Olympic torch’s arrival in Tibet postponed

BEIJING (AP) — Organizers of the Olympic torch relay said Monday the flame’s arrival in Tibet would be postponed, but declined to give an exact date for the torch’s journey through the region, which has been shrouded in secrecy.

The torch was originally supposed to travel through Tibet on June 18 or 19 before heading to China’s largely Muslim region of Xinjiang and Qinghai province. Instead, it will travel through Xinjiang this week and then head to Tibet, said Li Lizhi of the Beijing Olympic torch relay center of the organizing committee for the games.

Li refused to give an exact date for the torch’s arrival in Tibet.

It was not clear why the change was made, but the route through Tibet has been kept secret. Foreign journalists are still forbidden from entering Tibet, where a violent uprising in ethnic Tibetan areas throughout China in March led to a security clampdown in the region.

The route has been criticized by Tibet activist groups who see it as an attempt by Beijing to symbolize its control over Tibet. China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for much of that time.

The torch’s stop in Tibet — originally set for three days — was cut to one last month to make way for a switch in the visit to Sichuan province, the site of the May 12 earthquake.

The torch relay was also stopped for three days after the earthquake to mark an official mourning period.

So far the torch has had a smooth relay in mainland China, uninterrupted by the protests over Tibet and human rights that dogged parts of its international tour.

Last month, Chinese mountaineers raised the Olympic torch at the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, producing the triumphant image that China has longed for in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.

The Everest torch was separate from the main Olympic flame, which is on a three-month tour of China after a one-month trip around the world.

Activists upset with Chinese government policies, especially pro-Tibet independence groups, used the trip around the world to stage protests to highlight their causes.

Source: http://ap.google.com/

Gazetteer: SWIP kicks into action for Euro 2008

WEB MATCH
SCOTLAND may have failed to qualify for Euro 2008, but that has not stopped financial advisers from following their very own “road to Vienna”.

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) has relaunched its successful flash game on its professioal investors’ website. The Road to Vienna poses football

questions against the clock and also includes a “fastest finger” sudden-death last round.

According to the game’s creator, the Realise company, there is “a positive business benefit” to all of this online football fanaticism, connecting SWIP to its customers. We will, of course, take their word for that. One hopes, though, that the idea is more successful than the Euro 2008’s host nations.

FACT OF THE DAY

5.1%

THE level of inflation which the Asian Development Bank predicts for the continent for this year.

Rajat Nag, the managing director-general of the ADB, said yesterday that the figure might be even higher.

KILLER QUOTE

“I’M NOT someone who especially enjoys the spotlight; I’m not that type of person. But we had some owning up to do; mistakes were made”

Sandy Crombie, the chief executive of Standard Life, on the troubles he encountered during the demutualisation

GOOD DAY

Sir Philip Hampton

THERE’S only one thing worse than being talked about: not being talked about. The Sainsbury’s chairman is being mentioned as a sucessor to Sir Tom McKillop in the chair at Royal Bank of Scotland.

BAD DAY

Sir Tom McKillop

HE MAY have thought that speculation over his future would end with RBS’s successful £12 billion rights issue. Sir Tom now faces a new alleged plot to oust him as RBS chairman.+

Source: http://business.scotsman.com/

Turkey heroics add more sizzle to Euro 2008

By Kevin Fylan

TENERO, Switzerland (Reuters) – Turkey pulled off an extraordinary rescue to book a place in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals with a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic on Sunday after trailing by two goals with 15 minutes to go.

UEFA president Michel Platini had used an interview earlier on Sunday to extol a “sizzling” tournament that had upset established hierarchies in thrilling style but even he could not have foreseen the amazing climax in Geneva.

Turkey’s reward for victory is a last-eight clash with Group B winners Croatia in Vienna on Friday.

The Turks’ dramatic Group A win, however, sparked trouble in a Zurich public viewing area.

Around 80 police wearing riot gear moved in to restore order after fighting broke out late in the game and two plasma screens showing the game were smashed, witnesses said.

Fans problems have been rare so far at the June 7-29 tournament being staged jointly by Switzerland and Austria which has mainly been watched in an atmosphere of friendship and goodwill.

The night also featured the farewell of co-hosts Switzerland to the tournament with a 2-0 win over Portugal, who had already sealed their place as Group A winners. It was the final match of the Swiss coach Koebi Kuhn who is now retiring.

The Czechs had looked destined for the last eight after moving into a 2-0 lead with a Jan Koller header and Jaroslav Plasil’s neatly taken second before Arda Turan gave Turkey what appeared to be a slim lifeline in the 75th minute.

Source: http://in.reuters.com/

Austria-Germany & Poland-Croatia

UEFA EURO 2008 GROUP B: AUSTRIA v GERMANY
Date: Mon 16 June Kick-off: 1945 BST Venue: Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna
Coverage: Live on BBC ONE and BBC Sport website (UK only), video highlights on mobiles, full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and on BBC Sport website (UK only), full text coverage on BBC Sport website and on mobiles

Austria coach Josef Hickersberger wants to repeat the giant-killing of 30 years ago and knock Germany out of Euro 2008.

At the 1978 World Cup Austria beat West Germany to eliminate them and a win in Vienna would do the same while booking the co-hosts a last eight place.

“With the support of the fans to inspire us, it won’t be a hopeless case against Germany,” said Hickersberger.

Austria sit third in group B but there is a chance fourth-placed Poland can still qualify if they beat Croatia.

With an close, opening defeat to Croatia and a last-gasp draw with Poland Andreas Herzog, Austria’s team manager, feels the side have developed and senses a real chance for them to write another chapter is the nation’s footballing history.

“Our team has developed a lot through 2008,” he said.

“When people first started talking about this tournament, there were a lot of jokes about us, some jokes even that we should not be taking part.

“Now it is all the more satisfying to show that we have a real chance of advancing beyond our group – and doing so with a final match against our arch-rivals Germany.”

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/