The Beijing 2008 Olympics is officially 'over' on the evening of 24th August, when the closing ceremony takes place in their enormous 'bird's nest' stadium. London gets a few minutes in the ceremony as part of the Handover, which will be shown on big screens hastily put up in London and across UK cities. This happens to be on the early afternoon (in UK time) on the Sunday of the big august bank holiday/Notting......

Ken Livingston's vision of driving a Routemaster to Beijing as a 2012 promotional exercise may have been ditched as a total waste of time and money because of the Sichuan earthquake but the bus itself is still in line to be the star of the handover ceremony at the end of this summer's Games. In fact, it's already on it's way in a container ship. As for the spangly ceremonials, as per the rumours,......

2008 Olympians above, left to right: Bradley Wiggins - track and road bicycle racer, John McFall - Paralympic sprinter, Heather Fell - modern pentathlon, Tom Daley - diving (10m platform), Victoria Pendleton - track cyclist, Liz Yelling - marathon, Chris Tomlinson - long jump. The right costume can make all the difference. When people think of Princess Leia popular culture suggests that it's the metal bikini from the Return of the Jedi that she's......

One of the enthusiastic Olympic buses by Orhan. The Olympic Torch Relay is all over the news this morning for the wrong reasons as far as the organisers and host country are concerned. Was the police presence over egged or was security not tight enough? Were the pro-Tibetan demonstrators treated unfairly and corralled into tight corners when pro-Chinese people were allowed to freely line the streets and wave their flags? Can you separate Olympic values......

Here’s what we’ve learned whilst you’ve been making snowmen: It’s snowing. Perfect excuse for Terminal 5 to dig itself a little deeper. Time to spare? Got an historical leaning? Osterley House needs you. We’ve got sea-horses. In the Thames Estuary. Which apparently proves that our river's cleaner than it has been for a long time. Londonist’s mind is all boggled. Try this for size - Britney as Blanche Dubois on the West End stage.......

Well damn. Just as we were preparing to submit our accumulated evidence that Paula Radcliffe deserves admission to the International Super Heroes Hall of Fame (wherever that may be), word comes today of a crack in the steely exterior of the marathon world record holder. The three-time London Marathon winner has been forced to withdraw from this year’s event due to an injury to a tendon in her toe (tendons! in the toe! yet......

Our environmentally sustainable Mayor is taking on the IOC bigwigs who are demanding VIP fast lanes for a fleet of up to 3000 cars "to take officials, politicians and corporate sponsors to venues" at the 2012 Games. No fool he, cunningly waiting until they'd finished their progress inspection and given a favourable verdict earlier this week. He's not diving headlong into a fight though, preferring to wait until the Beijing Olympics are over this......

The freebie sheets are to get a bit of artistic credibility: they are to be recycled into sculpture. For some strange reason Ken is sending some bus drivers on a trip to Beijing. Some of London’s buildings are to get a green makeover. Shameful: London women earn 23% less than London men. Even more shameful: 4 in 10 children live in poverty in Greater London. Mothering Sunday suggestion no2 courtesy of Robert Brook’s flickr......

The Chinese New Year Celebrations in Soho are undoubtedly one of the highspots of London’s cultural calendar, and this year there’s a load of extra stuff (some would say hype) going on ‘cos of the Beijing/London Olympic connection. Last year’s ceremonies were the biggest outside China, and this year’s look set to be even more impressive. So here’s a special Londonist round up of where to see and what to do…. 6th February: kick......

2008 is Beijing's Olympic year so we're expecting plenty of 2012 related news, rumblings and international comparisons bouncing round the internet. On the last day of January, our Games have already made the headlines 3 times this week: When overall costs trebled at the end of last year, the Lottery stepped in with a mega loan to the Olympics. This week, Tessa Jowell announced it might take 10 years after the event for any......

An airliner crash landed at Heathrow this lunchtime. Eye-witnesses on BBC Five Live and forum posters watching on TV suggest that BA38 from Beijing landing on runway 27L at Heathrow, wobbled on an usually low approach angle making a heck of a lot of noise. The rudder nearly clipped the perimeter fence, missing by only a few feet. Its undercarriage seemed to be up and then the plane belly-flopped into the grass short of......

She does not, to our knowledge, leap tall buildings in a single bound, have telepathic powers, or possess the ability to control the weather. But Paula Radcliffe, who, we learned today, will be competing again this year in the London Marathon en route to trying for the gold at the summer Olympics in Beijing, could make a claim to a few other superhero abilities. Superhuman strength? Check. She runs 26.2 miles in the time......

Just in case there are any 2012 sceptics left amongst you out there (it’s gotta be good, right?), Ken is sending his Olympics PR machine out to get you. In what is actually quite an inspired little scheme, a series of three perky little igloos in jaunty, hard-to-miss shades will be hitting your high street, town square, playing fields or municipal car park real soon. All 33 boroughs in 3 months, starting off in Trafalgar......

The Christmas turkey is cold and in sandwiches. A few of us have struggled back to work, carrying surplus chocolate to the office in a desperate attempt to stop our expanding waistlines. Which must mean it's about time to start panicking about what to do on New Year's Eve. Aside from rammed pubs, pricey nightclubs and awkward parties in someone's frontroom, the main focus for London will be squarely on the London Eye. Since......

If you have childhood memories of Monkey and Pigsy and the little monk that looked like a girl and a flying carpet, a strange quest and lots of nunchuck flinging and kung fu then you have to get yourself to the Bernie Grant Centre tomorrow night for the premiere of Monkey King: A Modern Beijing Opera. Presented by alternative violinists, chi2, this is electro-Monkey for the 21st urban century. Featuring Chinese drummers, film a......

Here’s what we’ve learned this weekend Pedestrianisation is very popular But so is shopping online Olympic building ambitions are being scaled down due to spiralling costs. Potential 2012 Olympians, though, will be sent to Beijing to soak up the Games and fire London ambitions. Greenwich Old Royal Naval College wasn't quite grand enough for Northern Lights film But the late, great, Tony Wilson gets photograph of the month at the NPG Picture of the......

Hands up who remembers Kriss Akabusi running though Greenwich with the torch a few years back? Us too. We also remember thinking it would have been great fun to have a go. It appears that if we were still at school, me might have just got that chance. Secondary schools from all over the city can nominate pupils to carry the torch through London for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The torch makes its way......

(Actually, they’re not. We’re feeling all pretentious this morning and wish to demonstrate our superior education in the Classics.) Turns out the 2012 Olympic venue for canoe slalom, Spitalbrook in Hertfordshire, is tainted with muck. Heavy pollution has forced the Olympic Delivery Authority to seek a new location six miles further south. The proposed move has yet to be approved by the International Olympic Committee. We think shifting the event to cleaner waters is......

They're here! It's taken 2 years of planning, 46 crates, 2 days on the road from Xian to Beijing, 4 inter-continental air freight batches and a lot of extremely careful unpacking to bring 120 marvellous objects, including 12 warriors, other life-sized figures and even 2 horses, from the Museum of the Terracotta Army to London. If you want to gawp in awe at them you'd better get your skates on. The British Museum has already......

London 2012 has "Embraced Web 2.0 and Green IT". Zeitgeist-o-rama. Alex Balfour, head of new media for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) said, We have set out to do things differently and embrace new media. People under 20 use social networking instead of email. It's important we make the most of that opportunity. Our new media channels will be the number-one way for people to share, access......

There are a million things to do in London this week, but if you fancy a night in, here are a few things to keep you occupied. On TV, Londonist likes: Monday, 9 July Britain’s Next Top Model (Living, 21:00-22:00) After the dramatic first episode that saw all the girls get in a screaming match on their first night in their posh London house, we can't wait to see what the wannabe models will......

There's a mere 5 years, 1 month and 5 days until the start of the 2012 Olympics, and we'll bet you're wondering how you're going to fill your time until then. Sure, there are other sporting events you could watch and cultural events you could attend, but what if you fancy something more Olympic-esque? Then the Cultural Olympiad will be right up your alley. It's not a sporting event, but a festival intended to......

Tessa Jowell and Ken Livingston sat smiling professionally side by side today at a presentation to members of the International Olympic Committee whilst the press carried gleeful stories about their respective divergent opinions of the infamous logo. Tessa Jowell declared herself, rather touchingly, "unusual" on the Today programme this morning because of her view that the logo is "terrific". Ken, on the other hand, was denouncing the team responsible for the epilepsy inducing brand......

Elaine Gennard-Levy spent 20 minutes searching for a bathroom while shopping on London's Oxford Street. She decided it would be easier to build her own. Well we can think of simpler ways to relieve ourselves, but they don't payoff in people giving us a fiver for the privilege. This is the story of the luxury loo on Oxford St that we mentioned back in December. Now Boing Boing and DIGG have picked up the......

Virgin have compiled a chart of the Top 11 Underground Transit Systems Throughout the World and guess which creaking ancient network of tunnels comes out on top? Yep, we're number one! They do make it sound quite plush: Cushioned seats. LED time displays hanging from the ceiling in stations indicate the number of minutes you need to wait before the next train. Eclectic station artwork... Oyster cards allow you to touch against a subway......

Colindale shopping centre, "Oriental City", has become the nexus of an international dispute. The beloved Edgeware Road mall, which has been called London's "real Chinatown", may be knocked down later this year and replaced with a B&Q home improvement superstore, some flats, a school, and a bunch of other crap. The Chinese consul general, Jiang Yuansong, has written to Mayor of London Ken Livingstone to express his "deep concern" about the project. If the......

Scotland Yard is hunting a knife-attack suspect after a mother was brutally stabbed to death on Wickham Street in Vauxhall while on her way to work this morning. According to a new poll "One in six Londoners admits moving seats on the bus or Tube to avoid a passenger they believe may be Muslim." Depressing reading. The 'stupidly massive city bonus' debate is reignited by bond trader Luis Marti-Sanchez who's demaning his rightful £5m......

In debates about abortion, there is one voice that usually goes unheard - the women who have their pregnancies terminated. Tomorrow evening, Abortion Rights is hosting a screening of excerpts from a new documentary that tells the stories of women who've exercised their right to choose, and don't regret it in the slightest. Access to birth control and abortion is crucial for women's equality. But while most people in the UK identify themselves as......

Named only at the weekend as an official ambassador for London by mayor Ken Livingstone, Chelsea football club have wasted no time in offering assistance to China’s Olympic football team in the run up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Chelsea’s official site reports that Chief Executive Peter Kenyon is with a mayoral delegation in China as it tries to promote co-operation between London and Beijing, the hosts of the next two summer Olympiads.......

Ken continues his Chinese tour, opening something called 'The London Experience'. He also tried to backpeddle on his recent comparison of the Tiananmen Square massacre to London disturbances. 'I said that great squares in town centres have tremendous and interesting histories,' he explained. What do you reckon? Should we let him off? Also, caption competition. What's Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan saying to his opposite number in this photo? The developers of the Millennium Dome......