News In Brief

The cost of climbing Everest hits a new peak

The cost of scaling Mount Everest has climbed to a record height of more than Nepalese government. The ''peak fee'' for Everest ascended to $3,030 from $909, and fees for the 121 other mountains open to foreign climbers took similar increases, the Ministry of Tourism said, with charges varying according to the loftiness of the mountain. The number of expeditions this fall could slip because of short notice in announcing the new rates.