CBS journalist freed by Iraq forces

CBS journalist Richard Butler has been freed by Iraqi security forces after two months captivity by insurgents. Speaking after his release Butler said, “I'm looking forward to seeing my family and my friends at CBS”. He talked briefly about the rescue. "The Iraqi army stormed the house and overcame my guards and they burst through the door - and I had my hood on, which I had to have on all the time...They shouted something at me and I pulled my hood off...and they ran me down the road." CBS News spokeswoman said: "We are incredibly grateful that our colleague, Richard Butler, has been released and is safe." [BBC / Sky News]

Olympic torch sets off in Oman

Fuzzy but Live - Internet coverage of the Oman torch relay

The Olympic torch has set off on its latest relay around the streets of Muscat in Oman. Live pictures were only available via the Oman Television internet stream with no coverage given to events by Sky News, the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera or CCTV-9. There appears to be none of the chaotic scenes that have plagued the Olympic relay on earlier routes. Pictures relayed by the Ministry of Information show a jubilant crowd waving Oman and Chinese flags as the torch passed through the streets.

Rain fails to dampen Olympic relay & Marathon

While there was no Live coverage of events in Tanzania today but some media organisations have shown pictures following the relay. CCTV-9 were the first to show stills of torch bearers running along the 5 km route. The Tanzanian mayor, Adam Kimbisa, said he was happy to see the torch being carried through the city on the only African stop on its world tour. "It is a great honour and privilege for Tanzania to host this torch” he said [BBC]. There were a few protesters along the route but little sign of the disruption seen in Europe and the US. Some held placards criticizing China’s business practices in Africa but most of the hundreds of spectators were in a celebratory mood despite heavy rain throughout the day. CNN later showed some video pictures of the relay, but most British media filled its bulletins of other runners; that of the thousands who took part in the London Marathon. More than 30,000 jogged through the streets of London to raise money for countless charities. There were also large crowds who had braved the rain and low temperatures to cheer them on. The weather was in direct contrast to last year when runners had to endure blazing sunshine and temperatures as high as 22 degrees Celsius [BBC] .

While the Olympic torch relay has been rerouted by demonstrators, the marathon had to be rerouted today after a gas leak resulted in a 200 metre exclusion being set up. Some runners wore Tibetan flags in support of pro-independence activists and monks in the region of Tibet but politics were largely ignored by media reports. The race saw many unusual participants including Maasai warriors who were raising money for their Tanzanian village. The winner of the 42 km race was Martin Lel of Kenya who completed the men's race in a course record of 2 hours 5 minutes.

China is "demonised" by Western media

The Chinese Ambassador for Great Britain has criticised the Western media for “demonising China” and denounced demonstrators who disrupted the Olympic torch relays. Calling the protesters “violent”, Fu Ying has told the Daily Telegraph that many Chinese felt personally attacked by the barrage of criticism. She said one girl had asked her, “Where is the gentlemenship?” The Ambassador who wrote at length in the British newspaper, said the Western media “needed to make an effort to earn respect” adding that there were risks because “demonisation leads to counter reaction”. She said that many did not understand the history of Tibet and that China “loved” the “Autonomous Region” which had seen great improvements over the years. “Of those who protested loudly, many probably have not seen Tibet,” Fu Ying said, “Four million tourists visit Tibet every year. The past five years saw the income of farmers and herdsmen increasing by 83.3 per cent. In 2006 there were more than 1,000 schools, with 500,000 students.” While she conceded there were “complicated problems of religion mixing with politics“ she insisted that Tibetans were “well-fed, well-clothed and well-housed.” She said that China was resolute in its ambition to open up and that she had personal experience of seeing great moves forward “from small steps to bigger strides.” But she was concerned that the recent ‘China bashing’ that has been widespread in Western media might have disastrous consequences. “The latest events have led the younger generation of Chinese, those born since the 1980s, who grew up in a more prosperous, better-educated and freer China, to begin a collective rethinking about the West” the Ambassador said. Fu Ying recognised that many of the problems in Western reporting resulted from “language and cultural barriers” but hoped this would change as Westerners understand China better. However, she said that the Chinese population also has to have “patience to wait for the world to understand China”. The Ambassador’s comments have been reported on the BBC as well as several news websites, and have already prompted angry statements from ‘pro-Tibetan’ and ‘anti-China’ protestors. One website aired views that were dismissive and scathing of Fu Ying’s comments. In a reaction to her comments about a ‘counter reaction’, one writer asks, “Oh really ambassador and what might that counter reaction be ? Smashing up of shops in the UK ? such as happened to the Futon shop in Sheffield a few weeks back because the Chinese Nationalist student did not like the Free Tibet Poster in the Shop ? Or do you mean attacks on Tibetans and Tibetan supporters as happened in Paris ?”

The Press Association reported the attack on the futon shop on 28th March, but the incident has had little publicity. According to the owner of the Natural Bed Company, the shop had been targeted because of his support for Tibet. Peter Bennion told reporters his shop in Devonshire Street, Sheffield, had been targeted by the students because it displayed a Tibetan flag in its showroom window. He claimed two students said the flag offended them and said more students had since visited the shop to take photographs of the window and make "aggressive gestures". Police have said they are trying to identify the students from CCTV footage. "Two Chinese students came to the shop complaining the flag offended them and if we didn't take it down they would come back the following day to tear it down themselves” Mr Bennion said, “They didn't wait that long, they came back at night and photographed themselves breaking the window”. The owner said he was saddened to see other Chinese students “coming down the road to photo the broken window and make aggressive gestures" [Pocklington Post]. While incidents such as these are isolated events, they are a worrying sign of how feelings can run high and escalate out of control. The issues surrounding China, Tibet, human rights, Darfur and the environment must be solved through dialogue or they may become an excuse for racist behaviour.

In The Toronto Star, Raymond Wang, a Chinese national who has lived in Canada for several years, defended the actions of the Chinese authorities in cracking down on rioters in Tibet. "I was in Beijing during the (Tiananmen Square) June 4th massacre in 1989," says the Markham investment adviser, 45, who moved to Canada six years ago. "China handled it poorly. They made a mistake. I'm not a Communist. I'm not a fan of the government. I know there's no freedom of the press there. But the Tibetans and the Western boycotters are hurting Chinese people a lot. We do have the human rights to join the Olympic games and to share the spirits of the Olympics."

Wang is not alone in his seemingly contradictory views. Many Chinese Canadians condemn China's human rights records yet support its iron fist on the Tibetans, and loathe the worldwide protests along the Olympic torch run. In this Olympic year it is becoming an issue of national pride for many Chinese. In the eyes of many expatriates, an attack on the Chinese government becomes an attack on their homeland and its 1.3 billion people, even though many hold grudges against the Communist party for a variety of reasons. "It's like me and my mom," says Victor Wong, executive director of the Chinese Canadian National Council in Toronto. "I can complain about my mom's cooking, but if a friend comes to my house and complains about her being a bad cook, I'm going to be all over (him)."

British tourists killed in Ecuador bus crash

Five British nationals have been killed in a bus crash in Ecuador in South America. The bus which was on a tour organised by VentureCo crashed into another vehicle yesterday evening while travelling near Jipijapa, between Quito and Puerto Lopez. The company which specializes in trips for gap year students aged between 17 and 20 have said the remaining passengers will be transported to Quito by air. According to the Foreign Office 12 others were also injured in the crash which occurred at 18:00 local time on Saturday. The deceased have been named as Rebecca Logie, Indira Swann, Sarah Howard, Elizabeth Pincock and Emily Sadler.
22000 Britons visit Ecuador every year according to the Foreign Office [BBC / Sky News / CNN].

Darfur in spotlight as flame arrives in Africa

The Olympic torch touched down in Dar es Salaam last night but the media have dropped their interest in its world tour [CCTV-9]. The flame arrived in the African state after flying from the Argentine city of Buenos Aires and was received at the city's Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Airport by Dar es Salaam Mayor Adam Kimbisa. While no known pro-Tibet rallies were planned in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, the planned 25 km torch relay was shrunk to a two-hour 5 km run through the streets of the Tanzanian commercial capital.

The torch relay has provoked anger from activists and those protesting a number of issues relating to China’s role in the world. One issue that has drawn significant attention is the continuing turmoil in Darfur in western Sudan. And as the torch is taken around one African state, hundreds are calling attention to Sudan with a rallies outside the Sudanese Embassy in London and the handing in of petitions to Downing Street in London [BBC]. It was all a part of the Global Day for Darfur. Whether or not it was specifically timed for the arrival of the Olympic torch in Tanzania is unclear, but the coverage of the latest leg of China’s ‘coming out party’ has all but disappeared from the headlines.
Earlier, Kenya's Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai announced she was pulling out of the Olympic torch relay in Tanzania, citing concerns for worldwide human rights and China‘s role in Sudan. "We know that China has a relationship with Sudan because it buys much of its oil. If China wanted, it could help improve the human rights and humanitarian situation in Darfur," she told AFP. As the relay embarked on its short 5 km route there was no mention on any of the news channels received in the UK. There was seemingly no way to view proceedings via the internet with Tanzanian TV unavailable by the internet [Xinhua / BBC].

Iran - bomb blast at mosque kills 8

Eight people have been killed and more than 50 wounded in an explosion in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. According to Iran‘s Fars News Agency the blast occurred in a mosque in the city either during or after evening prayers. "During the speech of a cleric in the Shohada mosque in Shiraz city, a bomb blast killed several people," an unnamed witness was reported to have told Fars. At least three of the wounded were seriously hurt according to reports. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast [Sky News / BBC / PressTV Iran].

World food crisis looming UN warns

The West is not doing enough to avert a world food crisis according to the UN [AFP]. Already there has been a dramatic increase in the price of rice, a staple food of two thirds of the world population. Overall the cost of rice has increased by more than 70% in the last year [BBC]. Riots have also been seen in several countries after dramatic increases in the price of basic foodstuffs. Even Western countries have seen price rises in supplies of wheat and Italy has seen pasta prices rise significantly over the last six months [BBC].

Blame for the shortages and high prices has been placed on increases in the price of oil which not only has pushed up the price of transportation, but has also increased the cost of fertilizers many of which are petroleum based. Some price rises have been blamed on hoarders and in the Philippines police have set up anti-hoarding task forces [BBC]. In Haiti there were dramatic scenes as rioters took to the streets and attempted to smash the gates of the Presidential Palace shouting “we are hungry” [BBC].

There is also increasing concern that much of the problem with food shortages has resulted from an increase in using agricultural land to grow crops for bio-fuels. This week’s Time magazine ran with a front page lead which said “Politicians and Big Business are pushing biofuels like corn-based ethanol as alternatives to oil. All they’re really doing is driving up world food prices, helping to destroy the Amazon jungle, and making global warming worse”.

Olympic flame completes Argentine relay

Tennis star Gabriela Sabatini runs the final leg of the relay

The Olympic torch has completed its journey through the streets of Buenos Aires without incident. Arriving at its destination at a park the last torchbearer, Gabriela Sabatini, lit the ceremonial dish at 17:12 local time [20:12 GMT].
The BBC returned to events briefly and described it as being “a day when the torch got back on track”. There were few pro-Tibet protesters along the route but there was one minor incident when some protesters threw some water bombs. The projectiles were expertly deflected by the many ‘flame attendants’ that were once again in evidence as the torch was carried through the city. After the final lighting there then followed speeches including an address by a Chinese official and the handing over of gifts to Argentine dignitaries. The event however was only viewable by the internet for large parts of the procession with only short clips being broadcast in the UK by Sky and BBC.

Live TV coverage fades for Olympic flame

Sky News stopped its interactive Live coverage of the Olympic torch relay less than an hour into the 14 km route. The only way to watch to proceedings were via the internet through CNN.com Live or via other streaming services. However even the feed to CNN’s internet service ended when aptndirect.com cut the transmission at 19:26 GMT. The torch has met little of the trouble seen in London, Paris and San Francisco and one witness to the procession has described a party atmosphere with confetti being thrown and much clapping and celebration.

Olympic torch relay starts in Argentina

Only Sky News active showed Live coverage of the Buenos Aires relay

While the torch relays in London, Paris and San Francisco received widespread coverage, the same cannot be said of Argentina. When the Olympic flame made its way to Kazakhstan, Turkey and Russia, coverage was almost non existent. CCTV-9 broadcast a few seconds but until the disruption in London there had been little or no coverage on most Western news stations.

Tonight there were few pictures being shown Live as the opening ceremonies began in Buenos Aires. CNN opened with a few seconds at the top of the hour but soon cut away to other stories. Sky News also showed a few moments of the Live pictures prior to a report by their Beijing correspondent Peter Sharp. New pictures were shown in the report showing the scale of Tibetan protests in Gansu province on 15th March. Some of the pictures showed rioters overturning vehicles while others showed monks smashing shop windows with bricks. At a press conference organised by Chinese authorities, journalists asked Olympic athletes how they felt about the anti-Chinese protests. Liu Yun, a handball coach, told the assembled media, “We only want to enjoy the games”. Meanwhile, Jacques Rogge, the IOC President today backtracked on his earlier statement that the Olympics were in “crisis”. In an interview with CNN’s John Vause he said that there had been improvements in China over the past few years but that “We are not naive and we are not blind” to the issues surrounding the problems in China. “We still believe opening up the games will change China, maybe not today, but tomorrow and the day after” Rogge said.

While the torch prepared to make its way around the Argentine capital there were no pictures. Sky showed little more after its brief shot shortly after 17:00 GMT. CNN continued with regular programming showing an edition of World’s Untold Stories discussing problems in Darfur. BBC which provided intensive coverage of the events in San Francisco, continued with Sportsday. Al Jazeera, CCTV-9, Russia Today, France 24 and Euro News also gave no Live coverage to the much talked about torch relay. Much talked about only when it descends into violence or fiasco. Sky News were at least showing Live coverage via its interactive service, though of course the commentary was in Spanish.

After a short run through the streets the torch was handed to the fourth torchbearer who took to the river in a longboat and even made an exchange mid-stream. Pictures being beamed from Argentina showed little sign of the expected protests but instead hundreds of enthusiastic well wishers some waving Chinese flags.

US flight chaos grows

Travellers in the United States are the latest victims of air chaos after safety checks have grounded hundreds of flights. The disruption follows chaotic scenes at London’s Heathrow airport which saw hundreds of passengers stranded after Terminal 5 came to a grinding halt when the baggage handling systems seized up. China has also see disruption recently after pilots refused to fly a number of dumber of domestic flights belonging to China Eastern.

At least 1000 passengers were affected in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan when pilots refused to fly after demanding better pay and conditions. But the industrial action, not often seen in China, has been condemned by authorities. The company has suspended 2 officials following the disruption which saw 21 pilots returning to airports after departing with packed planes. It left many passengers angry that their travel plans had been terminated [Xinhua].

In the US over 2500 flights have been cancelled in the last three days and prompted the chief executive of American Airlines to accept full responsibility for the chaos caused. The disruption resulted after safety checks on MD-80 aircraft were demanded by the FAA. Amid the continuing chaos one airline, Frontier Airlines, has filed for bankruptcy. At least 40,000 travellers have been left stranded at airports across the country [CNN].

Chinese may boycott French products

Attacks on torchbearers like Jin Jing have angered many Chinese

The fiasco surrounding the Olympic torch relay may threaten trade as some Chinese citizens call for a boycott of some Western products. Angered at the scenes in Paris in which one protest attacked a wheelchair bound torch bearer, some are calling for a boycott on French products. France has strong economic ties to China with hundreds of branches of Carrefour throughout the country and an ever increasing wine trade. The Ming Pao Daily reports that some Chinese want to fight boycotts with boycotts. Though the leaders of the Tibetan movement, including the Dalai Lama have not called for a boycott of the Olympic Games, the Ming Pao reports that some are calling on all Chinese people and their government to not go as tourists to European countries, especially France and Germany, which have been opened up to Chinese tourists for the last three years.The boycott call also targets French products. There is even a list on the Internet of products to boycott. It includes Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Citroen and Air France. Coca Cola has also been singled out for ire. Though Coke is an Olympics sponsor, it ran an advertisement featuring three monks on a roller coaster under its slogan “Make it Real.” A Chinese blogger on the popular Tianya website read that to mean “Make (Freedom) Real,” the roller coasters representing freedom.

Hollywood star, Jackie Chan has criticised the ‘China bashing’ that has dominated much of the Western media. He told CNN that for the Chinese the “Olympics are a big thing” but the criticism of China is disproportionate and not doesn’t only apply to China. With regards pollution and human rights Chan says, “it’s not just a problem in China, it’s a whole world problem”.
“So many countries don’t have human rights but everyone’s just against China, that’s not fair” Chan said in an interview for CNN’s Talk Asia which airs in full on Saturday [15:00 GMT]. The actor who has a long career in Hollywood said that China has changed but needs more time to accomplish more. “It can’t happen in one day, we know China change in all those years. We slowly change, slowly change. We know the problem, the China government know the problem, we have 1.4 billion people there’s so many people in China” he said.

Meanwhile the man at the centre of the controversy that has embroiled China arrived in the US today. The Dalai Lama touched down at Seattle airport where he is on a five day sponsored visit organised by the Seeds of Compassion [Seattle Times]. As the Buddhist monk arrived in the US, the Olympic torch arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday. It is the ninth stop on its 33 day world tour which will later arrive in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Today’s relay which will see 80 torchbearers take the Olympic torch along a 14 km route sets off at 17:00 GMT [CNN].

San Francisco relay descends into farce

The Olympic torch relay completed its journey through the streets of San Francisco yesterday but the ceremony descended into farce shortly after the flame was lit. Within a few minutes of having posed for cameras the first runners disappeared out of sight as the procession ran into a warehouse. As media helicopters searched for the procession speculation mounted as to what the authorities had decided. The San Francisco Chronicle said the torch may complete its journey by boat and cameras were trained on a number of boats situated by the river bank. After twenty minutes it appeared there was a convoy of vehicles on the move through the streets and the media attention was soon fixed on the dozen or so vehicles that wound their way through the back streets of the city. Eventually the convoy stopped and it became evident the torch had travelled with it as two runners stood waiting in the street surrounded by a large police presence. But after nearly an hour after the initial lighting of the Olympic torch, the relay was finally underway. However the security was extremely tight. Around a pair of torch bearers were two Chinese ‘flame attendants’ joined by several members of the San Francisco Police Department dressed in similar attire. Running either side was a line of police with nightsticks who again were straddled by police motorcyclists. And both in front and behind the group a cortege of police vehicles, buses and cars slowly travelled with the relay. The flame was carried for a few hundred metres before a change over whereupon the motorcyclists and police runners would tighten around the group forming a human barrier. Pictures from the ground were almost non-existent due to the late change in schedule and video was instead relayed by the several media helicopters that followed the relay on its 3 hour journey.

The television coverage in the UK started at 20:00 GMT [13:00 local time in San Francisco] with BBC News 24 and CNN giving the most coverage. Wolf Blitzer described the torch as being chased by a “public relations nightmare”. Ted Rowlands, reporting for CNN at the start of the relay at the AT&T ballpark, said that there had already been some trouble as protesters attacked a bus carrying officials and that others had made booby trap devices consisting of nails and wooden planks to thwart any convoy of vehicles. At around 13:12 the torch was finally brought out but it was a further 10 minutes before it was lit. With the Olympic song “One World, One Dream” playing over loud speakers the first torchbearer then ran into a warehouse followed by the security detail. There then followed confusion amongst the media as to what was happening. Cameras mounted on helicopters were franticly panned around the area looking for signs of the Olympic torch. The BBC commentary described the situation as an “absolute face”.
“We thinks it’s on a boat but no-one knows anything ...What point is there in this, is there any point?” And the BBC commentator, James Pearce, continued to ask what might be going through the mind of the IOC President Jacques Rogge to see the farcical scenes displayed on millions of TV screens around the world. The commentator said the Olympic brand was turned into “a complete laughing stock” by the events displayed in San Francisco.

At 13:42 a small contingent left the warehouse and boarded a bus and was soon followed by a fleet of other vehicles which drove off through the streets of San Francisco. The BBC described the continuing scenes as being “beyond parody” as Sky News briefly started to provide Live coverage of the convoy travelling through the city. Meanwhile CNN were discussing the possible boycotts of the opening ceremonies that might take place. Tony Blankley, of Edelman PR, said, “Whether it’s Brown in Britain, Merkel of Germany or Bush, there’s a big business calculation as well. The Chinese will not forget which country embarrassed them. So you can bet today that with Brown announcing that he‘s not going to attend, the British Shanghai Chamber of Commerce is probably not very happy right now. ”
“The Chinese government can make it easier or harder for Americans and Europeans to do profitable business in China. This is their moment to shine, the countries that give them a black eye will have a more difficult time conducting business. This is a real calculation that leaders of each of these countries have to make because it’s money, it’s jobs, it’s employment, it’s productivity for each country, so it matters” Tony Blankley added. BBC meanwhile talked to Mia Farrow who has waged a continual propaganda campaign against China particularly with the country’s role in Sudan.

KGO radio reporter Claudia Lamb told the BBC she nor any of her affiliates knew where the torch was. She said that there had been a situation she’d never seen before as news organisations called each other asking whether or not they’d seen the torch. Already the route had been cut from 8 miles to 6 miles and later to 3 miles, and now it had apparently dissolved into nothing. “It makes you wonder why they bothered” Claudia Lamb said. David Willis reporting for the BBC in San Francisco said he was also in the dark as to where the flame was, when suddenly a picture broadcast from one of the many helicopters showed two Olympic runners holding a torch. “There it is” exclaimed the studio presenter.

Finally at 13:59 the beginning of the relay appeared to be starting, but it had taken nearly an hour to place the convoy on this new route. The runners stood in the street between two amphibious DUKWs as police armed with nightsticks and others riding motorcycles gathered around them. As the relay set off at 14:05, John Vause reporting Live from Beijing described it as being like a new Olympic event; the “three mile Olympic relay obstacle course”. He said it was “hugely embarrassing for the Chinese government” and “not like they’d hoped it would play out”. The CNN correspondent said that many Chinese saw the events in London, Paris and now in San Francisco as being a “personal attack on every Chinese person here, and so there’s a great deal of anger here now in China at members of the West including the media and international coverage of these events are intent on taking away China’s moment of glory and trying to ruin this coming out party”.
Besides the bizarre scenes and the security overkill, the San Francisco authorities had managed to avoid the disgraceful scenes of violence seen in London and Paris in the last week. But the IOC have said the Olympics are in crisis and there were further calls of world leaders to boycott the opening ceremonies of the August games. Angela Merkel of Germany has already ruled out going to the Olympic games, as has Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Nicholas Sarkozy of France has suggested he may not attend the opening ceremonies. And yesterday the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would not be attending the opening, though his spokesman insisted it was “not a boycott”. Even the US President George W Bush is under pressure to pull out of the games from both Democratic party contenders, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

CNN's Dan Simon stood at the end of the route where a party had intended to welcome the torch. But there were many disappointed party goers after the torch relay finished just short of the Golden Gate Bridge, boarded a bus and headed instead to the airport. And after an impromptu end ceremony the flame was on its way to the next stop in its epic journey, Buenos Aires [BBC / CNN / Sky News].

The farce of the Olympic relay is only one issue China has to tackle as the games approach. On Thursday it was reported that Chinese authorities had arrested 35 people in a bomb plot which was aimed at targeting the August games [CNN]. It is the third such plot that Chinese authorities say they have thwarted in the last few months. However, not even the crackdown on terror plots have come without criticism from some groups. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have raised concerns about China's crackdown on Muslims in the region. "China continues to use the 'war on terrorism' to justify policies to eradicate the 'three evil forces' -- terrorism, separatism and religious extremism -- allegedly prevalent among Uighurs," Human Rights Watch recently stated.

SF braced for anti-Chinese protests

Jacques Rogge has condemned the violence that has marred the procession of the torch relay as it makes its way around the world. Several other members of the IOC have also expressed their concern that some demonstrators have disrupted the relay. And Kevin Rudd, the Australian Prime Minister, said he opposed a boycott of the Beijing Olympics during a visit to China today [Al Jazeera]. Besides high profile support of the games, protests are continuing as the Olympic torch arrives in San Francisco where thousands are raising their voice in support of Tibetans who they see as being victimized in China.

According to Chinese authorities 953 people have been arrested since the March 14th riots in Tibet. The Chinese government say 19 people were killed in the riots, but dispute the claims that up to 100 Tibetans were killed by police. Chinese media say that the area has ‘returned to normal’ besides there being over $40 million worth of damage caused in the uprising by what it calls Tibetan separatists instigated by the Dalai clique. China also said that it has paid out compensation to many who lost possessions and family in the riots. Nonetheless the Sita Deputy Head has said they are willing to have talks with the Dalai Lama “if he is sincere” but added he must stop disruption of the torch relay and condemn the violence.

Today domestic and International media visited a Tibetan monastery in Gansu province. Reuters TV were included in the visit which was disrupted by Tibetan monks from the Labrang monastery demanding independence according to a report on CCTV-9. However Al Jazeera quoted one of the monks as saying, "The Dalai Lama has to come back to Tibet. We are not asking for Tibetan independence, we are just asking for human rights, we have no human rights now." The monk spoke in mandarin Chinese and told the assembled journalists that monks were still being held by authorities and that armed plainclothes agents were stationed throughout Xiahe.

Unaware of the latest reports from the region the Australian Prime Minister called on the Chinese authorities to address the concerns of the international community. "Australia, like most other countries, recognises Chinese sovereignty over Tibet but we also believe it is necessary to recognise there are significant human rights problems in Tibet," Rudd told Peking University students in Mandarin on Wednesday. "We recognise the need for all parties to avoid violence and find a solution through dialogue.”

In the US meanwhile, authorities are preparing for massive demonstrations as the torch prepares to make its way through San Francisco later on Wednesday. Chinese people around the world have reacted angrily to the protests with many calling them outrageous [CCTV / BBC / Sky News / CNN]

Paris protesters 'attacked' disabled torch bearer

Police protect a disabled torch bearer in Paris

As the Olympic torch arrived in the US the IOC met to discuss issues surrounding the relay. No firm decisions were made with regards the current journey but future Olympic torch runs were called into question after recent protests in London and Paris descended into violence. It emerged today that during the relay a young Chinese torch bearer in a wheelchair was targeted by pro-Tibetan protesters. Several people lunged from the crowd and made an attempt to grab the torch but were thwarted by swift actions of the CRS. One protester was knocked unconscious as he attempted to breach the cordon of police vehicles and was struck by one of them. As police grappled with the protesters Jin Jing, 27, an athlete and fencer, was pushed along the street by two colleagues, one of who is blind. The much talked about ‘flame attendants’ were no-where to be seen as Jin held the torch close to her chest looking frightened. She later told reporters she was very upset and angry over the incident. The incident though widely reported in internet forums and on Chinese news websites has had little airplay either on the radio or television broadcasts in the UK. Across Europe the events of the Paris violence made many front pages, but only on paper from Estonia led with this particular incident. Meanwhile the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the disruptions of the torch relay in London and Paris as an assault on the Olympic spirit.
[China.org / video: LiveLeak]

South Korea's first astronaut heads to ISS

The Soyuz rocket carrying South Korea's first astronaut, Yi So-yeon, launched successfully on its voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) this morning. Ms Yi and two Russian cosmonauts blasted off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur space centre at 11:16 GMT. The BBC covered the launch Live as did Sky News, however CNN only carried footage later in the day. Russia Today and NASA also covered the launch with extesive Live coverage. The 29-year-old bio-engineer will spend about 10 days in space and conduct a series of scientific tests. The launch makes South Korea the ninth Asian country to have had an astronaut in space.
Before the launch, Ms Yi had boarded the rocket flashing a thumbs-up and saying she felt "great". She was chosen from about 36,000 applicants for the mission, which is costing South Korea about $20m (£10m). Initially the back-up astronaut, she was moved up after Russian officials said the first-choice, 31-year-old Ko San, had broken space centre rules by removing a manual from the base. Ms Yi is scheduled to return to Earth on 19 April with the outgoing crew of the ISS.

Olympic 'flame attendants' are "thugs"

The 'flame attendants' which have concerned some observers

Sebastian Coe, one of Britain’s top athletes, has described the blue track-suited security belonging to BOCOG as ‘thugs’. On Channel Four News the former middle distance runner was quoted as saying “One thing in Paris is to get rid of those guys. They tried to push me out of the way three times. They are horrible. They did not speak English...They are thugs”. His comments had been spoken during a conversation with Jackie Brock-Doyle, the athlete’s spokeswoman, which had accidentally been connected with the Channel Four switchboard.

His criticism was not isolated. In The Times newspaper, there were further questions as to who the “Chinese minders” were. The 11 men, bedecked in blue and white track-suits, shadowed the torch on its epic journey through London. Keeping in contact by radio ear-pieces the “flame attendants” ran in symmetry alongside the torch bearer and created a barrier during the hand over of the torch. Organisers have said the men were employees of the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee (BOCOG). They landed with the flame at Heathrow on Saturday on a chartered Air China flight from St Petersburg and have accompanied the torch since it left Athens in Greece. UK Government ministers have said that they had no knowledge of their diplomatic status and Bob Broadhurst, the commanding officer for the Met’s £1 million security operation, said, “They are from Bocog. What their status beyond that is, I don’t know. Their prime role is to look after the torch and keep the flame alive.” He cited the precedent of the Tour de France, which started from London last summer and involved about 80 French police officers on motorcycles managing the peloton and the support vehicles.

However, there were further worries for Beijing tonight as Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd said he would not allow the Chinese to protect the torch. “We will not be having Chinese security forces or Chinese security services providing security for the torch when it’s in Australia” Mr Rudd said during a visit to London on Monday. Meanwhile a massive security operation is said to have been put in place in San Francisco where the torch is expected to arrive on Wednesday. However there is no word on what role the “flame attendants” might play in the proceedings.

Torch relay abandoned in Paris

The 'Journey of Harmony' has been blighted once again by major protests in Paris. Before the torch had even left the Eiffel Tower a protester attempted to grab the torch from the bearer. Throughout the day officials were forced to extinguish the torch and continue the procession via the Olympic bus as protesters threatened to disrupt the procession. But after extinguishing the flame for the fourth time, Paris officials abandoned the planned route and forced the Olympic procession to be driven directly to the stadium where the finale was intended to be held.
Sky’s China correspondent Peter Sharp speculated that BOCOG would be “dismayed” by the events in Paris today. He said that there would be “huge loss of face for China” and that the events amounted to "a public relations disaster".

Many pro-Tibetan protesters will be happy that their action have once again impeded the movement of the Olympic torch, but there are thousands who have expressed anger and disappointment at their actions. Hundreds of Olympic supporters braved the cold and snow in London but were left frustrated as they saw only a torch hidden by security and police that led the procession through the streets. In Paris there were similar scenes as armies of CRS, the French riot police, were joined by a flotilla of riot vans which paraded through the narrow streets of the French capital. Several sports personalities have aired their anger that they, rather than the Chinese government are suffering the wrath of the demonstrators. Others have said that the protesters should also target the many multi-national companies that trade with China rather than sportsmen and women. Of course, if the West pulled out of China altogether there would be no cheap products in the shops, much desired by the hard strapped consumer.

Some of the torch bearers have also spoken of their fear of being shot in some of today’s papers. And it has been revealed that officials were close to calling a halt to yesterday’s procession. It continued only after police increased the security around the torch. The scenes that have been shown around the world may embarrass China, but they also embarrass the West. The pictures show how uncontrolled and irrational demonstrators behave. There were also pictures of the police, out of control and over zealous in attempting to maintain order. Some pro-Tibetan demonstrators broke through barriers and attacked police and Olympic supporters. There were instances of several attempting to grab the Olympic torch and another of letting off a fire extinguisher. The behaviour by some of the protesters today led the authorities to believe that continuing with the procession might have led to “someone being killed or seriously injured”.
Once again it is ‘mob rule’ that has affected the ‘rights’ of the law abiding citizen to go about their business. The issues over the treatment of Tibetans and Chinese rule in Tibet are contentious. But the protests and anger must be properly directed or it may itself be discredited by its ill thought through actions.

The history of Tibet is long and extremely complicated. There are also issues subject to dispute. China has claimed rule over Tibet since 1724 with interruptions due to invasions including that of the British which saw the slaughter of over a thousand Tibetans in 1903 [wikipedia]. There is general agreement amongst historians that many Tibetans were serfs prior to Chinese rule, and that although there are many issues with human rights and ill treatment of some Tibetans, there have been many improvements to the lives of many in the region. Though the Chinese authorities have been over zealous in dealing with protests, the riots that followed the arresting of some monks have destroyed countless properties and killed many Han Chinese. Ultimately the problems relating to the Tibetan people, and the region are an internal issue. As much as the Beijing government will be rattled at any boycott of the Olympic games, it will only be through dialogue that any changes will occur. The issues affecting Tibetans affect many Han Chinese also, and the country is changing slowly for the better. It may not however be fast enough for the West [Sky News / BBC / CNN]

Paparazzi and Henri Paul blamed in Diana crash

The jury in the inquest into the death of Diana Princess of Wales have delivered a verdict of unlawful death. The findings returned by the jury after six months of proceedings and twenty three hours of deliberation amounted to a verdict of manslaughter. The full statement released by the jury was that grossly negligent driving caused by the impaired condition of the driver Henri Paul. The jury also found that the speed and driving of the Mercedes as well as that of the paparazzi photographers were “grossly criminally negligent” and contributory to the crash. The jury also found that the fact that neither Diana nor Dodi Fayed were wearing seatbelts resulted in their deaths. It was also suggested that the striking of a pillar was also a major contributory factor in the deaths of Henri Paul, Dodi Fayed and Diana Princess of Wales [Sky News / BBC / CNN]. Previous investigations into the actions of the paparazzi have dismissed their role in the crash and it is unlikely that there will be any future prosecutions. [Death of Diana of Princess of Wales - wikipedia]