Bush to attend Olympic opening ceremony

China's Olympic organisers received a political filip today as George Bush accepted an invitation to attend the opening ceremony, despite boycott calls by human rights groups. The French head of state Nicolas Sarkozy - who had earlier indicated he might shun the games - is also likely to be present, according to French media. The two leaders were under pressure to skip the games after the violent unrest in Tibet earlier this year drew attention to Beijing's sometimes harsh methods of control. Critics say the Olympics will be used as a propaganda exercise by Beijing to endorse one-party rule. The White House insisted Bush's attendance at the showpiece event was not a political statement. "He believes he's going to China to support first and foremost our athletes. He sees this as a sporting competition," said spokeswoman Dana... [read full story]