• Olympic flame travels aboard royal barge on final leg of epic journey

    LOCOG via Getty Images

    Torchbearer Akosua Scantlebury holds the Olympic flame on the Royal barge Gloriana as it makes it way down the River Thames towards Richmond Bridge on July 27, 2012 in London, England.

    Oli Scarff / Getty Images

    Crowds enter the water to watch the Queen's rowbarge Gloriana carry the Olympic flame along the river Thames from Hampton Court to City Hall on July 27, 2012 in London.

    Ben Birchall / LOCOG via AP

    The royal barge Gloriana carries the Olympic flame burning in a cauldron as it makes its way down the River Thames towards Richmond Bridge during the final day of the Olympic torch relay in London, July 27, 2012.

    Emilio Morenatti / AP

    People run from one side of Westminster bridge to the other to watch the royal barge carry the Olympic flame along the river Thames on July 27, 2012.

    Paul Hackett / Reuters

    Olympic torch bearer Amber Charles holds the Olympic flame on a floating pontoon in front of Tower Bridge in London on July 27, 2012, at the end of the torch's river journey.

    Justin Tallis / AFP - Getty Images

    Torch bearers laugh on board the Gloriana as it navigates away from a set of giant Olympic rings mounted on a barge floating on the River Thames on July 27, 2012.

    The Olympic torch is set to makes its grand entrance at tonight's opening ceremony celebration after a 70-day journey and racking up about 8,000 miles throughout its tour. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.

    The Olympic flame is making its way down the River Thames on the final day of its journey around the United Kingdom before arriving in the Olympic Stadium tonight for the Games' opening ceremony. See more pictures of the torch relay in our slideshow:

    Slideshow: Olympic torch carries the flame to London 2012

    Lit by the sun's rays in Greece, the Olympic torch takes a 70-day, 8,000 mile trip to London for the 2012 summer games.

    Launch slideshow

  • London's new Thames cable car in place — but will it be ready for the Olympics?

    Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

    Cable cars pass over the River Thames on May 16, 2012 in London, England.

    Engineers have been testing a new cable car system crossing the River Thames, Getty Images reports. The gondola-style cable cars will carry commuters between the Greenwich Peninsula and East London. 

    The system, which is estimated to be costing nearly £60 million ($95 million), is expected to open to the public this year but doubts have been raised over whether it will be ready in time for the opening of the Olympic Games on July 27.

    Related content:

    Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

    The 1 km (0.62 mile) cable car line crosses the river from the Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks, linking two important Olympic sites. Up to 34 gondolas, each carrying a maximum of 10 passengers, will transport people across the river.

    The transport link between two Olympic venues that might not be ready for the Games. It is the spectacular cable car running across the Thames. Construction began in July last year, with officials admitting that getting it ready for the Games was going to be extremely challenging ITN's Simon Harris.

     

  • Drama-filled Oxford-Cambridge boat race ends in Cambridge victory

    Anthony Devlin / AP

    The Boat Race is halted as a swimmer interrupts the 158th Boat Race on the river Thames, London, April 7. Cambridge won a dramatic Boat Race against Oxford on Saturday following a 31-minute mid-race postponement after a man jumped into the River Thames and swam between the crews. When the race was restarted halfway along the course, Oxford's German rower Dr. Hanno Wienhausen lost half of his oar after the crews clashed allowing Cambridge to cruise to victory up against effectively seven opponents. A margin of victory wasn't given by officials.

    Geoff Caddick / EPA

    Members of the Oxford rowing team console one another after losing the 158th Oxford Cambridge Boat Race at Chiswick Bridge, west London, April 7.

    At the end of the race, Oxford cox Zoe De Toledo appealed for the race to be rerun because there was too much wash on the course after the postponement. But her appeal was turned down by race umpire John Garrett.

    "I did not agree with their appeal, so the result stands," Garrett said.

     The fact that Cambridge extended its lead in the overall series to 81-76 will be lost in all the drama of the 158th running of one of England's oldest and most prestigious sporting fixtures.

    --Reported by the Associated Press

    Paul Hackett / Reuters

    Oxford's William Zeng tries to revive bow Alex Woods who collapsed after the Oxford vs Cambridge boat race on the River Thames in west London April 7.

    Clive Rose / Getty Images

    A man is taken away by the police after swimming in the water and disrupting the Xchanging University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge University on the River Thames on April 7, in London, England.

    Leon Neal / AFP - Getty Images

    Alexander Sharp of Austria celebrates as Cambridge win the 158th annual Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race on the river Thames at Mortlake, west London on April 7.

     

  • Bird count: Census of the swans on the River Thames

    Carl Court / AFP - Getty Images

    Swans are captured on the River Thames in southeast England on Monday, July 18, during 'Swan Upping.'

    Carl Court / AFP - Getty Images

    Swans are captured during the annual 'Swan Upping' on the River Thames in southeast England, on Monday.

    Carl Court / AFP - Getty Images

    A cygnet's head is measured during the annual swan census or 'Swan Upping' on the River Thames in south-east England, on Monday.

    According to AFP, 'Swan Upping' is the annual census of the swan population on stretches of the River Thames, spanning the counties of Middlesex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. The census dates from the twelfth century when the Queen claimed ownership of all mute swans and is overseen by the Queen's Marker.