'Olympic torch' prompts Everest ban

China is banning mountaineers from climbing its side of Mount Everest this spring.

It is an apparent move to stop protesters interfering with an attempt to carry the Olympic torch to the world's tallest peak.

A letter sent by the government-backed China Tibet Mountaineering Association to expedition companies this week says ascents of Everest and nearby Cho-Oyu, which straddle the border between Chinese-controlled Tibet and Nepal, should be postponed until after May 10.

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