FIFA dress code rules Iran's girls out of Olympics

FIFA dress code rules Iran's girls out of Olympics

ZURICH (AP) — Iran's girls football team has been kicked out of the Youth Olympic Games because FIFA rules prevent players wearing an Islamic head scarf.

Thailand was nominated on Monday to replace the barred Iranians, the Asian Football Confederation said on its Web site.

The Asian governing body said the hijab scarf -- worn to observe Islamic dress code -- was not allowed under FIFA rules relating to on-field equipment.

Iran was scheduled to compete in a six-nation tournament for girls at the games being held Aug. 12-25 in Singapore.

Around 3,600 athletes aged 14-18 will compete in 26 sports at the inaugural Youth Summer Games.

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Debate over Olympic ticket spending continues

Debate over Olympic ticket spending continues

Vision Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal says she has no regrets about the city spending almost $170,000 on tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

But COPE councillor Ellen Wordsworth, who paid for the Olympic ticket she used, says she thinks the money could have been used better. "Wait a minute, didn't we just cut $61 million from the budget -- and we're closing services and increasing fees?" said Woodsworth.

"About $170,000 can do a lot of things in the city," she said.

All the details about the spending and who got the tickets is in a report going to council Tuesday.

Also included is similar information on the additional $18,920 the city spent on tickets for the Paralympics.

Of the 1,555 Olympic tickets and 534 Paralympic tickets, only two went unallocated.

2012 Olympics: What it will mean to the BBC

While the Olympic Games in Athens and Beijing garnered huge red-button audiences for the BBC, the 2012 event is expected to be the largest in the corporation's history.

The games will see the BBC offer more choice than ever before. Back in 2000, before interactive TV had arrived, the broadcaster showed about 250 hours of the Sydney games. By 2004, when it had red-button, interactive technology, it showed more than 1,000 hours. At Beijing 2008 this rose to 2,500 hours.

Ben Gallop, head of interactive and Formula 1, at BBC Sport, says the aim for 2012 is to show every bit of sport as it happens, which equates to about 5,000 hours of viewing.

"We'll be thinking about red-button services, but we're also thinking about IPTV [television over the internet] – that's what's exciting over the next few years and we expect a lot to change. We're also looking at how we might be able to use social media in our services in a way that we haven't been able to up until now."

US women to face Canada in Olympic ice hockey final

US women to face Canada in Olympic ice hockey final

The United States will play Canada in Thursday's final of the women's ice hockey after they both enjoyed comfortable semi-final victories.

Monique Lamoureux scored three while Caitlin Cahow, Karen Thatcher and Kelli Stack each scored one and made one assist as America thrashed Sweden 9-1.

Meghan Agosta set a new record for most goals in a single Games with her ninth as Canada's defeated Finland 5-0.

Haley Irwin scored two as the reigning Olympics champions won with ease.

Finnish netminder Noora Raty produced numerous outstanding saves in amongst the 45 she recorded to keep the score respectable.

However, she could do nothing to stop Carloine Oullette adding a fifth from close range towards the end of the final period.

US, who led 5-1 going into the third period, avenged their 2006 semi-final defeat by Sweden, to reach their first Olympic final since 2002, when they were beaten 3-1 by Canada.

Finland will play Sweden in the bronze-medal match on Thursday.

Olympics tops 'American Idol' in ratings

(AP) – 1 hour ago

NEW YORK — Shani Davis, Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White are the true American Idols.

In a startling turnaround from the night before, the Olympics clobbered Fox's "American Idol" in the ratings Wednesday night. The Nielsen Co. said that during the one hour the two shows competed against one another, the Olympics were seen by 30.1 million people while 18.4 million watched "American Idol."

It was the first time in six years that anything has beaten the nation's most popular program head to head in the ratings.

Davis, Vonn and White were all heavily promoted American contenders who won gold medals Wednesday.

On Tuesday, "Idol" beat the Olympics by nearly 4 million viewers.

Elder Pharma’s Uttarakhand facility on stream

Mumbai-based Elder Pharmaceuticals has commenced commercial operations at its new U.S. FDA compliant manufacturing facility at Langa Road in Dehradun (Uttarakhand), which is an excise benefit zone.

The company plans to move manufacturing of all syrup-based products to this Rs.150-crore facility. These products are now either being manufactured or being outsourced.

Production lines

The facility has production lines for liquid orals, sterile injectables, cephalosporin block for tablets as well as dry powder injectables.

Canadians revel in Bilodeau's Olympic success

Ontario's Family Day unofficially was extended across the country Monday as millions of proud Canadians continue to come together to celebrate the athletic achievement of moguls skier Alexandre Bilodeau.

The country remains abuzz after the 22-year-old captured an Olympic gold medal on Sunday night in Vancouver, the first by a Canuck in a Games hosted by Canada in 34 years.

"Bravo Alex Bravo!" speedskater Charles Hamelin, a medal favourite at these Games, said of his Canadian teammate on Twitter. "He is my hero, I am so happy for him! I'm eager to congratulate him in person!"

That could happen Monday as Bilodeau will receive his gold medal at a ceremony in downtown Vancouver.

Free speech in Canada on display at Olympic Games

VANCOUVER — This Olympic flame — a mop of fiery gold ribbon attached to a used toilet plunger — arrived downtown to wild cheers from a sign-waving crowd packed into a local community center.

There were emotional speeches blasting Olympic organizers for the $6 billion cost to stage the games and the obligatory song, a biting parody of the Canadian national anthem.

Just two years removed from perhaps the most restrictive Olympics in Beijing, where some aspiring demonstrators were jailed for even applying for required protest permits and access to the websites of some civil liberties organizations were blocked, Vancouver is offering a starkly different approach to free expression.

London 2012 appoints Director of Culture

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the Cultural Olympiad Board have appointed Ruth Mackensie as the Director of Culture for the 2012 Games.

Leading the LOCOG Culture team, Ruth will report to Cultural Olympiad Chair Tony Hall and the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Board.

She will be supported by a team of artistic advisers who will continue in their current roles: Martin Duncan, Craig Hassall, Sir Brian McMaster and Alex Poots.

Currently an expert adviser on broadcasting and cultural policy for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Ruth brings a wealth of experience. Previous roles include first General Director of the Manchester International Festival, Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre and General Director, Scottish Opera.

She has also worked on a consultancy basis for the Barbican Centre, Tate, BBC, London Symphony Orchestra and Young Vic. She was awarded an OBE for her services to the theatre in 1995.

Making the announcement today, Tony Hall said: 'This appointment means leadership plus teamwork. The Cultural Olympiad will move forward under Ruth Mackenzie’s expert guidance, and she will be supported by four people who know all there is to know about putting a celebration like this together, both creatively and administratively. I’m very excited about what this team under Ruth will deliver.'

Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: 'This is the final piece in the jigsaw of a project that now has the best possible level of governance in the Cultural Olympiad Board; a strong team here at LOCOG; significant funding in place through the Olympic Lottery Distributor and further partners; and projects being developed in conjunction with key partners across the arts and culture sector.

'I’m thrilled that we have such strong artistic talent on board, and I know Ruth and the team deliver a truly special Cultural Olympiad.'