:00:39. > :00:41.After the South Korean flag was mistakenly shown at their women's
:00:41. > :00:44.football match last night - the Prime minister calls it an
:00:44. > :00:47.unfortunate but honest mistake. Passing some London's most famous
:00:47. > :00:57.landmarks as the Olympic flame enters the final stretch of its 70-
:00:57. > :00:57.
:00:57. > :01:05.day relay around the UK. Ministers bid to win billions of
:01:05. > :01:15.pounds. A cool start to the summer warms up
:01:15. > :01:25.owners of Centrica, the owner of British Gas, as they rise by 23%.
:01:25. > :01:36.
:01:36. > :01:39.Later, the latest on the Olympic Good afternoon, and welcome to the
:01:39. > :01:41.BBC news at 1.00pm from London's Olympic Park where the Prime
:01:41. > :01:47.Minister has just promised that Britain will deliver a world-class
:01:47. > :01:50.Games. On the eve of the official opening, David Cameron called it a
:01:50. > :01:53.momentous day. And he insisted that the top priority was to keep people
:01:53. > :02:00.safe in what will be the biggest security operation in peacetime
:02:00. > :02:03.history. Meanwhile, Olympic organisers have apologised to North
:02:03. > :02:06.Korea after a mix-up last night when the South Korean flag was
:02:06. > :02:08.wrongly shown on a big screen before the North Korean women's
:02:08. > :02:10.football match. The Prime Minister called it an honest mistake that
:02:10. > :02:18.shouldn't happen again. Our Olympics correspondent James Pearce
:02:18. > :02:23.is inside the Park now. At times I have to say it's hard to believe
:02:23. > :02:26.for those of us who have followed this journey all the way through
:02:26. > :02:30.from Singapore seven years ago when the envelope was opened and said
:02:30. > :02:36.the Games of 2012 have been awarded to the City of London that here we
:02:36. > :02:41.are now so close to the start of the Games. In just 36 hours, the
:02:41. > :02:47.Opening Ceremony will have finished, and the Games will have been
:02:47. > :02:49.officially opened. Consecutive governments have spent
:02:49. > :02:57.around �9 billion on these Olympics. This morning the Prime Minister
:02:57. > :03:01.came to the Park to see what we've all got for our money.
:03:01. > :03:04.Tomorrow's Opening Ceremony will be the most watched events of the
:03:04. > :03:07.whole Olympics and is likely to set the tone for the 16 days of
:03:07. > :03:11.competition that follow. Good morning, everybody, and it gives me
:03:11. > :03:15.great pride to welcome you to London on this truly momentous day
:03:15. > :03:20.for our country. I hope what people will see is obviously all the thing
:03:20. > :03:25.that is love about Britain's past, all the things they like about our
:03:25. > :03:29.history, our institutions, our culture, our contribution to world
:03:29. > :03:33.development, but I also hope they'll see a very open country and
:03:33. > :03:37.one that's got an enormous amount to offer for the future.
:03:37. > :03:42.there's already been one very embarrassing mistake - North
:03:42. > :03:45.Korea's footballers walked off the pitch at Hampden Park when the flag
:03:45. > :03:50.of South Korea shown alongside the players in the women's match
:03:50. > :03:55.against Colombia. North and South Korea where still at war, so if
:03:55. > :03:58.there was to be a flag mixup, it could hardly have been worse than
:03:58. > :04:07.this one. LOCOG have said that this was something they were very sorry
:04:07. > :04:12.about and that an error was made and that apology has been offered.
:04:12. > :04:14.Clearly, it was an embarrassment. From our point of view had that
:04:14. > :04:19.happened, we would have recognised whenever we were in the world that
:04:19. > :04:23.the organising committee had done their best to get it right. An
:04:23. > :04:25.error had been made and we've accepted that apology. It's a safe
:04:25. > :04:33.prediction there won't be any confusion over the flag to be used
:04:33. > :04:37.to lead out Team GB in the opening ceremony. It was carried by Mark
:04:37. > :04:41.Fost. Tomorrow it will be the turn of Chris Hoy, but fewer members
:04:41. > :04:44.behind Team Sky will be walking in behind him. The majority are
:04:44. > :04:49.training or have decided to stay away because they're competing
:04:49. > :04:54.alinging at the weekend, so from a team of 541, only 260 are expected
:04:54. > :05:00.to attend. With or without them, it should still be a show to remember.
:05:00. > :05:04.It's easy to understand why so many of those members of Team GB will
:05:04. > :05:08.stay away. If you're competing over the weekend, it simply doesn't make
:05:08. > :05:12.sense to be awake at 2.00am in the morning. The big question as far as
:05:12. > :05:16.who is going to light the caldron at the opening ceremony, still no
:05:16. > :05:20.clue but we know a decision has been taken, unanimous - one of the
:05:21. > :05:25.stake holders in the British Olympic Association. Today the
:05:25. > :05:28.chairman of the BOA said he hoped Sir Steve Redgrave would play an
:05:28. > :05:32.important role during that ceremony. We'll have to wait and see. Thank
:05:32. > :05:35.you very much. The Olympic flame has only a few
:05:35. > :05:40.more miles to go now until it reaches the stadium here tomorrow
:05:40. > :05:44.night. It's travelled almost 8,000 miles since it arrived in Cornwall
:05:44. > :05:48.in May and at least 12 and a half million people have come out on to
:05:48. > :05:51.the streets to see it over the past 69 days. Today thousands more are
:05:51. > :05:53.lining the route in London to see the flame being carried past some
:05:53. > :05:57.of the capital's most famous landmarks. Our correspondent Robert
:05:57. > :06:02.Hall is at Buckingham Palace. Sophie, earlier on in the relay we
:06:02. > :06:06.talked about Super Tuesday. It was a day packed with events and photo
:06:06. > :06:10.opportunities. This is certainly Super Thursday. Between now and
:06:10. > :06:14.7.00pm tonight, the torch will visit some of the capital's most
:06:14. > :06:17.famous locations, and it will encounter some of the UK's most
:06:17. > :06:24.famous faces from showbiz through sport to politics, and all of that
:06:24. > :06:28.on what is actually the torch convoy's last full day of operation.
:06:28. > :06:34.Good morning, convoy. Day 69 of the relai, last day for convoy. Thanks
:06:34. > :06:38.for your support over the last 69 days, and let's rock London. Steve
:06:39. > :06:43.Doren, convoy commander - a 15-year vet of torch relays preparing to
:06:43. > :06:46.lead the charge into central London. The engagement with communities has
:06:46. > :06:49.been fantastic, and the reception has been unbelievable, and I think
:06:49. > :06:59.this stands out - the crowds have been much bigger than what I
:06:59. > :07:01.
:07:01. > :07:04.expected by far. At the start point in Camden, Clive
:07:04. > :07:08.Woodward, runner number one, ready for the off. Around him, the
:07:08. > :07:12.vehicles, support staff and police escort that have accompanied the
:07:12. > :07:15.torch on every step of this marathon. After nearly ten weeks,
:07:15. > :07:19.the travellers have become firm friends, and today they began to
:07:19. > :07:23.say their goodbies. People have come from all walks of live for
:07:23. > :07:29.this, and it will be quite emotional to say goodbye to a few
:07:29. > :07:33.people, you know? One memory will be the Forest of Arms held aloft,
:07:33. > :07:36.thousands capturing the moment they'll share through social media.
:07:36. > :07:40.For 69 days the cameras on this vehicle have spread an unfolding
:07:40. > :07:43.story around the world. The story began three years ago when the
:07:43. > :07:47.planners didn't really know whether they could move nearly 300 people
:07:47. > :07:52.into the every corner of the UK, nor whether they could engage with
:07:52. > :07:56.the communities along the route. As things turned out, they needn't
:07:56. > :08:01.have worried. At times, the crowds were so dense that the torch
:08:01. > :08:06.bearers had to be forced through. Alison McDonald, a charity
:08:06. > :08:11.fundraiser, running with her dog, Sage.
:08:11. > :08:15.David Walliams, the first celebrity on a day that has a distinctly
:08:15. > :08:19.glitzy feel. I felt really humbled to be part of it because this torch,
:08:19. > :08:24.this flame is bigger than anybody out there, and it's something about
:08:24. > :08:28.the spirit, you know, and I really got a sense of that running along
:08:28. > :08:32.seeing how excited people were to see the flame. It was amazing.
:08:32. > :08:36.into the heart of the city where thousands swirled armed the steps
:08:36. > :08:40.of St Pauls breaking away from their daily routine to glimpse that
:08:40. > :08:44.moment to shine which had so inspired the relay planners. This
:08:44. > :08:48.is exactly how we dreamed it would be, and yet it has surprised us,
:08:49. > :08:56.yes, and we have been thrilled and delighted by how much the public
:08:56. > :09:00.has taken it to their hearts. the Millennium Bridge, wheelchair
:09:00. > :09:04.basketball champion - another image among so many with the finish line
:09:04. > :09:09.in sight. They are all such amazing pictures, aren't they? This
:09:09. > :09:13.afternoon the torch heads to the West End, Oxford square, goes to
:09:13. > :09:16.Downing Street, then comes here to Buckingham Palace before making its
:09:16. > :09:21.way up to the last big caldron ceremony in Hyde Park, and after
:09:21. > :09:26.all that, all of those people - some of them - a few of them you
:09:26. > :09:29.saw in that report, they disband. They go their separate way, but I
:09:29. > :09:34.know they'll have stories they'll be telling for a very long time.
:09:34. > :09:39.Thank you very much. Funny you should say that because with me now
:09:39. > :09:43.is the swimmer Adrian Moorhouse who won gold at the 1988 Olympics. What
:09:43. > :09:49.was running with the torch like? Different from swimming. I got to
:09:49. > :09:52.two my 300 metres. It was great. My family got to watch me. It was
:09:52. > :09:58.miles away from home, Felixstowe, but a wonderful experience. Let's
:09:58. > :10:03.talk about swimming. British swimmers did particularly well, the
:10:03. > :10:08.biggest haul for swimmers in years. Can they repeat that? 2000 was our
:10:08. > :10:12.worst point in swimming history. We got no medals, then we know about
:10:12. > :10:16.Bill Sweet, who got the sport by the scruff of its neck, then turned
:10:16. > :10:20.it around. It couldn't last because he did all that but then the new
:10:20. > :10:23.guys come in and built on all of that. I think we can. The system is
:10:24. > :10:26.set up. We have great swimmers. The women are going to do a little bit
:10:26. > :10:32.better than the men because their performances in the World
:10:32. > :10:37.Championships last year were outstanding in Shanghai 2011, two
:10:37. > :10:39.world champions. You talk about Rebecca Adlington - what pressure
:10:39. > :10:43.there must be on her shoulders because people are expecting her to
:10:43. > :10:46.dive into the pool and come out with two more gold medals. You're
:10:46. > :10:49.right. It's not just about the swimming itself. The Olympic games,
:10:50. > :10:55.I did three myself - it is about coping with the stuff that goes
:10:55. > :11:01.around it, and when you're in away game, it's bit easier. It's still
:11:01. > :11:06.pressure - the Olympics and the whole deal but when it comes to
:11:06. > :11:10.home games I can't imagine what it will be like. As long as she deeps
:11:10. > :11:16.her routine, she'll be OK. She's practised enough and her perform
:11:16. > :11:21.enhance come up since braidgeing, not great in 2009. She's built up
:11:21. > :11:29.since 2008, then the gold in the World Championships last year.
:11:29. > :11:34.has it tough? Yeah, the 408. The Italian who is the World
:11:34. > :11:39.Championship last year and a French - European challengers on the 400
:11:39. > :11:44.metres, both have gone faster than Becky. The 800, I don't want to say
:11:44. > :11:47.it's hers but that's the one she is the world champion - a Danish girl
:11:47. > :11:49.could be in there. We'll have to wait and see. Thank you very much.
:11:49. > :11:51.Pleasure. One more day to go until the
:11:51. > :11:54.Opening Ceremony, but the sporting action which began yesterday
:11:54. > :11:56.continues with the opening games in the men's football competition.
:11:56. > :11:59.There are eight matches altogether, including Stuart Pearce's Great
:11:59. > :12:08.Britain team, who'll play Senegal. That's tonight at 8.00pm. Our
:12:08. > :12:12.sports correspondent Dan Roan is at Old Trafford for us. Sophie, this
:12:12. > :12:14.is the first time that Britain has been represented in the men's
:12:14. > :12:20.football competition in the Olympics for more than half a
:12:20. > :12:26.century, and yet, one suspects, that the challenge facing Stuart
:12:26. > :12:31.Pearce's Team GB squad is to somehow win over the hearts and
:12:31. > :12:34.minds of a somewhat sceptical British public. Many feel uneasy
:12:34. > :12:38.about the millionaires taking part in the Olympic preparation. The
:12:38. > :12:42.build-up at part has been difficult at times to the lack of enthusiasm
:12:42. > :12:46.by the FA of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - the controversy
:12:46. > :12:51.surrounding Pearce's decision to not select David Beckham, and now
:12:51. > :12:58.Gareth bail, the Wales' start ruling him out through injury only
:12:58. > :13:04.to go on pre-season games with Spurs and scoring a goal. They're
:13:04. > :13:09.trying to play it down. It's the only space this squad ocpies in the
:13:09. > :13:13.Games. Nonetheless, on a positive note Old Trafford will be full. It
:13:13. > :13:17.is a sell-out unlike Cardiff yesterday. Many will be here to see
:13:17. > :13:21.the legend Ryan Giggs. The 38-year- old is the captain of his side. If
:13:21. > :13:23.he can lead his side to victory, perhaps he can recapture the
:13:23. > :13:26.imagination. Thank you very much.
:13:26. > :13:29.The rest of the news now, and David Cameron says the Government is
:13:29. > :13:32.determined to "finish the job" of dealing with the deficit despite
:13:32. > :13:34.the latest figures showing the UK has slid further into recession.
:13:34. > :13:37.Speaking in London at a conference of business leaders who've
:13:37. > :13:39.travelled here for the Olympics, the Prime Minister appealed for
:13:39. > :13:43.international investment in Britain. Here's our chief economics
:13:44. > :13:48.correspondent, Hugh Pym. Polishing up the UK's image is a
:13:48. > :13:52.place to do business - that's what this investment conference is all
:13:52. > :13:55.about - taking advantage of the Olympics to bring together world
:13:55. > :14:00.financial leaders, but David Cameron had to use a fair chunk of
:14:00. > :14:04.his speech to defend policy after yesterday's figures showed the UK
:14:04. > :14:07.sliding deeper into recession. in no doubt we'll go on and finish
:14:07. > :14:11.the job. We'll deal with the deficit. We'll keep UK interest
:14:11. > :14:15.rates low, and we'll continue to take the tough decisions that are
:14:15. > :14:18.necessary for business leaders and investors to have confidence in the
:14:18. > :14:21.long-term future of the British economy. And the Prime Minister
:14:21. > :14:28.said the Government had launched business-friendly initiatives and
:14:28. > :14:31.cut corporate taxes. With the Labour leader meeting
:14:31. > :14:33.presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on a visit to London - said there had
:14:33. > :14:38.to be a change of course in Downing Street.
:14:38. > :14:41.Plan A is not working. Austerity is not work. They promised change.
:14:41. > :14:44.They promised things would get better, not worse. It's the
:14:44. > :14:49.opposite that's happened, and it's families and businesses that are
:14:49. > :14:53.paying the price.S What the bigger picture for the economy? The
:14:53. > :14:58.official figures showed output falling 0.7% between April and June,
:14:58. > :15:02.but some business leaders say things aren't really that bad.
:15:02. > :15:06.early part of the year British economy wasn't growing. Where is it
:15:06. > :15:11.today? I talked to small and large businesses across the country. I
:15:11. > :15:15.don't feel it's as negative as minus .7. There is an Olympic boost
:15:15. > :15:20.to the economy. This firm in Coventry has been making components
:15:20. > :15:24.for the torches. As a result it's been able to envest and hire new
:15:24. > :15:28.permanent staff. It's actually enabled to us grow in a period
:15:28. > :15:32.where lots of other people have been struggling. It has enabled to
:15:32. > :15:37.us employ 40 extra people and invest heavily in the new laser
:15:37. > :15:47.machines. The Olympic effect will come and go but still hanging over
:15:47. > :15:50.
:15:50. > :15:53.the economy is the eurozone crisis Our top story:
:15:54. > :15:59.On the eve of the Olympics opening ceremony, David Cameron says that
:15:59. > :16:02.after seven years of planning and dreaming, Britain can deliver a
:16:02. > :16:06.safe, world-class Games to lift the country.
:16:06. > :16:11.Coming up: I'm speaking to the head of the United Nations environment
:16:11. > :16:21.programme, he is here to find out how you run a green and sustainable
:16:21. > :16:21.
:16:21. > :16:27.Games. Later in the hour: We meet the man
:16:27. > :16:36.who spent two years travelling by rickshaw from the other side of the
:16:37. > :16:42.world to be at the Games. Centrica, the own erb of British
:16:42. > :16:47.Gas says a cool start to the summer helped to boost profits. British
:16:47. > :16:50.Gas residential made �345 million in the six months to June, an
:16:50. > :16:54.increase of 23%. Consumer groups complained that energy companies
:16:54. > :17:00.are quick to pass on rising wholesale costs to consumers, but
:17:00. > :17:04.slow to cut them when they fall. Here is Simon gompgomp.
:17:04. > :17:10.It's been baking in parts of the country, so no heating required now,
:17:10. > :17:14.but the wet and cold weather in the early summer helped to boost
:17:14. > :17:20.British Gas's profits as some turned the heating on. That
:17:20. > :17:25.combined with last year's 18% hike in the price of gas. Including gas
:17:25. > :17:33.production and business overseas, Centrica made nearly �1.5 billion,
:17:33. > :17:38.a rise of 15% in the first half of the year. British Gas made 345
:17:38. > :17:42.million, up 23% for supplying gas and electricity.
:17:42. > :17:46.At the least, British Gas should commit not to put the prices up
:17:46. > :17:51.again this year. Prices may go up in the long-term, but they should
:17:51. > :17:56.give consumers a break for this year at least. 15 million people
:17:56. > :18:00.have British Gas accounts, many are having to scrimp and.save because
:18:00. > :18:04.of British Gas bills. Like this woman, looking in this
:18:04. > :18:09.Hertfordshire market for bargains to try to make the ends meet.
:18:09. > :18:16.Seeing as I'm a pensioner, my electric, and there is only me in
:18:16. > :18:20.the house, it is over �100 a month. You work the sums out, they don't
:18:20. > :18:23.work out, do they? How do you live? How do you eat? And Kim with a
:18:23. > :18:28.child to look after, and a low income.
:18:28. > :18:33.I'm a lone parent, you know, ideally, I would like to work, but
:18:33. > :18:39.I can't due to circumstances, I've been ill with cancer. When I came
:18:39. > :18:44.out of hospital, I had a bill of �600. I was not even at the
:18:44. > :18:48.property. It has affected me. I'm still paying it off. British Gas
:18:48. > :18:51.caused a price scare in May, when it said that the cost of gotting
:18:51. > :18:54.hold of gas had gone up it said that the profit it is clocked up
:18:55. > :18:58.are less than normal. That without the price hike it is would have
:18:58. > :19:02.lost money, but that is no comfort. People are switching off the gas
:19:02. > :19:07.when they can, in order to keep down the bills. In the light of
:19:07. > :19:12.British Gas's profits, what they would like to see is a substantial
:19:12. > :19:16.reduction in gas and electricity prices in time for the wint.
:19:16. > :19:20.They have trimmed the lektriftd price once this year and admit that
:19:20. > :19:23.the cost of buying gas on the wholesale market has fallen.
:19:23. > :19:31.Cheaper gas for consumers is not yet in the pipeline, but there is
:19:31. > :19:37.less of a threat of bills rising again before it gets cold.
:19:37. > :19:41.The wife of the disgraced Chinese politician, Bo Xilai has been
:19:41. > :19:44.formerly charged with intentional homicide. They have been
:19:44. > :19:49.investigated in connection with the murder of the British businessman,
:19:49. > :19:52.Neil Heywood. It led to bobo about being sacked as the regional
:19:52. > :19:56.Communist Party boss. The man who is to challenge
:19:56. > :19:59.President Obama in this year's American presidential election is
:20:00. > :20:04.in London for tomorrow's Olympic opening ceremony. Today, Mitt
:20:04. > :20:07.Romney is holding talks with the Prime Minister, Nick Clegg and Ed
:20:07. > :20:13.Miliband. We have followed him over and Mark
:20:13. > :20:17.Mardell is in Downing Street now. What is on the agenda, Mark? One of
:20:17. > :20:23.the reasons he is here to because of the Olympics, to remind viewers
:20:23. > :20:28.here about the 2002 winter Olympics when they stepped in when it was
:20:28. > :20:33.looking disastrous and saved them in this message, saying he could do
:20:33. > :20:38.the same for the American economy, but he said he was not sure how the
:20:38. > :20:42.British Games would turn out, and it was disconcert, the business of
:20:42. > :20:47.the security arrangements appearing to go wrong, but he soften.ed that
:20:47. > :20:52.this morning. Saying there would be mistakes, even if there were errors,
:20:52. > :20:56.that the whole thing would be overshadowed by the courage of the
:20:56. > :21:01.athletes and it would be an event that would change hartsz. Beyond
:21:01. > :21:04.that, he is here to see the politicians, he has gone into
:21:04. > :21:08.Number Ten to see William Hague, the Prime Minister and before him,
:21:08. > :21:12.Tony Blair. The message is to American viewers and voters that he
:21:12. > :21:17.is somebody to be reckoned with. Who understands foreign affairs,
:21:17. > :21:23.and who is well-connected. Later in the trip he is to go to Israel, to
:21:23. > :21:28.Poland, and to deliver a harsher message about the way he thinks
:21:28. > :21:34.that President Obama is mismanaging the situation in the world.
:21:34. > :21:40.Syria, a preparation to launch offensive in Aleppo. Extra troops
:21:40. > :21:45.are being drafted in to the city. Our Middle East correspondent sent
:21:45. > :21:50.this report from Syria's border with Turkey.
:21:50. > :21:55.Despite the aerial and art ill artillery bombardment of alepa,
:21:55. > :21:58.there are sheerl some parts of the city still under the control of
:21:58. > :22:02.rebel fighters. There are Smail victories, the overrunning of a
:22:02. > :22:06.police station, or the destruction of a few government tanks. With the
:22:07. > :22:12.assault rifles, these men are no match, however, for the Bashar al-
:22:13. > :22:17.Assad regime's and their overwhelming firepower. These
:22:17. > :22:22.celebrations are shuerl premature, given what is to come. Syria's
:22:22. > :22:27.neighbours fear the worst. Thousands of Syrians have refuge
:22:27. > :22:31.across the border. Fridges and televisions donated by charities
:22:31. > :22:34.were unloaded here. It is requiring an air of permanence in this camp,
:22:35. > :22:38.something that the Turkish authorities are anxious to avoid.
:22:38. > :22:42.Many more Roy Hodgsons will surely cross in the coming days. When a
:22:42. > :22:46.family lost their child here they had to leave the body there and
:22:46. > :22:52.tried to escape, this woman had said. They don't know what will
:22:52. > :22:55.happen to the people left behind in Aleppo. Some towns in the rural
:22:56. > :23:01.areas of northern Syria, have been captured by the rebels after heavy
:23:01. > :23:05.fighting, but the focus is on nearby Aleppo. A huge prize which
:23:05. > :23:08.the Bashar al-Assad regime, with all of its resources is determined
:23:08. > :23:12.to bring under its control at any cost.
:23:12. > :23:17.Looking in from the outside, the situation in Aleppo seems desperate.
:23:17. > :23:23.Thousands of Roy Hodgsons have fled to safety over the mountains.
:23:23. > :23:28.But as many as three quarters of the city's population remains,
:23:28. > :23:33.anticipating a huge government onslaught, while the world watches,
:23:33. > :23:37.immune or incapable of stopping the violence.
:23:37. > :23:41.Now more on the top story: The preparations for tomorrow's
:23:41. > :23:47.evening's London 2012 opening ceremony here in the Olympic Park.
:23:47. > :23:50.Jon Sopel is there with the latest. Over the coming weeks I guess
:23:50. > :23:56.millions of people will be passing through the Olympic Park. Where we
:23:56. > :24:01.are standing now, I guess it is probably a 45-minute walk from
:24:01. > :24:06.Stratford station where most people will arrive. The park is huge.
:24:06. > :24:12.It is the size of 357 football pitches laid together or the size
:24:12. > :24:16.much Hyde Park. So, Clive Myrie has been out to offer a survivor's
:24:16. > :24:21.guide to the Olympic Park. You have braved the crowds and negotiated
:24:21. > :24:26.the public transport. The bag has been searched, welcome to the
:24:26. > :24:30.London 2012 Olympic Park. It's vast! The size of 350 football
:24:30. > :24:33.pitches. Much of it built on land that was once derelict, now a
:24:33. > :24:38.sporting complex, the envy of the world.
:24:38. > :24:43.Most of you will enter the park in the Stratford Gate. The first thing
:24:43. > :24:49.you see is the Aquatics Centre, swimming and driving. Here is the
:24:49. > :24:56.Orbit Tower. You can look at the surrounding tower, �15 for adults
:24:56. > :24:59.and �7 for children. Here, the jewel in the crown, the Olympic
:24:59. > :25:04.stadium. Now, wear sturdy shoes, you will
:25:04. > :25:11.need them. If you are prone to blisters bring plasters. There is a
:25:11. > :25:15.lot of ground to cover. I reckon that took 50 minutes from
:25:15. > :25:19.the southern end 69 park to the north.
:25:19. > :25:24.U -- to the park to the north. But well worth it.
:25:24. > :25:29.Before heading for the park, imagine you are going through
:25:29. > :25:35.airport security, no large bottles of liquids, if you want to bring in
:25:35. > :25:42.sandwiches that is fine, hampers of food are a no-no, but there are
:25:42. > :25:47.many restaurants. A bacon sandwich costs �3.50. Fish and chips is
:25:47. > :25:51.�8.50. A lot of companies back the Olympics. Wear the labels you want
:25:51. > :25:56.to, but don't look as if someone is paying you for it.
:25:56. > :26:04.The park is about sport as much as money. An American landscape artist
:26:04. > :26:10.has created Vistas of wild flowers and herb gardens. Be prepared to be
:26:10. > :26:17.amazed and dazzled, and I'm not talking about the sport.
:26:17. > :26:23.Now, first of all, Mr Steiner, what are your impressions of the park?
:26:23. > :26:27.think it is exciting. On a day like this to stand here, to imagine that
:26:27. > :26:33.was an urban wasteland, to see the restoration, the revival of the
:26:33. > :26:36.river, the re-planting. Above all, there is a legacy for the people of
:26:36. > :26:41.London, a legacy for the environment, for the quality of our
:26:41. > :26:46.cities. That is the idea here. People talk about sustainability,
:26:46. > :26:50.is this it made flesh if you like? Absolutely. Eem pleased that the
:26:50. > :26:54.head of the United Nations Environment Programme is here to
:26:54. > :26:59.give his sale of approval, to achieving that ambition of making
:26:59. > :27:02.the Games the greenest ever. I want to pay tribute to all of those
:27:02. > :27:09.British businesses that have innovated and helped to reduce the
:27:09. > :27:13.amount of water for example, that by 40% and that we recycled 98% of
:27:13. > :27:18.all waste. That helps to make the Games the greenest ever.
:27:18. > :27:23.Is this something you would like to see in other big sporting events in
:27:23. > :27:27.the future, that there is the focus on green and sustainability?
:27:27. > :27:32.Absolutely it explains the long- standing relationship between the
:27:32. > :27:35.United Nations and the countries. The Olympic movement in 94
:27:35. > :27:41.introduced environmental responsibility as one of the third
:27:41. > :27:45.principles of the Olympianism. That has worked with many host
:27:45. > :27:49.cities and with each we are learning more. What we see in
:27:49. > :27:53.London is a systematic approach. That is where the skill is
:27:53. > :28:00.developed. And the original aim is that it
:28:00. > :28:04.would carbon neutral it will quite be that? No, about it will measure
:28:04. > :28:08.a carbon footprint and we can hand that on to the Brazilians who take
:28:08. > :28:13.on over from us and they can build on our achievement.
:28:13. > :28:18.Thank you very much. And a reminder, on the last full
:28:18. > :28:25.day of the Olympic torch relairbgs you can watch it unfold on a BBC
:28:25. > :28:28.News special at 5pm with Jane Hill and on the BBC One and on the BBC
:28:28. > :28:32.News Channel. Now, the weather.
:28:32. > :28:37.Now, the weather. Is the weather going to hold? Well
:28:37. > :28:40.it will last for a couple of days, but turning un setled for the
:28:40. > :28:45.weekend. The temperatures today up to 30
:28:45. > :28:50.Celsius, but certainly it will feel warm. Not everywhere to stay dry.
:28:50. > :28:55.Here are the charts. A warm front across the north of England. To the
:28:55. > :29:00.south, there is muggy, warm air. To the north, fresh and bright
:29:00. > :29:05.conditions, but where you are stuck under the weather front, a few
:29:05. > :29:09.spots of rain is likely in the course of the afternoon. At 4.00pm,
:29:09. > :29:13.there is beautiful sunshine in the south-east. Cooler in the eastern
:29:13. > :29:16.coasts. West of London, towards Bristol, the temperatures topping
:29:16. > :29:23.the high 20 Celsius. The sunshine continuing into the
:29:23. > :29:27.south-west. A little bit of fair weather cloud building in the after.
:29:27. > :29:31.Bright in the far south of Wales. In the central and the north,
:29:31. > :29:35.perhaps a rumble of thunder. A fine afternoon for Northern Ireland with
:29:35. > :29:38.decent spells of sunshine. Temperatures in the high teens. A
:29:38. > :29:41.decent afternoon in the north of Scotland. For central and southern
:29:41. > :29:46.Scotland, more cloud and outbreaks of rain. The showers continuing
:29:46. > :29:50.into the parts of northern England with a chance of seeing the odd
:29:50. > :29:54.rumble of thunder in the north-west of England. For the football action,
:29:54. > :29:59.most of the games staying fine and dry. There is a chance that we
:29:59. > :30:03.could see one or two showers at Old Trafford later on this evening.
:30:03. > :30:09.The showers across the north wets into the south of Scotland, tend to
:30:09. > :30:13.ease later on in the evening. More rain heading into the west of
:30:13. > :30:17.Scotland overnight. We will see heavy showers across the south
:30:17. > :30:24.coast, anywhere from say Dorset to Kent. Seeing the heavy showers from
:30:24. > :30:30.the word go tomorrow. Again tomorrow, humid and muggy. In the
:30:30. > :30:33.north it is a little fresher. The heavy showers are building, and
:30:33. > :30:38.pushing across the London region into East Anglia. During the
:30:38. > :30:41.laterer part of the afternoon, fading away. The temperatures a
:30:41. > :30:46.little cooler, but still a fine day with some showers in the north. In
:30:46. > :30:50.terms of the opening ceremony. It looks like things will be largely
:30:50. > :30:53.dry, but a small chance of catching one or two sharp showers. The
:30:53. > :30:56.showery theme to the weather showery theme to the weather
:30:56. > :31:00.continues into the weekend too. Thank you very much.
:31:00. > :31:05.The top story: On the eve of the Olympics opening ceremony, David
:31:05. > :31:09.Cameron says that our seven years of planning, Britain can deliver a