Olympic Shorts: Commando holds the torch for capital

A Royal Marine commando will abseil from a helicopter into the Tower of London while holding the Olympic flame next week as the 70-day torch relay around the UK draws to a close. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is due to give more details of the torch's arrival in the capital today.

Synchronised fearlessness at City Hall

Elizabeth Streb, who walked over and down London's City Hall with a troupe of dancers yesterday, said the view and the crowds brought tears to her eyes. The 62-year-old "extreme choreographer" from New York leads the Streb Group, who performed seven gravity-defying stunts in London. The pop-up events were part of the London 2012 Festival.

A marathon for drug testers

Half of all athletes competing in London will be tested for drugs in what is being billed as the biggest anti-doping operation in the history of the Games.

A team of 150 scientists will take more than 6,000 samples between now and the end of the Paralympics on 9 September.

Drop in rental price for rooms

Londoners looking to cash in on the Games by renting out their homes are facing disappointment. Gumtree website says the average asking price for London short-term rentals fell by 24 per cent between May and June.