Five Russian Climbers Die in Fall on World’s 7th Highest Peak

FILE -The Dhaulagiri Range, on the left and the Annapurna Range, on the right of the central Himalayas is seen as trekkers view the sweeping sunrise from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani, in central Nepal, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File)
FILE -The Dhaulagiri Range, on the left and the Annapurna Range, on the right of the central Himalayas is seen as trekkers view the sweeping sunrise from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani, in central Nepal, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File)
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Five Russian Climbers Die in Fall on World’s 7th Highest Peak

FILE -The Dhaulagiri Range, on the left and the Annapurna Range, on the right of the central Himalayas is seen as trekkers view the sweeping sunrise from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani, in central Nepal, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File)
FILE -The Dhaulagiri Range, on the left and the Annapurna Range, on the right of the central Himalayas is seen as trekkers view the sweeping sunrise from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani, in central Nepal, Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File)

Five Russian mountaineers who appeared to have slipped and fallen on the world’s seventh highest peak have been killed, an expedition organizer in Nepal said Tuesday.
The Russian climbers were climbing 8,167-meters high on Mount Dhaulagiri during Nepal's autumn climbing season.
These climbers had been reported missing since Sunday and a rescue helicopter spotted their bodies on Tuesday, said Pemba Jangbu Sherpa of the Kathmandu-based I AM Trekking and Expeditions.
It was still undecided if or when and how to bring the bodies down from the mountain, which would require extensive planning, manpower and equipment, The Associated Press reported.
Among them, two of the climbers had actually reached the summit. The remaining had returned without reaching the top. Radio contact was lost between them and the team members at the base camp since then.
The autumn climbing season, which is not as popular as the spring season, began last month. Mountains are less crowded and the permit fees are also lower.



Japan Govt Admits Doctoring ‘Untidy’ Cabinet Photo

This picture taken on October 1, 2024 shows Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing during a photo session with the members of his cabinet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP)
This picture taken on October 1, 2024 shows Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing during a photo session with the members of his cabinet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP)
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Japan Govt Admits Doctoring ‘Untidy’ Cabinet Photo

This picture taken on October 1, 2024 shows Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing during a photo session with the members of his cabinet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP)
This picture taken on October 1, 2024 shows Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing during a photo session with the members of his cabinet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo. (JIJI PRESS / AFP)

Japan's government admitted Monday manipulating an official photo of the new cabinet to make its members look less unkempt, after online mockery of their sagging trousers.

Images taken by local media showed what appeared to be an untidy patch of white shirt under the morning suits of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani.

In the official photo issued by Ishiba's office, these blemishes had mysteriously disappeared, but not quickly enough to stop a barrage of mockery of the "untidy cabinet" on social media.

"This is more hideous than a group picture of some kind of a seniors' club during a trip to a hot spring. It's utterly embarrassing", one user wrote on X.

"Minor editing was made," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Monday, while seeking to deflect criticism of the manipulation.

"Group photos during official events of the prime minister's office, such as the cabinet reshuffle, will be preserved forever as memorabilia, so minor editing is customarily performed on these photos," he said.

In March, Catherine, Britain's Princess of Wales, apologized and said she had edited a photo with her children released by the palace.

The Mother's Day portrait of a smiling Kate included several inconsistencies and sparked a storm after major news agencies including AFP withdrew the photo saying it had been manipulated.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," Kate said in a statement.

"I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."