Free Republic

This week the Socialist Left premier of Victoria cancelled his own government's scheme for a Regional Commonwealth Games because he said his own scheme was too expensive. As Victoria grapples with this further evidence of the stunning incompetence of Premier Daniel Michael Andrews, I look to history to understand what has just happened. On this date in 356 b.c. Alexander The Great was born. He said, “I am not afraid of an army of lions lead by a sheep. I am afraid of an army of sheep lead by a lion.” Andrews is a tough, callous, uncompromising and dictatorial leader...

Cycling at the Commonwealth Games was struck by another horrifying crash on Sunday afternoon that saw England's Matt Walls catapulted over the barrier into the crowd, leaving athletes and spectators requiring urgent medical attention. In the second qualifying heat of the men's 15km scratch qualifying, there was a multi-rider crash and England's Matt Walls flew over the barrier and into the crowd, with his bike. Fellow racer Matt Bostock was taken away on a stretcher, while 24-year-old Walls received treatment for more than 40 minutes before being taken away by ambulance. British Cycling confirmed on social media that Walls and...

Around 50 competitors have remained in Australia illegally after going missing during this year's Commonwealth Games, a government official has said. Nearly 200 others hold bridging visas and are applying for refugee status. Australia has warned it will deport those who stay in the country illegally, after dozens of competitors - including many from Africa - disappeared from the competition. The numbers are a dramatic increase on other international sporting events... Australian media had speculated that anywhere between 20 and 100 athletes had absconded during the Golden Coast Games, which ended on 15 April. They included eight members of Cameroon's...

So, it's under way and, using a memorable turn of phrase from a colleague, India soared over the first Commonwealth Games hurdle by producing a vibrant and polished opening ceremony with a mass singing of Jai Ho at the end it would be hard to ever forget. It's certainly an event Nottingham's badminton star Nathan Robertson will remember - being a flag bearer for your country at a major games is quite something. He'll be looking to shine, but will have to wait his turn. My job out here will often be to get to the sports which are getting...

Human Rights campaigners have accused the Indian government of sweeping slum dwellers and beggars off Delhi's streets in an effort to "beautify" the city. The eyes of the world are on Delhi as it gears up to host the Commonwealth Games and activists fear poor people are being forced to leave because they send out the wrong image. Shanty towns across the city have been razed to the ground. Some are deemed too close to venues while others have been demolished to make way for car parks and road improvement schemes. Shivani Chaudry from the Housing And Land Rights Network...

Organizers of this year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi have had their share of problems, not the least of which are wild animals said to be infesting the stadiums and housing areas. Athletes and other visitors may take comfort in the fact that organizers have hired a well-trained team to keep the area safe ... although they may be slightly alarmed to learn that they are being protected by a team of monkeys. According to the UK's Daily Telegraph, a team of trained langur monkeys has been brought in to scare off wild animals, including wild dogs, snakes and other...

-excerpt- Concerns emerged last week after a pedestrian bridge leading to the main stadium collapsed, team officials reported the athletes' village was "unsafe and unfit for human habitation," and two tourists were shot and wounded outside one of New Delhi's top attractions.

NEW DELHI – A footbridge being built near the main stadium for the Commonwealth Games collapsed Tuesday, injuring 23 construction workers and putting the event in further jeopardy less than two weeks before the opening ceremony. The accident was the latest setback to New Delhi's troubled preparations for the games, which bring together more than 7,000 athletes and officials from the 71 countries and territories in the commonwealth every four years.

The ill-fated Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, just 12 days away, has suffered another major setback after a footbridge near the event's main stadium collapsed, injuring at least 23 labourers, five of them seriously. Senior police official H S Dhaliwal said the steel arch supporting the 164-foot long foot-bridge collapsed outside the Nehru Stadium which is to host the opening and closing ceremonies and athletic events of India’s fortnight-long showpiece event beginning on Oct 3. The bridge, linking the car and bus parking lot to the stadium but now a mass of mangled steel, was to have transported thousands of...

SNIPPET: "Three prestigious global sports events are scheduled to take place in India between now and the end of the year---the World Cup Hockey, the IPL Cricket League and the Commonwealth Games. 2. These events will atract the attention of not only the sports enthusiasts of the world, but also of the terrorists with a global or an anti-Indian agenda who will look upon the events as an opportunity to publicise their cause and to demonstrate their capability to take the intelligence and security agencies by surprise. Even if they are not able to carry out any terrorist strike on...

A THOUSAND Dame Ednas danced on the MCG as Melbourne marked the end of the Commonwealth Games with a celebration of all that makes her great. The gigantic party brought together the city's biggest names and most famous landmarks. Alex Jesaulenko's 1970 Grand Final screamer, modern-day football stars led by James Hird, singer Paul Kelly, Flinders St station, the Melbourne Cup, Luna Park, Federation Square – even the CityLink cheese stick and zipper – were offered up for praise inside the MCG. An 11-minute burst of Bollywood glamour, courtesy of Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games organisers, provided an exotic and well-received...

FULL-strength beer has been banned from the Commonwealth Games boxing venue in a bid to curb rowdy spectators. Games organisers described the move as "proactive" while Victoria Police chief Christine Nixon said she did not have figures at hand on how many people had been ejected for drunken behaviour. But both confirmed the heavy beer had been scrapped in favour of light ale. "We had concerns about the venue and about the people who are visiting and coming along to the events and, so, we had discussions with management of the venue around the heavy beer," Mrs Nixon said. She...

Yesterday evening the President addressed the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington. Yesterday evening First Lady Laura Bush delivers remarks at the Ayenda Afghan Children Initiative Benefit Dinner at the Afghanistan embassy in Washington. Today the President met with Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern at the White House later on the President and the First Lady departed for Camp David where they are spending the weekend. The Vice President spoke at a Rally for the Troops at Charleston Air Force Base Click here for the transcript The Vice President also spoke at a luncheon for congressional candidate Ralph Norman in...

THE world's most powerful woman, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, will present a gold medal at tonight's swimming finals. Games chairman Ron Walker has asked Dr Rice to present the medals for the women's 50m breaststroke final, one of five finals on the night. America's chief diplomat arrives in Melbourne late today after two days of talks in Sydney with counterpart Alexander Downer and Prime Minister John Howard. A police motorcade will escort her from the airport to the Sports and Aquatic Centre, where she will enjoy front row seats.

EVEN the hyper-bloody-sensitive Brits can't complain about a shindig where 80,000 people, led by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, belt out Happy Birthday to the Queen, who doesn't even turn 80 until next month. If the raucous tribute to Her Majesty wasn't the high point of last night's opening ceremony - and it went close - it was at least one of the more comprehensible. Since the arty-farty part of the extravaganza purportedly revolved around the dreams of a 12-year-old skater boy, Sean Whitford, aka Mickey Webster, we can count ourselves lucky not to have been treated to dancing Xboxes, exploding...

THE Queen has arrived in Melbourne ahead of tonight's opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the royal couple touched down at Melbourne Airport at 12.30pm (AEDT). The chartered British Airways 777 taxied to a secure area of the tarmac where about 150 people were waiting to greet the couple. The crowd – a mix of Games volunteers, airport staff, and families – cheered as the Queen, wearing a lime-coloured dress and hat, left the plane. The Queen shook hands and greeted several members of the crowd before leaving in a black limousine. Commonwealth Games...

TONIGHT Australia's greatest and most historic arena will be the setting for reaffirmation of Melbourne's fame as the nation's sporting capital. At the MCG the flags of 71 Commonwealth countries will flutter colourfully as about 4500 athletes march into the hallowed ground. Local and overseas VIPs will watch from the stands as the Queen opens what is the 18th in the series of unique sporting contests, which began in Canada in 1930. They were the Empire Games then because the contest was between the colonies, dominions and territories of an Empire on which the sun never set. Times change and...

POLICE are locking down parts of Melbourne as part of Commonwealth Games security preparations, with a week still to go before the opening ceremony. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said security for the Games was now in full swing, with venues locked down following security sweeps in preparation for the opening next Wednesday. Police will evaluate security at the MCG later this week when they begin using airport-style screening to check spectators entering two dress rehearsals for the Games opening ceremony. In the largest security operation ever seen in Australia, more than 2500 military personnel will join Victoria's 13,000...

KEEP away from Australian women, Ugandan athletes heading for the Commonwealth Games have been told. The warning, from Ugandan sports chief Denis Mugabo, follows the laying of rape charges against a Ugandan athlete at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Prosecutors later dropped the charges against Ugandan swimmer Joe Atuhaire, 22, who had been accused of having sexual intercourse without consent with a 17-year-old Sydney girl during the Games. "Keep away from the Australian women or else you will end up in prisons like the Ugandan swimmer during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games," Mr Mugabo, director of the Ugandan ministry of...

IAN Thorpe has pulled out of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games because of illness. The five-time Olympic gold medallist has been suffering from a mystery illness after coming down with a severe bout of bronchitis last month. Speaking today in Sydney - his voice rasping - Thorpe said he had suffered from bronchitis which had run him down and led to sinus problems and flu symptoms. Precisely what is wrong with him remains a mystery, however. "All I know is that I have taken more pills than ever before in my life in an attempt to get over this," a weak-looking...