All stories about "Beijing"

Beijing Olympics officials have just released a diagram illustrating the summer games’ official cheer. A simple repetitive clap is, apparently, utterly archaic. Instead, Olympics attendees are encouraged to ‘clap two times,’ then make their ‘hands in fists with thumbs up, arms extended,’ then ‘clap two times,’ and, finally, ‘hands in fists, arms extended outward and upward.’ Now, everybody! [Jaunted]

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With millions of first-time drivers, China's roads are some of the deadliest in the world, Al Jazeera reports. [via]

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Media outlets are are getting a first-time chance to look inside Beijing's new "Bird's Nest" Stadium. The building, which took 52 months (and $494 million) to construct, features architectural elements, like lamps and wiring jumbles, that are intended to make the place look even more like a bird's nest. Follow the link to see video of the inside of this remarkable construction. [BBC]

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In order to cut back on pollution, Beijing will shut all its building sites three weeks before the Olympic games begin. "Digging, pouring of concrete and outdoor spray-painting will also be banned under plans announced by the Environmental Protection Bureau." Some businesses have also been asked to cut emissions by 30%. [BBC]

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The 2008 Beijing Olympics are still four months away, but they've already started with a bang. Activists who oppose China's occupation of Tibet have been holding huge protests as the Olympic torch makes its customary pre-games lap around the globe. In the past week, the torch toured Paris and London with an entourage of local policemen and Chinese security personnel. In spite of all the guards, protesters forced the torch to be extinguished for the first time in modern Olympic history. If you want to get in on all of the "Free Tibet" fun, the Olympic torch will be stopping in fourteen more cities between tomorrow and April 29th. The good people at Google have made a map showing all of the remaining cities along the torch's route. The tour includes such exciting destinations as San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and the hometown of everyone's favorite despot -- Pyongyang!

There's still plenty of time to plan a trip to go protest the torch in any one of these great urban oases. Protesters get to meet other cute politically involved types and rub elbows with the world-class athletes who carry the torch, all while enjoying the fun of screaming and flinging yourself at angry law enforcement personnel. So why not fly around the world following the Olympic torch and going apeshit? It's all for a good cause. It's kind of like the civil rights movement, with sightseeing instead of big dogs and high-powered hoses.

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Three protestors climbed up the suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday, hanging "Free Tibet" and "One World, One Dream" signs in protest of China's occupation of the country. Organized by the Students For a Free Tibet, the protest came one day before Beijing's olympic torch relay was to take place in San Francisco. Here, one of the climbers calls the local CBS news station and speaks with the news caster live while midair. The three climbers took about 45 minutes to secure the banners before descending and allowing police to arrest them. Curious to see what it looks like to climb the Golden Gate? Video taken from the helmet cam of one of the protestors after the jump.

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France's President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has said that he will not attend the opening ceremony at this summer's Beijing Olympics unless "China opens a dialogue with the Dalai Lama." The ultimatum is one of three Sarkozy that has committed to. The French Elvis incarnate also asked that any violence against Tibetans be stopped, a clarification be made of recent Tibetan events, and political prisoners be released. [CNN]

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Despite what you'd expect from a country preparing to host the Olympics, China's human rights record has worsened recently. According to Amnesty International, China's handling of recent protests in Tibet has proved especially worrisome. Despite having received calls to boycott August's Beijing Olympics, US President George W Bush has said he will attend the Opening Ceremony. Germany's Angela Merkel has said she will not, while French President Nicolas Sarkozy has not yet committed one way or the other. [BBC]

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