Reporters on the job
• Biking to Beijing: Many foreigners are worried that the Beijing Olympics are going to be too regimented to be much fun, says staff writer Peter Ford. But as the Games approach, unexpected events are catching the eye (see story).
"I was biking around Tiananmen Square on Saturday evening when I was overtaken by two extremely serious looking cyclists packing a lot of gear," says Peter. "They turned out to be a couple of guys from Zagreb, Croatia – 'two Crazy Croats' they call themselves – who had ridden for 121 days to Beijing to be here for the Olympics.
"They were just coming up on the entrance to the Forbidden City, and you can imagine the size of the smiles on their faces as a friend took their photo," says Peter. "Even a policeman gave them time for the photos before moving them on."
– Matthew Clark
Africa/Americas editor
• Monday, Aug. 4:
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa – Jacob Zuma, likely to be South Africa's next president, seeks to have corruption charges against him thrown out of court.
Washington – President Bush begins a trip to South Korea, Thailand, and China.
• WEDNESDAY, Aug. 6:
Seoul, South Korea – President Bush meets South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and holds a joint news conference.
• THURSDAY, Aug. 7:
Frankfurt – European Central Bank's governing council meets to set interest rates for the 15-nation eurozone.
• FRIDAY, Aug. 8:
Beijing – Beijing Olympics opens. Competition begins Aug. 9.
