Protests past, Olympic torch ‘finally in Beijing’

BEIJING – The Olympic flame approached the final destination of its long and sometimes contentious global tour Wednesday, greeted by rapturous crowds in the Chinese capital two days before it officially launches the Summer Games.

The arrival of the torch marks one of the final steps in China’s seven years of preparations for the games that have cost billions of dollars, and one which Beijing hopes will serve as the country’s symbolic debut as a modern world power.

The torch will tour Beijing for three days before ending up at Friday’s opening ceremony for the games and will be carried by a diverse crowd, including China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei, movie director Zhang Yimou and basketball superstar Yao Ming.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26045609/