Balloon flight `magnificent'

London - The British balloonist, Mr Richard Branson, said yesterday his round the world record attempt had been a "magnificent…

London - The British balloonist, Mr Richard Branson, said yesterday his round the world record attempt had been a "magnificent flight" so far despite getting dangerously close to Iraq, and temporarily losing his voice.

The entrepeneur and his American former rival Steve Fossett were crossing Turkmenistan yesterday, the third day in their journey in a hot air balloon.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter