Longest journey by taxi - Three Britons travel round the world in a taxi

Longest journey by taxi - Three Britons travel round the world in a taxi

Three Britons in their 20s have undertaken a record-breaking trip around the world in a cab, travelling over 43,000 miles (over 69,000 km) and putting 80,000 pounds (about $128,600) on the meter.

The three friends -- Paul Archer, 25, Leigh Purnell, 24, and Johno Ellison, 28 -- drove across four continents and 50 different countries in their trusty diesel motor, affectionately called Hannah, the Daily Express reported.

They had set out from London in February 2011 and returned home on Thursday after completing their record-breaking trip. But the trio, from Birmingham's Aston University, had some bizarre experiences during their expedition.

They had to dig the taxi out of a snowdrift in the Arctic Circle, were arrested in Moscow for drinking in front of the Kremlin and received a personal pardon from the president of Moldova after failing to produce the correct documents.

The three even endured detention by the Iranian Secret Police. Paul, one of the trio, was even deported as a suspected spy.

They have already set a new Guinness World Record for the highest taxi journey after reaching 5,300 metres above sea level with Hannah at Mount Everest's base camp.

After crossing the finish line in Covent Garden, Guinness World Records is expected to confirm whether they have broken the record for the longest journey by taxi or not.

The current record -- 21,691 miles at a cost of 40,210 pounds -- is held by Britons Eremy Levine and Mark Aylett and Spaniard Carlos Arrese who travelled from London to Cape Town in 1994.

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Laura Trott wins omnium gold medal at World Championships 2012

Laura Trott wins omnium gold medal at World Championships 2012

Laura Trott has won the Track Cycling World Championships omnium to take Great Britain's fifth gold medal of the final event before the London Olympics.

Trott held a two-point lead over Australia's Annette Edmondson entering the last of the event's six disciplines, the 500 metres time-trial, at the Hisense Arena in Melbourne.

                           Laura Trott (centre) on the podium with her omnium gold medal

The Briton and Edmondson were head to head on the track in the final heat of the two-lap race and Trott finished first in 35.173 seconds to earn overall victory by three points.

One of the biggest potential stars of the London Olympics has broken cover in the grand manner here in the past two days. Laura Trott is an unmissable personality, a steely-nerved, effervescent pocket rocket from Hertfordshire, still only 19 years old, who wears union flag nail varnish, has an eye for a gap to match that of Mark Cavendish, and is continually asked whether she has vomited before or after competing.

Having driven the team pursuit trio to gold and a brace of world records on Thursday, Laura Trott clinched her second gold medal in three days here in the women's omnium in impressive style, and will – as of this moment – be the only Briton with a nailed-on chance of a brace of cycling golds this August. She is already a key player in the team, thanks to her indomitable attitude. "She's a great personality and that works to the benefit of the squad," says her coach Paul Manning. "It's infectious, it's a fun place to be and it makes it easier to put the hard work in front of them. With Laura around having sore legs is more fun."

There has been much discussion over the merits of the omnium, a new event in the Olympic schedule which combines endurance, sprint and solo disciplines for an overall classification. It has replaced a raft of older, more established events such as the individual pursuit and points race, but it does at least have a narrative over its two days, and it is growing as a spectacle as riders adapt to its varied demands. Most tellingly in British terms, the omnium is used as a development and talent identification event on the UK circuit, so that young aspiring riders become used to its demands.

Less than 24 hours after her team pursuit triumph on Thursday, Trott was back at the velodrome to start the omnium. By the end of Friday, she was leading, having won the flying 200m time trial, finished eighth in the points race – a dramatic improvement on the 17th that cost her a gold medal in the Olympic test event at the "Pringle" – and closed with victory in her signature event, the elimination, also known as "devil take the hindmost".

This discipline is a staple at local track leagues and involves the elimination of the last contestant every other lap. It calls for perfect delicate calculation of how much power to expend before a brutal final phase, the speed to surge from the back, while the ability to position oneself in the bunch and avoid being trapped at the back is critical. It should be a colossal crowd-pleaser in London and it is Trott's personal party piece. Somehow, she can find gaps where none seem to exist, somehow she finds the speed to zip up the back of the group.

Trott has been riding on a banked velodrome since she was taken to the Newport velodrome at "10 or 11", which has clearly helped build her skill, but her attitude is probably key. "You just have to be gutsy really, too many girls pussyfoot around and don't get stuck in enough. If there's a gap, why not take it? I'm only small and it's do or die in the elimination race – I mean what's going to happen is you're going to get eliminated and that's the race, isn't it? So you might as well try to get through a gap."

Overnight, she suffered with nerves, worrying about how she might contrive to lose, and she was already up and about when the drug testers made an early morning call. Day two saw her push ahead of her closest rival, the Australian Annette Edmondson, level overnight, with third in the individual pursuit to Edmondson's fourth.

The vomiting attack, caused by high stomach acid levels, which she finds goes with the hardest race efforts came here – and the pair then watched each other like hawks in the scratch race. By that time, it was a personal battle between the two, so their placings mattered less than the fact that Trott crossed the line one place ahead. Victory in the 500m time trial, with Edmondson second, sealed it.

Thanks to the natural maturing process and close attention to the bunched events – mainly through video sessions with Manning – Trott is improving at a dramatic rate, from 11th at last year's world championship to gold medallist at the European championship last autumn, and third place at the Olympic test event at the London velodrome. "By the time London comes around she will take some beating," said the head coach, Shane Sutton.

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Almutairi sets Bodybuilding World Records

LONDON: Sports intelligence is a gift distinguished athletes have, yet some develop it alongside with education to become an even better athlete and student such as Tariq Almutairi, 27, who was placed fifth in the Nottingham International Bodybuilding competition recently (in October) in the UK.

Almutairi finished second at the UKBFF competition held in September this year in Birmingham after competing in the under-90 kg weight category. This qualified him to compete at the UKBFF British finals championship under-80 kg in Nottingham in October where he finished fifth.

"Tariq improved his physique considerably between his qualifier in Birmingham and the British Finals in Nottingham," said Helen O'Reilly, Gladiator Panther TV personality, the 1991 Miss Europe and owner of Panthers Gym where Almutairi trains since May 2011. "Tariq has the physical attributes and mental strength required to make him a World Champion in the future," she said. "Panthers Gym will also continue to support and encourage Tariq and our other athletes to reach their bodybuilding goals and fulfill their true potential," she said, adding that he has attended the IFBB Education Course and is a qualified Personal Trainer.

What O'Reilly said was not a surprise as Arabs are known to have the best figure, especially with the small waist comparing to Europeans and other nationalities to adopt bodybuilding and show the improvements when hard work is made and so far most of the world titles are delivered by them, said Almutairi. Saudi Arabian bodybuilder Emad Alharbi and Muneer Aljassas are some examples of that success. "Nothing is impossible. I was privileged with the chance to study here and my experience as a coach (GYM instructor) encouraged me to get back and dedicate myself to it and am confident I'll will not stop until I get the world title," O'Reilly added.

In a three-hour long interview at Brunel University where he is finishing his bachelor's degree in business management, he said, from coaching many Arabs and especially Saudis, practicing bodybuilding is encouraged because it provides fast rewards to the individual, not to mention, self confidence. Most of his customers back home for example are in the age group 15 to 24.

"People think youth do it to gain praise or to show off their physique, and this is true to some extent, but the bigger picture is to be able to stand out with confidence and enjoy a healthier good looking body," he said. Hence, he added, children and even married couples tend to join to enjoy that. Women too, he added, are interested in it, to enjoy similar rewards even if they do not look for the huge muscles and six-pack men wants. "Surprisingly, women showed more determination in it," he said.

With small lunch boxes made every night and packed in his bag, he starts his day counting his own calories and carbs gained each day. He takes pictures and keeps a record of his body's reaction to it and limits the hours of training according to what his body needs. The job of an athlete, trainer, physiologist and nutritionist all rolled into one, and when asked how he does it, he said: "I just got into the habit of researching whatever interests me in addition to attending workshops and courses on these topics," he said. His friends think he is crazy, however, he believes having them trying it out even if for a week is proof they trust him and his sports intelligence, despite the fact that he was modest enough to mention it this way.

Almutairi's passionate heart on bodybuilding allowed him to establish himself and gain more than hundreds of fans on a Facebook fan page and from his previous work experiences in clubs such as the IMC hospital in Jeddah. "This and the continuous support I get from my fellow colleagues in the same game and here is truly a huge incentive and motivation for me. And when I qualify for an event, I ensure that I give it my best as I am presenting myself, my country, Arabs and Muslims. So, I have to set a good example to be able to make them all proud, and on top of all that my country, and not just settle with the qualification."

The tempting thing about bodybuilding is the fact, he said, you could see the difference from the first week. It might be the living condition in our country and the choice many of us make to eat homemade food. "What made me sure is that bodybuilders do need supplements and in specific during the last month before any competition. "I've tried both, and I'm thankful to God my body agrees with me on that and is giving me good results," he said.

Understanding one's body is not easy and takes years of experiment, the 170 cm tall Almutairi said, when it comes to water for example, sometimes we need to reduce or even stop drinking any sort of liquids for a day, considering our body already consists of almost 70 percent of water and sometimes the body gets extra weight or holds extra water. "However not all athletes are aware of it, and we have seen some not being cautious on the day of their competition due to that." Almutairi's efforts earned him the nickname the Red Shadow among his colleagues as he learned how to offer his body a balanced diet.

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Fastest time to travel to all 270 London Underground Stations break World Record

Fastest time to travel to all 270 London Underground Stations break World Record

Tube fan Marc Gawley has set a new world record – by visiting all 270 London Underground stations in the fastest-ever time.

Marc, 33, a management consultant from Denton, covered the famous London tracks in 16 hours, 29 minutes and 57 seconds.

The time has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the quickest ever, shaving 15 minutes off the previous record set in 2009.

The cult feat is known as the Tube Challenge and the first attempt took place in 1959.

Maths whiz Marc used his detailed knowledge of Tube timetables to travel more than 200 miles in record time.

He estimates that he ran the equivalent of a marathon to complete the challenge, which has strict rules.

Challengers must visit all 270 stations. They do not have to get off, but the trains must stop at the station.

To prove his feat Marc, a keen marathon runner, recorded hundreds of video clips of himself, station signs and copies of newspapers to show dates and times. The record was verified after Guinness officials viewed his videos.

Marc, a former pupil at Manchester’s Xaverian College who studied physics at Oxford University, said: “I pity the person who had to go through all those videos.

“ It must have been some of the dullest video footage ever in adjudicating a record, but at least I’m a world record holder.

“The secret to my success was spending as much time cooking up spreadsheets, reading timetables and pounding the treadmill.

“I had heard about the challenge when I was a child and I guess it has always been at the back of my mind. I am a good runner who can analyse data and I just thought it was the perfect mix to have a go. I’m over the moon with it.”

Marc, who began his challenge in the early hours and used an all-zone Oyster tube ticket costing £18.60, added: “I’m just delighted to have done it. The record is now in the bag and it’s great.”

Fastest time to travel to all 270 London Underground Stations Video

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Aston Martin DB5 - James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 Soldout in $4.2M at London Auction

A classic car collector from Ohio made the winning bid of £2.6 million ($4.2 million) for James Bond's 1964 Aston Martin DB5 in a London auction on Wednesday.

Harry Yeaggy told the BBC he planned to take the vehicle first made famous by Sean Connery in Goldfinger out for a spin around London that night. "We're going to have a bit of fun with it," he said.

His winning bid at the RM Auctions sale in Battersea came in under the estimated £3 million. "I thought a European would get it," Yeaggy said, "but I guess they don't appreciate James Bond like we do."

He plans to display the car at his private museum in Ohio.

The vehicle as depicted in the Bond movies has revolving licence plates, Browning machine-guns, an ejector seat, a bullet-proof rear windshield and an early version of today's satellite navigation system.

It was previously owned by Jerry Lee, a U.S. broadcasting executive who paid $12,000 US for it in 1969. The proceeds of the sale will go to his charitable foundation that supports education and international anti-crime projects.

Bond's creator, novelist Ian Fleming, had originally placed Bond in a Bentley, but the filmmakers preferred the Aston Martin, which at the time competed with the Jaguar E-type for the lucrative British and American sports car market.


James Bond Real Film Car 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Video

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Marvel Super Heroes 4D exhibition at Madame Tussauds in London

Marvel Super Heroes 4D' Opens at Madame Tussauds Museum London

Jenny Orton cleans the 4.5m tall figure of the Incredible Hulk in the Marvel Super Heroes 4D exhibition at Madame Tussauds in London. The figure of Hulk is the world largest waxwork ever produced by Madame Tussuad

Do you ever fantasize about meeting the Incredible Hulk, Wolverine and Spider-Man? Well, you can't. (Also, maybe you shouldn't tell people that.)

But at least you can gawk at their replicas at the London location of Madame Tussauds celebrity wax museum, which has recently opened an entire exhibition dedicated to Marvel legends. "Marvel Super Heroes 4D" lets you feel the waxy grip of a full-length statue of Captain America; stroll through the superhero penthouse; and enter the headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Hall of Heroes and Tony Stark's workroom.

And if you Marvel fanatics aren't already buying tickets, the final experience is the "Marvel Super Heroes 4D" cinema attraction, where you can watch heroes like Wolverine, Iron Man, Spider-Man and the Hulk duke it out with Dr. Doom in a 360-degree visual experience, screened in Madame Tussauds' famous domed auditorium.

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