MPs released as Zimbabwe parliament convenes

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- The parliament that Zimbabwean voters elected five months ago finally convened Monday, but not before police briefly detained two opposition members.

Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC faction has a slim majority following parliamentary elections.

The election for parliament speaker is expected after President Robert Mugabe swears in members.

Two members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were arrested as they arrived at the opening session, but they were released after a short time, according to a government spokesman.

An MDC official said the arrests were part of the "sinister agenda of this regime" to "tilt the balance of numbers in their favour during the voting for the speaker of parliament."

One of those detained -- Shuwa Mudiwa -- appeared back in parliament, but the other member -- Elia Jembere -- was not seen, according to sources.

Government spokesman Bright Matonga said Jembere had been accused of rape, but that he has been released from custody.

A third member -- Elton Mangoma -- escaped an arrest attempt when other party members came to his rescue, MDC officials said.

Attendance at the session of parliament is important since the membership is closely divided between the MDC and the Mugabe's ZANU-PF.

The ruling ZANU-PF party lost its majority in the 210-seat parliament in elections in March, but vote recounts and political violence have delayed the body from convening until now.

Final results gave 100 seats to an MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai, the party's presidential candidate. President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF got 99 seats. An offshoot of the main MDC party, led by Arthur Mutambara, won 10 seats. An independent candidate won one seat.

After the swearing-in ceremony, parliament is to vote on a speaker, the fourth most powerful post in the country. ZANU-PF will seek to re-elect incumbent John Nkomo. The two rival MDC factions have not agreed on a common candidate.

Tsvangirai's MDC has put forward its national chairman, Lovemore Moyo, for speaker, while Mutambara's smaller MDC faction is pushing senior party member Paul Themba Nyathi for the post, senior MDC sources said.

Tsvangirai, who was locked in a bitter presidential contest with Mugabe, had objected to Mugabe's decision to convene Zimbabwe's parliament, saying it could "decapitate" power-sharing talks that have been on hold for the past two weeks.

Still, Tsvangirai said he would attend the swearing-in ceremony.

MDC party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said all MDC members elected to parliament were expected to attend "except those few MPs who are still in hiding."

Indians arrest Kashmir separatists

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir (CNN) -- Indian authorities in Kashmir arrested more than a dozen pro-separatist leaders and placed the divided Himalayan region under an around-the-clock curfew to scuttle a planned pro-independence rally Monday.

Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers enforce curfew restrictions in Srinagar on August 24.

Still, stone-pelting mobs took the streets, clashing with police and security forces. One person was killed and 40 others were wounded, officials said.

Separatist groups had planned Monday's sit-in at Lal Chowk, or Red Square, to oppose Indian rule in the Muslim-majority region. Over the last two weeks, protesters have held several such demonstrations calling for independence.

Security forces shut down all roads leading into the city and put up corrugated tin sheets and barbed wires to barricade Lal Chowk.

The political leaders were rounded up in pre-dawn raids at their residences. Among them were Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who head the hardline and the moderate factions of the region's separatist parties.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both. The region has been the cause of two wars between the two countries.

Authorities say an Islamic insurgency in the region has claimed up to 43,000 lives since 1989, but human rights groups say the toll could be double.

Violence had dropped off since the two countries launched a peace process in 2004, but surged again after the state government announced a plan in June to donate land to a Hindu shrine, generating massive protests by Muslims.

Hindus took to the streets demanding it be restored and 30 people died in subsequent clashes between police and protesters.

China releases eight U.S. Olympics protesters

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Eight Americans arrested for planning or staging protests in Beijing were deported to the United States on Sunday, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said.

A plainclothes security official, bottom, grabs a Tibetan flag from three pro-Tibet activists in Beijing Thursday.

The U.S. Ambassador to China, Clark T. Randt Jr., had criticized the Chinese government for holding the Americans for several days.

He said it was the first time he knew of that a foreign national was detained for more than a few hours after being detained for protesting during the Olympic Games, which ended Sunday.

Six American members of the group "Free Tibet Reporters" and two Americans who unfurled a "Free Tibet" banner were put on a China Air flight to Los Angeles about 9 p.m. Sunday (1300 GMT), said Nick Snyder, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Chinese law allows police to hold foreign nationals in jail for up to two weeks before pressing formal charges, but most other foreign protesters that China detained were held for only a few hours before authorities deported them.

The six members of "Free Tibet Reporters" were held for about four days, the embassy said, while the other two Americans were detained for about three days.

"We urge China to take positive steps to address international and domestic concerns about its record on human rights and religious freedom," Snyder said.

Russia signs cease-fire, tensions remain high..

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed the cease-fire plan designed to end its military conflict with Georgia, his office says.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a cease-fire deal designed to end the conflict with Georgia.

However, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said it would not completely withdraw from Georgian territory until troops had finished cleaning up ammunition, weapons and boobytraps left behind by Georgian troops.

Medvedev saw the cease-fire as "very positive," said spokesman Andrei Nesterenko Saturday.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili signed the deal Friday, during a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

It has been the toughest week in east-west relations since the end of the Cold War after Georgia launched an offensive against the Russian-allied separatist government in South Ossetia and Russia responded by invading, the conflict also spreading to a second breakaway region -- Abkhazia.

The fighting has died down, but Russian troops remained within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of Georgia's capital Tbilisi Saturday, and were still on the western front around the breakaway section of Abkhazia, according to CNN's Frederik Pleitgen.

Nesterenko told CNN the troops were "completing security operations," which included removing "huge depots" of ammunition and equipment and boobytraps left behind by retreating Georgian troops.

The fighting has raised fears a new era of east-west confrontation was drawing closer, which was worsened Friday by Russian anger over a U.S. deal with Poland to base part of its missile shield in the country.

The deal, signed Thursday, would see U.S. interceptor rockets based in Poland and linked to an air-defense radar system in the Czech Republic.

Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, a top Russian officer, highlighted Russia's anger with the system, saying that Poland was now at risk of attack, perhaps with nuclear weapons, The Associated Press reported.

Poland moved to diffuse the situation Saturday, saying it was open to Russian inspections of the missile interceptor base, AP reported. However, the Ukraine said it was interested in joining a joint missile defense system with other European countries.

Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Liubov Abravitova would not specify if it was referring to the U.S. system. Watch devastation in port of Poti »

Ukraine also warned Russia it may not allow its ships involved in blockading Georgian ports to return to Crimea bases it leases from Ukraine.

The U.S. maintains its missile shield is to deter rogue attacks from Iran, but Russia says it is aimed at it.

The level of rhetoric on both sides has grown louder through the week, U.S. President George W. Bush chiding Russia for Cold War-style behavior in its territorial conflict with Georgia, accusing it of "bullying and intimidation."

Medvedev said Russia would "guarantee" peace in the Caucasus region but made no commitment to remove its forces from Georgia or its breakaway territories.

Meanwhile Rice warned Russia that it had to withdraw its troops after the cease-fire deal was signed.

Rice said international observers followed by neutral peacekeepers should be dispatched quickly to Georgia and its separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, where Russia has a peacekeeping mission. Watch Rice demand Russia's withdrawal »

The conflict began late last week, when Georgia launched a military incursion into South Ossetia in an effort to rout separatist rebels.

Russia -- which supports the separatists, many of whom claim Russian citizenship -- has peacekeeping responsibilities for the region and responded by sending tanks into the province for what it said was peace enforcement. From there the violence spread into Georgia and Abkhazia.

Under the cease-fire, about 1,500 Russian peacekeepers are allowed to remain, and can do patrols about 6 kilometers outside, the "zone of conflict," a reference to South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

They are not permitted to patrol in Gori and other Georgian cities and cannot hamper aid distribution or control ports, highways or railroads, the officials said. Watch President Bush on 'why Georgia matters' »

Electric bikes provide greener commute

When Honora Wolfe and her husband moved to the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado, she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city.

Ed Poor rides an eZee Quando II electric bike to work in New York City.

Wolfe, 60, found her solution about a month ago: an electric bicycle. It gets her to work quickly, is easy on her arthritis and is better for the environment than a car.

"I'm not out to win any races," she said. "I want to get a little fresh air and exercise, and cut my carbon footprint, and spend less money on gas. And where I live, I can ride my bike seven months out of the year."

The surging cost of gasoline and a desire for a greener commute are turning more people to electric bikes as an unconventional form of transportation. They function like a typical two-wheeler but with a battery-powered assist, and bike dealers, riders and experts say they are flying off the racks.

Official sales figures are hard to pin down, but the Gluskin-Townley Group, which does market research for the National Bicycle Dealers Association, estimates 10,000 electric bikes were sold in the U.S. in 2007, up from 6,000 in 2006.

Bert Cebular, who owns the electric bike and scooter dealership NYCeWheels in New York, said his sales are up about 50 percent so far this year over last. Amazon.com Inc. says sales of electric bikes surged more than 6,000 percent in July from a year earlier, in part because of its expanded offerings.

"The electric bikes are the next big thing," said Frank Jamerson, a former General Motors Corp. executive turned electric vehicle guru.

They're even more popular in Europe, where Sophie Nenner, who opened a Paris bike store in 2005, says motorists boxed in by traffic jams are looking for an alternative for short journeys that doesn't involve navigating overcrowded transport systems.

Industry associations estimate 89,000 electric bikes were sold in the Netherlands last year, while 60,000 power-assisted bikes were sold in Germany.

The principle behind electric bikes is akin to that behind hybrid cars: Combine the conventional technology -- in this case, old-fashioned pedaling -- with a battery-powered motor.

The net result is a vehicle that rides a bit like a scooter, with some legwork required. Most models have a motorcycle-like throttle that gives a boost while going up hills or accelerating from a stop. On some models, the motor kicks in automatically and adjusts its torque based on how hard the rider pedals.

Although regulations vary by state, federal law classifies electric bikes as bicycles, and no license or registration is required as long as they don't go faster than 20 mph and their power doesn't exceed 750 watts.

Price largely determines weight, quality and battery type. A few hundred dollars gets you an IZIP mountain bike from Amazon with a heavy lead-acid battery. For $1,400, you can buy a 250-watt folding bike powered by a more-powerful, longer-lasting nickel-metal hydride battery like those in a camera or a Toyota Prius. At the high end, $2,525 buys an extra-light 350-watt model sporting a lightweight lithium-ion battery similar to a laptop's. Most models can go at least 20 miles before plugging in to recharge.

Joe Conforti, a commercial film director from New York, uses a four-year-old model designed by former auto titan Lee Iacocca in the 1990s for running errands or getting to social occasions.

"It's really nice," said Conforti, who is eagerly looking to upgrade to a newer, more powerful ride. "If you've got a date, you go to meet friends -- you go out on a (conventional) bike, you're gonna sweat up. You go out in an electric bike, it's great it's terrific, you're not gonna sweat up and you ride home fine."

Bike dealers said the growing demand goes beyond just the uptick in gas prices, but also because of word of mouth. Cebular said business at his store and on his Web site has been booming.

"Fifty percent of that increase is probably because of gas prices, and the rest is that there's just more bikes out there," said Cebular, who has run his shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side for seven years.

Improved technology also has made electric bikes more popular, Cebular said.

"When I started, there was only one bike that had a nickel-metal hydride battery -- everything else was lead-acid and was 80 or 90 pounds," he said. "That's a huge improvement."

Jay Townley, a partner at Gluskin-Townley, said the latest electric bikes are sleeker, better looking and hide their often-clunky batteries better than ever. That goes a long way to attract baby boomers and other mainstream customers.

"The new designs that we've seen in the marketplace are going to inure to the benefit of the electric bike companies," he said.

Ultra Motor, an England-based electric bike and scooter company, is betting big that it can capitalize on what it seems as a growing market for attractive-looking two-wheelers designed specifically for U.S. commuters. The company on Tuesday unveiled its "A2B" model, a slick, low-riding electric bike.

Ultra Motor took a conventional bicycle and redesigned it with fatter wheels, a lower center of gravity and a thick shaft designed to hide the lithium-ion battery inside, U.S. Chief Executive Chris Deyo said. The result is a cross between a motorcycle and a mountain bike.

The company already has signed up 75 dealers nationwide to sell the $2,500 bike starting next month.

"A year ago, when you mentioned the word electric bike, people looked at you and they really weren't sure what it was," Deyo said. "Today, what we're finding is we're actually having dealers call us seeking an electric bike to meet the demand."

Jamerson, the former GM executive who has become a staunch advocate for electric transportation, believes this is only the beginning for electric bikes. He retired from GM in 1993 after helping develop the company's EV1 electric car, and he's been an avid follower of alternative transportation ever since.

The EV1 project, though widely seen as a spectacular failure, helped convince Jamerson of the value of electric transportation. Given soaring fuel prices and thinning patience with foreign dependence on oil, Americans are ready to embrace electric vehicles, he said.

"Did you know there are 70 million electric bikes on the road today in China, and they are selling at the rate of 2.6 million electric bikes a year?" he said. "The public at large needs to understand that it is the right thing to do to move to electric transportation, and electric bikes and electric scooters will allow you to do that, to get that familiarity."

As for Wolfe, she could not be happier with her bike, a 48-pound mountain bike with a lithium-ion-powered assist made by California-based IZIP. A self-described "tree-hugger for decades," she drives her Honda Insight hybrid car or rides the bus when she's not using her bike to get to work.

It's part of her own personal campaign to reduce her carbon footprint. She also powers her home with help from a set of rooftop solar panels, and a geothermal furnace heats and cools it.

The furnace, she adds, even heats her water. Just one more way to reduce emissions, she said.

"Even my 92-year-old mother has a Prius," she said. "So I come by my green credentials genetically"

Woman hurt in Olympics stabbing back in U.S.

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The woman whose husband was killed in a knife attack while attending the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, and who was herself critically wounded in the attack, is back in the United States, according to her doctors.

Chinese police are shown at the Drum Tower in Beijing last weekend.

Barbara Bachman arrived at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, late Friday morning, according to a written statement from the hospital.

The release says Bachman suffered "significant and life-threatening abdominal injuries" in the attack, which happened at a tourist site in Beijing last Saturday. She was listed in fair condition.

Her husband, Todd Bachman was killed in the attack. The stabber, a divorced and recently unemployed man from the eastern city of Hangzhou, committed suicide after the attack by jumping from the ancient Drum Tower, a popular tourist attraction.

The couple's daughter is married to U.S. men's indoor volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon. It is not believed the couple were targeted for being Americans, with authorities calling the stabbings "an isolated criminal act."

The clinic said Bachman was "alert, talking, and has good memory function" and that she received "excellent care" while in China, where she underwent surgery after the attack

Georgia men defend Bigfoot body claims

CNN) -- A pair of Georgia men faced more than a half-hour of skeptical questions from reporters Friday as they defended their claim that they stumbled upon the body of Bigfoot while hiking in a remote North Georgia forest.

The thawed body of a creature reputed to be Bigfoot reportedly weighs more than 500 pounds.

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Introduced by a publicist and beside a man who promoted what turned out to be a fake Bigfoot discovery in 1995, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer repeatedly said that their claim is not a hoax and that scientific analysis will prove it.

"We were not looking for Bigfoot. ... We wouldn't know what we were doing if we did," said Whitton, a police officer on leave after being shot in the hand while making an arrest. "I didn't believe in Bigfoot at the time. ... But you've got to come to terms with it and realize you've got something special. And that's what it was."

The men say they were hiking in early June when they discovered the body of a 7-foot-7, 500-pound half-ape, half-human creature near a stream. They also claim to have spotted about three similar living creatures -- and showed reporters video stills of what they say is one of those creatures shadowing them through the woods. Watch report of scientist skeptical of Bigfoot claim »

The announcement, which the men first made on the Internet radio show "Squatch Detective" several weeks ago, has been greeted with healthy skepticism, even among some Bigfoot enthusiasts.

Scientists, including the head of North Georgia College and State University's biology department, have said it's unlikely a tribe of 7-foot-tall creatures would have avoided discovery in a region popular among hikers, hunters and vacationers.

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Several Web sites have popped up questioning the claim and comparing a photo that the men say is the creature's body inside a freezer to a widely available Bigfoot costume.

On Friday, Whitton acknowledged creating a pair of videos posted on the Internet video site YouTube, one in which his brother poses as a scientist and another in which Whitton briefly seems to admit that the body is a fake.

"It seems that the stalkers have busted us in a hoax," he says in the video. But then adds, "we still have a corpse. We just wanted to give you something to do for the weekend."

At Friday's news conference, Whitton first said that no video existed in which he calls the discovery a hoax.

But after speaking to Tom Biscardi, the self-described "Real Bigfoot Hunter" who has been searching for the creature of legend since 1971, he said the video was made "to have a little fun with it" and was originally intended to throw off the "psychos" who had stalked him and his family since the men first made their claim.

The two also promoted a Web site registered to Whitton on June 16 and said they plan to write a book about their experience.

Friday's news conference was held in Palo Alto, California, near the home of Biscardi. About 100 reporters and onlookers attended the event, in a hotel banquet room, including a man who shouted questions while wearing a gorilla suit.

Dyer and Whitton said they were carrying a video camera during their hike to film wildlife.

They said they handed the body over to Biscardi, who is keeping it at an undisclosed location until a team of scientists can examine it.

One of the two photographs the men gave to reporters Friday showed what appears to be the creature's mouth, an effort to disprove allegations that what's in the photo is a costume.

"I want to get to the bottom of it," Biscardi said. "I'll tell you what I've seen and what I've touched and what I've felt, what I've prodded was not a mask sewed onto a bear hide, OK?"

Biscardi acknowledged that he promoted a fake Bigfoot discovery in 1995, saying the woman who claimed to have the body convinced his staff members before he visited her and discovered that she was mentally ill.

Phelps ties Spitz's record with seventh gold medal ... just barely

His Olympics looking lost, Michael Phelps decided to flap those gangly arms one more time.

Milorad Cavic, inches from spoiling it all, glided along just under the surface, convinced he had won gold.

But it didn't matter who was fastest. Just first.

Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish Saturday, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal by the narrowest of margins in the 100-meter butterfly.

One-hundredth of a second, the time it takes lightning to strike the ground.

Whew!

"Dream as big as you can dream and anything is possible," Phelps said. "I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real."

Call it the Great Haul of China -- and it's not done yet. Phelps has one more race on Sunday, which will likely complete his coronation as the greatest Olympian ever.

Spitz already ceded the title.

"It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time," said the icon of the 1972 Munich Games. "He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet."

The finish was so close the Serbian delegation filed a protest and swimming's governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second.

Phelps thought he lost -- until he saw the "1" beside his name on the scoreboard.

"When I did chop the last stroke, I thought that had cost me the race," he said. "But it was actually the opposite. If I had glided, I would have been way too long. I took short, faster strokes to try to get my hand on the wall. I ended up making the right decision."

Phelps' time was 50.58 seconds, the only time in these Olympics that he won an event without breaking the world record.

Not to worry. The 23-year-old from Baltimore has now pulled even with the greatest of Olympic records.

"One word: epic," Spitz told The Associated Press from Detroit. "I'm so proud of what he's been able to do. I did what I did and it was in my day in those set of circumstances. For 36 years it stood as a benchmark. I'm just pleased that somebody was inspired by what I had done. He's entitled to every second of what's occurring to him now.

"I feel a tremendous load off my back."

Phelps will return on Sunday to swim in his final event of these games, taking the butterfly leg of the 400 medley relay. The Americans will be heavily favored to give him his eighth gold, leaving Spitz behind.

Phelps slapped his hands on the water and let out a scream after the astonishing finish. The crowd at the Water Cube gasped -- it looked as though Cavic had won -- then roared when the "1" popped up beside the American's name.

Cavic's time was 50.59.

The Serbian delegation filed a protest, but conceded that Phelps won after reviewing the tape provided by FINA, swimming's governing body. USA Swimming spokeswoman Jamie Olsen said the tape was slowed to one frame every 10-thousandth of a second to make sure Phelps actually touched first.

It was impossible to tell on regular-speed replays.

"We filed the protest but it is already over," said Branislav Jevtic, Serbia's chief of mission for all sports. "They examined the video and I think the case is closed. The video says (Phelps) finished first.

"In my opinion, it's not right, but we must follow the rules. Everybody saw what happened."

FINA referee Ben Ekumbo of Kenya said there was no doubt who won after a review of the super-slow replay.

"It was very clear that the Serbian swimmer touched second after Michael Phelps," he said. "One was stroking and one was gliding."

Cavic still wasn't sure he actually lost, but said he would accept FINA's ruling.

"I'm stoked with what happened," Cavic said. "I don't want to fight this. People will be bringing this up for years and saying you won that race. If we got to do this again, I would win it."

Cavic watched the replay himself.

"It's kind of hard to see," he said. "I know I had a long finish and Michael Phelps had a short finish."

A notoriously slow starter -- Phelps was seventh out of eight at the turn -- he really turned it on with the return lap, his long arms gobbling up huge chunks of water as he closed the gap on Cavic and fellow American Ian Crocker, the world record-holder.

As they approached the finish, with Phelps' head in line with Cavic's shoulder, the Serb took his final big stroke and glided underwater toward the gold. Phelps, his timing a bit off but fully aware of where he was, did another mini-stroke, propelling his upper body out of the water, swooping his arms in a huge circular motion and slamming the wall with his hands on the follow-through.

Phelps watched the replay on the video board, then saw it again in the massage area.

"I saw it slow down frame by frame," he said. "It's almost too close to see."

It was reminiscent of the 100 fly finish at Athens four years ago, where Crocker appeared to have the race won but Phelps got him at the wall by 0.04.

"I thought four one-hundredths was close and I was shocked then," Phelps said. "I'm even more shocked now than I was then. One-hundredth is the smallest margin of victory in our sport. I guess it's pretty cool."

Makes that 400 free relay, in which Jason Lezak chased down France's Alain Bernard to win by eight-hundredths of a second, look like a blowout.

"My last two Olympics I've been able to nail my finishes, and it's been by four one-hundredths and one one-hundredths," Phelps said. "I'm happy and kind of at a loss for words."

As if Phelps needed any extra motivation, his coach, Bob Bowman, took note of Cavic's reported comments a day earlier that it would be best for the sport if the American lost.

On their way to breakfast, Bowman brought it up.

"I wasn't going to at first, then I was saying to myself, 'This race is going to be very tight and I'm going to use everything I got,' so I put it out there," Bowman said, chuckling. "Maybe it was worth a hundredth."

Just enough.

"It fires me up more than anything," Phelps said. "I always welcome comments. It definitely motivates me even more."

Cavic didn't leave anything to chance, either. Right before the race, coach Mike Bottom shaved a few stray hairs off the back of his swimmer's neck, looking for any edge he could get.

The 24-year-old Serb endeared himself to his homeland in March when he was suspended from the European championships for wearing a T-shirt proclaiming "Kosovo is Serbia" -- a reference to Kosovo's disputed declaration of independence.

After returning home, Cavic was greeted by hundreds of fans and met with Serbian nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who called the swimmer a "hero."

Cavic knew where Phelps was all along.

"There was no need to look over," he said. "I saw his shadow in the corner of my goggles."

Phelps collected a $1 million bonus that Speedo, one of his sponsors, first offered four years ago if he could tie or break Spitz's record. Phelps failed to cash in at the Athens Games, where he won six golds and two bronzes, but he got it on his second try.

What's left? Already the winningest Olympian ever with 13 golds and most likely a 14th before he leaves Beijing, Phelps will have another thing to shoot for at the 2012 London Games. Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina captured a record 18 medals in her career: nine golds, five silvers and four bronzes.

"My big goal is to change the sport of swimming," Phelps said. "I am sure Bob and I can think of some more goals in the next four years."

Phelps set world records in his first six events, some of them by ridiculously large margins. He merely settled for a personal best and Olympic record in the 100 fly, which will at least give Spitz's supporters some reason to gloat: all seven of his wins in Munich were with world records.

But, like Spitz, Phelps is 7-for-7 with a chance for one more.

Or maybe that should be 6.99-for-7.

Andrew Lauterstein of Australia won the bronze medal in 51.12. Expected to be Phelps' main challenger, Crocker was again denied the first individual gold of his career. He didn't even win a medal, finishing fourth by a hundredth of a second in 51.13.

"It was a tight one," Crocker said. "I saw my short differential between getting a medal or not, but then I realized Michael's was pretty close, too. I'm really glad that he came out on top.

"It was everything that an Olympic final should be. It doesn't matter who's in the heats, you just got to get out and race and it's anybody's game. It was one of the more intense races that I've been in, which makes it a great way to end the meet."

While the medley relay figures to be nothing more than a coronation, Phelps isn't ready to talk about No. 8.

"It's not over yet," he said. "I really think the Australian team looks great for the relay. It's going to be a race."

Lauterstein was just thrilled to be part of history.

"It was an amazing final," he said. "Every time you race Phelps, you'll have a great race and a great time. Just hearing his arms slap on the block gets your heart racing, he's amazing."

Those arms sure came in handy Saturday.

Overshadowed by Phelps, two more world records fell on the next-to-last day of swimming -- the 22nd and 23rd of a lightning-quick week.

Rebecca Adlington of Britain won gold in the 800 freestyle, breaking Janet Evans' 19-year-old world record -- the oldest in swimming. Adlington touched in 8:14.10 to crush the mark of 8:16.22 set by the American in Tokyo on Aug. 20, 1989. Alessia Filippi of Italy took the silver and Lotte Friis of Denmark the bronze.

Adlington completed a sweep of the women's distance events in Beijing, having upset American Katie Hoff to win the 400 freestyle. There were no Americans in the field after Hoff and Kate Ziegler were shockingly eliminated in the preliminaries.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe finally won a gold in Beijing, defending her Olympic title in the 200 backstroke with a world record of 2:05.24. She lowered the mark of 2:06.09 set by Margaret Hoelzer at the U.S. trials last month.

Hoelzer not only lost her record but had to settle for silver. Reiko Nakamura of Japan earned the bronze.

No one was happier than Cesar Cielo, who won Brazil's first swimming gold with an upset in the 50 freestyle. He broke down crying on the medal stand and was mobbed by his teammates on deck.

He won in 21.30, lowering his own Olympic mark of 21.34 that he set in the semifinals. Amaury Leveaux of France took the silver in 21.45. Alain Bernard of France, the 100-meter champion, won bronze in 21.49.

World champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner of the United States was fifth and Aussie Eamon Sullivan, the world record-holder and silver medalist in the 100, could only manage sixth.

Also, 41-year-old Dara Torres of the U.S. cruised into the final of the 50 free with the fastest semifinal time, 24.27. Australian teenager Cate Campbell was second at 24.42.

The final is Sunday, the wrapup to a thrilling competition at the Water Cube.

But the legacy of these Olympics is already assured.

Mindzayev described the situation in the city Saturday as "complicated and nervous." He said that there were many unexploded shells laying on the ground. He also accused Georgian agents of shooting at people in the city, a claim that could not be independently confirmed.

Russian Emergency Situations Ministry troops were erecting a camp near the scorched shell of the South Ossetian parliament building. For the first time in days, there were more cars on the street than tanks.

Farther south, the Russian presence in Gori is strategically critical: The city sits along Georgia's only significant east-west highway, allowing the Russians effectively to split the nation in two.

As in many parts of Georgia, aid has been slow to come. On Thursday, staff from the United Nations refugee agency and its World Food Program hoped to enter Gori to assess whether it was safe to deliver humanitarian aid.

The situation turned ugly. South Ossetian militiamen appeared, pointing weapons, and began shoving civilians and shouting at people to leave the area.

Georgian police had come to enter Gori but turned back when confrontation developed between the Russian military and the Georgian army.

On Friday, Russian military vehicles were blocking the eastern road into the city, although they allowed in one Georgia bus filled with loaves of bread.

Garadzim Tamgiashvili, 46, an unemployed electrician with graying red hair, said there was a lot of looting in the city by South Ossetians and Russians before the Russian military arrived. He said they killed civilians.

He said the Russian soldiers told him they planned to "give it to the Americans."

"We know this is a war between the West and Russia," he said.

Residents reported atrocities in the villages between Gori and Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian provincial capital. Outside Gori, an Associated Press reporter saw a burning wheat field. In the village of Tirdznise, the body of a Georgian soldier lay swollen in the heat.

But for the moment, Gori itself seemed to be a showcase. The Russian troops had stopped the looting, restored order.

One of the few younger women left was Iya Kinvilashvili, 30, the owner of a now-empty shop. Standing next to a church that has organized handouts of bread and flour, she said the Russians were behaving well.

"When is peace coming?" she asked. "We only want peace. We never wanted this war.

GOETI, Georgia - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a truce with Georgia on Saturday, a definitive step toward ending the fighting there despite the uncertainty on the ground reflected by Russian soldiers digging in just 30 miles from the Georgian capital.
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Medvedev spokesman Alexei Pavlov said Medvedev signed the agreement in the resort city of Sochi, where the president has a summer residence, but did not give further details. It was not immediately clear if any troops had begun pulling back after Medvedev signed the cease-fire.

The agreement was signed by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili the day before. It calls for both sides forces to pull back to positions they held before fighting erupted Aug. 8 after Georgia launched a massive barrage to try to take control of the Russian-backed separatist region of South Ossetia. The Russian army quickly overwhelmed the forces of its small U.S.-backed neighbor and then drove deep into Georgia.

The Russian seizure of territory including the strategic city of Gori about 20 miles from Igoeti, raised fears that Russia aimed for a permanent occupation of the country that was once was part of its empire.

The shallow foxholes being gouged out of the earth at Igoeti on Saturday could indicate the Russians' intention to stay awhile. But they could be meant for defensive positions to guard their comrades as they withdraw.

Farther up the road toward Gori, a Russian armored personnel carrier sat behind a newly made earthen embankment. Other military vehicles were on the roadside, camouflaged by tree branches.

Refugees have begun returning to the heavily damaged South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali. On Saturday, many were sweeping up glass and debris from the fighting.

Teams of ethnic Georgians, some under armed guard, were being forced to clean the streets of South Ossetia's capital on Saturday. It was the first apparent evidence of humiliation or abuse of Georgians in the breakaway republic.

Mikhail Mindzayev, the interior minister for South Ossetia said police were cracking down on looters. Officers shot and killed two looters on Thursday, he said, and if they catch someone with a car or truck loaded with furniture or TV sets — and the driver does not seem to be the rightful owner — both the goods and the car will be burned

13 killed as heavy rains lash Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad: At least 13 people have been killed in heavy rains and flash floods that have wreaked havoc in the state capital and other parts of Andhra Pradesh, officials said. Eight people were killed in three incidents of house collapse as incessant rain since Friday night inundated dozens of residential areas and threw vehicular traffic out of gear. Medak district accounted for three deaths while two people were killed in Vijayawada in the coastal district of Krishna. With this, the death toll in heavy rains and flash floods since last week rose to 26. The rains, under the influence of a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, led to flash floods as several rivulets, streams and tanks were overflowing. The low-lying areas around the water bodies were inundated. The state capital recorded 13.6 cm rainfall on Friday night, meteorological officials said. The heavy rains resulted in inundation of roads and residential areas, disrupting electricity and communication lines. Three people were killed when a house wall collapsed in Gulzar Houz neighbourhood in the old city area. A couple died in a house collapse in Gokul Plots in Miyapur neighbourhood. A mother and her daughter were killed in another wall collapse in Basvataraka Nagar in Filmnagar area. Three people died in house collapse in Medak district in Telangana region while a similar incident in Vijayawada city claimed two lives. Chief Minister Y S Rajasekahara Reddy cancelled his scheduled visit to Krishna district and reviewed the situation with top officials. He directed the district collectors to take up evacuation of people from low lying areas and take all steps to provide relief to the affected. (IANS)

FLUMMOXED: V.V.S. Laxman succumbs again to Ajantha Mendis, stumped this time. It is the fifth time in as many innings that the stylish right-hander has been snared by the Lankan spinner in this series.

Colombo: Sri Lanka dismissed India for 249 on the first day of the crucial third Test, gaining the ascendancy through Ajantha Mendis’s five for 56 after being asked to bowl.

It was Mendis’s fifth successive haul of four wickets or more, and it curtailed an Indian innings that was curiously book-ended by two partnerships of 51. India’s famed middle-order didn’t enhance its reputation, the Fab Four managing a mere 76 among them.

Sri Lanka finished Friday on 14 for one in reply.

Earlier, India’s openers affected a manner of assured urgency on a cloudy morning, making the most of some undisciplined new-ball bowling, to race past 50 in just over half an hour. In between, Virender Sehwag was dropped at short square-leg off Chaminda Vaas, the batsman eventually swallowing the baited short-pitched delivery, before nearly being run out.

Prasad pacy

The control Mahela Jayawardene wished to exert over India’s openers, who had sparked similarly busy starts in both innings at Galle, was being compromised. The Sri Lankan captain, although visibly frustrated, persevered with Dammika Prasad.

The debutant reached speeds of 140 kmph, once touching 145, with a bustling, muscly, direct action; but the tendency of his head to fall away at delivery caused him to spray the odd ball like an out-of-control hose. When he got everything together, however, he tested the batsman.

Having been welted on the hand by a cracking Sehwag drive, Prasad let the batsman have a delivery that straightened like a curly strand through a hair iron. Sehwag had to play the ball, such was its line. The resultant nick was pouched by Prasanna Jayawardene, the wicketkeeper.

Double blow

Prasad then switched ends, reduced his pace a fraction to the mid-to-high 130s, and struck a vital double blow. He snared both Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar with deliveries that swung in — not dramatic, arcing swing, but enough to defeat the strokes intended.

Dravid, having dealt securely with Mendis, playing with bat well in front of pad, stretched too far across to Prasad, his front foot outside the delivery’s launched line. Umpire Mark Benson deemed that the batsman had hit it, prompting Jayawardene to ask for a review.

Replays showed ball eluding bat; the impact on the front pad was on off-stump — but only just. With the evidence available to Benson, he had to overturn his decision. Tendulkar referred his leg-before decision, and although it appeared to the naked eye as if the ball might have slipped down the leg-side, replays suggested that Benson’s initial estimate was defensible.

Third fifty

India went to lunch at 104 for three, with Gambhir having batted beautifully for his third consecutive half-century. The left-handed opener bested Vaas in an intriguing battle. The left-armer swung deliveries away from Gambhir, testing his ability to keep his shape and not thrust with his bottom hand.

Gambhir countered by playing outside the line, often advancing off the wrong foot with a Hayden-like two step. From this position, Gambhir picked the gap between mid-wicket and mid-on. He pulled the inevitable short stuff that followed. The 26-year-old also picked Mendis and Muralitharan from the hand, leaving deliveries with authority.

Just as Gambhir and Sourav Ganguly seemed to have wrestled back the initiative, taking India to 151 for three, Muralitharan struck. Ganguly, who had charged the off-spinner and struck him for a towering straight six, succumbed to indecision. His bat remained in the way of a quickish off-break, like an overzealous valet disinclined to leave, and Mahela held the catch at slip.

Smart instinct

Gambhir was done in by a smart piece of bowling, and an even smarter show of instinct. Mendis, who had trapped the left-hander in front with a googly at Galle (ball striking pad before bat in the squeezed-together defensive stroke), did the same with an off-break.

Mahela recognised immediately the situation, and the referral returned a favourable verdict for Sri Lanka. V.V.S. Laxman and Parthiv Patel tried to get a partnership started, finding limited success before Mendis deceived Laxman for the fifth time in as many innings. The dismissal showcased both Mendis and Prasanna Jayawardene. The carom ball had Laxman overbalancing — the batsman wristed a non-existent ball to the leg-side, while the real thing slipped past having cut away from the right-hander. Prasanna’s collection and removal of bails was fluidity itself.

Parthiv fell leg before to another carom ball; Kumble played outside a cunning Mendis googly; Harbhajan swiped fatally at Muralitharan: India crashed to 198 for nine.

Ishant and Zaheer applied themselves admirably, showing how it’s done and delaying their bowling stint. Zaheer struck out boldly from time to time, swinging Muralitharan for six and hitting Prasad through cover in a manner befitting a Caribbean. By the time he fell to another splendid bit of work from Prasanna — the keeper collecting softly a high-bouncing Mendis googly and disturbing the stumps before the batsman got back — Zaheer had offered India some succour.

Ishant then ensured India would end Friday in good spirits, bowling Warnapura behind his legs. Much work remains for India if it is to continue to have designs on the series — Saturday’s first session will be vital.

SCOREBOARD

  India — 1st innings: G. Gambhir lbw b Mendis 72, V. Sehwag c P. Jayawardene b Prasad 21, R. Dravid lbw b Prasad 10, S. Tendulkar lbw b Prasad 6, S. Ganguly c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan 35, V.V.S. Laxman st P. Jayawardene b Mendis 25, P. Patel lbw b Mendis 13, A. Kumble b Mendis 1, Harbhajan c Vandort b Muralitharan 3, Ishant (not out) 17, Zaheer st P. Jayawardene b Mendis 32, Extras (b-1, lb-8, nb-5) 14; Total (in 80 overs) 249.

Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Sehwag), 2-92 (Dravid), 3-102 (Tendulkar), 4-151 (Ganguly), 5-155 (Gambhir), 6-190 (Laxman), 7-195 (Patel), 8-196 (Kumble), 9-198 (Harbhajan).

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 12-1-44-0, Prasad 17-0-82-3, Mendis 28-4-56-5, Muralitharan 23-3-58-2.

Sri Lanka — 1st innings: M. Vandort (batting) 3, M. Warnapura b Ishant 8, C. Vaas (batting) 0, Extras (b-1, lb-2) 3; Total (for one wicket in eight overs) 14.

Fall of wicket: 1-14 (Warnapura).

India bowling: Zaheer 4-1-9-0, Ishant 4-2-2-1.

Switzerland can derail Indian nuclear run at NSG meet

EW DELHI: As hectic Indian diplomacy ahead of the August 21 NSG meet wins more and more support, Switzerland remains one country which can give India the jitters on the bumpy road to nuclear glory. It's unlikely that Switzerland would want to single-handedly derail the India-US nuclear deal but its ambassador to India Dominique Dreyer told TOI on Friday that the Swiss government had not yet taken a decision on whether or not to support the deal at the NSG because of non-proliferation concerns. "We are still in the process of studying the documents. No decision has been taken yet," said Dreyer. The ambassador went on to add that the deal posed a problem as far as non-proliferation was concerned. "There are some problems with the deal as far as non-proliferation is concerned but we are still looking at it," he said, adding that non-proliferation had always been a very important issue for Switzerland. He, however, left a window open by saying that Switzerland understood India's energy needs. Dreyer made the remarks while talking about Switzerland's plans to celebrate 60 years of friendship with India. Like Austria and New Zealand, Switzerland too is looked upon as a country which can spoil India's chances at the NSG, which works only through consensus. Its policies demand that there be no nuclear trade with a country which has not signed the NPT. Switzerland, however, supported India at the IAEA and foreign ministry officials are confident that it won't allow its concerns over non-proliferation to sabotage the deal. "It creates between the IAEA and a non-state NPT party a new relationship in the area of safeguards and does not take up certain components of the NPT such as global non-proliferation," Switzerland had said at the IAEA while backing the deal, but it added that India adhered to non-proliferation norms. In another piece of good news for India, Canada seems to have tilted towards NSG waiver after the visit by NSA M K Narayanan to Ottawa earlier this week. Canada is an extremely important country because it has long been in the vanguard of the non-proliferation movement and its stand may determine what direction many smaller countries move in. Foreign minister David Emerson said that despite his country's concerns and frustrations over its nuclear history with India, it realises that somebody can't be kept in the penalty box forever. "And India has come a long way in terms of democracy and the rule of law, and the whole nuclear constellation of issues has evolved to the point where we just can't continue with our position that has been absolute and negative to allowing India back into the nuclear club," Emerson was quoted as saying in the interview.

BLISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Russian paratroopers entered the capital of the breakaway Georgian territory of South Ossetia on Saturday as part a military operation that Russia said was intended to force the Georgian side to cease fire.

A warplane drops bombs near the Georgian city of Gori on Friday as Russian and Georgian forces battle.

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Separatist-backed South Ossetian sources reported about 1,600 people have died and 90 have been wounded in the capital of Tskhinvali after two days of fighting, but Georgian officials said the figure was inflated. The Georgians said they didn't have their own death toll, but it would likely be closer to 100.

Inna Gagloyeva, the spokeswoman for the South Ossetian Information and Press Committee, told the Interfax news agency the capital was being "massively shelled" with artillery guns.

It was also unclear which side was in control of Tskhinvali on Saturday, with the Georgian side saying fighting still raged but the Russians saying they have "liberated" the city.

"Battalion task forces have fully liberated Tskhinvali of Georgian armed forces and started pushing Georgian units out of the area of responsibility of the peacekeeping forces," said General Vladimir Boldyrev, commander of the Russian Ground Forces, in an interview with Interfax.

Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, told a news conference that the paratroopers will "implement the operation of enforcing peace" on both sides.

Nogovitsyn also confirmed that Georgians had shot down two Russian aircraft.

Russia said the troops were also reinforcing the Russian peacekeepers already in South Ossetia.

"Our peacekeepers, along with reinforcement units, are currently conducting an operation to force the Georgian side to accept peace," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said at the Kremlin, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency. "They are also responsible for protecting the population."

Interfax said 15 peacekeepers were killed in the Friday attack by Georgian troops. Russia has opened a criminal probe into their deaths, Interfax reported.

Georgia, a former Soviet Republic, is a pro-Western ally of the United States intent on asserting its authority over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which both have strong Russian-backed separatist movements.

Russia moved troops into South Ossetia early Friday after Georgia launched an operation in the breakaway region when its unilateral cease-fire was met with what it said was artillery fire from separatists that killed 10 people, including peacekeepers and civilians. Watch images of crashed Georgian war plane »

Russia charged that Georgia had targeted its peacekeepers stationed in the region. Watch Georgian minister describe fighting in South Ossetia »

Medvedev said Saturday that Georgia must be held responsible for the situation in South Ossetia.

"The people responsible for this humanitarian disaster need to be held liable for what they have done," Medvedev said. He said the humanitarian problems were caused by "the aggression launched by the Georgian side against the South Ossetian civilians and Russian peacekeepers."

Russian officials said more than 30,000 refugees have left South Ossetia and crossed into Russia over the past two days, since fighting began, Interfax reported.

A Red Cross official in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi was unable to provide refugee or casualty figures Saturday morning because she said aid workers were still gathering information and visiting hospitals in South Ossetia and western Georgia, where she said two towns suffered damage overnight.

Maia Kardava, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross delegation in Tbilisi, said Russian forces bombarded military and civilian targets the port town of Poti, on Georgia's Black Sea coast. Georgian officials said eight Georgians were killed in the port town.

In the town of Senaki, just inland from Poti, Russian forces damaged a railway line, a military base, and a center housing civilians who fled from nearby Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian region.

attack from Russian aircraft, Georgian officials said.

Inside South Ossetia, civilians have been without water, electricity, and basic services for more than a day, Kardava said. She said the Red Cross was unable to reach colleagues based in Tskhinvali because their phones had lost power and they were huddled in bomb shelters.

Also Saturday, the commander of Georgian troops stationed in Iraq said the 2,000 soldiers currently there will be withdrawn from Iraq "very soon."

Colonel Bondo Maisuradze said the United States would provide the transport to get them out of Iraq. He said he had no timeframe for the move.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili told CNN Friday that the troops were needed in Georgia to defend against the Russian military.

'Kuselan' – A boon or bane to Tamil cinema

Ever since 'Kuselan' was announced and the exhilarating stills of stylish Rajinikanth were released, expectations began to soar sky high. P. Vasu's decision to make 'Kuselan' after his successful outing in remaking the Malayalam classic 'Manichitra Thazu' as 'Chandramukhi' in Tamil, seemed quite reasonable. Rajinikanth seemed the perfect choice to play a superstar on film. Both Rajinikanth and P. Vasu have spent decades as filmmakers in Tamil Cinema and yet seem to have completely lost the plot when it comes to presenting their latest release. Despite a lovely story that presents itself as an ode to friendship, can a character exist in a film with just a tag and no plausible role to perform? An insight into the fact that even the tremendously adulated larger-than-life Rajinikanth can never be above the story. This is something Tamil filmmakers will have to think about very seriously. This is probably the reason why Sreenivasan, the writer of this story made it a point to showcase Mammooty (who played the superstar's role in the Malayalam original 'Katha Parayumbol' for less than ten minutes in the entire film because he carries a tag with no role to perform till the end. If this had been the case with 'Kuselan' things might have been very different. P. Vasu seems to have banked more on the star appeal of Rajinikanth than what the actor portrays on screen. A major miscalculation. Nayantara has been featured in a nothing role and every time she is seen on screen, the director's thirst to incorporate glamorous scenes cry out loud making mincemeat and mockery of the storyline. The story of the real protagonist of the film played by Pasupathi and his livelihood have been made in a refreshing manner but then 20 minutes into the film one gets the feeling the lead character had walked out of the sets of 'Veyyil' only to walk into 'Kuselan'. The final twenty minutes of the film showcases Rajinikanth's inimitable style of narration and appeal synchronizing with the storyline. A sense of great relief can be felt amidst the audiences especially because the irritating 'beating-about-the- bush' sequences are over once and for all and there is an emotion that the audience can finally relate with. 'Kuselan' an adapted remake comes across as a 'what could have been' movie rather than a 'what is' movie. The film also gives insight into two main facets of filmmaking that no one can ever change – no matter what. The story has to be the 'superstar' of the film and actors will have to strengthen it (even if the actor is Rajinikanth). There is no such thing as a sure-shot filmmaker until and unless the basics of storytelling are adhered to with loads of creativity and hard work. 'Kuselan' sure has been successful in making many think along these lines. Probably it's time.

Iraq bombing kills 21

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A bombing at a crowded outdoor market in northern Iraq on Friday killed 21 people and wounded 50 others, according to police.

Nineveh provincial police said the parked car bomb went off in Tal Afar, west of Mosul. There has been violence in Tal Afar throughout the Iraq war, and U.S. and Iraqi troops in Nineveh province have been taking on al Qaeda in Iraq there.

Also Friday, the U.S. military announced that two Marines died in a noncombat-related incident near Karma on Thursday in Anbar province.

Nine American troops have died in Iraq so far this month -- two in combat and the others in vehicle accidents and other noncombat incidents.

Activist tries to show Tibetan flag at Olympic venue

HONG KONG, China (AP) -- Security officers have removed a university student who tried to display the Tibetan flag during the Olympic equestrian competition in Hong Kong.

Security officers carry local student and activist Christina Chan from the equestrian venue.

The student, Christina Chan, displayed a placard bearing the Canadian flag and the Tibetan flag underneath during the competition in Hong Kong's suburban Sha Tin district early Saturday. When she tried to peel away the Canadian flag to reveal the Tibetan flag, four or five security officers asked her to leave but she refused. Officers carried her out of the venue about half an hour later.

Lam Woon-kwong, chief executive of the equestrian event, said Chan would be banned from future events.

Several other protesters demanding China abolish the death penalty held a banner that said "stop executions" near the venue.

"She was sort of disturbing other spectators around her, which is against the house rules," event spokesman Mark Pinkstone said.

Pinkstone said Chan -- who also protested at the Hong Kong leg of the Olympic torch relay in May -- was removed from the venue but not arrested.

Organizers said before the equestrian event that the Tibetan flag would be banned under house rules that prohibit the display of national flags of countries not represented at the competition. The rules also prohibit propaganda on banners, clothing or accessories.

TV footage also showed a man wearing a T-shirt that said "democracy and human rights are more important than the Olympics." The man was asked to take off the shirt before entering the venue.

A former British colony now ruled by China, Hong Kong is promised Western-style civil liberties commonly denied on the mainland, like freedom of speech and protest. Still, the local government has apparently tightened controls because of the Olympics.

An opposition lawmaker says three U.S.-based ethnic Chinese democracy activists were turned away at the airport Wednesday.

Olympic organizers moved the equestrian event from Beijing to Hong Kong because of a rash of equine diseases and substandard quarantine procedures on the mainland. Hong Kong has a prominent horse racing scene.

Also on Saturday, five activists staged a "peaceful protest" in Tiananmen Square, breaching heavy security that has surrounded the heart of Beijing for the Olympic Games, a pro-Tibet group said.

Lhadon Thetong, executive director for Students for a Free Tibet, said the protesters draped themselves in Tibetan flags and lay down in the square on Saturday.

It wasn't immediately clear if they were stopped by authorities.

The action came a day after three Americans from the group were detained while displaying Tibetan flags near the entrance to the National Stadium, where the opening ceremony for the games were held.

Tibet has been an extremely sensitive topic since protests against Chinese rule turned violent in the region's capital of Lhasa in March.

American killed in Olympics attack

An American man was killed and American woman attending the Olympics was wounded in downtown Beijing Saturday by a Chinese man who then killed himself, according to China's official news agency, Xinhua.

A Chinese tour guide, a woman, was also wounded in the attack, which happened around noon at the Drum Tower, a popular tourist site, Xinhua reported.

The attacker, identified as a 47-year-old man from the eastern Chinese city Hangzhou, jumped to his death from the second level of the Drum Tower, a spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Government Information Office told Xinhua.

The official said both U.S. citizens had entered China with tourist visas. The report did not say how they were attacked.

A White House spokesman said President Bush, who is attending Olympic events Saturday, was told about the attack against the U.S. citizens.

The U.S. Embassy and the White House have offered the victims' families whatever assistance is needed, the spokesman said