SEARCH ON ANNAPURNA ABANDONED FOR FAMED KOREAN CLIMBER

FURTHER DETAILS OF MAOIST MEET

Kathmandu, 30 Oct.: A meeting brokered by Krishna Bahadur Mahara at his residence of top Maoist leaders Sunday was inconclusive.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai wasn’t present at the meeting sponsored by the former Maoist Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara in the government of Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal.
Besides party differences, the meeting was called to discuss an agenda for the 3 November central committee meet.
Present in the meeting were UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda‚ Vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya‚ General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’‚ Secretary CP Gajurel‚ Standing Committee member Dev Prasad Gurung and Netra Bikram Chand.
Gurung said the meeting decide to take the twin processes of completing the peace process and constitution drafting together.
nnnn

SEARCH ABANDONED FOR FAMED KOREAN CLIMBER MISSING ON ANNAPURNA
Kathmandu, 30 Oct.: South Korean climbers have ended a search for three mountaineers who went missing during an attempt to scale one of the world's highest peaks in the Himalayas, the Korean Alpine Federation said, AFP reports from Seoul.

Nepalese sherpas and climbers from Seoul had been searching the southern flank of Annapurna after renowned climber Park Young-Seok and two colleagues went missing last week.

The three last contacted base camp on October 18 saying they had stopped climbing at 6,300 metres (20,790 feet) and would descend due to snow and falling rocks.

"The rescue team judged that it was difficult to search the area any more due to continuing avalanches and falling rocks," the KAF said on its website late Saturday.

The rescue team and families of the missing would return to Seoul on Monday after holding a memorial service at base camp, it added.

Park, 47, has already scaled Annapurna, one of the world's 14 highest peaks.

He returned this year to try a different route to the 8,091-metre summit.

In 2005 he became the first in the world to complete the Adventurers' Grand Slam by conquering all the world's 14 highest peaks as well as reaching the North and South Pole.

Annapurna is both technically difficult and avalanche-prone and has a much higher death rate among climbers than Everest, the world's highest peak.
Nnnn

FIRE DESTROYS ASSETS WORTH RS. 3 MILLION

Kathmandu, 30 Oct.; Property worth around Rs. 3 million was gutted in fire when Falkun Kastha Udhyog (furniture industry) situated at Satungal-9 of Kathmandu district caught fire around 11:00 am on Sunday due to electric short circuit, RSS reports.

A generator, two machines used for cutting timber, five motors, a cup-board, a bed, two rolls of clothes, and 750 cubic feet of various timbers were destroyed by the fire, informed proprietor of the industry, Indra Bam.

According to Sub-Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Sector, Balambu, Birendra Juhari, police personnel, fire engine and locals brought the fire under control.

The fire did not cause heavy losses as locals, police personnel and fire engine brought the fire under control immediately, Juhari informed.
nnnn