said.
He said in terms of competitiveness in the workforce, the inclusion of senior workers complement the workforce as they prefer roles that differ from those sought by younger candidates, such as part-time, consultancy, or mentorship positions.
Sithasanan said companies are increasingly aware of the unique skills and perspectives of senior employees, particularly those who can mentor younger employees and position the company for sustained success.
“Their experience enables them to efficiently navigate challenges, making them valuable assets in decision-making processes, especially in roles that require specialised knowledge.
“This can be particularly beneficial to productivity and stability, especially in industries facing skills shortages.”
In terms of the type of jobs senior citizens are seeking, the highest number of job applications on Jobstreet are from the manufacturing, transport & logistics industries (15 per cent), followed by accounting (12 per cent), and human resources & recruitment sectors (10 per cent).
Sithasanan said awareness, government support, age-friendly workplace policies, and a commitment to inclusivity is necessary to help seniors rejoin the workforce
“Employers must be made aware of various policies and initiatives that exist to incentivise the hiring of senior citizens. “The government could also expand funding for training and development programmes that help senior workers acquire new skills, ensuring they remain competitive in a rapidly evolving job market,” he said.
(FILES) A man wades through the waters in the affected area of monsoon flooding in Roshi village of Nepal's Kavre district on September 30, 2024. Nepal is reeling from its worst flooding in decades after ferocious monsoon rains swelled rivers and inundated entire neighbourhoods in the capital Kathmandu, killing at least 232 people. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT / AFP)
A man wades through the waters in the affected area of monsoon flooding in Roshi village of Nepal’s Kavre district. PHOTO: AFP
KATHMANDU (AFP) – Mingma Rita Sherpa was not home when the muddy torrent roared into his village in Nepal without warning, but when he returned, he did not recognise his once beautiful settlement.
It took just moments for freezing floodwaters to engulf Thame in the foothills of Mount Everest, a disaster that climate change scientists say is an ominous sign of things to come in the Himalayan nation.
“There is no trace of our house… nothing is left,” Sherpa said. “It took everything we owned.”
Nepal is reeling from its worst flooding in decades after ferocious monsoon rains swelled rivers and inundated entire neighbourhoods in the capital Kathmandu, killing at least 236 people.
Last weekend’s disaster was the latest of several disastrous floods to hit the country this year.
Thame was submerged in August by a glacial lake that burst high in the mountains above the small village, famous for its mountaineering residents.
It was once home to Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the first person to climb the world’s highest mountain Everest, along with New Zealander Edmund Hillary.
“We are afraid to return, there are still lakes above,” Sherpa said.
“The fertile land is gone. It is hard to see a future there,” he added, speaking from the capital Kathmandu, where he has moved.
A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is the sudden release of water collected in former glacier beds.
These lakes are formed by the retreat of glaciers, with the warmer temperatures of human-caused climate change turbocharging the melting of the icy reservoirs.
Glacial lakes are often unstable because they are dammed by ice or loose debris.
Women look at a damaged house, uprooted following heavy rains at a landslide-affected village in Lalitpur district on the outskirts of Kathmandu. PHOTO: AFP
Rebuild or relocate
Thame was a popular stop during the trekking season, perched at an altitude of 3,800 metres beneath soaring snow-capped peaks.
But in August, during the monsoon rains, the village was largely empty.
No one was killed, but the flood destroyed half of the village’s 54 homes, a clinic and a hostel. It also wiped out a school started by Hillary.
Sherpa, like many in the village, ran a lodge for foreign trekkers. He also worked as a technician at a hydropower plant, a key source of electricity in the region. That too was damaged.
“Some are trying to rebuild, but the land is not stable,” he said. “Parts continue to erode.”
Thame’s residents are scattered, some staying in neighbouring villages, others in Kathmandu.
Local official Mingma Chiri Sherpa said the authorities were surveying the area to assess the risks.
“Our focus right now is to aid the survivors,” he said. “We are working to help the residents rebuild or relocate”.
Predict and prepare
Experts say that the flood in Thame was part of a frightening pattern. Glaciers are receding at an alarming rate.
Hundreds of glacial lakes formed from glacial melt have appeared in recent decades.
In 2020, more than 2,000 were mapped across Nepal by experts from the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), with 21 identified as potentially dangerous.
Nepal has drained lakes in the past, and is planning to drain at least four more.
ICIMOD geologist Sudan Bikash Maharjan examined satellite images of the Thame flood, concluding it was a glacial lake outburst.
“We need to strengthen our monitoring… so that we can, at least to some extent, predict and prepare,” he said.
“The risks are there… so our mountain communities must be made aware so they can be prepared”.
Scientists warn of a two-stage impact.
Initially, melting glaciers trigger destructive floods. Eventually, the glaciers will dry up, bringing even greater threats.
Glaciers in the wider Himalayan and Hindu Kush ranges provide crucial water for around 240 million people in the mountainous regions.
Another 1.65 billion people depend on them in the South Asian and Southeast Asian river valleys below.
An aerial view shows the area affected by monsoon flooding in Roshi village of Nepal’s Kavre district. PHOTO: AFP
Himalayas have changed
Former residents of Thame are raising funds, including Kami Rita Sherpa, who climbed Everest for a record 30th time this year.
Kami Rita Sherpa said the locale had long been a source of pride as a “village of mountaineers”, but times had changed.
“The place has no future now”, he said. “We are living at risk — not just Thame, other villages downhill also need to be alert.”
The veteran mountaineer said his beloved mountains were under threat.
“The Himalayas have changed,” he said. “We have now not only seen the impact of climate change, but experienced its dangerous consequences too.”
