Four mountain climbers from Latvia—including one of the country’s best-known—have been found dead on Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak, local authorities and media report.

The three men and one woman “had suffered massive trauma indicating a fall of at least 300 metres,” Constable Brent Swanson of the New Zealand Police said in a press release. They most likely were roped together, but rescuers found one climber unroped.

The climbers were identified as well-known alpinist Teodors Ķirsis; his daughter, Evija Ķirse; Ilmārs Bernāns and Aivars Proženkovs, Latvian media reported. New Zealand Police confirmed the identities in a Dec. 11 press release.

The four Latvians appear to have been visiting New Zealand on a climbing expedition. A climbing guide spotted the four early on the morning of Dec. 10 and notified authorities, police said.

Mt. Cook has claimed the lives of numerous climbers over the years, according to The New Zealand Herald. In the past several days, two other climbers had to be rescued after getting into trouble.

Visiting climbers not accustomed to the changing weather conditions on the mountain’s upper slopes have particularly been susceptible to running into trouble, the newspaper reported. But police said the weather on Mt. Cook on Dec. 10 was “beautiful, sunny with clear skies.”

In Latvia, President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga issued a statement expressing her condolences to the families of the four dead climbers.

At 3,754 metres above sea level, Mt. Cook is one of the world’s tallest peaks. Also known as Aoraki in the Maori language, Mt. Cook is part of the Southern Alps on New Zealand’s South Island.

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) should be allowed to include the Baltic countries in a new real estate investment fund, staff members have recommended to the Sacramento, Calif.-based retirement system’s investment committee.

At present, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are not among countries listed as acceptable emerging markets for CalPERS investments, the Reuters news agency reported. If approved, CalPERS could invest as much as EUR 7.5 million in the three countries combined through its Nordic Investment Fund.

The Nordic Investment Fund is expected to invest up to EUR 50 million in Scandinavian and Baltic real estate properties, according to a CalPERS staff memorandum posted on the retirement system’s Web site.

The staff recommendation to include the Baltics takes note of the three countries’ improved economic, human rights and political climate, as well as their pending admittance to the European Union next May.

“Investment activity is expected to increase in the Baltic property markets as the countries become more integrated with Western Europe,” the staff memo states.

CalPERS’ investment committee is expected to take up the staff recommendation at its Dec. 15 meeting.

CalPERS serves more than 1.4 million public employees in California and has assets of more than USD 154 billion.

Latvian Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete’s documentary book En escarpins dans les neiges de Siberie (With Dancing Shoes in Siberian Snows) has been nominated as one of December’s picks in an annual book contest sponsored by Elle magazine.

The magazine’s “Prix des lectrices de Elle” will be announced in May, according to a press release from the Latvian Foreign Ministry. Books chosen each month from August to April in three categories—novels, crime novels and non-fiction—will be in competition for the 2004 prize.

A panel of 120 judges names each month’s selection.

The contest has been held every year since 1970.

Before becoming foreign minister, Kalniete was Latvia’s ambassador to France.

The book was published in France by Editions des Syrtes. In Latvia, under the title Ar balles kurpēm Sibīrijas sniegos, it was published in 2001 by Atena.