Thousands of pro-Tibet supporters have promised to hold a peaceful rally during Thursday’s torch relay in Canberra, but thousands of Chinese students were also expected to rally to support China. Media reports said the Chinese embassy had hired 20 buses…

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu has warned Australians against disrupting the Olympic torch. She said people who protested against the torch relay did so because they did not understand the real situation in Tibet. ABC Online | Link

In Jakarta yesterday, the flame was again a magnet for dissent. Indonesian police dispersed about 100 anti-China protesters and detained a foreign activist before the torch’s truncated relay. Three of the sponsors of the Australian Olympic Committee, Speedo, Energy Australia…

Kevin Rudd’s warning came as the cost of hosting Thursday’s event doubled to almost $2 million. “If any protesters, irrespective of their political point of view, engage in unruly, disorderly or violent behaviour, then the police will come down on…

The Olympic torch has become a beacon for pro-Tibet supporters as it makes its way around the world in the lead up to the Beijing Games. Ms Hatfield-Dodds says the recent scenes in Tibet are disturbing. “For many other people…