Vladimir Smirnov, a former Olympic cross country skier, carries the Olympic torch in Almaty, yesterday.

Kazakhstan greeted the arrival of the Olympic flame with an elaborate state-managed ceremony yesterday, with thousands of police put on high alert to prevent any disturbances. Kazakhstan's biggest city, Almaty, is the first stop in the global leg of the 130-day torch run, likely to be a magnet for anti-China protests ahead of the August games in Beijing.

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