2008 Summer Olympics In Beijing China Blog

Invitrogen Awarded Food Safety Contract at 2008 Summer Olympic Games (Business Wire via Yahoo!7 Finance)
Invitrogen Corporation (NASDAQ:IVGN), a provider of essential life science technologies for research, production and diagnostics, has been awarded a contract to provide kits for detecting possible E. coli O157 contamination in food at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Air China Announces Slogan for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (Business Wire via Yahoo!7 Finance)
On August 8, Air China announced its Olympic slogan, “Carrying the Olympics, Flying your dream,” in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the foot of the Great Wall of China. At the mark of the one-year countdown to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Air China launched both the slogan and the action of 562 Air China registered Olympic volunteers, gathered at the famous Mutianyu section of the Great …

Beijing ‘ready’ for ‘08 Summer Olympics (USA Today)
It sounds like Chinese chutzpah. “This nation is ready, wearing a smile and saying hello,” runs a line from We Are Ready, the theme tune invitation to the greatest coming-out party ever the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008.

Local company helping Chinese prepare for 2008 Olympics (Almaguin News)
SANDY CLAUSE: Todd Knapton (centre) of Hutcheson Sand and Mixes of Huntsville, stands with officials for the Bejing Olympics during construction of the beach volleyball venue. More than 17,000 tons of mixed sand were created in China, under Knapton s supervision, for the stadium.

China replaces finance minister after reports of sex scandal (Southeast Missourian)
BEIJING — China replaced its finance minister Thursday amid reports he was involved in a sex scandal and also named a new chief of secret police. The reshuffle appeared aimed at putting President Hu…

China gets rid of outlandish names for dishes before Olympics (Press Trust of India)
Anil K Joseph Beijing, Aug 31 (PTI) “Burnt Lion’s Head” and “Virgin Chicken” on the menu will no longer zap foreigners at eateries in the Chinese capital as authorities have prepared a list English names for most of the local dishes in the run up to the Olympics.

Puerto Rico stands between U.S. and 2008 Olympics spot (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
LAS VEGAS All the United States needs for a spot in the 2008 Olympics is a semifinal victory. Those have been hard to come by lately. A win over Puerto Rico gives the Americans a spot in Beijing. But they bring a two-game losing streak in semifinal games into Saturday’s matchup at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Zoellick Sees Asia’s Clear and Present Danger: William Pesek
Bloomberg - It needs one to help clear bad loans from banks and corporate balance sheets — especially given all the debt being amassed to prepare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. China also needs to breathe life into the private sector. It’s all about economic

Local Biotech Company Wins 2008 Olympic Games Contract (KGTV San Diego)
A Carlsbad-based biotechnology company announces it won a contract to provide kits for detecting E. coli contamination in food served at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Cricket seeks Olympic status (News 24 South Africa)
Cricket has applied to join the Olympic movement so that the sport can become part of the Summer Games, the ICC has confirmed.

Cricket’s Olympic dream (iafrica.com)
Cricket has applied to join the Olympic movement so that the sport can become part of the Summer Games, the International Cricket Council said on Wednesday.

Olympic Bombing Hero Richard Jewell Dies at 44 (Gay Wired)
In 1996, the name Richard Jewell became a matter of public interest when it was suspected that he was linked to the Olympic Park Bombing in Atlanta Georgia during the summer Games. Found to be not responsible, eleven years later, the 44 year old was found dead in his home in west Georgia.

China to check police behavior for Olympics (China Daily)
A special campaign to check the behavior of police officers will be launched nationwide on September 1, as part of the government efforts to ensure the success of the 29th Olympic Games in 2008, China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced on Wednesday.

Jewell, wrongly linked to Olympic bomb, dies at 44 (Baltimore Sun)
He was initially hailed as hero for spotting suspicious bag at summer games in Atlanta Richard Jewell, the former security guard who was wrongly linked to the 1996 Olympic bombing and then waged a decade-long battle with news organizations to defend his reputation, died today. He was 44.

Canada bounced from FIBA Americas (CBC via Yahoo! Canada News)
Canada’s men’s basketball team finished fifth at the FIBA Americas, meaning it must wait until next summer for another chance to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Invitrogen Awarded Food Safety Contract at 2008 Summer Olympic Games (Business Wire via Yahoo!7 Finance)
Invitrogen Corporation (NASDAQ:IVGN), a provider of essential life science technologies for research, production and diagnostics, has been awarded a contract to provide kits for detecting possible E. coli O157 contamination in food at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Olympic Pigs For Olympic Games (New America Media)
The Chinese government is making special arrangements to buy pork, the primary meat used in Chinese cuisine, for the Olympic athletes next summer.

W. Side tied to Olympic plan (Chicago Sun-Times)
Mayor Daley has a dream to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago. Michael Jordan’s trainer had a dream to build a $15 million state-of-the-art athletic training facility on Chicago’s West Side.

Beijing Olympic sculptures to be exhibit in New Zealand
Xinhua News Agency - WELLINGTON, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) — New Zealand’s north coastal city Gisborne is to become the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to host the Beijing Olympic Sculptures Exhibition. The 110-piece exhibition, regarded as an ambassador for the 2008

Perspectives: The Chinese dragon
One News Now - I’m right here, China. Let me say this loud and clear: Your government disgusts me; its human-rights record is abysmal. And I don’t think you were a good choice to host the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. China is gathering intelligence on people

Local company helping Chinese prepare for 2008 Olympics
Almaguin News - There will be a Huntsville presence at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Hutcheson Sand and Mixes has been instrumental in providing top-quality sand for the new Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Grounds, the first stadium of its kind in China

Coventry’s meet to remember
Texas Sports - It has lit a little fire under me and will be a great motivator for my preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. I had great preparation coming into this meet, working with Kim and (UT assistant coach) Jim Henry in the water and (UT

Augie China Diary: Seeing the sights of Beijing
Quad Cities Onlines - There are a lot of ongoing renovations at this site, as the Chinese prepare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Every one of the buildings and walls are being repainted for the events, so not all of the buildings were not open for us to see. Because of

China activists urge greater freedom in open letter to Hu
China Post - New York-based Human Rights in China also called for Lu’s release, and said his detention was the most recent in a string of arrests in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics. Police warned Lu’s wife that she would be dismissed from her job if she went to

AP to offer exclusive NBC sports, video content during 2008 Summer Olympics (CNews)
NEW YORK (AP) - The Associated Press and NBC Universal reached a deal that allows AP to include video links and other exclusive content from the 2008 Summer Olympics in a premium online service, the companies said Tuesday.

China dad denies abuse of marathon girl, 8 (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
The father of an eight-year-old Chinese girl who ran 3,560 km (2,212 miles) to Beijing to celebrate the 2008 Olympics on Tuesday denied accusations of child abuse.

Pesticide blamed for dead fish at Beijing’s Old Summer palace (China Daily)
Pesticide washed down from trees by rain was blamed for the death of around 1,000 fish at Beijing’s Old Summer Palace over the weekend, an official with the park said on Tuesday.

U.S. beats Brazil, faces Mexico (Albuquerque Tribune)
The United States was set to open the second round of the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Summer Olympics tonight against Mexico and coach Nolan Richardson, who has brought the pressure defense style that won him an NCAA title south of the border.

China’s Communists set October 15 for pivotal congress (AFP via Yahoo! News)
China’s ruling Communist Party has fixed October 15 for the start of its pivotal five-yearly congress, which will make key leadership decisions and define policy to guide the country, state media said Tuesday.

Merkel: Doubts on China Rights Record (ABC News)
Germany’s Angela Merkel Says Olympics Putting China Rights Record Under Scrutiny

Olympic coach blames quarantine for horse flu outbreak (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Australia’s Olympic equestrian coach has lashed out at the nation’s quarantine protocols, saying every horse owner has a right to be outraged equine flu has taken hold.

Air China Announces Slogan for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (Business Wire via Yahoo!7 Finance)
On August 8, Air China announced its Olympic slogan, “Carrying the Olympics, Flying your dream,” in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the foot of the Great Wall of China. At the mark of the one-year countdown to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Air China launched both the slogan and the action of 562 Air China registered Olympic volunteers, gathered at the famous Mutianyu section of the Great …

Canoeing: Taylor aims to be canoeing’s golden girl
Worldnews.com - Smooth sailing and running for pre-Olympic test events International Herald Tribune BEIJING : The praise was as thick as the pollution . Over two weeks of test events for the 2008 Summer Olympics , Beijing trumpeted its readiness and downplayed a host of

UN rejects Taiwan’s application to become its member
Worldnews.com - Politics rules as Taiwan cold shoulders Olympic countdown International Herald Tribune TAIPEI , Taiwan : As China geared up for an elaborate celebration Wednesday marking the one-year countdown to the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing , rival Taiwan was

Pressing China to clean up its act
International Herald Tribune - When the world fixes its gaze upon China next August, it will probably be through a smoggy lens. With the 2008 summer Olympics less than a year away, China is just starting to deal with the heavy pollution in its host city, Beijing. Current plans to

Field of dreams for Island players
Worldnews.com - They, along with fellow Islander Ravi Kahlon, smacked that bigger ball all the way across the Pacific last month in qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics by winning an upset gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games . Yesterday it was time to

Pressing China to clean up its act
International Herald Tribune - When the world fixes its gaze upon China next August, it will probably be through a smoggy lens. With the 2008 summer Olympics less than a year away, China is just starting to deal with the heavy pollution in its host city, Beijing. Current plans to

Medals beckon if we qualify: Bogut
Worldnews.com - Up to 50 Island athletes in Beijing medal hunt Canada Dot Com The last Summer Olympics held across the Pacific proved fortuitous, and spectacularly so, for Simon Whitfield. But eight years later at Beijing , will he finally outrun the long shadow of the