WHEN the Olympic torch touches down in Canberra this morning [23 April 2008], some of those holding their breath about the success of the event include major brands of the world - Coca-Cola, electronics manufacturer Samsung and Olympic newcomer, Chinese computer giant Lenovo. When the three signed to sponsor the 2008 torch relay, they had grand plans of another international celebration leading to the lighting of the cauldron in Beijing's Olympic stadium on August 8.

A Moscow press conference of ecologists, human rights activists and Sochi residents has suggested that the International Olympic Committee(IOC) has grounds to cancel the winter Olympic Games, set to take place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in 2014. The press-conference, titled “The 2014 Sochi Olympics. Opportunism, incompetence, disregard for the law – the major threat to the collapse of the National Project,” met in Moscow on April 10th.