Russia's Putin dives for crystals in deepest lake
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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dived into the depths of Lake Baikal aboard a mini-submersible on Saturday in a stunt that adds a new dimension to his carefully cultivated macho image.
The judo black belt - who has already conquered the skies in a fighter aircraft and shot a Siberian tiger in the wild - will descend 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) below the surface of the world's deepest lake to inspect valuable gas crystals. Hidden in the largely unexplored floor of the lake are large deposits of clathrate hydrate, crystals packed with one of Russia's most lucrative exports: natural gas. (Reuters)
