President Bush has stated that he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on 8 August 2008, despite calls for him to boycott it.
Speaking before the opening of the G 8 Summit on the island of Hokkaido in Japan, Bush said that not going to the ceremony "would be an affront to the Chinese people" that might make it "more difficult to be able to speak frankly with the Chinese leadership."
Given the amount of dollars held by the Chinese, Bush is wise not to "affront" them.
Other leaders, including Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, are avoiding the opening ceremony to protest China's record on human rights and its dealings in Tibet and Sudan. Brown of course (trying to avoid being controversial) claims that he was never going to go, as he was too busy.
Prime Minister Fukuda of Japan is also going:
"I don't think you have to really link Olympics with politics."
The Olympics is primarily about politics and money, to think otherwise is naive in the extreme. However, as said before on this site, many of those who call for a boycott are hypocrites as they own many products manufactured in China.
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Monday, July 7, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Asbestos Found
Work on the foundations of the London 2012 Olympics Stadium has had to be halted, because of the discovery of asbestos.
Samples of asbestos were found in the construction site at Stratford, the Olympic Delivery Authority said yesterday.
Work has now been stopped in one section of the site "as a precautionary measure," while construction of the rest of the stadium and Olympic Park continued.
This discovery will doubtless add to the costs.
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Samples of asbestos were found in the construction site at Stratford, the Olympic Delivery Authority said yesterday.
Work has now been stopped in one section of the site "as a precautionary measure," while construction of the rest of the stadium and Olympic Park continued.
This discovery will doubtless add to the costs.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Final Dash
President Hu Jintao of China has said that preparations for the Beijing Olympics, the games begin on 8 August, have entered their "final dash".
Hu talked about the games as he was inspecting transport facilities in Beijing.
Quote:
"Preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games have entered the stage of the final dash.
A good transportation environment is an important guarantee for a successful Olympics".
Part of the plans for improved transport and air quality, is the removal from the roads of 45% of Beijing's 3.29 million cars.
Three new subway lines have been built, and there is a newly rebuilt and expanded railway station that will officially open on 1 August.
Hu went on to say:
"We don't just want first class facilities, we also must have first class management and first class service."
The organisers of the London Olympics, and indeed those in charge of our lamentable public transport infrastructure and Hetahrow, would do well to listen to what President Hu has to say.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Hu talked about the games as he was inspecting transport facilities in Beijing.
Quote:
"Preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games have entered the stage of the final dash.
A good transportation environment is an important guarantee for a successful Olympics".
Part of the plans for improved transport and air quality, is the removal from the roads of 45% of Beijing's 3.29 million cars.
Three new subway lines have been built, and there is a newly rebuilt and expanded railway station that will officially open on 1 August.
Hu went on to say:
"We don't just want first class facilities, we also must have first class management and first class service."
The organisers of the London Olympics, and indeed those in charge of our lamentable public transport infrastructure and Hetahrow, would do well to listen to what President Hu has to say.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Confused?
Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC, has stated that there is "confusion" among the public about the rising costs of the 2012 London Olympics. In his view this confusion arises because of the differences "between the operational budget and the infrastructure budget".
The total budget for the infrastructure of the Games is set at £10BN, the running costs are set to be around £2BN on top of that.
Those who regularly read this site will have had no such confusion, as I have always clearly stated that there is a budget (currently £12BN) which includes £2BN running costs.
However, I suspect that some of those allegedly "in charge" of the budget or overseeing it in the UK may have forgotten the £2BN running costs.
The fact remains that the current budget of £12BN will rise, as it is clear that those "in charge" of it are not effective in their roles or suitably qualified.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
The total budget for the infrastructure of the Games is set at £10BN, the running costs are set to be around £2BN on top of that.
Those who regularly read this site will have had no such confusion, as I have always clearly stated that there is a budget (currently £12BN) which includes £2BN running costs.
However, I suspect that some of those allegedly "in charge" of the budget or overseeing it in the UK may have forgotten the £2BN running costs.
The fact remains that the current budget of £12BN will rise, as it is clear that those "in charge" of it are not effective in their roles or suitably qualified.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, June 23, 2008
Visa Restrictions
The LA Times reports that China's recently tightened visa restrictions, imposed for public security reasons ahead of the Olympic Games, are having a negative effect on travel to China.
The government is now requiring business visa applicants to submit papers bearing official stamps from local governments and the hotels where they will be staying.
Killing the golden goose before it has laid the egg is not necessarily very wise.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
The government is now requiring business visa applicants to submit papers bearing official stamps from local governments and the hotels where they will be staying.
Killing the golden goose before it has laid the egg is not necessarily very wise.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, June 20, 2008
Significant Budget Overrun
The National Audit Office (NAO) has issued a bleak warning about the high risk of a significant budget overrun for the 2012 London Olympics.
To regular readers this warning will come as little surprise. The current budget (£12BN, including running costs) will simply not be enough, my money is on a final cost of around £20BN.
The NAO state that the key risks are security costs, the uncertainty over the financing of the Olympic Village and a lack of a coherent plan for the legacy of the Olympic venues; ie the whole event has been put together on the back of an envelope, without any serious planning or thought about the consequences and costs.
How very Nu Labour!
The NAO doesn't mince its words and states that the official budget for the games could ultimately be "blown out of the water".
The key issue being that there is still no "fully costed" plan.
If it were not so serious, it would be laughable as to how a major event of this nature could be so badly planned and organised.
How very Nu Labour!
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
To regular readers this warning will come as little surprise. The current budget (£12BN, including running costs) will simply not be enough, my money is on a final cost of around £20BN.
The NAO state that the key risks are security costs, the uncertainty over the financing of the Olympic Village and a lack of a coherent plan for the legacy of the Olympic venues; ie the whole event has been put together on the back of an envelope, without any serious planning or thought about the consequences and costs.
How very Nu Labour!
The NAO doesn't mince its words and states that the official budget for the games could ultimately be "blown out of the water".
The key issue being that there is still no "fully costed" plan.
If it were not so serious, it would be laughable as to how a major event of this nature could be so badly planned and organised.
How very Nu Labour!
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Londoners May Get Stiffed With Olympic Bill
It seems that there is some doubt as to whether the government will pick up the tab for any cost overruns for the 2012 London Olympics, this would mean that Londoners would get stiffed with the bill.
The issue was given prominence by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, on the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme.
Mr Johnson said:
"There is a dispute at the moment between the GLA and the mayoralty and the government about who is up for the over-runs in so far as they may or may not occur.
The details of this deal are from clear.
What I want to do is to make sure there are no over-runs."
Whether the government picks up the tab, or Londoners do, it will still be the taxpayer that foots the bill.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
The issue was given prominence by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, on the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme.
Mr Johnson said:
"There is a dispute at the moment between the GLA and the mayoralty and the government about who is up for the over-runs in so far as they may or may not occur.
The details of this deal are from clear.
What I want to do is to make sure there are no over-runs."
Whether the government picks up the tab, or Londoners do, it will still be the taxpayer that foots the bill.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Costs of London Olympics Likely To Rise
I am not the slightest bit surprised to read that the costs for the 2012 London Olympics, despite already being way over the original "budget", are expected to rise further.
The budget, if one can really call it that that, currently stands at £12BN (including £2BN running costs).
David Ross, the multi-millionaire entrepreneur, nominated last month by Boris Johnson to be his man on the board of LOCOG, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games has put together a report about the preparations for the games.
The report says that the construction of the Olympic Village is under threat because of the recent contraction in the credit markets, fall in property prices and the continuing rise in the cost of building materials due to the boom in economic activity in China.
Ross says:
"Some significant additional public sector funding is likely to be required to deliver the project."
£20BN here we come!
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
The budget, if one can really call it that that, currently stands at £12BN (including £2BN running costs).
David Ross, the multi-millionaire entrepreneur, nominated last month by Boris Johnson to be his man on the board of LOCOG, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games has put together a report about the preparations for the games.
The report says that the construction of the Olympic Village is under threat because of the recent contraction in the credit markets, fall in property prices and the continuing rise in the cost of building materials due to the boom in economic activity in China.
Ross says:
"Some significant additional public sector funding is likely to be required to deliver the project."
£20BN here we come!
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
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