WOMEN OFFICERS FROM INDIAN ARMY ATOP EVEREST, BRITON ON TOP WITH OLYMPIC MEDALS Kathmandu, 26 May: Seventy-five climbers,, 40 Nepalis and 35 foreigners—Friday scaled the 8848 meters high Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, from the Nepali side, Ministry of Tourism said. More climbers are attempting the summit Saturday. Professional guides have laid miles of rope on the slopes of the peak to Guide climbers to the summit and back. Leader of the Indian Army women’s team Capt. Namrata Rathore, Major (Dr.) N.Linyu, Capt. Deepika Rathore and Capt.Smitha stepped on the world’s highest point. Indian embassy said. Subedar Rajendra Jalal, Havaldar Sherab Palden, Hadeldar Praveen Thapa, Haveldar Chader Bahadur Thapa ad L/H Sudhir Sngh also climbed the peak. BRITISH CLIMBER ATOP EVEREST WITH EVEREST MEDALS AFP adds from Kathmandu: British climber Kenton Cool reached the summit of Mount Everest today [Friday], his website announced, fulfilling an 88-year-old promise to carry an Olympic gold medal to the top of the world’s highest peak. Cool, 38, reached the summit for a 10th time early in the morning, breaking his own British record for the most successful ascents of the 8,848-metre mountain. He was carrying one of 21 golds awarded to members of a British Everest expedition at the 1924 Winter Olympics, in an era when mountaineering was included as an Olympic sport. The 1922 expedition had come within 500 metres of the summit, but failed in three attempts to reach the top. Lt Col Edward Strutt, a member of the team, had pledged that at the very next opportunity one of the gold medals would be taken to the top of the world — a promise that until now had remained unfulfilled. The medal Cool carried was awarded to expedition member Arthur Wakefield and was entrusted to Cool’s team by Wakefield’s grandson Charles. “To have reached the summit of Everest 10 times is something I am immensely proud of,” Cool said in a message via his website. “Honouring the British team of 1922, particularly Arthur Wakefield, and fulfilling The Olympic Games Pledge is something I have wanted to do for a long time and to do this in the year that the Olympic Games comes to London makes it even more special.” Another famous member of the 1922 expedition was the British climber George Mallory, who was to die on the mountain during another unsuccessful ascent two years later. nnnn 100,000 CARDS FOR LPG CYLINDERS DISTRIBUTED Kathmandu, 26 May: Altogether 100,000 cards for LPG cylinders have been distributed in the Valley through dealers until Friday. The cylinders are being sold through 1,770 dealers. Gas cylinders aren’t still available on demand for more than three months. nnnn. .