Father and Son Break Three World Records in 18,000 Mile Cycle Around the World

– credit, Joel Chant / Platinum Live / SWNS

A father and son broke 3 world records after spending a year cycling around the world.

George Kohler and his 23-year-old son Josh set off on their mammoth challenge on March 29th, 2025, from their home near Norwich in the UK.

In total, the duo traveled 18,000 miles and 14 months as they crossed Asia, Australia, South America, and Europe, arriving, as Ivan Goncharov wrote, to the right of their front door, having departed to the left.

When they arrived home, the all-conquering pair were presented with world record certificates for the fastest bicycle circumnavigation, the longest bicycle journey, and the most countries visited in a continuous bicycle journey, by a father and son.

Josh spoke with Southwest News Service in the UK about their trip.

“There were thousands of highlights on this trip,” he said.

“One standout moment is when we were cycling through a remote part of Turkey. We heard a shout on the hillside, and a shepherd was standing, beckoning us over. We walked up to him, and he offered to share his breakfast with us.”

George and Josh in Australia – credit, Joel Chant / Platinum Live / SWNS

“He had a pot on the campfire. We had eggs, bread and cheese, and we sat there. We wouldn’t speak Turkish, and he couldn’t speak English, but we had this incredible interaction with him.”

The Kohlers started long-distance cycling voyages when Josh was in High school, going the distance of the UK in 2021, and coast-to-coast in the US in 2022.

“We had to learn to get our bodies used to doing long cycles.”

2 years later, Josh proposed to his 57-year-old dad that they should cycle around the world. His dad, George, a chimney sweep, had a simple response: “Perfect, why not?” The pair were on their way.

From their home, the pair headed to South America, Australia, Asia, and Europe before arriving home after 400 days.

“We definitely had a full range of experience over the year,” Josh said. “Our bodies were tested day in day out, we were expecting the mental side of things to be tough as we anticipated long sprints.”

George and Josh Kohler with their Guinness World Records – credit, Joel Chant / Platinum Live / SWNS

“One thing we weren’t prepared for was the emotional challenges, when you are with someone for so long, disagreements do happen frequently. We had one unwritten rule that we would never go to sleep on an argument.”

The duo said there were many highlights on the way, whether it was having lunch with a local in Serbia or being welcomed by monks offering them food and drink.“The final day was extremely emotional seeing friends and family,” said George. “People that I haven’t seen for years and years were there to welcome us.” Father and Son Break Three World Records in 18,000 Mile Cycle Around the World

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‘World's Most Intrepid Twins’ Break World Altitude Record Flying Over The Alps at 8,000-ft in Electric Paraglider

Ross and Hugo Turner attempting to break a record, flying a paraglider-style aircraft at 10,000ft in the French Alps – via SWNS

The ‘World’s Most Intrepid Twins’ announced they’ve broken a world record, by flying a tandem electric para-motor 8,000ft over the French Alps.

Ross and Hugo Turner, known as the Turner Twins, took the custom-made aircraft 2,438 meters high, floating over the mountains.

The British siblings have submitted the information on an application to FAI—the World Air Sports Federation—to claim a world record for tandem electric altitude.

The brothers based in Devon, England, have already set a world record while becoming the first twins to row the Atlantic Ocean.

For this recent flight, the twins had to wait months for the “perfect weather conditions.”

“It was great to get the weather we finally needed for the record and having waited months for perfect conditions we had the perfect flight,” said Hugo.

“The flight was smooth, which was surprising as we were expecting turbulent conditions, and the battery lasted much longer than we expected—probably due to the colder conditions keeping the battery cooler.”

Ross said their official observer for the record didn’t think the electric battery would be able to do it.

“He said we won’t have enough power, this won’t work. Thankfully, we proved him wrong.”

Ross and Hugo, the Turner Twins, on a para-motor flying over French Alps breaking altitude record – via SWNS

Their quest for adventure was born following a terrible auto accident in which Hugo broke his neck at age 17 and narrowly missed paralysis. In the mix of heightened emotions came a drive to follow their passion for exploration—always guided by their values and “always doing them together”.

The daring duo made headlines at age 21 when they rowed the Atlantic in just 41 days. They also helped set a world record as part of the youngest crew ever to complete that challenge.

Since then they have climbed Mt. Elbrus and they cycled 1,550 miles (2500km) across South American to reach another goal, traveling through deserts and jungles in the searing heat. The pair also used bikes to ride 2.6K across North America, cycling across mountains, desserts, and national parks.

They also attempted a hike across the Greenland and Iceland wearing kit and clothing worn by early polar explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The Turner Twins making final preparations for a world altitude record in a tandem electric paramotor – SWNS

During many of their missions they’re testing new technology, like driving the Cyberster EV car from MG Motors on a 10,000-mile drive from London to China, posting videos about their adventures in the red convertible electric sports car.

Check out their website to follow more expeditions and adventures—and watch the video below as they describe the EV motor built for the Alps, and their preparations for testing… ‘World's Most Intrepid Twins’ Break World Altitude Record Flying Over The Alps at 8,000-ft in Electric Paraglider

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India clinch maiden Women’s World Cup; BCCI announces Rs 51 cr reward for team, support staff

Navi Mumbai: India’s players celebrate with the trophy during the presentation ceremony after winning the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday, November 3, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

New Delhi, (IANS) In a watershed moment for Indian cricket, the national women’s team etched their name in history by winning their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in a pulsating final at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday night.

Celebrations erupted across the country as BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia reportedly announced a ₹51 crore reward for the players and support staff, hailing the victory as a “monumental achievement that will take Indian women’s cricket to a new level.”

Meanwhile, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal lauded the team’s historic feat, drawing parallels with India’s iconic 1983 men’s World Cup triumph.

“It’s a red-letter day for Indian women’s cricket. What the men’s team achieved in 1983, the Indian women have recreated today in Mumbai. This historic triumph will give a tremendous boost to women’s cricket in the country, and I’m confident our game will now reach new heights,” Dhumal told IANS.

Earlier, batting first, India posted a commanding 298/7, powered by Shafali Verma’s fluent 87, Deepti Sharma’s composed 58, and valuable contributions from Smriti Mandhana (45) and Richa Ghosh (34). A solid 100-run opening stand between Mandhana and Verma set the platform for a big total before South Africa clawed back late to keep India just under the 300-mark.

Chasing 299, South Africa began confidently as Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt put together a brisk fifty-run opening partnership. But a sharp direct hit from Amanjot Kaur ended Brits’ stay, and from there, India seized control of the contest.

Young pacer Sree Charani struck in her first over, trapping Anneke Bosch LBW, before Shafali Verma — shining with the ball as well — produced a game-turning spell, removing Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp in quick succession.

Deepti Sharma then delivered a dream performance, claiming 5 for 39 to crush South Africa’s middle order. Despite Wolvaardt’s fighting 101, the Proteas fell short, bundled out for 246 in 45.3 overs, as India sealed a famous 52-run victory amid roaring home support.

As the tricolour soared high and the players embraced in tears of joy, the moment marked not just a World Cup triumph — but the dawn of a new era for Indian women’s cricket.

Brief Scores:India 298/7 in 50 overs (Shafali Verma 87, Deepti Sharma 58, Richa Ghosh 34; Ayabonga Khaka 3-58) beat South Africa 246 all out in 45.3 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 101, Annerie Dercksen 35; Deepti Sharma 5-39, Shafali Verma 2-36) by 52 runs. India clinch maiden Women’s World Cup; BCCI announces Rs 51 cr reward for team, support staff | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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Britain’s Oldest Working Brick Windmill Still Spinning After 250 Years–Grinding Grain Into Flour

Holgate Windmill, the only remaining working 5-sailed, double-shuttered windmill in England – SWNS

Britain’s oldest brick tower windmill which sits in the middle of a housing development is still operating, more than 250 years after it was first built.

Located in Holgate, a suburb of York, the walled city in northeast England, the Holgate Windmill has been working since 1770 after being built by George Waud, from Selby, after he bought the land in North Yorkshire two years earlier.

The mill, which grinds corn into flour, was built in the open countryside—one of many mills in the Yorkshire region—and overlooked the hamlet of Holgate.

The 90-foot-tall mill now sits on a roundabout in the middle of a housing development built in the 1940s and 50s after World War II.

It went unused for 90 years until 2001 when a preservation society was formed and successfully restored the mill to its former glory 13 years ago.

Steve Potts, a trustee of the group and its head miller, called it an important building.

“Of all of the hundreds of windmills which which were once found around Yorkshire, this is the only working one left.

Holgate Windmill circa 1930s – SWNS

“We are a group of 35 volunteers and we think it is important to keep the industry of milling going. “It is a dying art in many ways and if we weren’t doing it, in a couple of years there may be no one left who knows how to,” the 69-year-old told SWNS news agency.

Steve Potts, the head miller at the Holgate Windmill – SWNS

“Our plan is to keep it’s legacy going forever.”

The volunteers at the windmill have been doing a great job of that these days, as locals can buy wholemeal flour produced at the mill in a number of shops in York.

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A quarter-millennium of history

After the mill was erected in 1770, three generations of the Waud family ran it until it was sold in 1851 to John Musham, a local gentleman who hired a tenant miller John Thackwray to take over.

Mr. Musham then sold the mill in 1855 to Joseph Peart who installed a steam engine which worked the milling gear and employed William Bean Horseman and later Joseph Chapman as millers.

After Peart’s death in 1864 it’s unknown who owned the mill, but in 1877 Eliza Gutch, from the Gutch family, took it over—but Chapman continued operating it until he retired.

The milling duties were then taken over by his son Charles but only until 1901, but he died young after breathing in hazardous flour dust.Holgate Windmill circa 1900 – SWNS

Herbert Warters ran the mill from 1901 to 1922 and was followed by Thomas Mollett. Grain was ground into flour here until the 1930’s using wind power, but it ended in 1933 when the Gutch family sold the building to the York City Council after Eliza died. A housing neighborhood soon grew up surrounding the mill after WWII.

Holgate Windmill is the only remaining working 5-sailed, double-shuttered windmill in England – SWNSBut now, for over a decade, it’s been fulfilling that wholesome, age-old mission of sustainable, wind-powered food production in the only working 5-sailed, fully double-shuttered windmill in England. Britain’s Oldest Working Brick Windmill Still Spinning After 250 Years–Grinding Grain Into Flour

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Daredevil Kitesurfer Breaks Guinness World Record Flying 1,500 Feet in the Air Above Iconic Landmark (WATCH)

Jake Scrace on his kite-surfing tow-up over Isle of Wight for Guinness World Record – SWNS

A British kite-surfer has set a new world record for flying over 1,500 feet in the air above an iconic landmark.

Jake Scrace was lifted 450 meters above the spectacular Isle of Wight coastline after being towed-up by a para-motor and then cut loose.

A stunning series of photos show him surfing high above the western tip of the island with its distinctive Needles landmark that features three white chalk stacks rising out of the sea.

The 40-year-old carpenter broke the record for the ‘highest kitesurf tow-up’ by reaching 1,587 feet which is almost double the previous record set at 908.7 feet.

“It was the biggest challenge I’ve ever taken on,” said the man whose first major stunt was kitesurfing over the Worthing Pier in his hometown of Worthing, in West Sussex, England.

“Up there, it was about trusting the team, the conditions, and just going for it.”

Successful on the first try

“The sense of freedom was incredible and I’m buzzing that we got the record on the first attempt.

“I’m already thinking about what the next stunt could be and where we can go with it.”

Jake says the attempt was months in the making and was carried out with a 30-strong crew including safety divers and film specialists on July 23.

From a boat in the English Channel, Jake was lifted into the sky by a para-motor before cutting the machine loose when he reached his goal altitude and gliding back down to the water beneath his kite. (Watch the cool video below…)

The feat was verified using drones, bodycams, altimeter readings, as well as GPS-enabled smartphones recording altitude and flight path.

– SWNS

The project was backed by global property and construction consultancy Gleeds who agreed to fund the goal of reaching 1,500 feet to mark their 150th anniversary.

It also came in the same year that Guinness World Records marks its 70th anniversary of documenting remarkable and odd statistics worldwide.

“We celebrate extraordinary feats that push the boundaries of human achievement,” said Pravin Patel, Guinness World Record’s official adjudicator.

“Gleeds’ record-breaking kitesurf tow-up is a stunning example of innovation, precision, and daring.”

Richard Steer, the company’s chairman, added, “For 150 years, Gleeds has believed in pushing boundaries and turning bold ideas into reality.

SEE ALL THE GUINNESS RECORDS Featured on GNN…“This world record embodies that spirit perfectly as well as our value of professionalism with personality – a reminder that with vision, teamwork, and determination, even the sky is no limit.” Daredevil Kitesurfer Breaks Guinness World Record Flying 1,500 Feet in the Air Above Iconic Landmark (WATCH)

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This Undersea Tunnel Marvel is Set to Break 5 Records and Shave Hours Off Travel Times in Europe

The Fehmarnbelt tunnel will carry two rail lines and a pair of two-lane highways under the Baltic Sea – credit: Femern A/S, screenshot

Betwixt the shores of Germany and Denmark, a massive road and rail tunnel is being built and assembled for positioning under the seafloor.

The marvel of modern engineering will set records; even the facility erected to build it will be an achievement, and the product will dramatically alter the road and rail networks of Northern Europe.

Called the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, it will span 18 kilometers (11 miles) of water with two double-lane highways, and two rail tunnels. From Hamburg, the journey to Copenhagen will be reduced by half, from 5 hours to just 2.5. From the seashore, a ferry trip that once took 45 minutes will now be a ten-minute drive.

Each 700-foot-long section of the tunnel is as heavy as 10 Eiffel Towers, and there are 79 of them in all, plus another 10 special sections that will house the largest electrical components. They can be manufactured 5 x 1 at a time in an assembly facility as big as 300 football fields on the shore—purpose-built for the project.

When finished, a pair of purpose-built pontoons will utilize 120 miles of steel cables to lower each section into place 40 feet down into a trench dredged on the Baltic Seabed, connected to the other sections, and then buried, making the structure the longest “immersed” undersea tunnel in the world.

Specially engineered gaskets and secondary seals mean that these massive concrete blocks, which by then will have taken 9 weeks to build, can float. After the crews finish installing as many accessory components into each section as possible on land, the sections are positioned in a basin that will be flooded with seawater.

The tunnel elements will be floated into position – credit: Femern A/S, screenshot

Thus christened, a fleet of tugboats will move them into the grip of the two pontoons for positioning in the sea.

“There will be no test run for the actual immersion,” Denise Juchem, a spokesperson for Femern A/S, the state-owned Danish company in charge of the project, told CNN. “It must work the first time. We will not compromise on quality and safety. That is why we are taking the necessary time to ensure that we are perfectly prepared.”

Femern A/S reckon they can lower the pieces into the trench with a precision of 12 millimeters thanks to a suite of underwater cameras.

When finished it will be the “world’s longest immersed tunnel; world’s longest combined road and rail tunnel; the world’s longest underwater tunnel for road; the deepest immersed tunnel with road and rail traffic; and the second deepest concrete immersed tunnel,” the senior project managers claim.

A rendering showing the tunnel’s construction site and eventual opening – credit: Femern A/S, screenshot

Fehmarnbelt will have a price tag of around $7.4 billion, and is expected to be a boon in both cross-border business and tourism between the countries, which while touching each other, have 12 miles of seawater between the island on which sits Copenhagen and the German mainland.

As a result, eastern Denmark is especially eager to see the tunnel opened, which will see it seize a justifiable place high amongst the great marvels of undersea engineering. This Undersea Tunnel Marvel is Set to Break 5 Records and Shave Hours Off Travel Times in Europe

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The World’s Tallest Bridge Will Open in China This Summer to Slash ‘Grand Canyon’ Crossing to Just 2 Minutes

Duge Bridge, the current tallest bridge in the world just 120 miles from the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge – credit, Highest Bridges CC BY-SA 4.0

In a mountainous region of China, workers are less than 3 months away from opening a stunning new bridge that will become the world’s tallest.

Spanning the Huajiang Grand Canyon, the bridge bearing the same name will tower 2,051 feet above the level of the river below, some 947 feet higher than the famous Milau Viaduct in France, the highest bridge in Europe.

But the Huajiang Canyon Bridge isn’t about breaking records. The southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou is riddled with karst rock mountains, and includes about half of the world’s 100 highest bridges. Here, these concrete and steel spans are a necessity of getting around rather than a demonstration of infrastructural excellence.

With a total length of 9,776 feet, (2,980 meters) and a main span of 4,658 feet (1,420) meters, it’s longer than the Golden Gate Bridge by both measurements, and has a similar towering nature as well.

As a key component of the Liuzhi-Anlong expressway, the bridge will cut travel time across the canyon from about 70 minutes to just 2. This improved connectivity is expected to boost local tourism by attracting more visitors to nearby sites such as the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall, said the local government website.

“Witnessing my work become something tangible—watching the bridge grow day by day and finally stand tall above the canyon—gives me a profound sense of achievement and pride,” said Li Zhao, chief engineer of the project.

Made up of 93 individual steel trusses lowered into place by a giant, sophisticated, automated and GPS-guided cable car mounted above the span during construction, the whole structure weighs about 22,000 tons.

One of the major challenges would be ensuring there was enough accuracy to lower the truss segments down into perfect alignment. Foreseeing this, the construction firm employed 3D scanning technology and ran virtual simulations in advance of truss placement to ensure they knew that what they were putting into place would fit.

Sure enough, all of the placements were made without issue. Early renderings suggest that section of the bridge’s main span will host a 1,500-foot long enclosed pedestrian walkway complete with restaurant and bungee jump area, because why not?Expected to open on June 30th, it will take the title of tallest bridge from, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Duge Bridge which crosses the same river just 120 miles from the Huajiang Canyon Bridge. The World’s Tallest Bridge Will Open in China This Summer to Slash ‘Grand Canyon’ Crossing to Just 2 Minutes

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European Shooting Championship: Hovhannes Margaryan sets world record and wins gold medal

In the men’s individual 50m running target (normal speed) event at the European Shooting Championship, Armenia’s Hovhannes Margaryan delivered a historic performance by scoring 591 points, setting a new world record and securing the gold medal. The Armenian men’s team also achieved success in the team competition, earning the bronze medal with a combined score of 1738 points.The European Shooting Championship in the running target discipline is being held in Châteauroux, France, from July 23 to August 7. Source: Article

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59-year-old Breaks Women’s World Record for the Longest Time in an Abdominal Plank Position

DonnaJean Wilde setting the plank record – Guinness World Records

A woman in Alberta just set a new world record for the longest time spent in an abdominal plank position, managing 4 hours, 30 minutes, and 11 seconds.

DonnaJean Wilde realized that a plank was an excellent exercise to do in a cast after she broke her wrist 10 or so years ago and needed something to do to get her heart rate up.

Strangely enough, the previous record was also held by a Canadian who was also from Alberta and also named Dana, who managed 4 hours, 19 minutes, and 55 seconds.

“Growing up, whenever we woke up, our mom had already run 4 miles. And that just progressed,” said Ray Wilde, DonnaJean’s son.

“If I’m going to watch a movie and she wants to watch a movie with me, she’ll watch it in the plank position,” said her husband, Randy Wilde.

“She did her entire master’s degree planking,” said daughter Laura Stevenson.

When the mother of 5 with 12 grandchildren went to university about 20 years ago for the masters, she contracted something called transverse myelitis, which manifests in pain and numbness.

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Where? You guessed in—the arms, hands, and shoulders. Husband Randy says dealing with that pain every day actually what allows her to deal with the pain of sitting in an abdominal plank for so long.She said it feels like a dream come true: we can only imagine.59-year-old Breaks Women’s World Record for the Longest Time in an Abdominal Plank Position

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Abu Dhabi, the Capital City With 20% of Indian diaspora tops the table of “World’s Safest City”

The recent report released by the online database Numbeo reveals that Abu Dhabi is the safest city in the world amidst the other 382 international cities. Abu Dhabi tops the table of the safest city in the world for the ninth consecutive time, since 2017. This is due to their profound commitment to make their cities safe with advanced technology. Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the UAE with 20% of the Indian diaspora in the city itself (as per information given by the Indian Embassy Community in UAE).

What made Abu Dhabi “The World’s Safest City”?

The global population are aware UAE is the country with least crime registrations and praise them for fostering a secure society which helps to enhance the lives of every citizen, tourists and residents of the country. The following characteristics are the factors which pay a huge contribution for their safety measures.

• Advanced AI Powered Traffic System and Surveillance that detects the violations swiftly
• To monitor the speed limits of the vehicles speed cameras and radar system has been imposed
• Well-structured Pedestrian crossings
• Emergency services includes 999 Hotline, and quick response teams (ambulance, and police)
• E-Jari System has been developed to tackle the emergency situations like fire or break-ins
• Streamlined Cyber Security Services with the help of ADDA (Abu Dhabi Digital Authority)
• And Strict Regulations

This remarkable quality of the country UAE has attracted a large number of Indian business personalities and entrepreneurs to invest and commence their trade in a business-friendly environment. While, Abu Dhabi became the world’s safest city, another global hub city of the UAE, Dubai has become the cleanest city in the world for the fifth consecutive year.

Indian Entrepreneurs in UAE

The Indian entrepreneurs find that the capital city Abu Dhabi and the UAE are the safest place to live and to kick start their business in a highly efficient global market. 

• Yusuffali M.A. – Chairman and MD, Lulu Group International
• Rizwan Sajan – Chairman, Danube Group
• PNC Menon – Chairman, Sobha Group
• Dr.BR Shetty – Founder, CEO, MD, UAE Exchange and NMC HealthCare
• Mohan Valrani – Vice Chairman, MD, Al Shirawi

The above mentioned business tycoons are the Indians who settled in the UAE, who have made a benchmark in their respective businesses. Abu Dhabi, the Capital City With 20% of Indian diaspora tops the table of “World’s Safest City”

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Canada's McIntosh breaks 400m medley world record

VICTORIA - Summer McIntosh bagged her third world record in days on Wednesday, clocking 4min 23.65sec to better her own 400 medley record at the Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria.

The 18-year-old Canadian prodigy, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, laid down another impressive marker ahead of next month's World Championships in Singapore with a dominant performance.

McIntosh's blistering time beat her old mark of 4:24.38 set in Toronto in May last year at the Canadian Olympic trials.

McIntosh's assault on her own world record got off to a smooth start, with the teenager completing the opening butterfly leg in world record pace.

She was more than a second ahead of the world record at the halfway stage, and although that margin dropped to one-tenth of a second after the breaststroke, she produced an electrifying freestyle down the stretch to complete a scintillating performance.

"Going into tonight, I knew I could do something really special because this has probably been the best meet of my career," McIntosh said afterwards in a pool deck interview.

"World records are made to be broken. So by the time I leave this sport, I want to make sure that that record is as fast as possible.

"That really keeps me going, because I know there's always going to be the next generation of kids growing up, and they're going to be chasing the record. So I've gotta give them my best effort to see how long it can stand."

Wednesday's record-breaking display was the latest entry to an impressive catalogue of performances she has produced this week in British Columbia.

On Saturday, she smashed the women's 400m freestyle record, slicing more than a second off Australian star Ariarne Titmus's world best from 2023.

She then clocked the third fastest 800m freestyle in history on Sunday, before diving back into the pool on Monday to obliterate Hungarian great Katinka Hosszu's decade-old 200m medley world record.McIntosh, who gold medals in the 200m butterfly, 200m medley and 400m medley at last year's Paris Olympics, will now head to next month's worlds aiming to add to her collection of four world championship gold medals. Canada's McIntosh breaks 400m medley world record

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"King of kitsch" Tretchikoff sells for new world record

JOHANNESBURG - Vladimir Tretchikoff's iconic painting "Lady from the Orient" has sold for more than $1.7m in a new world record for the Russia-born South African painter, a Johannesburg auction house said Wednesday.

The 1955 portrait of a glamorous woman in a green and gold silk gown is among Tretchikoff's most recognisable pieces, reproduced the world over on items such as tablecloths to handbags.

It sold to an anonymous telephone bidder late Tuesday for R31,892,000 (US$1,776,017), the Strauss & Co auction house said.

The final price, inclusive of commission and taxes, "comfortably eclipses" the previous world record for a Tretchikoff work of £982,050 for "Chinese Girl" (1952) sold in London in 2013, it said in a statement.

The painting of the daughter of a Cape Town grocer was a particular sensation in 1960s Britain and is among the most famous images produced by Tretchikoff, who moved to Cape Town in 1946 and died there in 2006.

"It was sold as a reproduction in London from 1962 and it was the second-highest selling print in Britain in 1962 and a massive seller in 1963, '64, '65," senior art specialist at Strauss & Co, Alastair Meredith, told AFP ahead of the auction.

Tretchikoff, whose stylised work -- including the famous "The Dying Swan" (1949) -- led some to call him "the king of kitsch", became wealthy through the reproductions and prints of his pieces.

"Tretchikoff essentially authorised huge numbers of prints of his own paintings to be sold at very cheap prices in department stores and stationery shops all around the world," Meredith said.

"Lady from the Orient" is "part of South Africa's cultural and visual makeup, part of our country's aesthetic history. But it's also a global icon," he said.Tretchikoff was born in what is now Kazakhstan, and was then Russia, in 1913. He fled with his family to China at the 1917 Russian revolution and grew up in Shanghai, before moving to Singapore and then South Africa. "King of kitsch" Tretchikoff sells for new world record

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French town breaks smurf number world record

A small town in western France has set a world record for the greatest number of smurf-costumed people gathered in the same place, according to organisers, who counted over 3,000 this weekend.

Landerneau, population 16,000, on the far western tip of France's Britanny region, had tried twice before to wrest the record from Lauchringen, a town in Germany that managed to gather together a seemingly unassailable 2,762 smurfs in 2019.

But on Saturday, the French challengers finally pulverised that record, assembling 3,076 people clad and face-painted in blue, wearing white hats and singing smurfy songs.

"We smurfed the record," said one participant.

Smurfs, created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo in 1958 and called "Schtroumpfs" in French, are small, human-like creatures living in the forest.

The fun characters have turned into a major franchise that includes films, series, advertising, video games, theme parks and toys.

"A friend encouraged me to join and I thought: 'Why not?'," said Simone Pronost, 82, sipping a beer on the terrace of a cafe, dressed as a smurfette.

Albane Delariviere, a 20-year-old student, travelled all the way from Rennes -- more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) away -- to join.

"We thought it was a cool idea to help Landerneau out," she said.

AFP | Fred TANNEAU

Landerneau mayor Patrick Leclerc, also in full smurf dress, said the effort "brings people together and gives them something else to think about than the times we're living in".

Pascal Soun, head of the association organising the event, said the gathering "allows people to have fun and enter an imaginary world for a few hours".

Contestants were relieved that weather conditions were favourable, after the previous record attempt, in 2023, was sunk by heavy rain that kept many contestants away.

In 2020, an initially successful bid -- with more than 3,500 smurfs -- was invalidated by Guinness World Records on a technicality because of a missing document.

Landerneau's smurf enthusiasts were almost ready to give up but film production company Paramount persuaded them to have another go.Paramount, which is set to release "Smurfs, The Movie" in July, convinced them with an offer to handle the event's PR and provide 1,200 free tickets for a preview of the film. French town breaks smurf number world record

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Surfer Conquers Biggest Waves in the World Despite Only Having One Leg

Pegleg Bennett during a surf session at Perranporth Beach – credit, William Dax, SWNS

‘Pegleg’ Bennett was born with a birth defect that led to the amputation of his foot when he was a baby, but the 55-year-old never let it impede the pursuit of his passion: surfing.

The father of three has traveled the world surfing, making it to some of the most famous big wave surfing spots in places like Indonesia, Hawaii, Australia, and Portugal. He’s also represented his country in a para-surfing championship, and pioneered some best practices in making prosthetic legs for surfers.

Bennett was born with the ankle of his left leg missing and his foot looking twisted and mangled.

At the hospital, his parents were given the choice of amputation—which the doctors said would actually ensure he had better quality of living.

“The ocean is my happy place,” said Bennett, who legally changed his name to Pegleg—a childhood nickname—in 2016. “When I’m riding a wave nothing else matters, nothing else is there—it is just me and that wave and feeling that glide and that ride.”

He told the British media outlet SWNS that he grew up a “water baby” and given that his father was a big swimmer, the progression to surfing came naturally, despite his missing foot.

He describes “harassing” the UK’s National Health Service for years, “and eventually they gave me what they call a ‘beach activities leg’ and then my surfing progressed at a phenomenal rate after that.”

Pegleg Bennett during a surf session at Perranporth Beach – credit, William Dax, SWNS

After learning to surf on it, Bennett drilled holes in that first prosthetic leg to improve its functionality, and this led to a phenomenal surfing career.

“There is a big wave spot in Portugal called Nazaré,” he said, at the start of listing every spot he’s enjoyed. “I have also done the entire European coast, I have driven the Moroccan coast right down into the occidental Sahara, Hawaii, all over the States, Indonesia, Japan. I have surfed on the Arctic circle.”

His new leg, made from carbon fiber and titanium, has taken his surfing to a “new level”, he said.

“I have got a surf specific leg—it’s got a titanium ankle joint in it so I can stand on the board a lot better than I used to.”

For his whole adult life, Bennett has been at the crest of the wave of para-surfing, which has undergone a revolutionary transformation.

The turning point came in 2015 when the International Surfing Association (ISA) hosted the first Adaptive Surfing World Championships—bringing together surfers from all the nations.

Since then, the sport has exploded in popularity with the adaptive surfing, or para-surfing, community becoming the fastest-growing segment of the surfing world. Team England para-surfing team is now ranked seventh in the world, led by Bennett’s instruction and inspiration.

He explained that within the para-surfing community there are people with all kinds of disabilities.

“I coached someone with cerebral palsy, MS, I have got some blind guys that I coach, obviously some amputees,” he said. “If somebody has got a disability and they want to get in the ocean and catch waves, I can make it happen.”

“I don’t believe in barriers. I believe in we can do it.”Although para-surfing narrowly missed out on the 2028 Los Angeles Games, there is strong hope for its inclusion in the Paralympics in Brisbane in 2032, and the opportunities that could bring for extra funding. Surfer Conquers Biggest Waves in the World Despite Only Having One Leg

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121 metre long cake gives a taste for records

Armed with 4,000 eggs and a truckload of sugar and cream, French pastry chefs on Wednesday completed a 121.8 metre long strawberry cake which they have claimed is the world's longest ever made.

Youssef El Gatou brought together 20 chefs to make the 1.2 tonne masterpiece that took a week to complete and was set out on tables in an ice rink in the Paris suburb town of Argenteuil for residents to inspect.

The effort overtook a 100.48m long strawberry cake made in the Italian town of San Mauro Torinese in 2019.

El Gatou's cake also used 350 kilogrammes of strawberries, 150kg of sugar and 415kg of cream.

To claim the record in the Guiness book, the cake had to be at least eight centimetres wide and eight centimetres tall. The logistics were so difficult that the team "used blowtorches to heat the bowl" for the cream mix, said the chef's wife Nadia El Gatou.

El Gatou said that since a child he had wanted to set a record.

AFP | Ludovic VICKERS, Téa ZIADE

Residents of Argenteuil who went to see the calorie-packed record-breaker on Wednesday were given a piece to take away. 121 metre long cake gives a taste for records

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49-Year-old Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim English Channel: ‘Nothing is Impossible’

Melanie Barratt out in the English Channel – credit SWNS

A Paralympic gold medalist has become the first blind woman to swim across the English Channel, and she finished under time.

She said that being blind has left her feeling “isolated,” but thanks to swimming, she has a “newfound confidence” and hopes her feat “inspires others”.

49-year-old Melanie Barratt took on the challenge after falling in love with open-water swimming.

She swam the Channel, from Shakespeare Beach in Dover to Cap Gris Nez Beach in France, in 12 hours and 20 minutes, faster than the expected 14 hours, and described it as “a dream come true.”

“My life has been filled with challenges because of my blindness, and it often led me to feel isolated and unsure of myself,” said Barratt.

Melanie, now a special needs assistant after winning two gold medals, two silvers, and a bronze at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Paralympics, said she “never thought it would be possible to achieve something like this.”

It’s no mean feat, even for an Olympian, as the Channel weather regularly takes the lives of sailors and refugees in crossing.

Melanie Barratt with her haul from the 1996 and 200 Paralympics – credit SWNS

Melanie was born with scarred eyes after her mom contracted congenital toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. She grew up virtually blind and was only able to make out bright colors and shapes. She first began swimming with the British Blind Sport charity.

“I loved the water,” she remembers. “The charity helped me by teaching me to swim straight and how not to bump my head into the pool ends.”

“I struggled to fit in at school because of my blindness, so I often turned to the pool as an escape.”

Slowly improving, a swimming partner invited her to the Paralympic games, which lit a fire underneath her that pushed her to succeed. After Sydney, Melanie retired from competitive swimming and wanted “something more.”

“Sadly, my guide dog doesn’t swim,” she said, according to English news media outlet SWNS. “But I became friends with an incredible open-water swimmer who took me under her wing.”

“The shock of the cold water made me aware of every single cell of my body, and it was freeing.”

Once hooked on open-water swimming, Melanie competed in several races, including a 10k lake swim, the Thames Marathon, and a relay race in Lake Geneva in July 2023.

It was as freeing as it was frightening, since there were no indicative surfaces or objects for her to use as a reference point. A solution presented itself as her husband paddling alongside her in a kayak, the bright colored paint of which she could see.

“I also started using bone-conducting headphones that allowed him to communicate with me throughout my swims,” she says. “It made open-water swimming more accessible.”

Two years before her Geneva feat, Melanie signed up for the English Channel swim, describing it as “the Everest of swimming,” and on August 28th, 2024, she swam the Channel in 12 hours and 20 minutes, receiving a Guinness World Record for the feat two months later.

“Halfway through the swim, I felt scared and sick. I didn’t think I was going to make it,” she said. “But I had the most amazing team and I was really determined.”

“Life is incredibly difficult being blind, and it’s very limiting, but sport and open-water swimming have given me a newfound confidence and made me proud of who I am.”“My husband and two boys always know I love to push myself and that I always need something to work towards, and I hope I’ve inspired others to do the same.” 49-Year-old Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim English Channel: ‘Nothing is Impossible’

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World's longest cargo sail ship launched in Turkey

TUZLA - The world's longest wind-powered cargo ship was launched in Turkey, offering a promising way to slash carbon emissions from merchandise trade.

The 136-metre Neoliner Origin was floated at the Turkish port of Tuzla, and will now undergo six months of fitting-out.

Designed by French company Neoline and built by Turkish shipyard RMK Marine, the ship can carry 5,300 tonnes of freight over long distances thanks to its two masts and 3,000 square metres of sails.

"Thanks to the wind, and by reducing speed from 15 knots (about 30 kilometres or 18 miles an hour) to 11 knots, we can cut fuel consumption and therefore emissions by a factor of five compared with a conventional ship," Jean Zanuttini, president of Nantes-based Neoline, told AFP.

With about 90 percent of world trade going by sea, the maritime transport sector is responsible for about three percent of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization.

The ship will leave Turkey during the summer of 2025 for the French Atlantic port of Saint-Nazaire, then will begin its first rotation toward North America, serving the French island of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, the US port of Baltimore and Halifax in Canada.

The project received support from France's public investment bank (BPI) and the French shipping company CMA-CGM. Zanuttini said the shipyard would soon begin work on a second similar ship. World's longest cargo sail ship launched in Turkey

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Japanese man ends 6,000km Africa rickshaw trek in Cape Town

CAPE TOWN - A 34-year-old Japanese man arrived in Cape Town to end a more than 6,000-kilometre journey from Kenya to South Africa on foot while pulling a rickshaw.

Yuji "Gump" Suzuki was emotional as he thanked his supporters for their backing during his latest quest which started in the Kenyan capital in July and took him through Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.

"I couldn't make it without you guys," Suzuki said. "I am running for fun. I have been travelling for nine years already and I get the power from you guys so I give you guys power, too. That's my life."

AFP | RODGER BOSCH

Among his other journeys, Suzuki has already pulled his two-wheeled cart from China to India (2016-2017), for 2,500 kilometres in Europe (2017) and 5,100 kilometres across the United States (2022-2023), according to his website.

His rickshaw weighs more than 100 kilograms.Suzuki wears a version of Japan's traditional tabi socks while on his journeys, which he posts about on social media. Japanese man ends 6,000km Africa rickshaw trek in Cape Town

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‘World’s Most Intrepid Twins’ Break World Altitude Record Flying Over The Alps at 8,000-ft in Electric Paraglider

Ross and Hugo Turner attempting to break a record, flying a paraglider-style aircraft at 10,000ft in the French Alps – via SWNS

The ‘World’s Most Intrepid Twins’ announced they’ve broken a world record, by flying a tandem electric para-motor 8,000ft over the French Alps.

Ross and Hugo Turner, known as the Turner Twins, took the custom-made aircraft 2,438 meters high, floating over the mountains.

The British siblings have submitted the information on an application to FAI—the World Air Sports Federation—to claim a world record for tandem electric altitude.

The brothers based in Devon, England, have already set a world record while becoming the first twins to row the Atlantic Ocean.

For this recent flight, the twins had to wait months for the “perfect weather conditions.”

“It was great to get the weather we finally needed for the record and having waited months for perfect conditions we had the perfect flight,” said Hugo.

“The flight was smooth, which was surprising as we were expecting turbulent conditions, and the battery lasted much longer than we expected—probably due to the colder conditions keeping the battery cooler.”

Ross said their official observer for the record didn’t think the electric battery would be able to do it.

“He said we won’t have enough power, this won’t work. Thankfully, we proved him wrong.”

Ross and Hugo, the Turner Twins, on a para-motor flying over French Alps breaking altitude record – via SWNS

Their quest for adventure was born following a terrible auto accident in which Hugo broke his neck at age 17 and narrowly missed paralysis. In the mix of heightened emotions came a drive to follow their passion for exploration—always guided by their values and “always doing them together”.

The daring duo made headlines at age 21 when they rowed the Atlantic in just 41 days. They also helped set a world record as part of the youngest crew ever to complete that challenge.

Since then they have climbed Mt. Elbrus and they cycled 1,550 miles (2500km) across South American to reach another goal, traveling through deserts and jungles in the searing heat. The pair also used bikes to ride 2.6K across North America, cycling across mountains, desserts, and national parks.

They also attempted a hike across the Greenland and Iceland wearing kit and clothing worn by early polar explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The Turner Twins making final preparations for a world altitude record in a tandem electric paramotor – SWNS

During many of their missions they’re testing new technology, like driving the Cyberster EV car from MG Motors on a 10,000-mile drive from London to China, posting videos about their adventures in the red convertible electric sports car.

World’s Most Intrepid Twins’ Break World Altitude Record Flying Over The Alps at 8,000-ft in Electric Paraglider

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‘World’s Most Intrepid Twins’ Break World Altitude Record Flying Over The Alps at 8,000-ft in Electric Paraglider

Ross and Hugo Turner attempting to break a record, flying a paraglider-style aircraft at 10,000ft in the French Alps – via SWNS

The ‘World’s Most Intrepid Twins’ announced they’ve broken a world record, by flying a tandem electric para-motor 8,000ft over the French Alps.

Ross and Hugo Turner, known as the Turner Twins, took the custom-made aircraft 2,438 meters high, floating over the mountains.

The British siblings have submitted the information on an application to FAI—the World Air Sports Federation—to claim a world record for tandem electric altitude.

The brothers based in Devon, England, have already set a world record while becoming the first twins to row the Atlantic Ocean.

For this recent flight, the twins had to wait months for the “perfect weather conditions.”

“It was great to get the weather we finally needed for the record and having waited months for perfect conditions we had the perfect flight,” said Hugo.

“The flight was smooth, which was surprising as we were expecting turbulent conditions, and the battery lasted much longer than we expected—probably due to the colder conditions keeping the battery cooler.”

Ross said their official observer for the record didn’t think the electric battery would be able to do it.

“He said we won’t have enough power, this won’t work. Thankfully, we proved him wrong.”

Ross and Hugo, the Turner Twins, on a para-motor flying over French Alps breaking altitude record – via SWNS

Their quest for adventure was born following a terrible auto accident in which Hugo broke his neck at age 17 and narrowly missed paralysis. In the mix of heightened emotions came a drive to follow their passion for exploration—always guided by their values and “always doing them together”.

The daring duo made headlines at age 21 when they rowed the Atlantic in just 41 days. They also helped set a world record as part of the youngest crew ever to complete that challenge.

Since then they have climbed Mt. Elbrus and they cycled 1,550 miles (2500km) across South American to reach another goal, traveling through deserts and jungles in the searing heat. The pair also used bikes to ride 2.6K across North America, cycling across mountains, desserts, and national parks.

They also attempted a hike across the Greenland and Iceland wearing kit and clothing worn by early polar explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The Turner Twins making final preparations for a world altitude record in a tandem electric paramotor – SWNS

During many of their missions they’re testing new technology, like driving the Cyberster EV car from MG Motors on a 10,000-mile drive from London to China, posting videos about their adventures in the red convertible electric sports car. ‘World’s Most Intrepid Twins’ Break World Altitude Record Flying Over The Alps at 8,000-ft in Electric Paraglider

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