2008 Summer Olympics In Beijing China Blog

China to scale down torch relay after quake (CNN.com)
BEIJING, China (AP) — Following Monday’s 7.9-magnitude earthquake, Beijing’s Olympics organizers will scale down Wednesday’s torch relay in the southeastern city of Ruijin and open with a minute of silence in a symbolic gesture to the thousands who died.

WP: Crises cloud China’s Olympic mood (MSNBC)
Eight is an auspicious number in Chinese tradition, and 2008 was supposed to be a joyful year, a time for celebrating at the Beijing Olympics and basking in international recognition of the country’s tremendous progress under the careful leadership of the Communist Party. It has not turned out that way.

Chicago Olympic organizers file IRS report (AP via Yahoo! News)
A new IRS filing shows Chicago’s Olympic organizing committee raised more than $32 million during its successful effort to be selected the American bidder for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Students invited to learn Chinese in free summer class (San Diego Union-Tribune)
SAN MARCOS More people have been paying attention to what’s happening in China in recent years, especially with Beijing hosting the Olympics in August. In San Marcos, the school district for the first time will be offering an introduction to Chinese.

2008 Turns Out to be a Year of Trouble for China (The Christian Post)
China hoped 2008 would be a yearlong celebration, a time to bask in the spotlight of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Instead, the Year of the Rat has also brought a wave of troubles both natural and man-made that are putting a heavy strain on the communist …

Year of the Rat causing China’s tough year ahead of 2008 Summer Olympics? (The Canadian Press via Yahoo! Canada News)
BEIJING - Feng Shui master Raymond Lo says animal astrology could explain why China is off to a terrible start in 2008 - the long anticipated year of the Beijing Olympics.

Yao Ming: Olympics Have Changed (NPR)
Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is playing basketball for his native China this summer at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Yao discusses the earthquake that has devastated southwest China, the popularity of basketball among the Chinese and his view of politics surrounding the Olympic Games.

Amputee sprinter eligible for Olympics (Moldova.org)
Oscar Pistorius, the 21-year-old South African sprinter who runs on prostethic limbs, was declared eligible Friday for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.The Court of Arbitration for Sport, meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, upheld Pistorius’ appeal of an IAAF Council ruling that he would be unfair competition.A double amputee, Pistorius has walked on prostethics for years and uses Cheetah …

Double Amputee Will Compete For Beijing Olympics (KWTX-TV Waco)
A double amputee will be allowed to complete against able-bodied athletes for a place in this summer s Beijing Olympics.

Chicago Olympic organizers file IRS report (AP via Yahoo! News)
A new IRS filing shows Chicago’s Olympic organizing committee raised more than $32 million during its successful effort to be selected the American bidder for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Chicago Olympic organizers file IRS report - Forbes
A new IRS filing shows Chicago’s Olympic organizing committee raised more than $32 million during its successful effort to be selected the American bidder for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The Chicago 2016 Exploratory Committee released its IRS filing on

Azerbaijan ready to spend billions if Baku chosen to host 2016 Olympic - International Herald Tribune
BAKU, Azerbaijan : Azerbaijan says it would spend at least US$28 billion ( 18 billion) on preparations if capital city Baku is chosen to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. National Olympic Committee vice president Chingiz Huseynzade said Friday that

Olympian, American Shooter Libby Callahan Returns To The Olympics For - All Headline News
Fort Benning, GA (AHN) - American shooter Libby Callahan finished second in the U.S. Olympic trials to capture a slot Thursday in the U.S. Olympic team headed for Beijing this August, for her fourth Olympic stint. The 56-year-old Callahan landed a

2008 Turns Out to be a Year of Trouble for China (The Christian Post)
China hoped 2008 would be a yearlong celebration, a time to bask in the spotlight of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Instead, the Year of the Rat has also brought a wave of troubles both natural and man-made that are putting a heavy strain on the communist …

China’s Economy Won’t Burn Out With the Torch (TheStreet.com)
What will happen to China’s economy once the Olympics have ended? Here’s a look.

Year of the Rat causing China’s tough year ahead of 2008 Summer Olympics? (The Canadian Press via Yahoo! Canada News)
BEIJING - Feng Shui master Raymond Lo says animal astrology could explain why China is off to a terrible start in 2008 - the long anticipated year of the Beijing Olympics.

Yao Ming: Olympics Have Changed (NPR)
Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is playing basketball for his native China this summer at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Yao discusses the earthquake that has devastated southwest China, the popularity of basketball among the Chinese and his view of politics surrounding the Olympic Games.

Dalai Lama kicks off Western tour with China broadside (Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA))
FRANKFURT (AFP) - The Dalai Lama accused China of “suppression” on Thursday as he demanded autonomy for Tibet at the start of a five-country Western tour three months before the Beijing Olympics.

University Wind Ensemble To Perform In China - All Headline News
Lexington, KY (AHN) - The University of Kentucky Wind Ensemble has been invited to tour and perform in China, the only American collegiate musical ensemble to be invited. The ensemble, under the direction of John Cody Birdwell, will play in numerous

Belo chairman says spinoff will work - Providence Journal
Last fall, Dallas-based Belo Corp., the parent company of The Dallas Morning News and The Providence Journal, announced plans to enhance shareholder value by spinning off its newspapers into a separate company. Three months after the spinoff took

Dalai Lama kicks off Western tour with China broadside (Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA))
FRANKFURT (AFP) - The Dalai Lama accused China of “suppression” on Thursday as he demanded autonomy for Tibet at the start of a five-country Western tour three months before the Beijing Olympics.

Olympic ideal not burning bright in Italy (CNN.com)
The debate about the Olympics in China hasn’t had much impact in Italy.

Lake County touted as Olympics benefactor (The Times of Northwest Indiana)
HAMMOND | Lake County could greatly benefit from Chicago landing the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau was told Wednesday.

From Tibet to quake disaster, China rides rough PR path to Olympics (Arizona Daily Star)
BEIJING China hoped 2008 would be a yearlong celebration, a time to bask in the spotlight of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Instead, the Year of the Rat has also brought a wave of troubles both natural and man-made that are putting a heavy strain on the communist leadership.

Athletes to share love of God at Olympics (WorldNet Daily)
Despite strict statements made by the Chinese government that it will not tolerate evangelism during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, many Christian athletes are planning to share the roles God has played in their lives.

Local athletes Alberta’s best - Calgary Sun
It’s a Calgary sweep, and we’re not just talking about skip Charley Thomas’ curling foursome being named Alberta’s team of the year. Locally trained heptathlete Jessica Zelinka was named female athlete of the year, while Calgary-based alpine skier

Tigers to compete on biggest stage - Daily Princetonian
While thousands of Princeton students will be spending their summers at internships, beaches and other universities, a handful will be doing something a little different halfway across the globe. Senior soccer player Diana Matheson and junior swimmer

Demand for LCD and plasma TVs to double - Zawya.com
Dubai: Demand for LCD and plasma TVs in the Middle East are expected to more than double this year while the global LCD TV market is expected to surpass the 100-million mark, according to Ashraf Sajid, head of sales and marketing, digital media

2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS: Ben Wildman-Tobriner - San Francisco Gate
As elite swimmers, Ann Curtis and Ben Wildman-Tobriner are linked by a city that is in effect an empty pool in their sport. They are San Franciscans. In little more than a month, their bond could be further deepened. If Wildman-Tobriner, a reigning

Making waves in Beijing - Vancouver Sun
Kyle Hamilton grew up near the Fraser River in Richmond but never saw a rowing shell. Four years ago in Athens, he climbed out of the Canadian eights boat at the Olympics and might have wished to never see another one. “Athens was supposed to be my

Masri: it means a lot to us as Palestinians - Middle East Online
Despite absence of proper training facilities, Palestinian long distance runner determined to participate in Olympics. JERICHO, West Bank - Every morning at dawn Nadir al-Masri runs circles around a trackless field at an empty stadium in the occupied

Spate of tragedies mars celebration of Olympics (Taipei Times)
China hoped 2008 would be a yearlong celebration, a time to bask in the spotlight of the upcoming Summer Olympics, but the Year of the Rat has brought a wave of disasters, both man-made and otherwise, that are putting a heavy strain on the communist leadership.

4 Winds Statement on Olympic Evangelism in Response to Franklin Graham (Christian News Wire)
MADISON, Wisc., May 14 / Christian Newswire / — Billy Graham’s son, Franklin recently stated that Christians should not evangelize during the Olympic Games as it is against the law. He recently talked to reporters in China while visiting communist officials.

From freak snowstorms to earthquake, China faces year of disaster (The West Australian)
China hoped 2008 would be a year-long celebration, a time to bask in the spotlight of the upcoming Summer Olympics, but the Year of the Rat has also brought a wave of disasters, both man-made and otherwise, that are putting a heavy strain on the communist leadership.

Competition Schedule for Local Special Olympics Athletes (Liberty County Times)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 1:12 PM CDT Two local Special Olympics Athletes and a Unified Partner will travel to Great Falls and compete at the Special Olympics Montana State Summer Games May 14th - 16th.

The Olympics and rising expectations (Philippine Star via Yahoo! Philippines News)
Sports continuing big story is the hosting by China of the 2008 Summer Olympics, otherwise known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

Forward Back Olympics To Replace Parliament (Waveguide TV and Radio News)
The BBC is to replace BBC Parliament this summer with coverage of the Beijing Olympics. BBC Parliament’s Freeview capacity will be used to “enhance” the quality of the interactive TV streaming the BBC is planning to use for the Olympics, which take place between August 8 and 24.

IOC gives US$1 million to aid relief efforts after China earthquake (The Canadian Press via Yahoo! Canada News)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland - The International Olympic Committee is giving US$1 million to aid relief efforts following a heavy earthquake in China, the host of this year’s Summer Olympics.

Beijing Olympics to boost Chinese energy demand: analysts (AFP via Yahoo! News)
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will boost China’s rampant demand for energy, threatening to push world oil prices beyond current record heights, according to industry analysts.

Olympic Chiefs Say `Beijing’s Safe’ as Venues Miss Quake Damage (Bloomberg.com)
May 13 (Bloomberg) — Beijing Olympic organizers said athletes and visitors needn’t worry about safety during the summer games following yesterday’s earthquake in southwestern China and a recent outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Olympic protest flames out (The Record)
SEOUL, South Korea Chinese students clashed with anti-Beijing demonstrators at the Olympic torch relay Sunday in Seoul, throwing rocks and punches at the latest stop on the flame’s troubled round-the-world journey.