Posted by
Lee Suckling on August 1st, 2008
After several months of counting down, the Olympic Games 2008 are finally just a week away. Beijing has been highly criticised over the last few weeks because it has not yet managed to clean up the air pollution problem to a standard which the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has been counting on.
With just 8 days to go, can China pull one out of the bag? Media reports have claimed the city plans to cut 95% of all motor vehicle usage for the 48 hours preceding the opening ceremony - a move which will bode well with competitors, visitors and perhaps vital to the Games themselves. This restriction however, is one that will incapacitate Beijing residents, leaving them confined to public transport and non-motorised ways of travel such as walking and cycling.
China is well known for only providing limited and censored internet access within its perimetres, however the IOC announced yesterday that the 21,500-odd journalists and news media travelling to Beijing for the Games will be allowed near-unrestricted online access.
“Sensitive”, non-Games related websites such as those associated with the governmentally-prohibited spiritual group Falun Gong, and the Amnesty International website which condemns the Chinese nation for its inability to respect human rights quotas, will continue to remain inaccessible in China throughout the Games.
Earlier this year the Chinese government unblocked the English-language Wikipedia website, in what some say was owing to pressures from the IOC. However, the “sufficient, convenient internet access” which will be made available for journalists to be able to do their job for the Olympics will expire in October, when full Web restrictions will be reinstated in China.
NZS.com will be covering the Games daily with an Olympic Medals tally, don’t forget to check back each day from August 10 for updates on the New Zealand Olympic team’s winnings!
Posted by
Greta Simpson on July 29th, 2008
Latest netball results from this weekend’s competition (Final, July 28):
- Swifts beat the Magic; 65-56 in Sydney
Unfortunately, that means this year’s competition went to the Aussies. Check out the netball standings to find out where your team placed, and stay tuned to the blog next year for the 2009 ANZ Championship netball results.
Posted by
Greta Simpson on July 22nd, 2008
Latest netball results from this weekend’s competition (Preliminary Final, July 21):
- Magic beat the Thunderbirds; 51-49 in Hamilton
Check out the netball standings to find out where your team placed, and stay tuned to the blog for next week’s ANZ Championship final netball result…
Posted by
Greta Simpson on July 15th, 2008
Latest netball results from this weekend’s competition (Semifinals, July 13 - July 14):
- Magic lost to the Swifts; 56-57 in Hamilton
- Thunderbirds beat the Vixens; 53-48 in Adelaide
Check out the netball standings to find out where your team placed, and stay tuned to the blog for next week’s ANZ Championship preliminary final netball results…
Image from Flickr.
Posted by
Greta Simpson on July 8th, 2008
Latest netball results from this weekend’s competition (Round 14, July 5 - July 7):
- Magic beat the Tactix; 69-44 in Hamilton
- Vixens beat the Mystics; 56-47 in Melbourne
- Steel beat the Firebirds; 54-52 in Dunedin
- Pulse lost to the Thunderbirds; 32-44 in Napier
- Fever lost to the Swifts; 54-63 in Perth
Check out the netball standings to find out where your team is currently placed, and stay tuned to the blog for next week’s ANZ Championship netball results…
Image from Flickr.
Posted by
Greta Simpson on July 1st, 2008
Latest netball results from this weekend’s competition (Round 13, June 28 - June 30):
- Thunderbirds beat the Firebirds; 66-47 in Adelaide
- Mystics beat the Pulse; 42-28 in Auckland
- Fever beat the Tactix; 50-44 in Perth
- Vixens lost to the Swifts; 49-62 in Melbourne
- Steel beat the Magic; 47-43 in Invercargill
Check out the netball standings to find out where your team is currently placed, and stay tuned to the blog for next week’s ANZ Championship netball results…
Image from Flickr.
Posted by
Greta Simpson on June 24th, 2008
Latest netball results from this weekend’s competition (Round 12, June 21 - June 23):
- Fever lost to the Vixens; 48-54 in Perth
- Pulse lost to the Magic; 41-46 in Wellington
- Firebirds beat the Tactix; 50-36 in Brisbane
- Swifts beat the Thunderbirds; 51-41 in Sydney
- Mystics beat the Steel; 47-41 in Auckland
Check out the netball standings to find out where your team is currently placed, and stay tuned to the blog for more ANZ Championship netball results…
Image from Flickr.
Posted by
Greta Simpson on June 17th, 2008
Latest netball results from this weekend’s competition (Round 11, June 14 - June16):
- Mystics lost to the Thunderbirds; 47-48 in Auckland
- Swifts beat the Firebirds; 61-60 in Sydney
- Tactix beat the Pulse; 50-49 in Christchurch
- Vixens beat the Magic; 47-40 in Dunedin
- Steel beat the Fever; 58-43 in Melbourne
Check out the netball standings to find out where your team is currently placed, and stay tuned to the blog for more ANZ Championship netball results…
Image from Flickr.
Posted by
Greta Simpson on June 10th, 2008
Latest netball results from this weekend’s competition (Round 10, June 7 - June 9):
- Steel beat the Vixens; 47-46 in Invercargill
- Thunderbirds beat the Tactix; 61-41 in Adelaide
- Magic beat the Firebirds; 56-50 in Rotorua
- Fever beat the Pulse; 33-16 in Auckland
- Mystics lost to the Swifts; 62-63 in Perth
Check out the netball standings to find out where your team is currently placed, and stay tuned to the blog for more ANZ Championship netball results…
Image from Flickr.
Posted by
Gary Jensen on June 3rd, 2008
Final super 14 results from this weekend’s competition final (week 16, May 31st):
- Crusaders beat the Sharks; 20-12 in Christchurch
Congratulations to the Crusaders for winning their seventh title in the competition. It was an intense final and a fitting send-off for Robbie Deans.
Check out the Super 14 standings to see the end of season results…
Image from Flickr.
