News

LONDON: The Olympic flame took a festive, valedictory lap around London on Thursday, taking in some of the sun-drenched capital’s most famous landmarks and getting a royal welcome on the second-to-last day of its trek across Britain. The torch – carried by athletes, charity workers and celebrities – thrilled thousands of Londoners as it swept across Regent’s Canal in Camden, …

BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami headed to the U.K. Thursday to attend the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. Mikati, accompanied by British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher, left Beirut for London on a private jet around noon. Karami traveled to London earlier Thursday.

LONDON: Women’s rights campaigners called on Wednesday for an end to sex discrimination at the Olympics, urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ensure there are equal numbers of sports and medals for men and women. Representatives from various European women’s groups met in London for a symbolic burial of the Olympic Charter, saying its principles of condoning any form …

NEWCASTLE, England: South Korea wasted a number of scoring chances against Mexico as the two teams opened Group B at the Olympics with a 0-0 draw Thursday. With forward Giovani Dos Santos on the bench from the start, Mexico showed little promise of being a medal contender as its opponent dominated at St. James Park. Both teams struggled to find their rhythm on the slippery turf, …

LONDON: The Olympics kick off on Wednesday with a women’s football match between Britain and New Zealand in Cardiff, and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, hero of the Beijing Games and the fastest man on earth, vowed to win again, declaring: “This is my time”. The match in the Welsh capital comes two days before Friday’s opening ceremony at the main …

ATHENS: Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou was kicked out of the Olympics on Wednesday for a racist tweet which poked fun at Africans living in the country. The 23-year-old Papachristou had written that “with so many Africans in Greece, at least the mosquitoes of West Nile will eat homemade food”. Although she subsequently deleted the message after a huge public …

LONDON: British border officials called off Wednesday a strike planned for the eve of the London Olympics, but travel woes still stalked the event as special lanes for Games traffic caused tailbacks. Organizers said the British capital was “moving well” despite the opening of the widely-disliked Olympic road lanes for the first time and a fresh outbreak of problems with …

LONDON: Sinister. Disturbing. Creepy. Frightening. The official mascots of London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games – Wenlock and Mandeville – have been called all of those things, but organizers are hoping to tack on a more positive title: merchandising magic. The futuristic-looking pair have popped up all over London, casting their one-eyed gaze at tourists and locals alike from posters, statues and a …