Comment on Russian balloon more than halfway to circumnavigating globe

CANBERRA, Australia -- A 65-year-old Russian adventurer was battling sleep deprivation, freezing temperatures and ice in his oxygen mask but was ahead of schedule for his record attempt to fly solo in a balloon around the world nonstop, his son said Wednesday. Fedor Konyukhov has drifted more than halfway around the world since he lifted off from Northam in Western Australia state on July 12 in a carbon box 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) high, 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) long and 1.8 meters (5 feet 11 inches) wide suspended from a 56-meter (184-foot) -tall helium and hot-air balloon. Oscar Konyukhov, who heads the support team based at Northam, said his father was on track to return to Earth somewhere in Australia on Sunday -- 12 days after he started.