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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jaime Alas scored in stoppage time and El Salvador ousted the United States from Olympic qualifying Monday night with a 3-3 tie. The Americans had to win to reach Saturday's semifinals in Kansas City, Kan., and they led 3-2 on Joe Corona's goal in the 68th minute. But Alas scored his goal off the hands off keeper Sean Johnson to stun the Americans, who missed the Olympics for the second time since 1976.

Massive construction projects are taking place in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics, when athletes from a couple hundred countries will jet in from every corner of the globe, as will countless spectators. With that in mind, this latest eco-concern is a little like worrying about the carbon output of the Zippo you’re using to light Burning Man. From The Australian:

Iran has threatened to boycott the London Olympics unless the organisers replace the official logo, which Tehran claims spells out the word "Zion".

The two metallic characters, named Wenlock and Mandeville, were unveiled on Wednesday night after a rigorous 18-month design process involving 40 focus groups. Apparently hewn from the “last drops of steel” left over from constructing the final support girder of the Olympic Stadium, the one-eyed creatures are intended to help young people relate to the Games. Bolt from the blue: the Olympic mascot Wenlock, left, and the Paralympic mascot Mandeville strike an Usain Bolt pose But branding experts last night called them “a calamity” and accused Olympic bosses of wasting thousands of pounds on their creation. Stephen Bayley, the prominent...

THE burqa boxers are coming. Young women are training in Afghanistan to fight in Islamic dress at the 2012 London Olympics. Wearing hijabs beneath their headguards and clothes that cover their bodies, 25 female pugilists are preparing for their bouts in gruelling training sessions at Kabul’s Olympic stadium, once the scene of public executions by the Taliban. The team, whose ages range from 14-25, were recruited by their coach, Fadir Sharify, a former professional boxer. He persuaded the girls’ families that it would not be inappropriate for them to take to the ring. The 2012 summer Games will be the...

Olympic history was made Wednesday morning, but it wasn't the kind New York City backers were hoping for. In the fourth round of voting, the International Olympic Committee chose London, England, as the host of the 2012 Olympic Games, making London the first city to be selected to host the Games on three occasions. New York City was eliminated on the second ballot of an unusually competitive contest. Paris had been considered the front-runner heading into Wednesday's voting. video at link

For Immediate Release SNIPPET: “Enforcement action threatened at Tablighi Jamaat mega-mosque site Newham Council “doing the right thing at last” says Cllr Alan Craig. “Compulsory purchase of site must be next step” Islamic group Tablighi Jamaat (TJ), some of whose supporters in Walthamstow were convicted of planning airline terrorist atrocities last week (see note below), has been threatened with enforcement action by Newham Council over its continued unlawful use of the ‘mega-mosque’ site at West Ham, close to the London 2012 Olympic stadium. TJ has erected a temporary structure on site and has been using it daily without planning permission...

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.councillor.calls.for.action.against.megamosque.group/24166.htm "Christian councillor calls for action against ‘mega-mosque’ group" SNIPPET: "A Christian councillor is calling on an east London council to take action against the Islamic group planning to build a ‘mega-mosque’ close to the site of the 2012 Olympics." by Jenna Lyle Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 14:04 (BST) SNIPPET: "Tablighi Jamaat has come under the close observation of intelligence services in recent years over suspected links to terrorism, despite the group’s insistence that it does not preach violence. This week it emerged that the leader of the airline plot terrorist cell regularly attended a Tablighi Jamaat-controlled mosque in...

Police have been handed 'Chinese-style' powers to enter private homes and seize political posters during the London 2012 Olympics. Little-noticed measures passed by the Government will allow officers and Olympics officials to enter homes and shops near official venues to confiscate material. Breaking the rules could land offenders with a fine of up to

In his first interview since a photo surfaced showing him smoking from a marijuana pipe, Michael Phelps said yesterdaythat the intense public scrutiny has him contemplating whether he will swim in the 2012 Olympics. Phelps, who said that he "clearly made a mistake" and that the past week has been both embarrassing and uncomfortable for him, spoke with The Baltimore Sun inside Meadowbrook Aquatic Center after finishing his daily workout. While he still has goals he wants to achieve in the sport, he said, he's going to discuss it with his family and his coach, Bob Bowman. "This is a...

A haunting video showing an “obituary” of the main opponent to the “mega-mosque” proposed for the 2012 Olympic site has appeared on YouTube, but the subject of the film has vowed to continue his fight against the huge development. The video, In memory of Councillor Alan Craig, shows pictures of the Christian People's Alliance councillor with his wife and two daughters, aged 5 and 6, and promises: “To God we will all return.” It was posted on YouTube apparently in response to Mr Craig high-profile campaign against the building of a 12,000 capacity mosque sponsored by the ultra-conservative Islamic sect...

THE Red Arrows have been banned from performing at the 2012 London Olympics as they are too BRITISH. Barmy organisers claim the popular RAF display team’s military background “might offend other nations”. The decision has left pilots, who were set to perform their best-ever display at the opening ceremony, in a state of outrage. One said yesterday: “We have been simply blown away by this decision. “For years we have talked about performing a display at the Olympic Games and how magnificent it would be. “It never crossed our mind we would be banned from the event.” The Arrows, officially...

It has been called a puerile mess, a health hazard, a disastrous waste of £400,000... and even the London 2012 Olympics logo. The logo which cost a reported £400,000 After a week in which the new logo sparked nationwide ridicule, hostile questions in the House of Commons and a series of epileptic fits, it seems that only one question remained unanswered: exactly whose bright idea was this? It can now be revealed that the man who led the design team that created the logo is Patrick Cox, the executive creative director of Wolff Olins, an Islington-based brand consultancy with links...

The designers of the controversial London Olympics logo claim that they intended it as only the first part of an "evolving branding package". The chunky, geometric shapes spelling out the date 2012 are supposed to be a "blank canvas" that will be filled with diverse images, photographs and sponsorship messages over the next five years, they say. The2012 logo is to be filled with a range of images Many of the images used to "infill" the shapes will be created by the public, who will be encouraged to enter competitions held every six months, with the winner chosen by online...

THE controversial 2012 London Olympics logo was rocked by another blow last night — after it was ruled too dangerous to view on-screen. An animated version of the symbol used on TV and the internet had to be dropped because it could trigger fits in thousands of people. The £400,000 logo, a graffiti-style spelling of 2012 in shades of pink, blue, green and orange, was branded “hideous” when it was launched on Monday. And Olympics bosses were left squirming with embarrassment after an epilepsy group reported 12 cases of people collapsing through looking at it. Epilepsy Action warned that 23,000...

Ready, set, go: from the Observer nine days ago: "Olympic costs set to double: Londoners face huge tax rise". Oh, come on. Only double? You can do better than that. Remember the 1976 Olympics? Well, no, you probably don't, unless you're in late middle age. But they were held in Montreal. I'm a Montrealer and our 2006 tax bill is projected to be the year we finally pay off the debts on the games. The '76 Olympics were opened by the Queen, just like the London Games will be, and the city built a big stadium in the East End,...

A MASSIVE mosque that will hold 40,000 worshippers is being proposed beside the Olympic complex in London to be opened in time for the 2012 Games. The project’s backers hope the mosque and its surrounding buildings would hold a total of 70,000 people, only 10,000 fewer than the Olympic stadium. Its futuristic design features wind turbines instead of the traditional minarets, while a translucent latticed roof would replace the domes seen on most mosques. The complex is designed to become the “Muslim quarter” for the Games, acting as a hub for Islamic competitors and spectators. “It will be something never...

A MASSIVE mosque that will hold 40,000 worshippers is being proposed beside the Olympic complex in London to be opened in time for the 2012 Games. The project’s backers hope the mosque and its surrounding buildings would hold a total of 70,000 people, only 10,000 fewer than the Olympic stadium. Its futuristic design features wind turbines instead of the traditional minarets, while a translucent latticed roof would replace the domes seen on most mosques. The complex is designed to become the “Muslim quarter” for the Games, acting as a hub for Islamic competitors and spectators. “It will be something never...

The government has been urged to relax gun laws which make it illegal for Britain's top pistol shooters to train in England, Scotland and Wales. Home Secretary Charles Clarke has given special permission for pistol events to be staged at the London 2012 Olympics. But British team members face having to do all their 2012 preparations abroad. "It would be fantastic if they were given the ability to compete on a level playing field," said British shooting's performance chief John Leighton-Dyson. "I would like to think reasonable people will be able to have reasonable discussions and come to reasonable...

2008 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has failed in her first major foreign initiative - a high profile bid to bring the 2012 Olympic games to New York City. Hours before this morning's announcement that London would host the 2012 games, Clinton was pulling out all the stops to bring the sports extravaganza to her constituents back home. Mrs. Clinton told reporters in Singapore, where the Olympic committee was meeting, that the Big Apple "exemplifies Olympic values every single day. Living in New York is like living in an Olympic Village - you have every language from every corner of the...

SINGAPORE, July 8 -- Baseball and softball were dropped Friday from the Olympics for the 2012 Summer Games in London. Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports were retained. "I think they've made a big, big mistake," said Tommy Lasorda, the former Los Angeles Dodgers manager who managed the 2000 U.S. team to the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Games. "Baseball is played by all countries now and softball, too....

PARIS (Reuters) - French politicians, media and sports officials cried foul on Thursday over London's snatching of the 2012 Olympic Games from Paris, suggesting underhand tactics may have played a part. Many congratulated London on its surprise victory. Others said they were convinced Paris's bid was better. Some said London had gone beyond the bounds of fair play. "An injustice has been done to us by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) members. It's an affront to France," said Francis Luyce, head of France's swimming federation. Paris bid chief Bertrand Delanoe, the city's mayor, questioned the tactics that helped London win...

LONDON has been awarded the 2012 Olympic Games after the most bitterly fought bid battle in Olympic history. The London team beat out long-time favourites Paris as well as Madrid, Moscow and New York to win the race to stage the lucrative sports extravaganza. International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge announced the winner at a globally televised ceremony after a day of presentations and deliberations at the IOC session in Singapore's Raffles City complex. The news was greeted by screams of joy from the London team. The 2008 Olympics will be held in Beijing. Earlier in Singapore, the cities gave...

Per BBC(Not posted yet... ) London wins 2012 Olympics bid!!!

Per Fox News

London, Paris, Madrid, New York and Moscow will finally learn on Wednesday who has prevailed in the battle to host the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.The cities' fate lies in the hands of the International Olympic Committee members (IOC), who may take less than an hour to reach a verdict. IOC president Jacques Rogge is expected to announce the winner at 1246 BST.BBC Sport explains the voting process and looks for clues on how it could go in Singapore. Who decides? Voters profiled Going for gold: Interactive voting guide   CHOOSING THE WINNER RIVAL IOC MEMBERS GB: Princess Royal, Craig Reedie,...

SINGAPORE -- A day before the crucial vote, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton joined the New York delegation on Tuesday for a homestretch round of lobbying aimed at convincing the International Olympic Committee to award the city the 2012 Summer Games. The former first lady was put to work immediately. Before she could even have her first bite of breakfast after a long flight she was taken to meet an IOC member. "New York City exemplifies Olympic values every single day," she said. "Living in New York is like living in an Olympic Village -- you have every language from every...

City's bid leaders praise her decision to join the delegation for Wednesday's vote by the International Olympic Committee. NEW YORK - Other cities are bringing presidents, prime ministers and royalty to Singapore in hopes of landing the 2012 Olympics. New York is bringing Hillary Rodham Clinton. The city's bid leaders praised the decision by the New York senator and former first lady to join the delegation for Wednesday's vote by the International Olympic Committee. "I think there is no question that everyone here will know who she is," said Dan Doctoroff, the bid chief and deputy mayor. "All over the...

New York has a Plan B Olympic Stadium. And, now, it has Plan B star power. Sen. Hillary Clinton will travel to Singapore to help lobby the International Olympic Committee to award the 2012 Games to New York, marking a last-minute addition to the city's delegation, Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday. Clinton, New York's Democratic junior senator, will be the highest-level U.S. official to attend Wednesday's IOC meeting, adding some wattage to a delegation sorely lacking in political luminaries. Still, her 11th-hour addition to the roster raises questions about the level of desperation among New York officials. As the Daily News...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Singapore next week as part of a U.S. delegation hoping an international upset will award the 2012 Olympics to New York. The International Olympic Committee may have soured on the Big Apple since the state rejected a proposed showpiece stadium in Manhattan. But New York is hoping another proposal for a stadium in Queens will still entice IOC members.Clinton, D-N.Y., will attend as part of a delegation that includes Muhammad Ali and dozens of other athletes."It is an honor to accept Mayor Bloomberg's invitation," she said in a statement. As...

PARIS, March 9 (AFP) - The strong case mustered by Paris for the right to hold the 2012 Olympic Games could receive a serious blow Thursday when unions stage a day of strikes and demonstrations against the government just as IOC inspectors are touring the capital. Widely regarded as the favourite in the race for the games, Paris will have its weak spot dangerously exposed as much of the city grinds to a halt because of transport stoppages, walk-outs in government offices, schools and public utilities, and a mass protest march in the afternoon. The 13 members of the International...

Mugs' games By Simon Jenkins London yesterday said goodbye to its most recent Olympic Games contest. The arrival last week of a dozen members of the International Olympics Committee was treated by the British Government as might a desperate Hollywood starlet auditioning for a movie mogul. The metropolis was told to lie on its back and think of England. The prime minister and his cabinet dropped everything to dance attendance on their guests for four days. Flags decked every route. The Queen laid on a banquet. The Thames was ablaze with lights. Everywhere the visitors went, police outriders eased their...

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - New York and four European capitals — London, Madrid, Moscow and Paris — were selected as finalists Tuesday in the race to host the 2012 Olympics. Four cities failed to make the cut: Havana; Istanbul, Turkey; Leipzig, Germany, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The field was trimmed by the International Olympic Committee (news - web sites) executive board based on a report assessing the technical capabilities of the nine cities. The unanimous decision, announced by IOC president Jacques Rogge, kicks off a 14-month race culminating with the selection of the host city by the full IOC assembly...

Dear International Olympics Committee: Hi! How ya doing? Good, I hope. I know you have a meeting coming up next month when you can toss out some of the nine cities you're considering for the 2012 summer Olympics. So I just thought, as a New York City resident, I'd add my two cents worth: TOSS US! Thanks but no thanks! Hasta la vista! We need the Olympics like we need an extra arrow next to our name on Al Qaeda's "to do" list. I mean, man, the Olympics. They're a terrorism magnet. Just look at what Athens is doing to...

The nine cities hoping to stage the Olympic Games in 2012 have unveiled details of their bids. Paris, the favourite, was first to launch its candidacy, with a glitzy ceremony at the Eiffel Tower on Friday. The city lost out to Beijing for the 2008 Games and also missed out in 1992, but it is confident it can win now. London and Moscow have also revealed their bids; Madrid, New York, Istanbul, Leipzig, Rio de Janeiro and Havana are expected to launch theirs later. Paris, which staged football's World Cup in 1998, will centre its bid around the 80,000 capacity...

<p>Cuba will bid for the 2012 Olympics, a decision that will place Havana as the long-shot candidate in a strong field that already features New York and Madrid, Spain.</p> <p>The Cuban Olympic Committee will hold a news conference Monday to discuss the bid, the group said Tuesday.</p>