European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes world a Friday january 8,1993 Gas blasts kill 29 at in Seoul South Korea apr at least 29 people were kilted in the Central City of Chunju Early thursday As Gas explosion triggered by a fire caused a five Story apartment building to collapse. About 60 others were injured and police said they expected the death toll to Rise. About a dozen of the Complex s 390 residents were still missing by evening lbs radio said and rescuers with heavy construction equipment were searching through the rubble for them the fire broke out in the buildings lower Sec lion which housed 45 restaurants and shops that used propane Gas for cooking police Saiu. They said it fed on piles of cardboard boxes and wooden merchandise in the hallways and spread rapidly to the upper residential floors. Minutes later a Chain of Gas explosions touched off by the fire rocked the building causing it to crumble police said. Police suspect a Short circuit or mishandling of heating devices set off the Blaze. Lbs said most of the buildings residents were asleep when the fire alarm sounded and rushed outside or to the buildings roof. A i was awakened by a fire alarm Bell and soon after there was an explosion a Kwon Jung Hwan 53, told reporters. Moscow up a Russia celebrated Christmas on thursday with religious leaders expressing grief Over i he turmoil in society and admonishing people to be compassionate during these grim times. A thanks to god we Are celebrating Christmas again a said russian orthodox patriarch at Xii ii on the second official Christmas in the country since the Holiday was restored following the collapse of the soviet Union. Political leaders generally kept silent giving the Day Over to the Holiday making Ana the strengthened russian orthodox Church which has been bringing Back centuries of tradition that virtually disappeared during 70 years of enforced atheism under communism. One tradition that has never died is the churches adherence to the old Julian Calendar for religious holidays thus making the birth of Christ fall 13 Days after dec. 25, on Jan. 7 in the Gregorian Calendar now in Standard use throughout the world. The Kremlin decreed today As a Day off so russians could have a four Day weekend and the Moscow mayor ordered longer subway train hours so that people who attended Midnight mass could take the metro Home Early thursday. President Boris n. Yeltsin never famous for his religious Devotion attended Midnight mass at the capitals targe ornate icon filled pc Olkhovskaya Cathedral. Like Many others in the packed Church Yeltsin stood holding a taper. But unlike the mass of believers who filled the capitals famous Epiphany Cathedral where the patriarch himself officiates Yeltsin stood in a special Section reserved for dignitaries. Yeltsin a wife stood slightly behind him next to him stood vice president Alexander v. Rutski and constitutional court chief judge Valery Zorkin regulars at the Church s important religious ceremonies the service was broadcast on television throughout the former soviet republics with a commentary to Tell viewers what was going on in a ceremony Long extinguished from Public  resorts Hur Ghada Egypt apr in an Effort to lure Back tourists scared away by fundamentalist violence president Hosni Mubarak has toured resorts on the red sea. Mubarak a visit on wednesday to Hur Ghada 358 Miles South of Cairo was the second in two weeks designed to promote an Industry that has lost 50 percent of its business since Muslim militants started attacking tourists last year. Despite the governments recent crackdown on the militants and Mubarak a personal drive to appease foreign visitors violent incidents involving tourists Are still occurring. On tuesday shots were fired near two buses carrying German and japanese tourists near the Muslim extremist stronghold of Dai fit in the South. No casualties were reported. Security sources in nearby As flt 200 Miles South of Cairo said police escorting the buses returned fire directed at the vehicles. The government denied the shooting was aimed fat the tourists. Police later arrested 180 suspected extremists around Dai fit where three separate attacks on Christian copts and a Church occurred Over the week end. A. A Mubarak said the aim of his Impromptu visit to Hur Ghada was to meet with investors and encourage them to build More resorts. Rejoice at but during his tour of five hotels Mubarak stopped to Chat with tourists and posed for pictures with some of them. Two weeks ago Mubarak took a similar trip to Luxor in Southern Egypt attempting to show the world that Egypt was Safe. Last year Muslim militants staged 11 attacks against tourists. On oct. 21, one British woman was killed and two of her compatriots were wounded when extremists fired on their minibus near Dairus on nov. 12, militants ambushed a bus in the Southern City of Lena wounding six germans. One month later the government launched a massive Security crackdown in Cairo and Southern Egypt arresting More than 700 suspected extremists. Mubarak said those detained represented 90 percent of the country a violent activists. Al Gamma Al isl Amiya Egypt a main Muslim extremist group wants to overthrow the secular government and replace it with an Iran like theocracy. It has always attacked christians arid police but began targeting tourists last year to Embarrass the government and deprive it of its main source of foreign currency. Hotel managers in Hur Ghada said they had been nearly fully booked until the november attack after which occupancies dropped to 30 percent. Many were Back up to 70 percent because of the new year s Holiday but it was Uncertain what would happen later this month. Services a child lights a Candle during a Christmas eve service in the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow on  consecrates 11 Bishops including american Vatican City up1 Pope John Paul ii consecrated 11 new Bishops including an auxiliary to the archbishop of new York during the traditional mass celebrating the Epiphany on wednesday in St Peters Basilica. Dressed in Golden Robes the Pope placed the Miter a the High pointed hat / worn by roman Catholic Bishops a on the head of each Bishop As he Knelt in turn in front of John Paul at the main altar of christianity a largest Church. Three of the 11 new Bishops come from Italy two from Poland and one each from the United states Ghana Slovenia Peru sri Lanka and Hungary. The american Bishop was Henry Mansell 55, who was named auxiliary s to archbishop of new York Cardinal John of Connor on nov. 25, 1992. After the ceremony which was attended by cardinals the diplomatic corps to the holy see and More than 5,000 clergy and pilgrims the Pope appeared at the window of his apartment overlooking St. Peters Square to recite the noon Angelus. Some 20,000 pilgrims and tourists in the Square cheered the Pope in sunny but near freezing weather. Epiphany which to christians is the manifestation of the infant Jesus in the form of the magi who came bearing gifts is a National Holiday in Italy and is celebrated by filling the stockings of children with Small gifts on twelfth night. In popular folklore the gifts Are brought by the Befana a Witch like old woman dear to the hearts of the children. To Mark the occasion a festive procession of children and adults dressed up As the magi and Befana witches while cow herders on horseback and cyclists paraded also into St. Peters Square for the papal appearance. In his Brief address to the crowd John Paul called for prayers for peace a which the world cannot give but for which it often yearns often without realizing