Britons are packing their bags and travelling abroad during the Olympics to be better off, according to a recent survey. Findings by M&S Money revealed that a beach break overseas is more financially viable than staying in London during the first week of the 2012 Games.

The study of 2,000 adults showed that a foreign beach vacation will leave a Briton around 25% wealthier than residing in the capital. A trip to a seaside destination overseas cost on average GBP1,298 from 28th July- 4th August in comparison to GBP1,631 for the same week in London including spends.

The report claims that London is coming out as costly due to the fact that a large amount of spending money is required with almost GBP600 needed per week. Bridgeton in Barbados and Daytona Beach in Florida were the only hotspots that were cheaper than the UK’s capital.

Further findings reveal that the lowest priced destination was Alicante in Spain at GBP927 as well as Bodrum in Turkey at GBP1,102. A massive 46% of those surveyed plan to take a holiday abroad this summer and 28% intend to have a beach trip.

Hotel Sis Pins is without doubt one of the most charming hotels in Pollensa, Spain and is a well-kept secret of timeless elegance and sophistication with warmth and welcome; beautifully located on the very edge of the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.

Visitors return time and time again to stay in the traditional Mallorquin beach hotel which is full of character and charm; all other beach hotels, cottages and apartments will fail in comparison with the perfect location to the beach, marina and shops. It is the ideal holiday destination in Majorca, so if you are considering a beach holiday to escape the London 2012 Olympics look no further than Hotel Sis Pins.

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For the first time ever Saudi Arabia has announced that Saudi women will be allowed to compete in the Olympics. Saudi Arabia is one of three countries the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been pressuring to allow female competitors. The other two countries, Qatar and Brunei, have also announced that they will be sending athletes this year. Qatar will be sending three women: a shooter, a swimmer, and a runner; and Brunei will send a woman for the hurdling title.

The Saudi Embassy in London issued a statement announcing the decision which stated, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wishes to reaffirm its support the sublime meanings reflected by Olympic Games and the cherished values of excellence, friendship, and respect that they represent.”

The IOC has been working for several months with the Saudi government and issued a positive statement on March 19 that read, “the IOC is confident that Saudi Arabia is working to include women athletes and officials at the Olympic Games in London in accordance with the International Federations’ rules.”

Minky Worden, the director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch said, “It is only right that the Saudi government should play by the Olympic rules. But an 11th-hour change of course to avoid a ban does not alter the dismal and unequal conditions of women and girls in Saudi Arabia.” Worden did admit that the announcement “pins them down to finding a woman. The Saudis should be on a bit of a desperate search” right now.

The Saudis have already allowed one woman, Dalma Rushdi Malhas, to compete in the equestrian competition at the Singapore Youth Olympics. After hearing the announcement that women will now be allowed to compete in the Olympics Malhas said it was “a dream come true. This just opens so many doors for women.”

Unfortunately, due to an injury her horse has suffered, Malhas missed the June 17 qualification and will not be prepared for this Olympic competition. She is still hoping that she will be able to attend the next equestrian competition at the Olympics.

Earlier this year the Human Rights Watch advocacy group said that the reason why women were not allowed to compete in sports came form a “predominant conservative view that opening sports to women and girls will lead to immorality: ‘steps of the devil’ as one prominent religious scholar put it.”

In Saudi Arabia women cannot drive, vote or hold public office, although some of these restrictions may change in 2015. Women are also not allowed to marry, leave the country, open bank accounts, or go to school unless they have the permission of a male guardian such as a father, husband, or brother.

In 2009 and 2010 Saudi Arabia closed its private gyms for women. The only exception for this restriction is the Jeddah United basketball section which is a private sports company.

Previously, female athletes were banned from the Olympics because the crowd includes both men and women who would be watching these women.

King Abdullah came to the throne in 2005 and has tried to do some modern reforms. However, the king has faced large opposition from religious conservatives on every policy that would ease restrictions against women.

One area that King Abdullah has tried to ease restrictions on is driving, but he has heard opposition on this as well.

Manal al Sharif, a Saudi female activist, was arrested and jailed after posting a video on YouTube of her driving. Sharif is helping to organize- and is participating in- the second annual driving protest. Sharif said about the Olympic decision that it “isn’t one of those things we’re crying out for” because they are more interested in their “basic rights.”

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Uganda’s track event athletes have failed to qualify for the 2012 London Summer Olympics. The athletes arrived at Namboole Stadium, a national stadium in Uganda, and were informed that there had been a double-booking with a religious rally.

The Ugandan athletes blame their failure to qualify on the poor quality of the track they had to use, as opposed to using the national track for their time trials. The athletes used the track at Makerere University, which is uneven and has no time precision measurements. Many of the athletes are disappointed, since they will not have another chance to qualify.

The Ugandan Athletics Federation claimed that at least five of the athletes at the time trials qualification would have passed if they had used the other stadium. One of the sprinters statet means we have to wait for another four years.” Another athlete, Okiror Anthony, a 400 meter runner said, “I feel bad because I would have qualified as I was close to the time.”

Namboole Stadium was being used for a religious rally by Japanese Happy Science. According to the BBC there is an assumption within Uganda that the Happy Science group’s money got them the stadium over the potential Olympic athletes.

Brian Rycroft, a spokesman for the religious group, claimed that they booked the stadium through a third party and had no idea that there was even a conflict. The BBC also reported that several evangelical pastors in Kampala have called the religious group a cult. Rycroft took offense to the cult accusations and stated, “People are welcome to join us from whatever background, race, or religion. And they’re free to leave anytime too if they don’t want to stay in Happy Science.”

The Happy Science rally was the first major rally held in Africa, and thousands attended the event. Happy Science claims to be one of the largest and fastest-growing religions in Japan. It was founded in the 1980s by Ryuho Okawa and has grown substantially since then.

Happy Science, a polytheistic religion, has only recently begun its efforts in Africa and has offices in Kampala, Uganda; Durban, South Africa; Lagos State, Nigeria; and Ghana. According to their website, Happy Science “is a religion established by Master Ryuho Okawa – a living Buddha and Savior of the 21st Century. It is a religion which unites all people and, through its unique and powerful teachings, aims to bring happiness to every individual to create a utopia on earth.”

Some of the Ugandan athletes will get another chance to qualify in Benin at the African Athletics Championships.

Image Courtesy of  Uganda Athletics Federation

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The General Secretary of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, Volodymyr Gerashchenko, resigned Friday May 28, 2012 after he tried to sell Olympic tickets on the black market. Gerashchenko has been the General Secretary, the top position of the committee, since 1997 according to the BBC.

Gerashchenko’s black market deal was revealed by a BBC journalist who went undercover as an unauthorized ticket dealer. Gerashchenko was in London at the time fulfilling his duties as General Secretary, by accrediting Ukrainian athletes and officials. The journalist had heard that Gerashchenko was illegally selling tickets and secretly taped the meeting between Gerashchenko and himself. Gerashchenko stated, “I understand you’re a dealer – that’s why for me, you are priority number one, the top, the person, in case we have extra ticket to contact you, we contact you”.

Reportedly, Gerashchenko was selling about 100 tickets for several thousand pounds. He planned to give 2,900 tickets allotted to his committee for distribution to Ukrainian fans, coaches, and officials but then sell the rest of the tickets.

Since 2005 it has been illegal to sell Olympic tickets on the black market. Every offense incurs a fine of £20,000. It is unknown yet whether or not Gerashchenko will have to pay these fines since he did not actually sell the tickets.

The Ukrainian National Olympic Committee President Sergey Bubka claimed that he was surprised about the allegations. He said, “We have a special committee responsible for the requests for the Olympic tickets within our quota. The list of the requested tickets is validated by the Executive Committee. This list is a strictly accountable document. There is no possibility for any individual to distribute the tickets beyond the list.”

The allegations were taken very seriously by all and investigations have already begun. Gerashchenko was suspended immediately after the video and story were released and he tendered his resignation shortly thereafter. Bubka claimed “[The committee] takes accusations very seriously and that is why we have acted so swiftly to address the recent BBC reports.”

Shortly after the release of the story and news video the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine held an emergency meeting. Directly after the meeting Gerashchenko tendered his resignation as General Secretary. However, he also promised to cooperate in the criminal and Olympic committee investigation. Sergey Bubka told the BBC, “It will not be appropriate for me in light of the investigation to comment any further.”

Geraschenko was the top official of the 149-member National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. The scandal has cast a shadow on Ukraine’s international image and may affect the European Soccer Championship that the Ukraine is co-hosting with Poland this June.

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The Olympic torch is a symbol of hope, unity, and pride. It began its journey for the London Summer 2012 Olympics at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece on May 10, 2012. From there it traveled to Land’s End, Wales, and on May 19 2012 began its journey across the United Kingdom. It will reach the Olympic Stadium in London on July 27, 2012, when the Olympic Games will begin.

The torch is an exceptionally important world symbol so the 8,000 individuals carrying the torch over its 8,000 mile journey are specifically chosen for their unique backgrounds and national ties.

The BBC monitors the progress of the torch closely and provides maps of the torchbearers’ routes and biographies of the torchbearers themselves. One of these torchbearers is Adrian Derbyshire, a personal trainer who in 2008 was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Instead of resigning to his fate he joined the Team GB wheelchair fencing team and became an active member in the Warrington Disability Partnership. He and many others have been picked as torchbearers for their unique stories and contributions.

Adrian Derbyshire is not the only disabled individual to be included as a torchbearer. Ricky Furgusson is an Afghanistan War veteran who lost both his legs, his left eye, and fingers from both hands. He carried the torch May 30, 2012 through Chester to Stoke-on-Trent to a cheering crowd and saluting members of the 4th battalion.

The eleventh doctor of the long-running show “Doctor Who,” Matt Smith, also carried the torch on 26 May 2012. He claimed that the honor was so great that he would “do it in his underpants” and admitted that he “would probably get a bigger crowd for that”. His early morning jog through Cardiff drew a large crowd as individuals came to see not only the torch but him. He handed off the torch to 14-year-old swimmer Lilo Roberts, a highly ranked 100m freestyle swimmer.

Having Smith carry the torch has stirred up Whovians everywhere who wish to see the tenth incarnation of the Doctor, David Tennant, carry the torch or light the flame at the very end of the route. In the episode “Fear Her” the Doctor – then played by Tennant – carries the torch the last distance and begins the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics.

Sir Chris Bonington was yet another torchbearer who is well-known for mountaineering and has climbed Mt. Everest four times. Bonington brought the torch to the top of Mt. Snowdon – a 1,082m trip above sea level – on 29 May 2012 in a lantern. According to the BBC, Snowdon has great significance for Bonington because it is where he began his mountaineering career sixty-one years ago at the age of eighteen.

A group of four Russian representatives also are taking part as torchbearers. One of these Russians is Vladimir Tolstoy, the great-great-grandson of Leo Tolstoy and Director of the Yasnaya Poliana Museum who carried the torch through Hawarden.

The torch is currently leaving Stafford and will pass through Warrington and Wigan tomorrow.

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According to both his agent and team officials on Thursday night, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard will miss the remainder of the regular season, the entire post-season, and also, the 2012 Summer Olympics because of surgery to repair a herniated disk in his lower back, scheduled for Friday. Back issues had been nagging Howard, dating back to early March, but the herniated disk was not discovered until last week by Los Angeles spinal surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins.

“Dwight went in for an MRI Thursday morning,” said Howard’s agent, Dan Fegan. “When the results of that MRI came back, it appeared from that MRI that the problem had worsened the tear. The doctors got on the phone. They consulted together, and they both reached the same conclusion: that he was no longer a candidate for rehab, that surgery was required.”

Howard had been absent from the Magic line-up for the past six consecutive games with the injury and a total of eight this season. Without his presence, the Magic has gone just 3-5, and opponents have taken advantage on the offensive end, shooting 50 percent from the floor in 6 of the 8 contests.

“It hurts (emotionally),” said Howard. “That’s the first thing — it hurts. And then with people saying and thinking I’m quitting on my team. This is a real issue. I tried to play through it and it just made my back worse.”

In a season where Howard made almost non-stop headlines for all of the wrong reasons and had his mental commitment to the organization vigorously questioned, he now finds himself missing in action and in the news for health issues – something that, ironically enough, is completely out of his control this time around.

Howard’s indecisiveness concerning his future with the Magic was one of the major storylines around the entire league until he decided to waive his early termination option on the day of the trade deadline. Although an extension was not signed, waiving the option meant that Howard would remain under contract with Orlando through next season. However, this would only bring a temporary end to the drama surrounding the Magic big man.

On April 5, only hours before a game with the New York Knicks, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters that he had been informed by the team’s front office that Howard asked them to fire him. Moments later, Howard put his arm around Van Gundy and insisted that this was not their main concern. He has denied the reports ever since, and many believe that Van Gundy is nothing more than a dead man walking.

It was also reported just days ago by WKMG in Orlando that Howard personally called Magic owner Rich DeVos during an April 13game against the Atlanta Hawks and told him he would not play for Van Gundy anymore. Sources told WKMG that Howard’s reasoning behind this was that he was still upset about Van Gundy’s comments to the media concerning his desire for a coaching change. However, other sources claim that no such phone call was ever made.

Nonetheless, the Magic is left with two options – either lay down in the post-season because their star will not be out there to lead them, or fight through it, and make a run that no one will see coming. Howard has faith in the latter.

“If the guys come together, we still have a chance,” Howard said. “I know what we have in that locker room. I’ve seen it in spurts this season. I’ve told them, ‘We don’t have to be the biggest or the strongest; we just have to believe.’”

Image Courtesy of   Keith Allison

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