-
make tv pods
- upload your video
- one of many ways to get on tv
-
-
The 2008 Games
- We want your help covering the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. more info
-
- NON-PAID ASSIGNMENT
- VIDEO SUBMISSIONS ONLY
- ENDS: 08/31/2008 09:00 PM
-
-
-
Iraq banned from Beijing Olympics
Athletes from Iraq have been banned from taking part at this summer's Beijing Games, the International Olympic Committee has announced.
The team was already the subject of an interim ban after the Iraqi government replaced the country's Olympic committee with its own appointees.
Under the IOC charter, all committees must be free of political influence.
As a result the team of two rowers, two sprinters, one archer, one weightlifter and one judo competitor cannot attend.
"The deadline for taking up places for Beijing for all sports except athletics has now passed," said IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies.
"The IOC very sadly has now to acknowledge that it is likely there will be no Iraqi presence at the Beijing Olympic Games, despite our best efforts."
She added: "Clearly, we'd very much like to have seen Iraq's athletes in Beijing.
"We are very disappointed that the athletes have been so ill-served by their own government's actions."
The four Iraqi athletes that qualified could have competed under the Olympic flag
BBC Radio 5 Live's Gordon Farquhar
Hussein al-Amidi, the general secretary of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, said: "This morning we were informed of the final decision of the International Olympic Committee to suspend the membership of the Iraqi Olympic Committee.
"It's a final decision, there is no way to appeal. This means that Iraq will not take part in the coming Olympic games.
"It is a blow to Iraq and its international reputation, its athletes and its youth.
"I swear those athletes who have been training - they phoned me today and they were crying and were very upset."
BBC Radio 5 Live sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar added: "The four Iraqi athletes that qualified could have competed under the Olympic flag but the deadline for confirmation of places has passed."
The committee which the government dismissed was elected in 2004, in line with the Olympic movement's regulations.
Its chairman, Ahmad al-Samarra'i, and several other members were abducted by gunmen while attending a meeting in central Baghdad in July 2006.
They have not been seen since.
The Iraqi government said it took the move because the committee was corrupt and had not been functioning properly. Athletes from Iraq have been banned from taking part at this summer's Beijing Games, the International Olympic Committee has announced... more -
Survey: Olympics will be a great success
According to a new survey conducted by a US group called PEW, up to 93% of Chinese people believe that the Olympic games will be a big success and 'help China's image' in the world. This and similar statistics point to an enormous gulf between Chinese and Western perceptions of China, which has widened in the aftermath of the Tibet riots and Olympic torch relay. Interestingly, in a climate where the West is becoming increasingly critical of China, China's own country satisfaction rating also soared to 86 per cent from 48 per cent in 2002.
This disparity highlights the lack of understanding between the West and China, both due to China's own strict censorship laws but also (more often overlooked in the West) the Western media's tendency for bias and sensationalism against China. According to a new survey conducted by a US group called PEW, up to 93% of Chinese people believe that the Olympic games will be a big... more -
‘Got Milk’ Beijing Olympics Ad
The Olympics are coming! The Olympics are coming! On 08/08/08 you will be able to witness the opening ceremony firework extravaganza above the Olympic Forest Park and a portion of the Great Wall. The Olympics are coming! The Olympics are coming! On 08/08/08 you will be able to witness the opening ceremony firework extravaganza a... more
-
Jessica Hardy, Olympic Swimmer Tests Positive for Stimulant
Jessica Hardy, Olympic bound swimmer, has tested positive for a banned substance just two weeks before the Beijing Games. The 21 year old from Long Beach, California has left the Palo Alto training facility and returned to her home on Wednesday night while her case is reviewed. Jessica Hardy, Olympic bound swimmer, has tested positive for a banned substance just two weeks before the Beijing Games. The 21 year ... more
-
'Olympic Security English': What lousy luck...
The Public Security Bureau in China has distributed a pamphlet to all security forces working during the upcoming Olympic games detailing key words and phrases, and likely dialogue scenarios, a policeman might encounter with English-speaking tourists...
Example exchanges include:
Police: Do you have your ticket for the boxing match?
Foreigner: No. I thought I could buy it when I got to the Gymnasium.
Police: Since you have neither passport nor other identification, you'll have to come along with us to the police station.
Foreigner: What lousy luck!
Have the interpreters been reading too much P.G. Wodehouse again? The Public Security Bureau in China has distributed a pamphlet to all security forces working during the upcoming Olympic games detail... more -
Tyson Homosexual struggles to get fit for Beijing
US sprinter Tyson Gay (sorry for the typo), is in a race against time to be fit for next month's Olympics in Beijing, with the hamstring injury that he sustained in last month's US trials threatening the 100 and 200m runner's chances of competing.
If he can heal in time, it could set up a great rivalry for the summer between himself and on-form Jamaican Asafa Powell. US sprinter Tyson Gay (sorry for the typo), is in a race against time to be fit for next month's Olympics in Beijing, with the hamstri... more -
Obama buys Ad time during Olypmics
"Barack Obama is going for the gold.
The Democratic presidential contender has decided to buy $5 million in national advertising on NBC during the broadcast of the Olympic games. The ads will appear on network and cable channels.
A national network ad is highly unusual in politics, because of its expense and because it reaches audiences that are not necessarily targeted by a campaign." "Barack Obama is going for the gold. ... more -
China Bans Conversation during the Olympics!
"Don't ask a tourist's age or wage, steer clear of sex and avoid religion: what many Chinese consider idle chit-chat has now become the latest area of censure in Beijing as it prepares for an influx of Olympic visitors.
Posters displayed on bulletin boards in the neighborhood which includes tourist magnet the Forbidden City, and which will host Olympics boxing events, counsel locals against a wide range of potentially awkward conversation topics with foreigners.
The list of "eight don't asks" was issued by the Dongcheng district Propaganda Department as a guide for locals about how to show proper hospitality, a department spokesman said.
"Don't ask about income or expenses, don't ask about age, don't ask about love life or marriage, don't ask about health, don't ask about someone's home or address, don't ask about personal experience, don't ask about religious beliefs or political views, don't ask what someone does," the Olympics logo stamped poster advises."
Just DON'T TALK TO ANYONE about ANYTHING and everything will be fine... "Don't ask a tourist's age or wage, steer clear of sex and avoid religion: what many Chinese consider idle chit-chat has now become th... more -
Obama Makes $5 Million Olympics Ad Buy
It's official. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will be among the TV sponsors of NBC Universal's Olympics coverage. In the first significant network-TV buy of any presidential candidate in at least 16 years, the Obama campaign has taken a $5 million package of Olympics spots that includes network TV as well as cable ads.
According to NBC's political file, the campaign had initially requested information about 500,000, $2 million and $4 million package of Olympics spots. The network also offered the candidate a $10 million package.
It's official. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will be among the TV sponsors of NBC Universal's Olympics coverage. In the first significa... more -
China sets aside parks for protests during Olympics
In a significant move, China today said it has set aside designated parks for holding protests with prior approval during Olympics.
Protests are considered a threat to political and social stability in China where Communist party has monopolised power since 1949.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter prohibits demonstrations of "political, religious or racial propaganda" in any Olympic sites, venues or areas.
Asked whether foreign athletes would be allowed to demonstrate their political views through non-violent means at the opening ceremony, a senior security official emphasised the Olympic Charter.
"People participating in the Olympic Games, including athletes and coaches, should observe the regulations of the International Olympic Committee," Liu Shaowu, Director of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) security department said.
He, however, said Beijing had designated several parks for protests.
In a significant move, China today said it has set aside designated parks for holding protests with prior approval during Olympics. ... more -
Don't talk about sex, Beijing says
Etiquette experts have long advised hosts to avoid discussing politics and religion. But salaries, love lives and health are also off limits during the Olympics, as Beijing's courtesy campaign reaches its final stages.
For three years or more, officials have been training residents to be on their best behaviour, launching drives against spitting, smoking and swearing and encouraging locals to form orderly queues.
The latest set of instructions is displayed on "Eight don't asks" posters in Dongcheng, a central district of Beijing. They urge residents who meet foreigners to avoid questions on their age, salary, love life, health, income, political views, religious beliefs or personal experiences.
"It is normal for Chinese to ask people they just met such questions, but foreigners respond negatively," said Wang Zhaoqian, a spokeswoman for the Beijing municipal government.
"By educating locals, we hope that they will become more socially sensitive when communicating with visitors."
Another poster warns against using phrases such as "it's up there" when talking to anyone visually impaired, or "it's behind you" to disabled athletes. It recommends comments such as: "You are really great."
Deference to foreign sensitivities is such that volunteers have even been warned against using rap music as the ringtone on their mobile phones lest they offend visitors, China Daily reported.
Officials also warned today that they would not tolerate "obscene, sexual, superstitious or base" adverts over the Olympic period, saying they could affect the national image. Adverts for cigarettes and products that claim to improve sexual performance are off limits.
The etiquette campaign appears to have had some success: a "civic index" created by Renmin University, which measures the manners, goodwill and friendliness of residents, rose from 65.21 in 2005 to 73.4 last year. The target for the games is 80.
Beijingers have also been encouraged to make foreigners feel at home by learning 1,000 English phrases printed in the daily paper. With 16 days to go, this morning's offering, the 984th, read: "Tonight I think I'd like Sichuan food. I prefer the taste."
With such attention to detail, it is perhaps unsurprising that 96% of the Chinese expect the games to be a success, according to a survey published by the Pew Global Attitudes Project this week. Almost as many - 93% - thought they would improve the country's image worldwide, while 90% of Beijingers said the games were important to them.
But Olympics fatigue appeared to be creeping in, with 46% of the city's residents saying the event was receiving more attention than it should. Reuters reported that new slang has emerged to describe such weariness. "Biyun" usually means contraception, or avoiding pregnancy, but the same pronunciation is now being used to mean avoiding the games, as "aoyun" means "Olympics". Etiquette experts have long advised hosts to avoid discussing politics and religion. But salaries, love lives and health are also off ... more -
Lost in the New Beijing: The Old Neighborhood
HISTORICAL cycles that took a century to unfold in the West can be compressed into less than a decade in today’s China. And that’s as true of Beijing’s preservation movement as it is of the nation’s ferocious building boom.
The explosion of construction activity that has transformed Beijing into a modern metropolis over the past decade also turned many of its historical neighborhoods — known for their narrow alleyways, or hutongs — into rubble. As grass-roots preservationists began sounding the alarm, the aging wood frames and tile roofs of the ancient courtyard houses that give these neighborhoods their identity were being supplanted so quickly by mighty towers that it was hard to pinpoint where they once stood.
Now, as they labor to protect what remains, Chinese preservationists are facing a new, equally insidious threat: gentrification. The few ancient courtyard houses that survived destruction have become coveted status symbols for the country’s growing upper class and for wealthy foreign investors. As more and more money is poured into elaborate renovations, the phenomenon is not only draining these neighborhoods of their character but also threatening to erase an entire way of life.
Meanwhile the intense focus on the fate of the hutongs has eclipsed an equally pressing preservation issue, the demolition of Socialist-style housing from the 1950s and ’60s. The imminent threat is historical censorship: a vision of the past that is so thoroughly edited that it will soon have little relation to the truth. HISTORICAL cycles that took a century to unfold in the West can be compressed into less than a decade in today’s China. And that’s as ... more -
China 'to allow Olympic protests'
In a surprising move, China has decided to allow protests of the Olympic games. That is, demonstrators must apply to protest in advance, and they can only demonstrate in three parks.
This sounds like a US "free speech zone."
Do you think this regulated protesting will work?
Is this paving the way for freedom, or is it just another illusion? In a surprising move, China has decided to allow protests of the Olympic games. That is, demonstrators must apply to protest in advanc... more -
Three official protest zones for the Olympics
So finally protestors will be allowed into Beijing - I guess that's providing they get their visas and don't have banners larger than the restricted size and or with the wrong message and don't gather in larger groups than is allowed at present..
These 'special demonstration zones for protesters to express themselves' will be situated in three parks, all of which are pretty near the competition arenas and city centre, a decided improvement from the 1995 U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing, when the city government set up similar protest zones, but in Huairou, way outside the city. So finally protestors will be allowed into Beijing - I guess that's providing they get their visas and don't have banners larger than ... more -
Chinese police wage war on 'emulational' guns
Xinhua reports that Chinese police have launched a one-month crackdown on the production, sale and trafficking of emulational guns to ensure security in the run up to the August Olympics.
Police are cracking down on such imitations by destroying the production and trafficking sites. Chinese law states that those caught producing, trafficking or selling such imitation weapons could be detained for a maximum of 15 days and face harsher punishment if their products lead to casualties.
Makes a nice change from those synonymous shooting soldier toys that seem to be everywhere, though I think they're probably not talking plastic toys here. Xinhua reports that Chinese police have launched a one-month crackdown on the production, sale and trafficking of emulational guns to ... more -
China set to unveil high-speed train for Games
China - With its swivel seats, spacious, plush interiors and the largest railway station in Asia, China has high hopes for a new express link from Beijing to nearby Tianjin, the fastest rail service on the planet.
The railway will open next Friday, in time for next month's Beijing Olympics, and will shuttle people to soccer events in Tianjin, one of the Games' co-host cities.
It will chop one hour off the current rail journey, reducing it to a 30-minute hop, taking passengers at a top speed of 220 mph on special sleek trains with interiors that look more like aircraft cabins.
Reporters were given a sneak preview of the ultra-modern trains on a government-organized trip on Tuesday, zipping through the lush countryside past massive housing developments and deserted highways.
"This is a revolution in terms of ramping up the speed of Chinese railways," Railway Ministry spokesman Wang Yongping told reporters at the cavernous new Beijing South railway station, which he said was the largest in Asia.
Trains can run on the $2.93 billion new Tianjin line every three minutes, and each train can carry around 600 people between landlocked Beijing and its port city neighbor. China - With its swivel seats, spacious, plush interiors and the largest railway station in Asia, China has high hopes for a new expre... more -
Beijing hotels slash rates after foreign tourists fail to show up
Hotels in Beijing are slashing room rates for next month's Olympics after tighter security — among other measures — dashed an expected windfall of visitors, hotels and travel industry executives said Tuesday.
Fan Runjun, an employee of the press department of popular travel Web site Ctrip.com, said many two- to four-star hotels have reduced prices by 10 percent to 20 percent compared to May and June. Some have slashed rates by as much as 30 percent, said Fan, whose site lists about 500 hotels in its English-language section.
The usual pre-Olympic festive atmosphere host cities experience has not hit Beijing yet, with some hotels feeling empty and listless. In June, the number of visitors to Beijing, including overseas and domestic, declined by 19.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the Beijing Tourism Authority.
The government has said the games are a target of terrorism, and has reported breaking up plots to attack the games by Islamic radicals in the western province of Xinjiang. In a show of force, China's military has stationed a ground-to-air missile battery just 300 yards from one Beijing Olympic venue. Hotels in Beijing are slashing room rates for next month's Olympics after tighter security — among other measures — dashed an expected... more -
Beijing car ban causes subway chaos
The roads in Beijing became less congested but the subways reported a little chaos with signal failures and suspension caused by a woman's probable suicide attempt on Monday, the first working day since the city imposed controls to halve the number of cars on the roads for the Olympic Games.
The city's No. 1 subway line was forced to suspend for 19 minutes after a woman jumped from a platform onto the tracks at about 4:35 p.m. before the afternoon rush hour.
Subway Line 2, another heavily used line, reported a failure at around 8:20 a.m. during the morning travel peak when trains were halted in the tunnel for more than 10 minutes.
Some entrances to the major Jianguomen transfer station were closed.
A subway official denied a Reuters report that quoted a subway worker at the Fuxingmen station as saying the line was closed for "safety reasons" as "there is a big crush of passengers."
About two million vehicles are forced off the roads in a scheme that allows private vehicles to be used on alternate days, according to whether their license plates correspond to the odd or even numbered days of the month. The rules, effective from July 20 to Sept. 20, are intended to free up traffic and cut emissions in the city of 3.29 million vehicles.
The restrictions, however, are expected to force an extra 4 million people on to public transport such as buses and subways every day, said the city government. The roads in Beijing became less congested but the subways reported a little chaos with signal failures and suspension caused by a wom... more -
Beijing Bars Told to Ban Black People and Mongolians During Olympics
Bar owners near the Workers' Stadium in central Beijing say they have been forced by Public Security Bureau officials to sign pledges agreeing not to let black people enter their premises.
"Uniformed Public Security Bureau officers came into the bar recently and told me not to serve black people or Mongolians," said the co-owner of a western-style bar, who asked not to be named."
Bar owners near the Workers' Stadium in central Beijing say they have been forced by Public Security Bureau officials to sign pledges ... more -
The Restriction Olympics
BBC's Jame Reynolds in Beijing investigating how the 2008 games are effecting the locals.
Beijing's imposed a huge number of restrictions in the run-up to the games - traffic, security, entertainment, residency. I've asked a few people in Beijing how they think the restrictions are affecting them so far...
Barbecue chicken wings restaurant temporarily closed - restaurant says this is because it's been told its barbecue counts as a pollutant
Can't drive family to visit zoo because of traffic restrictions
Favourite pizza place temporarily closed down because it's too close to an Olympic venue
Can't order vodka lime at bar because the restaurant can't import the lime during the Olympics
Fencing club has closed, because of restrictions on large gatherings
Harder to get pirated software from the side of the road, because suppliers can't get the software into Beijing
Can't order salad in Thai restaurant - waitress says it's because of the Olympics
Tried to move furniture from home on coast into Beijing - told you can't hire moving vans till after the Olympics
Need special pass to enter apartment building because it's near an Olympic venue
Can't post DVDs - courier says you're not allowed to send or receive DVDs during Olympics.
And theres more, much more....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jamesreynolds/
BBC's Jame Reynolds in Beijing investigating how the 2008 games are effecting the locals. ... more
-
related topics
Olympics
Contributors (703)
Olympics
