It’s just ONE WEEK to go to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Here’s a great video, showing the development of the Olympic site, and some of the stories of the people involved.

For more London videos, check out our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/visitlondonvideo

Transport for London is launching two limited edition Oyster cards to celebrate the exciting summer ahead. The special Oyster cards follow the popular Royal Wedding Oyster cards last April.

From mid-May, an Oyster card featuring an official portrait of The Queen will be available at all London underground ticket offices; selected Oyster ticket machines within zone 1; and TfL Travel Information Centres.

The second card celebrates the special events taking place this summer, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Big Lunch and the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It is expected to be available from mid-June.

Want more? The official Diamond Jubilee china is on sale now, and two sets of Diamond Jubilee stamps have been issued, with another one to come!

These huge Olympic Rings are floating along London’s river Thames today, to mark 150 days to go until the start of the Games. If you’re near the river, look out for the rings between London Bridge and Tower Bridge until 1.30pm.

You can also try and spot the rings on our live Tower Bridge cam!

If you’ve always dreamt of being on stage, here’s your chance to perform at the greatest show on earth, in front of a global audience of up to one billion people!

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is searching for adult volunteers to perform at the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies next year.

Artistic Director Danny Boyle is searching for 10,000 performers from many different disciplines, including acting and dancing, to take part in the spectacular ceremonies at the Olympic Stadium. No previous performance experience is required – just lots of enthusiasm, positivity and energy.

Applicants will attend two auditions in November and December and must be prepared to invest significant rehearsal time from March 2012 in the run up to the Games. All rehearsals will take place in East London.

To apply for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, register at www.london2012.com/ceremoniescasting. The deadline for applications is 31 August.

The Olympic Route Network and Paralympic Route Network (ORN/PRN) will be for vehicles carrying an expected 82,000 people – athletes, officials and members of the Olympic family – to and from events.

As well as getting those who are essential to the Games to their venues on time, the ORN lanes will also mean that millions of Londoners are able to go about their business with as little disruption as possible.

A new information document details how London’s road network will operate during the Games in 2012. It can be read or downloaded here: www.london2012.com/publications

After five years’ planning, construction and frenzied anticipation, the London Olympic Games are now just two years away.

On 27 July 2012, competitors from more than 200 countries will step into London’s new Olympic Stadium to mark the beginning of the Olympic Games.

The impressive Olympic Park is now really taking shape, the world’s top athletes are stepping up their preparations for the Games, and Londoners are already seeing benefits of the Games.

If you want to find out more, check out the websites below:

• The BBC are live at the Olympic Park all day, follow the developments here

• Olympic partners are also stepping up their preparations. Check out this dramatic video from London 2012 partner Panasonic

• The last time London hosted the Olympic Games was in 1948, have a look at these fascinating images of competitors in action

We can’t wait for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to be on our doorstep, will you be coming to see the world’s best sportsmen and women compete in London?

The volunteers, known as Games Makers, will be split into specialist (medical, anti-doping, sport or press operations) and generalist (spectator assistants, uniform distributors and ticket checking) roles. There will also be up to 1,500 roles for young unpaid workers under the age of 18.

The volunteers will be selected and trained by fast-food giant McDonalds.

Seb Coe, Chair of London 2012 said: “London 2012 needs brilliant volunteers to help us deliver a great Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Our volunteers will be called Games Makers to reflect the important role they will play in staging the 2012 Games.”

Lord Coe added: “The programme to find our Games Makers will launch on 27 July 2010 and I urge anyone who is interested to come to our website from that day onwards to find out everything they need to know about volunteering in 2012.”

Pre-identified applicants for specialist roles can apply from 27 July 2010 onwards. Applications for generalist roles will open on 15 September 2010.

For more information and to register your interest please click here.

Former Welsh rugby captain, Gareth Thomas – who recently announced that he was gay – was given the first badge Pride Pin Badge at the unveiling ceremony this week.

Thomas said: “It’s great to see LOCOG reaching out to all communities and making sure that London 2012 is a Games for everyone, in which every community feels included.

“I hope that everyone buys and wears their pin badge with pride and helps us achieve greater inclusion in sport.”

Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of LOCOG added:

“Our vision is as bold as it is simple – to use the power of the Games to inspire change. We want to reach out to all parts of the community and connect them with London 2012.”

The summer of 2012 is set to be one big celebration with WorldPride 2012 also taking place in the city.

Further badges celebrating different sections of the community will be launched within the next 12 months celebrating London’s diversity – a major part of the successful Olympic bid.

The pride pin badges will be on sale tomorrow at London Pride and also from the London 2012 online shop.

Hot on the heels of exciting updates regarding the rapid development of the Olympic sporting venues, Olympics officials claim London 2012′s Athlete’s Village is also well on its way to completion.

The village is on course to meet its planned finishing date of early 2012 as three quarters of the structure has been completed since work started in 2008.

Speaking to Inside the Games, David Higgins, Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chief executive says, “Two years on from the start of construction on the Athletes’ Village and the project is firmly on track with the legacy of quality new homes for Londoners taking shape.

“Together with the new homes we are building, the progress being made on Chobham Academy and the Polyclinic site also shows the education and healthcare legacy we are delivering at the heart of the Village plans.”

During the Games, the village will house more than 17,000 athletes and officials. Seb Coe, Chairman of London 2012, claims a comfortable Athlete’s Village is vital to the success of the London 2012 Games.

He says, ”Delivering a first-class Athletes’ Village is an essential part of the support we will provide for athletes to ensure they can focus on giving the performance of a lifetime at the London 2012 Games.”

The village will provide 2,800 new homes as well as education and healthcare facilities after the Games, and Lord Coe claims this is a major part of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics.

“The Village will be one of the key features of the Olympic Park and the new homes and community facilities being built will be another part of the powerful legacy the Games will leave the local area,” he says.

Things are really starting to take shape in East London; it’s going to be an exciting couple of years. What do you think of this recent news?