Meet Angel Heredia, the dealer of the Olympics

Here is another reason to boycott the Olympics, and actually fight against the whole current professional sport system.
This is the story of Angel Heredia: Read about his story in the New York Times, another piece in The Times and here is a very interesting interview in German weekly Der Spiegel.

Human rights in China: Broken promises

A new report by Amnesty international confirms that the Chinese authorities “failed to fulfil their own commitments to improve human rights”:
With the Olympics less than two weeks away, it is time to assess progress made by the Chinese authorities to improve human rights in line with their own commitments made in 2001. This report provides [...]

Stop the world record of executions!

Stop the world record of executions.
China holds the current world record of executions with executing 1,010 people of 1,591 confirmed executions worldwide.
Although the Beijing Olympic committee declared that hosting the Olympics will ‘help the development of human rights in China’.
Join the fight against death penalty. www.amnesty.hu

Ultra-tight ticket security for Olympic ceremonies

via CNN:
In a move unprecedented for the Olympics, tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies are embedded with a microchip containing the bearer’s photograph, passport details, addresses, e-mail and telephone numbers. The intent is to keep potential troublemakers from the 91,000-seat National Stadium as billions watch on TV screens around the world. Along with terrorists, [...]

Networks, Olympics organizers clash

via AP:
Television networks that will broadcast the Beijing Olympics to billions around the world are squaring off with local organizers over stringent security that threatens coverage of the games in two months. Differences over a wide range of issues – from limits on live coverage in Tiananmen Square to allegations that freight shipments of TV [...]

Jacques Rogge against a “better world”?

The Economist blog “Certain ideas of Europe” describes the China argumentation of IOC boss Jacques Rogge. His defensive approach can be summarised with the following statements: “be reasonable, old chap, what can we do?” and “we don’t do politics but things are much better than you think” combined with some claims about the successes [...]

Breaking news: China to Meet With Representative Of Dalai Lama

Breaking news:
Chinese officials will meet representatives of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism whom China blames for a wave of unrest, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday, citing official sources.
The move marks a change in tactics on the part of Beijing, which has stepped up its vilification of the Dalai Lama since [...]

Torch Relay on Google

You can now follow the Olympic Torch on google maps and on google earth! Enjoy, and don’t forget to join and support the protests in the respective cities!

Don’t let it happen!

via eurotopics a short excerpt of this article (in french):
Marie-Hélène Miauton, director of the Swiss polling firm MIS Trend, doesn’t believe the threats of an Olympic boycott this summer in Beijing. “The Olympic universe has its own momentum, media rituals that it has to respect to the letter. … It’s in the lead up to [...]

Express your opinion, from your TV room, it is possible

A new campaign (with some great banners!) has been launched by Romain in France:

For the first time in its history, television offers a power: Audience.
Like every time, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will be watched by the entire world, and will beat all records for audience, demonstrating the economic success of the operation [...]