29/07/2012 BBC Weekend News

Britain wins its first medals at the Olympics. Lizzie Armitstead

shines in the rain to take silver in the women's road race. The most

special thing I have ever experienced. It was crazy. So

inspiring. I didn't even feel my legs. And there's a bronze in the

pool for Rebecca Adlington. Games organisers pledge to tackle the

problem of empty seats at some venues, as sponsors deny they are

to blame. Syria's Foreign Minister vows to crush the rebels in Aleppo.

Fears are growing about more civilian casualties. Republican

Presidental candidate Mitt Romney receives a warm welcome in Israel

Good evening. Great Britain has won its first medals of the 2012 games.

Cyclist Lizzie Armitstead took silver in the women's road race and

this evening Rebecca Adlington won a bronze medal in the women's 400m

freestyle. Unlike Mark Cavendish at this cyclist knows what Rory is

like. Nicole Cooke was the first of the Beijing gold medallists but for

years on her job was to support young good team mate Lizzie

Armitstead as she bid to obtain eight -- get past male counterpart

in stormy conditions. Everyone wants a medal, hopefully we can be

first to deliver. Team GB had every reason to be confident but the

return of British summer made A contest was punctuated by a

series of punches and pilots'. This was road racing at its most

treacherous. With huge home support lining the course again the race

was as dramatic as the weather. After a series of attacks came the

key moment. Dutch favourite Marianne Vos and Russian Olga

Zabelinskaya with the breakaway. Back at base the tension was rising

and British medals seemed assured. The question was which one? After

87 miles of attrition came this thrilling final sprint along the

Mall. It's just really strange. I Team GB are on the podium. It may

have come a day later than hoped for but thanks to this courageous

performance the hosts are off the mark, their first medal of these

games. Lizzie Armitstead came so close to the ultimate prize but

this medal could just be worth its weight in gold. Team GB will hope

it is just the first of many. Rebecca Adlington won a bronze.

Elsewhere Andy Murray has been on court, beginning his challenge for

Olympic singles glory, and Zara Philips has been competing in the

Equestrian events. Andy Swiss has the rest of the day's action.

She was the golden girl of Beijing and now could London raw Rebecca at

Linton to another Olympic title? She started as the slowest

qualifier for the 400 metres freestyle final, not her preferred

distance. But cheered on by the home crowd she gradually moved up

through the field and clung on with Her reaction, delight rather than

disappointment. The crowd is amazing. This is what I wanted.

This is what gets us from fourth to third and onto the podium. I know

so many people wanted me to get gold, sorry for that, but I tried

my hardest. No gold this time but another medal for the fans here are

the Olympic Park to celebrate. There was plenty more British

success on day two. A fine display in dressage from Zara Phillips

watched by a few well known relatives. She kept Britain's a

equestrian team in medal contention. After losing in the doubles Andy

Murray won his opening singles match at Wimbledon in straight sets.

Ben Ainslie began his quest for a 4th Olympic medal in impressive

style. While Beth Tweddle produced a breathtaking performance in the

gymnastics as Britain's women team qualified for the final. A first

victory for the men's football team, Ryan Giggs on the scoresheet as

they beat United Dhamrait -- United Arab Emirates. So let's see what

the medals table looks like. China leads with a total of 12. The head

of the London games organisers, Lord Coe, says military personnel,

students and teachers will be offered tickets after seats at some

events were left empty for a second day. The problem has attracted

public anger, and the British Olympic Association has said it

wants to see "every seat filled". James Pearce reports.

This was the volleyball venue. Not the image anyone expected at London

2012. Watching tennis at Wimbledon also believed to be lonely for this

man. -- proved. They will need more members of the Armed Forces than

this to filling gaps. You will not be seeing this is an issue long-

term through the games. -- as an issue. Some of those seats are not

being used which is why we put the military in their and students and

teachers. A number of recent Olympics have had problems with

empty seats. It 0.8 million tickets have been sold, 5% went to what is

called the Olympic family, for example, the sports federations.

The Games organisers say the sponsor seats have been filled, so

if the empty seats to not belong to sponsors, then whose are they?

London 2012 said many have been set aside for international sporting

federations. In the aquatic centre here are the cheaper seats, all of

them bought by members of the public. It is packed. But look down

to poolside and the expensive seats at the front, many of them are

empty. It is disappointing. I guess you can't make people turn up and

if it is corporate ticket it is a shame they are not used. If I said

you you could wait here for half an hour and any unused tickets might

be returned would you be happy to wait? Absolutely. Yes! Definitely,

definitely! Many others have not managed to get to the Olympics at

all. The Robinson family applied for tickets and are not enjoying

seeing the empty seats on TV, having failed. I felt it is very

unfair. I have had negative feelings towards the Olympics which

is awful. At one stage has said I refuse to watch it. But that is not

how it is. But very angry about it. There is no shortage of spectators,

hundreds of thousands have been to the Olympics today. The challenge

for London 2012 is to make sure if there are spare seat inside venues

Our sports editor is there tonight. After the first weekend the best

feeling is just that sense that Team GB does have some medals?

Absolutely. It will be a huge relief to Team GB to be off the

mark and have that silver for Lizzie Armitstead and the bronze

for Rebecca Adlington. Huge pressure on the home athletes to

deliver here at the home games. If people thought Rebecca Adlington

was the favourite going into that race then you only have to look at

her joyous reaction at getting bronze. The 400 metres freestyle is

not her revenge, it is the 800 metres which comes later, even she

had written off her chances. So there is definitely a sense of

relief around the camp. And relief for organisers that pictures with

athletes with medals round their necks might take away the focus

from the banks of empty seats we have seen. LOCOG say they are

getting to grips with the problem but if it continues they might have

to take some stronger actions because members of the Olympic

family were supposed be sitting in their seats. In today's other

news... Syria's Foreign Minister has warned that the whole Middle

East region will become unstable if rebel fighters are able to defeat

the government of Bashar Al-Assad. The army has continued to pound

rebel strongholds in Aleppo for a second day, raising fears about

civilian casualties in the city of more than 2 million people. Jim

Muir reports from Beirut. The battle goes on but it is unsure

which way it will swing. Getting strongly motivated guerrillas out

of cities is not easy, they may be lightly-armed but there clearly

dangerous. As the crisis deepened the Syrian foreign minister held

what he called extremely fruitful talks in Tehran. He said the regime

was determined to drive the rebels out of Aleppo, just as it did in

Damascus. TRANSLATION: They plotted for a battle. They moved to Aleppo

where their plans failed, too. Aleppo rebels were busy preparing

for a showdown that both sides know will be crucial. They are not under

such pressure apparently that there is not time for a bit of relaxation.

But even when they sleep of war is never far away. Some of the

inhabitants remain in the line of fire, others have fled to safer

areas or across the nearby border to Turkey. The Jordanians have

opened a big camp to cope with the flood of refugees. The flow across

the border has quadrupled to around 1000 a day and more are to come.

The battle for Aleppo has only just started and both sides know that

whoever wins it may win the war. Our correspondent has just outside

Aleppo tonight. What have you witness today? It has been a case

of the battle continuing. This is now a fight to the bitter end.

Aleppo is key to the success of the rebels and the survival of the

government of the President. So we have seen government forces

essentially targetting neighbourhoods, the area we are

Rhian -- we are in at the moment, there has been chanting and people

ready with guns to going to the city. The Channel -- challenge for

the rebels is to keep the supply line open. The challenge for the

government is to try to get into these heavily built up areas. The

terrain does not work to their advantage but what they say is

whoever wins Aleppo were essentially when Syria in the long

The Republican candidate for the US President see mitt Romney has been

making pro-Israel commenced in a visit to the country. He said he

would respect an Israeli military strike on a nuclear-armed Iran. He

angered Palestinians when he referred to Jerusalem as the

The man who wants to be America's and ex-president has come here to

pledge passionate friendship with Israel. Offering a prayer at the

Wailing Wall with 100 days to go before the election, Mr Romney is

not so much caught in the Jewish vote -- both at home are stressing

he would take a harder line at home. The auction should be excluded. We

recognise Israel's right to defend itself and that it is right for

America to stand with you. As he met the Israeli prime minister at

advisers made clear if Israel attacked Iran to stop its nuclear

programme, Mr Romney would respect that. Music to the ears of Benjamin

Netanyahu. He said the greatest danger in the world is if the

Ayatollah's regime possesses nuclear weapons capability. I could

not agree with you more. With just 100 days to go what the opinion

polls suggest is a tight race, Mr Rodney came here to make a point,

but everybody knows this election is about the economy and the battle

The latest figures were worse than expected. Some economists are

alarmed. We're at the highest risk of a second recession we have had

since the financial crisis began. The Romeu campaign argues Barack

Obama is scornful of people who build their own businesses.

course Americans build their own businesses. Everyday hard-working

people sacrificed to meet a payroll, create jobs and make our economy

solid. Mr Romney flies to Poland before returning to the US. He

hopes a familiar prescription of tax-cuts, spending cut and less

regulation as well as a more aggressive foreign policy will put

When we watched the parade we saw India happily parade through, but

there was one woman and nobody knew who she was. Notice anything

strange about this picture? Just who is the woman in red? Not

content to tag along at the back she is way out in front, shoulder

to shoulder with the flag-bearer wearing jeans, smiling and waving

like the rest of the Indian Olympian team. The problem is

nobody has a clue who she is. The Indian media was alive, who was she,

or why was she there? One paper claims to have named the face but

it is not confirmed. The IOC has launched a formal complaint. We

want to know what happened. We are not saying the world has fallen

apart but they want to know what happened. Cue Sebastian Coe to shed

some light... She was a cast member who clearly got slightly over-

excited. She should not have been there but she clearly started in

that venue and I will be speaking to the Indian delegation. Remember

this man, a harmless prankster, he had a knack of turning up uninvited.

At the tennis, cricket matches, motor racing. It seems the mystery