it was supposed to be just another news or of course although admittedly for a special occasion it was one hundred twenty three days before the start of the winter olympic games in sochi and i was in greece for the lighting of the olympic flame the ruins of a limpia one of the most famous monuments of ancient greece the site of the very first olympic games where stones like this would have been part of the temple. the temple. temple of. home. mom.

well that was a rather surreal. definitely the way to stream i've had for a while. it was a memorable ceremony. because one pretty sort of high priestess never spoke to me.

what was it she sent full of the flame or something. you have a lot more of course of base. on which the top story this morning than the sochi twenty pulteney olympic flame has invited moscow seven days after it was first in the ancient greek city of elim carried by russia's deputy prime minister dmitri cool with ak if i traveled in a small mountain to red square where president vladimir putin spoke of its meaning for the russian people in the olympic torch the symbol of the world's primary sports competition of peace and of friendship. but he has come to russia. there are many marks the start of the longest tools relay in a limb take a street the same boy it's great that so many people have turned out for the start of the russian relay it looks like a lot of fun out there. in a minute you. couldn't pick.

but it was. the stone i picked up in the end it was on my mantle piece and if that isn't a sign i don't know what it is. i knew i had to get down to red square and experienced atmosphere for myself fortunately they were having a two day event. so from sunny greece to rather soggy moscow just at the very start of the torch is journey around the whole of russia i'm excited. the days first run there was paralympic star less. who picked up two gold medals in the beijing and london games. possibly do you still a big gold medal is there still something special for you. of course it's a unique feeling because i had never carried the torch before i had first i ran

with a quite easily then i felt i was becoming heavier and heavier but i was determined to carry it properly and show it to everyone so that they could all appreciate the moment. and the crowd's reaction words factious i missed out on going to my home games in london and i was determined not to let such a twenty four team pass me by there were fourteen thousand torchbearers slots up for grabs one of them was going to be mine. when we were making the technical order for the factory we say look let's make the thing we want to who. you're whole and also desirable should be like wow.

a lot of questions where are. weight it's quite heavy we have to take all the cover and the middle that out by the machine extra weight of the aluminum so it's really fine. it's the feather feather over the period of burton firebird in the russian. stories and fairy tales and to get this feather from the firebird is a super challenge for the field. the problem can be. underneath here and it just caused the fire but in this kid we have a special. wiring inside which melting and of like really

a red color. and it's the fire so basically it's a rift fire in itself. i was going to have to wait a while before i found out if i'd been picked as a torch bearer more than enough time to try and learn a little more about my mysterious stone. some of russia's most eminent geologists live in. the center of russia's diamond industry on the rocks down here in the most expensive in the country. the pits.

and uses the most sophisticated drilling equipment to get to the precious. stones have been taken to assaulting sense and closely examined each rough gem is appraised value and i had a close only focused on my precious stone to. some kind of. there i can see small crystals here proving that it's ancient rock. but really it shouldn't lights up should it. no it's false but it's luminescent as from. ok maybe you could make it luminescent if you really believed it right thank you

did you really expect it to go. maybe maybe i'm just not right. there's certainly something very special about this and this ground i don't know but it might just be because they use to pulling glittering thing this out of the dark here. but the one smear these diamonds what the top attraction in turn around it was time to head towards the city's most well known landmark where they were getting ready to welcome some very special guests. from all in forty years these huge realized trucks one of the most famous symbols in the acute year carrying the region's diamonds tune from its quarries and factories and now.

it's getting ready for its most important passenger ever. it must have been close to minus forty celsius but these are limping torches and torch bearers are made of sterner stuff. this huge quarry has been the frozen heartbeat of the city for more than fifty years producing more than seventeen billion dollars diamonds my stone it meant i was here to watch the parade but what was i supposed to do next. great shot. lives so where two mates were to. again show me the and. caro. choice.

they can be few more famous natural landmarks in russia than lake baikal the oldest and deep this lake on the planet on the site of a very special olympic celebration. for the first time ever they're planning to light the olympic flame on the water. in this case your average tool which isn't going to cut it so special equipment is required and special people to carry it and who better than the local rescue ranger . who in the are professional activity is mostly dedicated to rescuing people on lake baikal our job is important difficult interesting and in a way romantic my cow has many faces and winter it's tough and in summer it's beautiful you can't help but admire its power because it attracts you

and it's very important to me because it's a jewel of russia. everything's ready let's go then as nicholas puts the final touches to his equipment the excitement begins to build along the water's edge. the torch rallies have been warmly welcomed across the country but the crowds here are about to witness something that's never been done before. and there's plenty of local showmen own hands went to tame them while they wait. a massive noise and color to cheer the torch bearers on. this torch is based on a special system there is a pirate taking charge that can burn at any depth in any temperature and under any circumstances. when it's under water it's like a second sun the flame literally illuminates the entire lake. bottom when you carry it you can feel its enormous power. but the

water temperature is four degrees celsius it's really freezing we could feel it on our uncovered faces but we were united by this flame that had absorbed the energy of the entire country of every single person who cares about the flame that was what united us and that's why everything went perfectly. as i watched from us on the wall so you could almost feel the crowd's energy coming across the waves it has been another remarkable spectacle for this record breaking toolchain really i was wondering what could possibly top it. looks like the right track. so well but i.

feel.

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moved from one ship to another but what a ship. i was on board the ice breaker fifty years of victory the pride of the russian nuclear fleet for a truly time experience. flame was traveling to the north pole i was going with. it my stone was telling me to follow the flame i was going to take it as far as i could. see hundred nautical miles of stark beautiful ocean between us and the top of the world. just in case you didn't actually believe we were going to the north pole i think that eliminates any doubt. it's another historic first for the sochi torch and a relay around the ship was planned for the occasion so you can learn so many new things. to test as well as the crew's experience with what the

ice breaker is really capable of. i mean this tour of the olympic torch to the north pole never before has a surface ship gone there so late in the season the ice was much heavier and to cope with it we almost needed the ice breakers maximum power. we were making incredible progress slicing through the thick polar ice like bazza and after only four days we were already near our destination that's a world record pace. we made it. less or do you ninety degrees north is it top of the world.

once the champagne and been finished everything kicked into gear the torchbearers went off to get ready and our organizing committee began making preparations for the relay. we loved one on the other one and. tried to hold it the right way all. right but what. with everyone in position we were ready to go and our captain was given the owner of starting off the run my main task was to keep the torch warm and make sure it goes into past hand in time and just seconds later she was away and i was on collection g c. i think that's when we now. thank you very much yes i got to take a look off the list and return it later. i was a good. yeah go through it no slips. no.

we stepped off the ship and on to the ice the torches glow flickering through the pitch black polar nights. a pioneering soviet polar explorer. of would ignite the culture of the most northerly place on the planet. it's not often you. witness a moment of history it's the first time the olympic flame is out of in the north pole. and i'm here to see it. from the north as it's possible to go it was time to head east with the olympic organizing committee. the flame the ip that is has its own security team at all times not to mention its own private jet. blue golf this special service with

the flame keeper which is just responsible for the security of the flame the keep the flame a little. on this special will you know that all of these flame will never go off. for. each city's greasing ceremony is unique and hundreds of volunteers helped make the occasion memorable. there's a possibility also to keep security for the torch bearer you know and nobody will harm me nobody will get this fish. place just. because he's just. endorsed so for everybody. this is camp shot of a peninsula that's one of the most easterly places in russia. that is the

highest so that you don't burn yourself when your torch is lit are going. for the good fortune never taxed to the flaming torch bearer and russian because you never . everybody every had an inhabitant of the cities just very proud that comes to his cd i must say that ok lation now three of them. it was the end of another remake and i was in one of the most beautiful places in the country on the shores of the pacific itself but i was beginning to lose patience. i've come to the end of. what's. what do you want.

where am i to go. my literally from the house of land. but the torch would move all over the mountains across the sea. even else of this world. we live. in yes another historic moment it paid a visit to the international space station more than four hundred kilometers above the planet. and although safety reasons made lycee its on board a heavily fueled rockets over all the bad idea the world's first olympic spacewalk

was no problem. back down to i was getting some inspiration of my own. yes. i've come so far with the torch i was going to have to see it through to the end but what so many different people in relays all over russia and even beyond now i was going to have my own moments with the symbol of the sochi games i was a new father in the south of the country in under two hours i was going to be a torch bearer. for my fictional uniform. it was time to suit up and pick up the most vital piece of equipment. i think. make. up of their english

training thank you. lost. more than two hundred of us would be running through the streets and the excitement was already beginning to build there was just time for a few tips on how to make the most of the moment. smile and wave your hand then they put out my torch and i stepped back and i'm not there anymore it's your turn you start and i be in the car that will be filming us starts to move and we run towards it ok go to. the russian church. none of us could wait to get started and the policy was in full swing as we moved

through the city thousands of people had turned out to cheer us all and watch the parade and we even had a few guests from the north pole putting in an appearance. we were dropping off people every two hundred meters so i just had a few minutes to go. it's my neighbor kind of mill. you can really imagine how exciting it is. i'm looking forward to the moment when the whole country will see me it was. honestly i can't believe it. did school was freezing today isn't it. planned so let's meet our church. as i wave to the crowd i hadn't expected to be so nervous my whole epic journey led to this moment and as i waited for number one million three to pulse me the flame all i could think of was for goodness sake don't drop it. by.

the dream come true i missed london twenty games i never thought of the gods to be part of another day and now i'm. going to play with this moment. i am. i think i finally understand. i got a little further to go with this story. i was with it when it was lit for the very first time in a limpia increase it went deep underground into diamond mines and you could see i

was with it when it plunged into the waters of lake baikal and i was with it when the winds by president of the very top of the world and then it went out. to the international space station. to believe. if you could. you could. pull into goals this tool which of those elements even the fifth element the quintessence from space itself. i believe. has the energy to help you win gold in sochi. russia.

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that there is no. evidence that there is any problem with genetic engineering when you make a deal. or is free cheese always in the most trash. free. enterprise is profit. for these golden rice monarchy. we speak your language i mean some of the will not advance. news programs and documentaries and spanish more matters to you. can use a little tonnage of angles stories. you hear. in troy all to spanish. visit. there is so little self reflection on the part of both the american public and

american decision makers i wonder why is that. country of three hundred fifteen million people. so sore. from the world by two large oceans. we're trying to think of foreign policy is something we do to other people other than that something we participate in.

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only. president obama is said to deliver a speech on the n.s.a. surveillance methods as many question whether the government is ready to limit the agency's and spying reach. russia spearhead a final diplomatic push through a show all sides get a fair say at next week's international peace conference on syria. and u.k. foreign secretary william hague heads north there to try and convince scotland not to go it alone with an independence referendum eight months away. will live here.