Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Tibet group unfurls banner in latest Beijing protest
BEIJING (Reuters) - Pro-Tibetan activists unfurled a banner proclaiming "Free Tibet" over an Olympics poster at the headquarters of China's nationwide TV broadcaster on Friday.
Members of Students for a Free Tibet displayed their banner for half an hour at China Central Television's new headquarters before police arrived and detained five activists, three Americans, one Briton and one Australian-Canadian.
Beijing is sensitive to protests against its rule in Tibet, where security has been stepped up since riots in March. Friday's stunt came after five members of the same New York-based group chained their bicycles and blocked the entrance to another Beijing landmark, the Ethnic Culture Park.
Beijing, which has tightened security in the city to prevent such protests, says followers of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, fomented protests and riots across the mountain region in March in a bid to derail the Olympics.
The Dalai Lama rejects those accusations.
(For more stories visit our multimedia website "2008 Summer Olympics" at http://www.reuters.com/news/sports/2008olympics; and see our blog at http://blogs.reuters.com/china)
Members of Students for a Free Tibet displayed their banner for half an hour at China Central Television's new headquarters before police arrived and detained five activists, three Americans, one Briton and one Australian-Canadian.
Beijing is sensitive to protests against its rule in Tibet, where security has been stepped up since riots in March. Friday's stunt came after five members of the same New York-based group chained their bicycles and blocked the entrance to another Beijing landmark, the Ethnic Culture Park.
Beijing, which has tightened security in the city to prevent such protests, says followers of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, fomented protests and riots across the mountain region in March in a bid to derail the Olympics.
The Dalai Lama rejects those accusations.
(For more stories visit our multimedia website "2008 Summer Olympics" at http://www.reuters.com/news/sports/2008olympics; and see our blog at http://blogs.reuters.com/china)
Beijing stars are heroes but we can be winners too, says Joe Cole
Joe Cole last night admitted the pressure of expectation has overcome England too many times - and it's time to restore the country's faith.
The build-up to England's opening friendly of the season against the Czech Republic tomorrow has been overshadowed by Britain's Olympic success in Beijing.
Such an array of medals has only served to reinforce the feeling of failure that led the FA to beat a path to Fabio Capello's door last December.
But while Chelsea midfielder Cole is convinced the Fabio factor will start to rub off ahead of next month's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia, he admitted that optimism in the national team had rarely been so low. "I'm still embarrassed about the European Championships," said Cole.
"We let ourselves down and we have to start winning on a regular basis.
"For the last week or so I've loved watching the Brits do well at the Olympics.
"We are like everyone else - we want them to win and get golds. Of course you get the comparisons with us. It is all relative.
"But when you step out onto that football pitch it isn't about money - it's about pride and performance, like any other sport. It shouldn't be about how much money you get paid but how much desire you show.
"Now we have to achieve and win - and then it won't matter what other sports do.
"The main thing for England is that you need players who can play under pressure, who can do it under the spotlight, because you know there's a lot of criticism waiting from the public.
"You've got to deal with that.
That's the hardest obstacle we've got to get over as a team - to learn to play under that intense pressure.
England have to get over that psychological barrier. It doesn't mean you'll play well every time.
The build-up to England's opening friendly of the season against the Czech Republic tomorrow has been overshadowed by Britain's Olympic success in Beijing.
Such an array of medals has only served to reinforce the feeling of failure that led the FA to beat a path to Fabio Capello's door last December.
But while Chelsea midfielder Cole is convinced the Fabio factor will start to rub off ahead of next month's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia, he admitted that optimism in the national team had rarely been so low. "I'm still embarrassed about the European Championships," said Cole.
"We let ourselves down and we have to start winning on a regular basis.
"For the last week or so I've loved watching the Brits do well at the Olympics.
"We are like everyone else - we want them to win and get golds. Of course you get the comparisons with us. It is all relative.
"But when you step out onto that football pitch it isn't about money - it's about pride and performance, like any other sport. It shouldn't be about how much money you get paid but how much desire you show.
"Now we have to achieve and win - and then it won't matter what other sports do.
"The main thing for England is that you need players who can play under pressure, who can do it under the spotlight, because you know there's a lot of criticism waiting from the public.
"You've got to deal with that.
That's the hardest obstacle we've got to get over as a team - to learn to play under that intense pressure.
England have to get over that psychological barrier. It doesn't mean you'll play well every time.
Beijing sends Mugabe packing
ZIMBABWE'S President, Robert Mugabe, has been forced to return home following intense political pressure from the Chinese Communist Party not to attend Friday night's opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.
The Herald understands high-powered lobbying from political leaders who will be attending the ceremony prompted the highest levels of the Chinese Government to convince him not to attend. It is understood he had arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday but could get no further.
The two countries have a close relationship and it took intense persuasion to convince Mr Mugabe to return to Zimbabwe and not cause embarrassment to the host country.
A Mugabe spokesman, George Charamba, wrote in a Zimbabwean newspaper: "President Mugabe attaches great importance to the ongoing talks [between the Government and Opposition], which is why he is not going to China for the grand opening of the Olympics."
The US President, George Bush, and the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, will be among heads of state attending the opening ceremony. The pro-Tibet supporter and Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans will respect the Olympic rules and not protest at Games venues, says the Australian Olympic Committee president, John Coates.
The Herald understands high-powered lobbying from political leaders who will be attending the ceremony prompted the highest levels of the Chinese Government to convince him not to attend. It is understood he had arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday but could get no further.
The two countries have a close relationship and it took intense persuasion to convince Mr Mugabe to return to Zimbabwe and not cause embarrassment to the host country.
A Mugabe spokesman, George Charamba, wrote in a Zimbabwean newspaper: "President Mugabe attaches great importance to the ongoing talks [between the Government and Opposition], which is why he is not going to China for the grand opening of the Olympics."
The US President, George Bush, and the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, will be among heads of state attending the opening ceremony. The pro-Tibet supporter and Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans will respect the Olympic rules and not protest at Games venues, says the Australian Olympic Committee president, John Coates.
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